Recycled Dream Catcher Page - WOYWW #295

Hello Artsy Friends,

Wednesday snuck up on me! It is 6:00 AM and I woke at 5:00 and have been taking photos and editing madly so that I can get this post linked to Stamping Ground and 'what is on your workdesk Wednesday'! I decided not to take a photo of my actual desk because there is not anything on it. I was up late finishing my Lifebook 2015 week 5 project. Once I got started on this one I just could not stop until it was done!
The instructor for this week was artist Rachael Rice and her idea was to create a page featuring a Dream Catcher. Having grown up around American Indians, and living in the Southwest of the United States, I am very familiar with this imagery and the legend surrounding this object. In fact, I own one. However, her idea of the traditional spiders web to catch dreams as being the modern day mandala image really captured my imagination. Normal I would not do a step out of another artists art, but in this case the only similar thing to her piece is the idea of a dream catcher image with our words for the year, so I think it is ok. So here is my finished page.


I really wanted to work with the idea of a mandala image but I didn't want to print and color one or something like that. I wanted it to be colorful, holding as many of the colors of the world as possible. I got this idea to use some of my hoarded papers to make it. These papers were all 'trash' like experiments I hated, deli paper pallets with dried up paints, and used paper towels and baby wipes. I made a template of a very thin triangle, figuring if I put enough together eventually it would make a circle. I used mod podge instead of a more expensive medium in case it totally didn't work..lol. But it did! 


While my mandala of many colors was drying, I started on the background collage for my piece. I picked very neutral colors of papers so that my more colorful circle would stand out. Book paper from a beat up book, some brown packing paper from a amazon box, some printed music, and a piece of scrapbooking paper. I glued them to 140 pd watercolor paper in strips, leaving the top open as it would be covered anyway. Then I brayered over the whole thing with acrylic titanium buff color. I added a little pearl ex super copper pigment powder with a baby wipe while it was still wet.


Next I needed to cut out and attach my mandala. I knew I would use a dinner plate for the circle...but how to make sure it was centered? I ended up cutting a circle on scratch paper and folding it in quarters to find the center. Then I used a sewing pin to poke through the center of my mandala and then the center of the template to line then up. It worked great. I added some punched out copper metallic circles and some line work with black and white pens. Then I sponged the edge with black archival ink. I attached it to the background and put it under something heavy to dry.


Now to make my feathers. The first one I cut out of the same copper metallic cardstock. I used a bone folder to press in the center stem and accents onto the cardstock and then highlighted them with white. I sponged the edges with black ink. Then I added my word with rubber stamps. My word for the year is 'Grow' and these other words are things I intend to do to support my main word idea.., Like actively listen.


My next feather I collaged on two recycled deli papers, half and half, and then went around the edges with my white pen. I put 'reach out' as in reach out to all of you whom give me so much and knowledge!


The next feather I used a scrap of left over Gelli print on newsprint packing paper. The word 'accept' to allow myself to be open to what others are offering.


My next feather has the word 'love'. In this case I mean self love...trying not to be my own worse critic. I used a piece of deli paper scrap that had some paint scraped over it from leftover paint in a project. I used a red paint pen (the color of love) around the edges and then added accents with a gold metallic paint pen.


My final feather is my word for the year...GROW... which is my intention! I used a couple scraps of old baby wipe...then also added the piece I had cut from the top of my mandala when I glued it on. Very cool and colorful. A black line and some white dots with a pen were added as well as black ink sponged on the edges.


To finish up my project I glued on the feathers and then added some strings with a black pen and some shading. Then I added some fun doodle accents with metallic copper paint.
I hope you enjoyed this project! Leave me a comment if you did.
<3 Shel



Comments

  1. What an amazing project!!! I love it! So colorful and interesting! Great job!

    Happy Crafting!
    Jeannie #5

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  2. Wow, this is an amazing piece of art - I love the vibrant colours - you have really made the dream catcher your own - Fabulous! Thanks so much for stopping by my desk earlier, I hope you have a great week,
    Diana #31

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    1. Thank you Diana. I always enjoy visiting everyone's desk..guess I am just nosey!

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  3. WOW I love the mandala/dream catcher especially the feathers. Thank you for your visit and yes I'm coming to Mesa Arizona for an art weekend here is the link to the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ARTzonaUSA?fref=ts. Details are on the website http://www.artzonausa.com/#!artist-retreat/co42 there are currently around 40 of us. Would love to meet up with you :) Anita

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  4. This is a beautiful piece of work, with the contrasting shapes of the circle and feathers, and the gorgeous background. What a great idea for using up all those papers we don't like but somehow haven't the heart to throw away!!

    Thank you for your lovely comment. I love WOYWW because we all learn new things from each other! I was always known as the shi-sha girl in my local embroidery group many years ago as it was always my favourite. I can't remember how I discovered it - it always seems to have been part of my life, and I even put it on my wedding dress!!

    Thank you for your understanding about how hard the waiting game is, waiting for scans and test results. I am not allowing myself to worry ahead of time about the consultation after they've had time to analyse this Friday's scan but I know I shall feel the most nervous about that... I am feeling unable to settle to anything while I am in this limbo period and much as I don't relish what's ahead, I do want to get on with it now. I am sorry you have had to go through something similar, and hope all is now well with you.

    Happy WOYWW,
    Shoshi #48

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    1. Thanks for coming back by Shoshi. Yes I do understand...believe me!

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  5. Your piece came out nice, and I especially like those feathers.

    Thanks for your visit to my blog earlier and for the comments. :-)

    Happy creating and happy woyww,

    Sandy #24

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  6. If there was one piece of artwork that I would absolutely give my eye teeth for, it is this! Wow, I love it..the colours, the pattern, the feathers, the words...i could live with that on my wall. You are very clever, it is beautiful.
    I've always loved patterns and graphic design more than figurative stuff...I've got books about Islamic, Egyptian and American Indian patterns. I used them to make up knitting patterns in the past, or at school, for the kids to make their own native patterns up. I could sit and look at them all day (and maps too) finding them incredibly satisfying.
    Gorgeous work!
    Hugs, LLJ 20 xx

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    1. Thanks Jan :) Perhaps we could arrange a trade lol. I too love the powerful yet simple patterns in first people's art. I have visited lots of places in the states where there are petraglyphs in the sandstone. It fascinates me!

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  7. I love the mandala idea, Shel. It looks simple, but it must have been quite hard to match the pieces together. (Something I discovered when I did my colour wheel - things that look simple are not always simple to make!) I really like the details in your feathers - I took a short-cut with mine, LOL! Happy WOYWW! Thanks for visiting earlier!

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    1. Thank you Zsuzsa for visiting :) It was time consuming to make it but I was completely engrossed in the process. I just stayed awake until 2AM or so to finish..lol..then got up and wrote my WOYWW post at around 5:30 AM.

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  8. An absolutely stunning project your mandala dreamcatcher! I love those feathers!
    Thank you for your earlier visit.
    Cheers
    Gabriele 44

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  9. Great project with so much colour, yet it just works so well you clever girl!
    Thanks for the visit and hope you have a great crafty week, Angela x 35

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  10. A lovely piece of work, so colourful and cheerful. I love the words on the feathers. Thank you for your visits and kind comments. I hope you have a good week. xx Maggie #29

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  11. How could throwaways and stuff you don't like end up in such an amazing piece of art? Your mandala dream catcher is so colorful and detailed. I love your feathers, each stamped with the explanation of things you intend to do to GROW this year. I'm on my way over to take a close look at this amazing piece of art! Lucky me! :)

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  12. Your art is really inspiring and wonderful, I love how you have used all your scraps and the story behind the scenes. Thank you for sharing your art, I am off now to check out this project which I probably wont have the time for, worth a look right!

    Hugs Eliza & Yoda
    Happy WOYWW 45

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Eliza :) I hope I inspired you to do something creative anyway..lol

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  13. I'm playing catch up with the kind bloggers that called in on me yesterday and left me such thoughtful comments. It really is appreciated so I thank you.
    Your dream catcher is stunning....I really love the bright colours esp on this cold dull morning.
    Hugs,
    Annie x # 23

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    1. I am glad you enjoyed it Annie :) It is raining here in Arizona which is a bit strange but not terrible.

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  14. Amazing project and lovely to see how you have put your ideas together and remembered to take a pic of the process. Have a lovely week.
    sandra de @47

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  15. What a fantastic piece of art! Isn't it great when it all comes together! Thank you for explaining how you made this. You're an inspiration!
    Thank you for visiting yesterday,
    Have a great week,
    Lisca#34

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    1. Thank you for coming by Lisca :) I am glad if I can inspire even one person to get to their desk and create something.

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  16. Your mandala-dreamcatcher piece is just gorgeous!!! I love dreamcathers, and have one handmade especially created for me by an American friend with all kinds of 'personal symbolic' in it... the friend passed away so this artifact is very dear to me. Thanks for the visit to my blog earlier, and happy (belated) woyww. Enjoy the weekend! Marit #39

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    1. Thank you Marit :) I too have a hand made dreamcatcher I have had for years. Such a treasure from you friend!

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  17. Very inspirational...thanks for sharing and recycling to create art. It truly is a work of art with heart and soul worked in. Thanks for your visit I'm a couple of days behind but it's worth the time to return visits and find new inspiration. Carole #55

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    1. Thank you Carole :) I do like never wasting anything in my studio if I can help it. Those bits and pieces sure worked out for this one.

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  18. Haha!You've not the only one to drag themselves out of bed early before WOYWW! x

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    1. Oh yes, I am sure this is true. People trying to be first on the list even if they live in the wrong time zone..LOL

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  19. 1 word. WOW! This is gorgeous. I would love having that art on my wall. Will add you to my DLP list. Thanks for visiting me. Creative Blessings! Kelly #56

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  20. Oh this is lovely, just lovely. Some kind of clever to look at a dream catcher and think mandala, huh. love your take on it, and that one of your feathers says 'reach out'. I think we should all have that as a year word....

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    1. Thanks Julia :) I am trying my best to reach out..."stretches arms across the internet"

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  21. Hi Shel, thanks for visiting my desk. Your dream catcher is gorgeous, so lovely and bright and a great idea to use up scraps. Enjoy your week RobynO#20

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