A Thing For Boxes

I admit it....I have a thing for boxes.

I love all kinds and all sizes....because you never know when you'll need a good box ....especially a good box top.

But before I launch into my box story.....here a few joy nuggets from the day.

The snow in the backyard got packed down in the rain and melting....and in the late afternoon light it glistened like meringue. 

And during my sorting I found these two projects....a pretty little watercolor in blues and greens....and a collage mastersheet where I played around with free motion stitching on one end.  Both...have potential....both found in a box.

And my sister-in-law Liz shared some photos of the snow sculptures from a trip to Breckenridge, Colorado today.....pretty incredible! 

Now....back to boxes for those who have the patience for my stories.

As I s-l-o-w-l-y work on my studio project....I'm coming to terms with the fact that my obsession passion for boxes and box tops may be just a bit out of control.  

These are just the ones I have emptied and/or consolidated. There are more that I haven't gone through yet.

I use box tops as trays for pieces and parts of projects....or storage for snippets and offcuts and precious scraps.  And my go to method for cleaning off a work space has been to put everything in a box.

I'm always on the lookout for a good box...or a sturdy box top I can use as a tray. And I get especially excited when they're colorful and pretty.

I got this beautiful box top back in 2016.  It covered a box of pears I got from Connie....I wrote about it here.  (I probably have the bottom too.)  Right now it's holding all the fabrics I painted for Stitch Club.  I love this box top.

Here's another pretty box top with pink stripes holding watercolor scraps.

Not all my box tops are pretty....like this one that holds an odd assortment of stuff. There are cut-outs and snippets.....projects and paintings....and fabulous fodder. I'm overrun with boxes....and all these precious things in them......and it's time to do something about it.

So I've got a few ideas....ways to reduce the number of boxes....and ways to let go of these precious bits of color. It's going to take some time....I'll keep you posted.  

What Happens?

What happens when you write "JOY" over and over with white paint in a fineline applicator on a piece of hand painted paper?

Textured awesomeness...and great fodder for a collage project that might need a little JOY.

And what happens when you scribble a heart on a piece of peachy pink hand painted paper....just because you were curious?  You fall in love with your art tools.

Handwritten Hearts

Making little handwritten hearts from my collage fodder started a week or more ago with a calendar idea for my sister Nancy.  Her birthday is on Valentine's Day...so hearts have sometimes been a theme.  

I recently sent Nancy her January and February pages....and I'll be working on the rest over time....or maybe all in time for her birthday. 

I think the white card stock is a little harsh....so I'll figure something out there...but each one will be a little different...and hopefully improve.

I'm going to include some of my other sister Angie's handwriting every month...either in the heart or in the background. Nancy is the one who retrieved a bunch of Angie's collage fodder when they cleaned out her house. and here's a little glimpse into just some of it: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2021/04/nancys-box.html 

I made a few more today....and I'm leaning towards this more simple design. I'm also mounting them on white paper giving them a little border and of course will a few stitches. X X X

Fodder

Finding joy in the process....finding joy in my fodder.

I've been quietly following along with a class called Fodder School.  Over the course of a year 12 artists are sharing their techniques to create collage "fodder".....a relatively new word for me. 

Fodder in the art and craft world is anything....literally anything....that can be used in collage, art, and crafting.  Stamps, envelopes, old book pages, greeting cards, maps, art experiments, doodles and on and on....I have it all. I've been saving it, snipping it, punching it, painting, and doodling it for years.

I've done some unusual things with my fodder....like sewing it together to send as a goofy card.

I've made shared art journal pages...

and greeting cards....

Some of you might remember back in 2019 I completed a 100 day index card project using fodder. This card was made from a calendar page and some snippets. 

Fodder School started in October....and I've been playing around with the techniques here and there....but this month's lessons by Autumn Moon have really caught my attention.  We've been learning simple techniques for making textured backgrounds and adding our handwriting as mark making.  Here's a little "handwritten heart"..... inspired by Fodder School.