inspiration monday

i seem to have a lot of "experimental background papers" that are, let's face it, just plain lemons.    so, you know the saying, when you've got lemons,  make some lemonade!

one of the things i like about this paper is all that juicy color......but to my eye, it's just too splotchy.  so one thing i love to do is take a scrap of card stock and cut an opening out of the middle to create a little window (i've cut mine into a 1.5" square, but you can use any size or shape).  then place it on top of the paper, and move it around......there are lots and lots of fun little art pieces hiding in there!  make a quick tracing with a pencil around the edge of the window shape and then cut out the piece.......

and there's a pile of little art lovelies before you know it!  suddenly that big lemon of a piece of paper is looking much better!

and here's one way to make some lemonade with those little snippets of art happiness: 

draw a frame shape onto a piece of watercolor paper (i'm using my moleskine journal)......

and paint it in.  i drew my frame with a tombow watersoluble marker, so i just used my waterbrush to activate the ink.  when it dries, you can go back with your micron to touch up any lines that have faded.

once the frame is ready, glue one of the little art snippets in the middle.....

then add all of your special touches, and maybe even a title for your new little masterpiece!

keep painting frames and adding art snippets......

and before you know it......

you've got your very own lemonade gallery!!

have fun!

{my art gallery lemonade recipe:

the original background paper was created using bottled inks and this saran wrap method.

other supplies:  card stock, black tombow marker, waterbrush, micron pens, 2B pencil, glue stick}