isn’t she so pretty, too!

Waaahhhh!! I’m so excited to be here today. I’ve been following kelly + olive since before they branched off and started on this daring deco endeavor—when modern homebody stood alone (btw, if you’ve never checked out their other blog, I highly recommend it.) So…you can imagine how flattered I was when they asked me to be a guest here.

To honor the Queens of spicing up spaces, I wanted to present a project that was inspired by them. I think k+o presents ways of simplifying our lives while making them more beautiful. I’ve dreamed about this for some time now; so this was the perfect excuse to get it going. Now I can imagine an entire love wall, full of lots of these little pieces of story art.

Introducing: Archival Art—grandma’s letters.

Not sure about you, but I like to hang onto the past—literally. Beyond clothes and shoes and jewelry I still hold in my drawers from HIGH SCHOOL, I like to keep every single old letter, note, picture and trinket from everyone who’s ever meant anything to me. I keep them in boxes—in the basement, attic, and other strange storage spaces. When I come across them, after months or years of forgetting about them, I feel a mix of emotions—happy, sad, and guilty for just leaving them there. I realized that something needed to be done. When I decided to do this project, I set out to accomplish two things: celebration and letting go.

The first box I came across had a majority of Grandma’s letters in it. I decided to use her letters as a theme. However, I also found old magazines, books, postcards and trinkets that carried some sort of meaning at some point in time. Those things can be the flavor to the main dish. This way, we’re not just purging, but honoring those moments that came before.

Step 1: Frame it.

Find an old frame (hopefully one you’ve had hiding in your basement for 5 years or one you find in an alley) that you want as the base to build from. This way, we know how much space we’re working with. I found this great old farmhouse window frame at one of my favorite thrifty stores in Portland.

Step 2: Separate the box-of-love into piles:

1) letters/poetry, 2) inanimate objects, 3) postcards, kitschy art, drawings, etc 4) old magazines/books

Step 3: Create your canvas.

I will use the old magazine/book pile as my starting point. If I choose cover pages and book pages, my base will be stronger. Begin by cutting and ripping out the things you really love about certain pages (wow, I think I love this part too much). Even if it’s just a shape or a color combo you’re particularly drawn to. Try not to take too much time doing this. Be wild, visceral, and economical with your choices.

I’ve decided on a neutral base. I found some old, light hazel colored maps, and scratch writing that I will use to build from. I’m insanely busy these days (as I’m sure most of you are), so I decided to use tape and go the “lazy” way. This could work just as well if not better, with glue, mod podge, and/or industrial staples.

***(Make recycling piles as you go, so you’re readying to truly move on when you’re finished.)

Step 4: Cutting out meaning.

It’s time to read/skim all those old letters. When you come across something that you want to hold on to, cut it out —even if it’s just one word. I thought all the old postage was cool. I also was intrigued by some of the ridiculously kitschy hallmark card art. I cut out some of the images to showcase.

Step 5: Creating a theme and adding color.

This is the fun part…the truly creative part. Be wild and be yourself. You can choose to make up some sort of pattern as you go. As I rip (I’ve decided only to rip, to save time), I am sorting my piles into colors of the rainbow. This way, I can have a palette to draw from when I begin arranging. I’ve also decided that I want a simple theme of a pretty blue-sky, green-grass sort of day. I remember sunny days in Virginia when I used to play in my Grandmother’s beautiful yard. This will be my impetus for the direction of the layers.

I’ll arrange it in some sort of way that I find interesting (again, don’t put too much focus onto this because the idea is that we add layers and layers until it becomes a living room work of art).

Step 6: Final Decisions.

Now is the time to be picky. Make sure that you’re happy with the words, colors, and themes you’ve chosen and their arrangements.

I had two letters that I just couldn’t fathom tearing apart, so I kept them intact and left an envelope on the collage where I can store the letters and read them whenever I’m missing her. (Plus, it’s cool to have something 3-D on your frame. In this particular collage I couldn’t find a place to work in any objects, but I highly recommend finding some places for more 3-D moments.)

Step 7: Mod Podge and Antiquing.

Now you want to make the picture flat. There are several ways of merging the collage. I actually taped mine together with packing tape because I didn’t have any mod podge on hand. After making all the layers one, I decided I wanted an antique look. I had some mustard acrylic paint on hand. I mixed it with a bit of water and then brushed a diluted version in cross-strokes, over the entire collage. I wanted to pull in some of the same color for the frame, so I added some washed lines there as well.

Finally, you would want to seal it with a spray Resin or paint sealer that you can get at the craft store. With the paint sealer, you can even put this on thick to really make it look like a painting with an antique finish.

Step 8: Celebrate.

Now I have a way to celebrate the letters and the love everyday instead of letting them sit lonely in a damp box in the basement somewhere where the writing is fading, day after day.

Thank you, k + o!!! I had such a sweet time doing this project!

-betsy

thanks so much b!

NEXT WEEK: the always elegant merilee, from mer mag! can’t wait to see what she’s got for us…can you tell we’re loving these guest posts? how about you?