Cabin Fever Handicraft

If you follow my Instagram you’ll have noticed my recent obsession with these collages. There is something satisfying about it, scratching an itch I didn’t know I had.

It started small, in my tall, skinny journal I created solely for the purpose of “stacked cairn” collages.

I’m about halfway through this journal (i’ll share a flip-though later) and I love it.

Now we’re in our new home we actually have big empty walls to fill with art! Something I couldn’t really do in a log home. Now I’ve begun to go bigger, playing, exploring.

I love to cut the “pebbles”, sorting through my hand-painted papers, revisiting and remembering each technique and messy session (I love to get messy). The cutting process is quick and I try not to overthink it. Often I cut in silence, listening to the sound of the scissors on paper.

After I have have them all cut and sorted by colorway (warm, cool, neutral) I begin gluing. I use each piece as if it were a found pebble – I don’t cut it to fit, I find a spot where it will fit. I work quickly, rotating the page frequently so it stays balanced.

My most recent collage (not pictured) is too large to fit in any of my frames but its about 2’x2′. And something magical happens when you put your work into a frame! It is instantly elevated and suddenly feels legitimate. If you feel like your work isn’t good or feel imposter syndrome, I’m telling you- frame it. Now I frame everything!

I must say, there is nothing quite as satisfying as the pride I feel viewing my own art on the walls and thinking “Hey, that’s pretty good!”