Friday, 12 August 2011

Getting framed....

Good morning you all! Yesterday was a wild, wet and windy day here, hardly nice weather for going out, so I stayed home and passed the time reading, crafting and listening to music.
Recently I was given a photo frame, made up of 4 frames all stuck together, by a neighbour. She had got it as a present, and didn't want it. It has been mellowing in my hall closet for a few weeks, so I thought it was time to work on it, It was quite new, beautiful, shining, high-gloss white, so I decided to alter that straight away. I painted it with a mixture of old gold acrylic paint, and rock candy crackle in tarnished brass and peeled paint. When it was dry, I toned it down with some stazon timber-brown ink, which I rubbed into the cracks and along the edges. Now it looks as if it has spent the last 50 years in the attic.... I painted the hardboard inserts first with gesso, and then with acrylic paints in ocher, brown, khaki and gold. When they had dried, I stamped them with script and flourish stamps in stazon brown, which I then embossed. Even if not much of it can be seen in the end, I like to *hide* things underneath collages or in pictures.


Some time ago I discovered 4 tiny strips of hand-written manuscript, with illuminated letters. It had been used to sew the binding onto a book dating from 1663. I showed the parchment strips to an expert at the museum, and she said they are from the 14th century, and that old parchments were often re-used to bind or repair *new* books.




As the pieces are so small, they do not have any real monetary value, but I wanted to make something to keep them safe and show them. So I made four mini collages, one to fit in each frame. I have used more scraps of old paper, lace, sack-linen, and some vintage images in each frame. In each one is also a *guardian* -the wise looking man in the first one, a stag's horn beetle in the second, a Mexican deity and an eagle in the third one, and a wise old owl in the last one.





And the last one shows the completed frame, which I have hung on the wall behind my computer table, so I can look at it.


And before I forget, I made my black and white challenge for *Just For fun*. This time I did a fairy tale motive with a unicorn. The sentiment means *Once upon a time*.


Well, this post has once again turned out longer than I intended, sorry! Have a nice day you all, take care and thanks for looking in!





33 comments:

  1. Oh My Goodness, how amazing to find those old strips of paper, they are beautiful. The frames are fantastic they look so old now and such a great way to display those strips. I love all the tags you have been making my fav is the white one with the dress making dummy on it! Sorry I have not commented sooner but blogger is still playing me up with commenting and its annoying me so much I am only using blogger once a week now!

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  2. Wow , what a fab find in those little pieces of script, i cant blame you wanting to keep them safe and what a fab way of doing just that. I love your frames , you have given them a new lease of life , bet your neighbour wants them back now lol. I like your black and white tag too that unicorn is a lovely image :-)

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  3. A lovely way to keep the odd pieces of manuscript the frames tuned out really well :)
    Love you black and white thank you for sharing it with us at Just for Fun
    Von x

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  4. Wow! Valerie your frame is wonderful - the little pieces of script were a great find. I love it.
    xxx Hazel.

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  5. Fantastic!!
    What a cleaver and creative way to create art from these picture frames.
    I really like the "distressed" look :]
    You always seem to amaze me, Valerie... love it <3

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  6. How exciting to find the old strips of paper! Like finding treasure. Love your now 'old' frames. Very spiffy .. you will enjoy looking at those. Enjoy your day. hugs, Donna

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  7. Good Morning to you Valerie, What a fabulous find I love old paper! You've preserved them beautifully, Love the frames, now they've been Valeried! It all looks fabulous and that's a lovely tag, Have a great weekend, Gay xxx

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  8. Your collage frame is wonderful. It's hard to imagine these pieces of parchments have survived this long - a real piece of history. LOVE your black & white tag, these images work so well together, the unicorn is fab! Have a nice day! Suze xx

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  9. The longer the post the better as far as I am concerned. What amazing collage , wish I had neighbours like that. Amazing parchment and you did a magnificent job now they will be safe forever, beautiful work. Love your Jff creation fabulous dynamic piece. Hope you have a restful weekend.

    Take care

    Marie

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  10. Love, love the collage frame Valerie! How amazing to find the old manuscript papers.
    Hugs xx
    p.s. have a great Saturday. :)

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  11. Love your collage frames, the pieces of mauscript are beautiful. Super card as well. Yvonne x

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  12. Beautiful Work Valerie! Like Shadow Boxes. Neat Old Script Find! And A Fantastic Way To Display them! Hugs,Tee

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  13. WOW that frame is fantastic great work looks wonderful and those ancient parchment strips what a find!

    and you have done it again with a complete contrast your fantasy black and white is great! Thank you for sharing with us at Just for Fun XOXO Zoe

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  14. Those frames to totally awesome, Valerie!

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  15. Fabulous. Valerie. The story about the strips and their history was interesting and the fact you have saved them in an altered frame is marvelous. I really like the collages you created.

    Thanks also for visiting my blogs and leaving such kind comments.

    Have a great weekend -- you surely will get some good weather soon.

    Hugs,
    C

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  16. They might not have a monetary value, but those scraps of paper are so precious! How wonderful to own something from the 14th century!! It's great that you have used them in your artwork and are able to enjoy them rather than being shut up in a drawer.

    LOVE that unicorn!

    xx

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  17. You couldn't have displayed those old pieces of manuscript in any better a manner as those collages are stunning!
    Wishes
    Lynne

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  18. I'm in total awe here Valerie. How incredible to find such ancient pieces to treasure and what a gorgeous way to keep them safe. Really stunning collages.
    Love the black and white fantasy themed tag too.
    Hugs, Fliss xx

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  19. I can't even imagine how those slips of paper survived that long, Great way to preserve them. Beautiful collages!
    hugs Lynn

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  20. What imagination you have and what a great way to transform something once unwanted into a lovely piece of art. Love all the texture and the distressed look of the frame.
    Hope the weekend is a little less windswept for you :)x

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  21. Hi Valerie. Beautiful collages. Great way to preserve your treasures. Lovely tag.
    Regards Florence x

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  22. Very pretty collages and cute tag. Enjoy the weekend, xx

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  23. This is sooo wonderful- what an interesting way to use those bits of vintage paper. Don't you love when you know that even the papers in your collage have meaning! xo

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  24. Oh my Val, the framed collage is stunning! I bet your neighbour wishes she had that set of frames now!

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  25. Love your framed creations...so many wonderful bits and pieces! http://www.zazzle.com/popartminis/gifts?cg=196414962186146930

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  26. Amazing how you aged the frames and how extremely wonderful that you have preserved the parchment in such a glorious little way. Love what you have done x

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  27. Beautiful collages and I love the way you've treated and altered the frames. That ancient paper is quite a find!

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  28. I am here for the Just For Fun challenge....and you have a beautiful piece of art!!! But I must add that all your creativeness is gorgeous and so fun.....love your "art"!!

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