Hand decorated paper

I used a toothbrush and three different coordinating colors of Decoart Americana Acrylic Paint to splatter paint onto white card-stock.
“Although not labeled as such, Deco Art Americana paints are acid-free.
(Info from Deco Art’s chemist).” – Rebecca Baer

A good book that I can recommend is  "Painted Scrapbook Pages" by Mylinda van Zee 

She also has a motivating Blog and website.

I made four pages of each, here you can see the orange example I used in this Fall layout.

 Here I played around with watercolors and rock-salt.

 Distressing/Antiquing with Instant Coffee
Color with water and instant coffee, sprinkle lightly with fine instant coffee and add rock salt.
Note: Black coffee registers at 5.0.

From the book "Tantalizing Textures" By Trudy Sigurdson 

Collage

"A collage (From the French: coller, to glue) is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole.

A collage may include newspaper clippings, ribbons, bits of colored or hand-made papers, portions of other artwork, photographs, a piece of moss or even a dead mole and other found objects, glued to a piece of paper or canvas. The origins of collage can be traced back hundreds of years, but this technique made a dramatic reappearance in the early 20th century as an art form of novelty.

The term collage derives from the French "coller" meaning "glue".^[1] This term was coined by both Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso in the beginning of the 20th century when collage became a distinctive part of modern art." - Wikipedia

Materials:

Cream card-stock
Matt Modge Podge by Plaid
Foam brush
Music, text, clipart, etc. printed on cream acid-free paper
Brown shoe polish

Method:
Print music, clipart, text, etc. onto paper.
Cut or tear into strip and plan placing.
Cover the card-stock with Modge Podge using the foam brush Layer paper onto cardstock.
Cover with Modge Podge
Work shoe polish into paper and especially into joins, I used my fingers otherwise it rubs off.
Cover with Modge Podge

Notes:
I use a foam brush as a brush with bristles leaves fine lines.
I have tested Modge Podge and it is acid free.
I don't think shoe polish is acidfree, but the layer of modge podge should help, one can always add acid reducer or cover the paper with vellum for a muted look.

Music from Songsofpraise.org

 Here you can see it on my planning Magnetic Board
Family Gathering

Please click on thumb-nail

 

 Here is a tag which I made the same way.
Timeless
You can see the brush strokes.
Please click on thumb-nail

I also used a Collage background for Dad

Paper Dolls

One of my favorite toys as a child were Paper dolls.

My mother who was a self taught artist made my first paper-dolls, I remember they were very beautiful, but unfortunately they didn't last long.

I am fortunate to have a few of my mother's paintings and photos of most.

 My dolls looked something like this painting by my mom.

Recently I tried to make some for my scrapbook pages, but they weren't that easy to make.

Here are some sources if you would like to make some.

Shirley Temple paper dolls from Gail's Paperdolls

Please click on thumb-nails

 

Funorama.com

 

Doris Day from Gail's Paperdolls 

 

Barbie paper dolls from Gail's Paperdolls 

What were some of your favorite toys, did you have paper-dolls?
When last did you make them?