I deconstructed an old assemblage that wasn't working. Here are the materials planned for the final product, although changes are bound to occur. The large black item is the base for a bell jar, its upper component long since broken and lost. Gothic arch cut out and and cigar box cut up with Terry's amazing saw.
Oh, and these, I forgot to put these in the first photo.
It turned out I had to take the little wooden handle off, as it interfered with the knob with the flower on it (you'll see why I changed it later). I turned the wooden disk over, I like the red on the other side better even though it is more distressed, as in having a chunk missing out of it. changed my mind on the background (several times actually). I replaced the green paer with the star paper. The birds have been glued to heavy paper reinforced with thin copper wire which I taped down with acid free tape.
Mina came to dinner last night, here I am showing off one of the perks of having a friend who is a florist. She tells me that people tell their florists even more than they tell their hairdressers, and that discretion in very important in this profession.
Home again to Oakland. Westward facing chairs in a yard near the MacArthur BART station.
Aren't these gorgeous? These Zodiac Crayons are the work of Diem Chau of the TinyHaus blog. If you live in the Chicago area, you can see her work at the Packer Schopf Gallery on West Lake street - the show runs till March 14. She has uploaded the entire series here.
For this one you just need stiff white paper and something interesting to cut the heart out of. I have used a leaf which I dipped in water mixed with polyvinyl adhesive (Elmer's glue for Americans). Oh, gel medium would probably be another alternative. You can also take fabric and dip it in this solution, and after getting all the excess off, lay it on stiff white paper. Allow it to dry throughly, and then cut a heart shape out of that. This is how I made the heart below, with a little bit of kimono silk. It's key to get the excess moisture out, and it's not a bad idea to tape the paper you stick it to down to avoid warpage - I just tore through it myself without doing so. 
For the second one, I deliberately cut the little heart out with scissors instead of an exacto knife to prove to myself it was possible, it's a little rough. glue the paper "spring" to the inside of card and to the back of the heart. You should end up with something like what is below:
It's my intention to scan in some fun stuff as a sheet for you to print out at home later today.
This is as large as I could get the image right-clicking. It's part of the Play Decay series of Seattle-based sculptor Ben Hirschkoff. I first saw the piece about ten years ago, when it made a vivid impression. A week or so ago a friend was describing a piece that he had bought in a video store/art gallery which no longer exists, and when I in turn described this piece, he identified the artist as the one who had done the sculpture he bought. Ben also does some intriguing/startling collages with non-traditional materials.
