Tag: Free Stuff

How to Make Free Art Supplies: Trash to Treasure

Here is a recent video from my Youtube channel on ways to look at the stuff that we all have all around use and see if we can’t be resourceful and turn it into free, found art supplies. Whether you are on a budget, trying to reduce waste, or enjoy a challenge to your imagination, these ideas will jumpstart your practice with everyday stuff available for free to anyone. I go through these ideas pretty quickly so here is a list that you can refer to if needed (and the approximately time stamp so you can forward there if you want).

  • Introduction
  • Ways to use found cardboard and packaging: *Making a mini-book from box or mailer (2:48)
  • Tags and Bookmarks
  • Die cut paper embellishments (6:48)
  • Free, found stencils (8:24)
  • Tissue Paper (12:00)
  • Paper Wrapper Frame (10:05)
  • Mesh Onion Wrapper (9:11)
  • Brown Envelope Pocket With Window (11:15)
  • Bubble Wrap Mark Making (13:30)
  • Printmaking with Styrofoam “Plate” and Mark Making with Corrugated Cardboard and Blister Dispensers (15:35)

In the final segment I mention Birgit Koopsen’s Youtube channel for tons of inspiration and it is [read more]

Vintage Birds: Free Downloads for Your Pages

One of the questions I am asked the most often is where do I get my bird images. Well, I do actively search them out and then some just find me but yes, I have a lot of birds. So here are a few to share and add to your collage, art journals, altered books, or other mixed media work. To use these, click on an image for a larger resolution, then right click and copy. You can then add it to an editing program such as Paint. (I use Word. Even though it is not a visual platform per se, I am used to it.) You may want to resize these, make them larger or smaller. Happy Making!

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Tudor Queens Free Downloads

Hello there. Today I have some truly gorgeous downloads of some Tudor queens and other badass female royals to use in your journal pages, collage, or other mixed media work. You need these. Please be inspired by their attitudes and their outfits, then if you like, click for a larger image, copy, and off you go. Let me know what you make with these and as always, just get in touch if you have any [read more]

Vintage Animal Engravings 1818: Free Download

Recently I acquired three volumes of Oliver Goldsmith’s Earth and Animated History. This classic text was re-issued for decades and later editions had hand-painted engravings (see link below) but these were strictly black-and-white. I love how the animals look slightly off, as though the illustrator had never really seen a giraffe (camelopard !) in his life.

For a larger view, just click on any picture in the gallery. To use in your own art or journal work simply right-click on an image, then copy, then paste into Word, Paint, or any other editing program.

To see and download hand-coloured engravings of Oliver Goldsmith’s birds, go to:   [read more]

Free Bird and Insect Downloads, Oliver Goldsmith, 1876

I recently acquired an amazing volume of Oliver Goldsmith’s A History of the Earth and Animated Nature series. There are six volunes and they tend to be crazy pricey but I have my mind made up and managed to get two of them in my budget. The most recent was volume two and it is full of coloured engravings of birds! With an occasional insect. So without further ado, please feel free to use these images. Click on an image in the gallery to enlarge then right click, copy, then paste it into Paint or Word or whatever program you use to print [read more]