Hello everyone, it’s Nancy!

Memories are a great inspiration for many pieces of art and such was the case with this mixed media piece.

When my local library was cleaning out and disposing of the card catalogs, I stopped in to collect a box FULL of old circulation cards. When cut and applied to an 8″ x 10″ piece of 140 lb watercolor paper, they made a great base for a nostalgic piece of art.

The Crafter’s Workshop provided me with some product to create this project. The opinions I share are solely my own.

Supplies Used:

4 x 4 Ancient Wheel Remnant stencil TCW2116

12 x 12 Life Remembered stencil TCW627

6 x 6 Time for Love stencil TCW622s

140 lb watercolor paper

vintage library circulation cards

gel medium

brushes

brayer

acrylic paint: vanilla, aqua, burnt sienna

molding paste

baby wipes

palette knife

fluid chalk ink:  burnt sienna

heat gun

The library cards were cut and applied to the watercolor paper with gel medium, smoothed with a brayer and then coated with the gel medium.

Molding paste was applied to the stencils with a palette knife. The molding paste was allowed to dry overnight.

The entire piece was coated with a wash of vanilla acrylic paint.

When dry, aqua and burnt sienna acrylic paints were applied with a foam brush and then blended with baby wipes. A dry brush application of vanilla acrylic paint adds depth to the piece.

When lightly applied to the raised stencil designs, burnt sienna fluid chalk ink highlights the images.

Text from a vintage book, adhered to the finished piece, reminds us to “embrace the future and hold dear the past.”

 Nancy Lefko

The Crafter’s Workshop Design Team