Happy Easter!

Spring has sprung, even here in Southeast Michigan.  It was iffy there for a while (snow last week), but my hyacinths and daffodils are blooming, there are buds on the tulips, and green things are poking through the earth.  To celebrate the season of renewel (and my sister's 50th birthday), I created this Spring collage using a variety of items from my stash.  That's right...this squirrel raided her precious stash!!  I loved this project, it really brought out my creativeness. 

I even worked some fabric scraps into the collage. 

Be sure to use an ink that is suitable for fabric application like Fabrico.

I cut the "Spring" using my Cricut and glittered it with pink glitter.  I added

a little gold glitter to the pink for an antique appearance.

I love how it looks like the little girl is finding her Easter egg under the

bouquet of flowers.

Collage tips: 
Gather your elements

• Select a base.  I used a 8"x10" canvas that I painted robin's egg blue and speckled with dark brown.
• Select a central image for your theme.  This gives you a guide as you select items for your collage.  If an element "fights" with your central image or theme, it's out.  In my Spring collage, the chicks image is the key. 
• Grab a basket and sort through your supplies.  If you think something may work in the collage, toss it in the basket, don't worry about coordinating anything at this point.
• Run the gamut...throw in ribbons, embellishments, stamps, inks, everything that may work in your desired scheme.

Once you have your basket of potentials, start a preliminary layout. 

• Things look best in odd numbers.  Notice that I used 3 pink buttons at the bottom of my collage.  If you count the flowers, there are 5.
• Don't split the focus.  Just as everything should highlight and compliment your key image in color, pattern, and theme, everything should pull the eye to this key image.  In my Spring collage, all the secondary elements overlap or touch the chicks picture.  This overlapping technique draws the eye to and from the key image and unifies the entire image.

So, what will you collage?  Come on, dig into those stashes and let's see what you come up with!