Grid of Pretty Papers

Continuing with grids, this time more of a Paper Sampler, as suggested for the June crusade. I have only used papers I’m really drawn to right now, so this sampler is really showing “my style” when it comes to papers. Lots of green, pink and yellow. Lots of polka dots and flowers, some letters and some more personal and grungy looking papers.

I cut out small squares 4×4 centimeters (that is 1.5×1.5 inches), and glued them in rows on a painted page.

It’s not a typical Art Journal page for me, but I think this is a fun prompt that we could all do a few times in each journal really. In a few years all of these papers will be used up and my stash filled with other papers. Then this page will be a scrap page of memories. I will look at this page and think back to what pretty papers I enjoyed in the end of 2010…

I will also print the list below and tape it in the journal. In this way I will remember where I got some of the papers and how much of them I had, a few of them are just scraps from the beginning and therefor precious.

Page turned sideways, so you can see all the yummy papers. They are…

1-4. Pink Scrapbook Papers, two dotted and two with flowers.

5. Scrapbook papers in pink and yellow, with a metallic shimmer.
6. Pink paper with dimensional glitter, a birthday present from Christina 2 years ago.
7. Tilde wrapping paper in turquoise with pink roses and birds, bought last month for Panduro birthday check.
8. Sample piece of scrapbook papers, sent to me as a gift.

9. Wallpaper, from a big sampler book.
10. Wallpaper (a favorite, see below) that I got in a swap package from Nancy B a few years ago – more of this kind is on my wish list!
11. Wallpaper – with a brown pattern, on the roll, thrifted and a cheap paper I love using.
12. Pattern from a magazine image of a wallpaper.

13. Dotted yellow and pink scrapbook paper.
14. Striped scrapbook paper that I spraypainted with black dots last summer. Love this!
15. Another scrapbook paper in green that I spray painted with pink big dots. Yum!
16. Chinese lettered paper, from a package I bought from Kelly Kilmer two summers ago.

17. Handwritten vintage notebook paper, found at a flea market here in Sweden once. Fab!
18. Patterned magazine clip from a book catalogue.
19. Bright pink paper saved from a delicious paper bag. Love this colour!
20. Green scrapbook paper with white swirls. Simple but pretty.

21. Notebook paper that is splattered with paint, turned a beautiful pattern. Me like.
22. Old green scrapbook paper with both flowers and grid.
23. Checked pink fabric found on my desk while doing this grid. I think I will do a grid with only fabrics too soon.
24. Baby blue wrapping paper with big white dots – a favorite. Recycled from a gift I got once.

25. Handmade background paper. Charcoal pen swirls on ledger paper, covered with a coat of green acrylic paint.
26. Piece of watercolour paper with crayon marks.
27. White wrapping paper with metallic silver flowers.
28. Blue scrapbook paper with dots. See a dotted pattern in this grid? ;-)

29. Pink scrapbook paper spraypainted through a letter stencil.
30. Book page coated in pink acrylic paint.
31. Plastic drawer paper with a sticky pack, bought recently at IKEA.
32. Blue security pattern from inside an envelope.

33. Brown paper bag, first wrinkled and then gessoed.
34-36. Thin Japanese Origami paper, in the back from Kelly Kilmer. Love this stuff so much!

37. Wallpaper with medallions and stripes, from a thrifted roll.
28. Piece of wrapping paper in orange with both grids, squares and dots!
39. Black magazine piece with white pattern, cut out from a old art magazine.
40. Panduro wrapping paper in pink with a lace like pattern. A roll I got as a Christmas gift from mom.

Check out the June crusade Grid Lock if you haven’t already. That’s where Michelle Ward writes about this exercise;

Or you can do what I call *Me First Journaling* – where you cut and paste clippings from new finds, or favorites from your stash, saving a little bit for yourself in your journal, thereby freeing you to use the rest for something else. Helps to be less pack-ratty :)

Join us, make your own grid and then cruise among the other participants, listed in the side of the crusade page. Thanks!