GPP Street Team - Crusade No. 8 - Cheap Tricks

The theme on Michelle Wards GPP Street Team is Cheap Tricks. This is my first time entering, so not really 100% sure what I should be writing about, but here goes anyway.

My first cheap trick is to pick up FREE oriental newspapers that are normally sitting outside (well here in Perth anyway) Oriental grocery stores. I love them and use them all the time as backgrounds. You can paint over them, stamp directly on to them, they just give the 'best' funky look.

Here is an example of something I've made using an oriental newspaper -



Next one is to keep the elastic that often comes when you purchase a new pair of shoes (often sneakers). It's that thin white stretchy elastic, that can also be coloured. I have used permanent marker and stazon to colour. This tip I was actually given by a fellow blooger friend France Chevalier, so I can't take all the credit for this clever cheap trick.

Here is something I've made using the elastic, coloured in black with permanent texta -



Back to newspapers, I also use the free local newspapers as backgrounds. Telphone books are another resource for great backgrounds, but I'm pretty sure most artists would know about these 'cheap tricks'.

Op shops again as most would know, are another great resource for cheap goodies for art.

Husbands sheds (LOL) have lots of cheap goodies hiding in there (bits of wire, nuts, bolts, tape and anything else he doesn't know of or didn't know he had!!)

And last but not least, rusty old bottle caps that are often left lying around (ie in car parks etc) and are beautifully flattened and rusted already.

Thanks for looking.

Cheers
Natalie Briney