Friday, May 25, 2007

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

12 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:08 PM

    Natalie - so glad to have you join the crusade! Great idea with the foreign text newspapers. I forget about those - I do get chinese text books from my library fundraiser sales.....love the look of the text and you can get a 200 page book for 25 cents. The stretchy ties are nice and cheap too - enjoyed seeing your completed projects using the Cheap Tricks. Thanks again for jumping in :)

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  2. Great what you did, I love your tricks, use them often myself. ;) Thsnka for sharing.;)

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  3. Some very good idea's there, I do the op shops for old books, I think I have cleared the books out og most og them around here - lol.
    Thanks for stopping by my blog. Your work is stunning.
    Ciao

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  4. Great ideas Nat!
    I have another one, feel the lump as you go to put a padded envelope away and find the goegeous stickers a friend enclosed with her art! Thank you.

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  5. Your piece made from the elastic looks wonderful. I love using texts in Japanese, Chinese, Arabic etc as backgrounds.

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  6. Great idea Nat; gotta look out for that elastic. Neat.

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  7. Anonymous11:44 PM

    Great cheap tricks. I like to use chinese text as a background too, I bought a chinese bible at an Op shop, those thin pages are excellent for softness and translucency. Ux

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  8. Great idea about the Chinese newspaper Natalie, I must keep my eyes open.

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  9. oooh I do really love this...I have to say it DEVINE!!!

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  10. Natalie, I just love both of your Gorgeous pieces here.... thanks for the cheap trick ideas.. love we way you've used the newspaper, it looks awesome!!!

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  11. that chinese newspaper is awesome, what a great idea! And lol about husbands sheds...I'm often in trouble for wreaking havoc with his stuff!

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  12. Great post and fantastic ideas. Love your art pieces! Love your Asian background, so pretty, so soft!

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