Making you OWN money... who'da thunk!

It's time again for the Bad Girls Project 52 Challenge...

#10 Art Money.

More about it here:

http://wendyrago.typepad.com/project52/2010/02/challenge-10-art-money.html
This time we have to make Art Money... what's that?

Check it out here:

http://www.art-money.org/

Theme: Architecture

Required Materials: Tape

I was pleased to be able to use some great pictures we took last year at the Mackenzie King Estate in Gatineau, Quebec (Canada). There are these beautiful 'ruins' that Mr. King had moved there and placed around the estate... arches, windows, benches and entire walls from destroyed local buildings. Arranged to look like old ruins... they are beautiful!

I printed one from inside the family home (Stone Angel) and one from out in the gardens (Falling Wall Corner)... on thick, thick mulberry paper.

I must admit it did take a little *chatting* with the printer to convince it that the mulberry paper wasn't snack food, but I LOVE the result.

It feels like real money, it crumples and reforms like real money...

I wish there was some way to make a touchy-feely blog so you could feel what pictures don't quite capture.

I bordered the 2 images with masking tape, tinted with ink... and placed a few random pieces around for journaling on.

I attached some vintage lace and some book 'leather' (water damaged vintage book rescued) and hand stitched the whole she-bang together. (ouch! I need a machine...)

I also stamped a few images (scrolls, hearts and key holes) over top after the journaling and sewing were completed.

This is the front of the Art Money:

This is the back of the Art Money:

Front before I started working with it,

alongside some of the unprinted mulberry paper scraps:

Back before I started working with it:

Scrunched Front:

Scrunched Back:

Angle shot of the front... trying to get a better shot of the fabric-like texture of the paper:

Side shots of the back, showing the hand stitching and again, the texture: