Category: Art shrines & assemblages

You can never have too many Elvises! I made this shrine from images I scanned from a deck of Elvis playing cards, plus some glittery wrapping paper, a plain matchbook, and a few phrases related to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. The “matches” are three layers deep. I folded a couple of them over,…

Tags can combine with other elements to support wonderful, pocket-sized shrines.  In this shrine, I wanted to use familiar elements such as a matchbox, but make it a little quirky. I’d already worked with many traditional matchbox shrines.  This time, I wanted to deconstruct one. This shrine was made with the cut-up-and-reconstructed inside of a…

This is my pocket shrine to creativity, in a matchbox photo of pocket shrine This pocket shrine started as a small, plain matchbox that I covered with plush black velvet and glittery purple silk ribbon. The background image inside the box is a scan of a goddess figure, plus scans of my tubes of oil…

After draping your art shrine or assemblage with plaster and gauze, you can achieve astonishing results by layering paint and polyurethane. These photos show just a few of my experiments with this technique. It’s best to read this entire page before shopping for paint, polyurethane, and related supplies. You may get some great, unique ideas…

Plaster and gauze are ideal materials for embellishing your art shrines and assemblages. To learn the basics of using plaster and gauze, see: Shrines – Add Texture with Plaster and Gauze Applying Plaster Gauze to your Art Shrine When using plaster-embedded gauze, you can create fabulous textural effects with common household and art objects. Among…

Plaster and gauze – the same materials used in medical settings for traditional plaster casts – can add excitement and dimension to your art shrines and assemblages. This is page two of instructions that started at Art Shrines – Add Texture with Plaster Gauze. 5. Dip gauze all the way into the water, and remove…

Plaster gauze can add exciting dimensions to your art shrines, mixed media art, or even your art journaling book covers. The effects are completely unlike a “plaster cast.” Here’s what a finished product can look like. (It started as a cardboard cigar box. Cigar stores often sell them at a good, low price.) Art Shrines…

The Asparagus Wand was created for Sukie’s “Fairy Wand Exchange,” in July 2001. I made four of them to add to the wands already being sent by my daughter, Applefaerie, and me. The Asparagus Wand is shown below. It started in Michael’s Arts & Crafts store, when my daughter and I were wandering the aisles…

This is an Altoid tin shrine created for a 2000 Capolan exchange, and titled the Relic Room Assemblage. The outside of the box: Altoid tin, secured with an antique button, and hemp twine with beads. Preparing the Altoid tin: First, I hammered it to age it. Then I sprayed it with a cream-colored epoxy paint,…