All posts by Natalie Nettles

How to Make a Mixed-Media Messenger Bag

Looking for the perfect bag to carry on all your travels near and far? This messenger bag decorated by Tracie Lyn Huskamp is just the ticket. To make it, you’ll take a store-bought messenger bag and put your own special spin on it using a variety of mixed-media art techniques. Tracie will even show you how…

Make a Vibrant Botanical Collage

Artist Susan Black makes wonderfully vibrant collages inspired by flowers and floral motifs—and in this article, she’ll show you how to create your own. Susan starts with coffee-stained watercolor paper, then layers simple geometric shapes cut from tissue paper with bits of ephemera, doodle-style drawing, and mark making. Ready to get started? Follow Susan’s instructions for…

editor's picks mixed media books

Expand Your Mixed-Media Library with these Editors’ Picks!

What shape is your mixed-media library in? Maybe you need a dose of instruction and inspiration, especially on days when the muse needs a little nudge. If that library needs some new acquisitions, we have just the resources for you. We’ve chosen two standout books in six categories of mixed-media art that you shouldn’t be…

Art Journal Technique: New Ways to Use Old Work

Discover exciting and creative ways to explore art journaling in the new book The Painted Art Journal by Jeanne Oliver. In this excerpt, Jeanne shows how to incorporate finished artwork into a fresh art journal spread. Jeanne is also our Artist of the Month for August—check out her exclusive kit below! Oftentimes we come into our…

Doodling + Collage = Fun Art Journal Pages!

Need some new art journaling ideas? We have a fun one to share with you today from mixed-media artist Jenn Olson. Jenn likes to combine doodling and collage to make unique art journal pages filled with layers, depth, and color. Follow Jenn’s tutorial below to try it for yourself! This article first appeared in the Summer 2015…

5 Recycled Art Projects You Have to See to Believe

The things artists create from items most people throw away never cease to amaze me. The Fall 2018 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors is all about transforming items and giving them a new life, and we have some incredible artwork and techniques I’m sure you’ll want to try. But I also thought it would be fun…

Recycled Art Secrets Revealed in our Fall Issue!

Here’s a fun fact: I have a handbag filled with junk: a rusty washer found in a parking lot, various store and restaurant flyers, a couple of rocks and a twig from a walk, ticket stubs, clothing tags, and napkins (clean). While these may seem like a hoarder’s collection, trust me, they’re not. They are…

Paint the Colorful World of Flora and Fauna

Have you taken your art outdoors lately? Whether in a man-made or natural setting, halfway around the globe or in your own backyard, creating en plein air can result in wonderful artwork inspired by the world around you. Artist Jacqueline Newbold is often inspired by nature for her mixed-media watercolor creations. In this article from…

5 Reasons Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine is For You

Having a magazine subscription is a commitment. We get that. But Cloth Paper Scissors is more than just a magazine. We’ve got the same passion for mixed media that you do, and that’s why we get so excited when we plan a new issue. What amazing projects can we bring you? Which incredible artists can…

Jeanne Oliver’s 10 Favorite Mixed-Media Tools

I am currently writing from my art desk, where I am surrounded by sketches, toolboxes, vintage clay bowls, glass yogurt containers, and mason jars filled with the tools of my trade. Colors and texture everywhere my eyes stop to look. Each of my mixed-media tools carefully organized and well worn. These tools that surround me…