Mixed Mania: Recipes for Delicious Mixed Media Creations - Softcover

This book is loosely set out like a cookery book, with Artistic Appetizers, Main Courses, and Sweet Treats & Special Occasions, and introductory sections on what you need in your artistic pantry. Written by Debbi Crane and Cheryl Prater, it explores many different projects and artistic approaches, but all set within a mad framework of conversations between the artists, their musings and favourite recipes. I loved it. It was fun and lively and made me laugh a lot. Their descriptions of how to make their pieces are written in the same conversational tone, very easy to follow and understand, and very relaxed. Artistic Appetizers consists of six very simple projects which can be tried for fun - making paper dolls and dressing them with different papers, doodling, making your own paper patterns, mini collages and backgrounds. They are projects you could take on just to clear your head and do something small and inconsequential just for the hell of it. Main Courses (eight of them) are more challenging, but still retain a sense of fun - a mixed-media doll, an art quilt, a fabric journal, for example. All these have clear instructions with photographs to illustrate. Finally, in Sweet Treats there are three small projects but very original ideas - a board game, a selection of mini collages and little cottage cards. There are lots of pictures throughout, and ideas of ongoing projects for you to take on. I think I might just go back and read it again now. There's so much in there, I'm bound to have missed something.-Workshop on the Web

Frequent Cloth Paper Scissors contributors Debbi Crane and Cheryl Prater have whipped up this book featuring 20-plus smart and sassy projects divided like a cookbook into appetizers, main courses, and sweet treats for a fresh perspective on creating mixed-media projects. From artist books to assemblage, art quilts to art dolls, it's all here, plus how-to instructions on a variety of mixed-media, collage, and surface design techniques.

Step-by-step projects are laid out like recipes complete with ingredients (materials), instructions (what to mix, add), and tips (how it should look, taste, etc.), showcasing colorful, innovative projects created with a variety of ephemera and mixed-media materials. Techniques for making art quilts, collages, assemblages, memory art, bookbinding, doll making, and paper crafting are included. An inspiring gallery of work by popular artists is also included.