one part rerun, two parts tutorial = so now you know

        Now the first part of this post is a repeat from last summer....but I wanted to include it here because the question has come up again.    So this is for my new readers....the rest of you can scroll down for a cool technique.

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 I'd like to answer a question a few people have asked.

"Why did you name your rescue RuffHaven? I mean, isn't that kinda cheesy?"

( yes, someone actually worded it that way )  But I am a big girl and it did not hurt my feelings.

Now the fact that dogs say "ruff" and my driveway is the "ruffest"  in the county,  had nothing to do with the naming of Ruff Haven.

I'll try to keep this short. because I know you really came for the show and tell.

Well, when I decided to open a Sanctuary for old dogs I first went to "Best Friends" The largest Animal sanctuary in the world. Yes...the world.  it on over 33,000 acres in Utah. You should go see it.  Plane, train, or automobile...or the internet...go see it .   Anyway.    They really know what they are doing when it comes to setting up a rescue so I took their

"How to start an Animal Sanctuary" Workshop

That was nine days of intense information.  When we got to the subject of business names etc... It looked like  ALL the good sanctuary names have been taken. So I set upon the task of trying to figure out a good name that would fit my sanctuary to a T.

I made a long list of possible names but  I kept coming back to    RUFF ... cheesy but very fitting.   Since most of my dogs are large and one form of Chow Mix or another, Something to do with Chow Chows was in order.  

And since the fur around the neck of a Chow Chow is called a ruff,  it had to be part of the name.

   BINGO  !     we had a winner !

Now the Haven part was easy. My little corner of the world is my Haven.
So now you know:     

RuffHaven 

  Rescue and Sanctuary   

gated community for canine seniors 

(and those with special needs)


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Now on with the show
    One of my favorite techniques while working with collage is quite simple and has a wonderful effect. This can be done with a very dilute mixture of gel medium....but for cheepo art or "vacation art" as my friend  Diana  calls it...      I use this

so lets start with the few few layers of a collage
you've got the canvas ...and for the sake of simplicity...one layer of whatever you decide to start your collage

 scuff it up , add a bit of paint, 

I'm keeping it simple here because I want to show you the next step today

not next week

then get yourself some of this cool lacy paper...it comes in 12x12 sheets and sometimes parent sheets from a paper supply house.  I know it comes in a swirly pattern too...but I don't have any of that with me.....

 It's similar to mulberry paper but a lot thinner and softer

like a fabric...but like a tissue

too bad we don't have touch-a-vision so you could feel this

it's thin...see the window

ok....enough of that

Now watch what happens when you slather a thin layer of the varnish on your collage then gently pat down the lacy paper...

shiny thin layer of varnish

 layer on the paper and gently pat it down to make contact

now let it dry

go take a shower....

walk a dog...

eat lunch...

just let it dry

do not try to dry it with your heat gun because it will peel off

trust me

it only takes an hour or two

and

it will become softer as it dries

see..........instant softness

before:

 after

But wait...there's more

each time you add a layer of paper or paint or  whatever......you can tear the lacy paper to a size that's just a bit larger and layer it on...... and when it dries you can hardly tell where the new layer is.

since I have no idea where I am going with this collage

as usual

I'll share my secret....

I used this technique on the bird collage that I showed you in

  "sweet tweet"

click on the photo to go to the post about the bird collage

So now you know.

The next time we meet I'll show you another cool technique with this varnish...
.... if you're gonna buy.... you might as well use it up....

so happy you came to visit
please come back again ,