File Folder Collages

I love collage art. Always have. I think it's just the best way my brain works when it comes to art. I mean I could never, ever be an artist that actually draws something so practical as a girl and her dog or a field of flowers in the spring.

No, that's not me. Now don't get me wrong. I enjoy looking at that kind of art. But not creating it.

This is more my style..

Lots of words, ink and little treasures. Look at all those arrows. I love arrows:)

This particular collage was done on a manila office folder. A few years ago I created one and went a little nuts! {lol} Here is the cover of this one...

"Live Like you were dying"...that is one of my fave songs ever!! I know every word by heart and sing it often.


...when you open it up you see this photo of me...

That's me finishing Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota {now there's a cool story for another post}. Here is more...

That photo is me and Em the day before the race. She ran in the kids fun run. Here is some journaling from this collage...

"I often sing this song by Tim McGraw. It reminds me to really live. Really! I think about my Dad, Tommy Beger, Sherry Wray...anybody whose life has been cut short. My friend Jill Husz who told me on my Birthday...Les, be grateful for the chance to grow old. Man! I DO want to love like I was dying. I wan to be BOLD, courageous, kind loving. I want to do good everyday. This folder is dedicated to those things."

Here is my favorite folder collage. It was the first one I made, too!!

It's dedicated to my son Jackson. This was his last Hounds football game when he was in 5th grade. I adore this photo!! It's Jacks with his coach. He is getting ready to head out on the field for one last play.

And one more...

I love ink and used it to add color and character to the folder. You could paint the folder or add patterned paper, too.

Here is another folder I created entitled "Our Passions are Ourselves".

My family and my fitness were the inspirations for this folder.

That's me riding my bike in the Triathlon I finished in Denver, Colorado. The journaling to the right of the photo is written in pink and reads...

"I am passionate about LOTS of things. I love challenges...bettering myself. Pushing myself to the limit. This was PUSHING it! The Women's Triathlon in Denver, Colorado. So cool!!"

This is the opposite side of the folder. It's my family and I in Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney Resort.

That's just a torn piece of legal pad. I love using stuff like this in my collages and scrappy pages. Look another arrow, too:)

Here is my latest file folder collage I made yesterday. It's my special place for all my Blog and book ideas!! I love how this turned out!!

I inked the entire folder {inside and out} with brown ink {my fave}. Then I stamped the title Why I Write on scrap paper, cut in individual squares and inked. The butterfly is the center is a stamp. I colored it in with colored pencils. There are lots of rub-ons here as well as a few flowers, brads, chipboard pieces and stickers. See that victorian girl there with the heart that says "compelled. love. must."? That is like my favorite stamp EvER!!!!! 

So, as you can see...collage is just the way I roll. I enjoy putting the pieces together. Each and everyone I place on one of my projects means something to me.

I hope I've inspired you to create your own file folder collage. They are soooo easy and so much FUN! You can buy the folders in bulk for like 4 bucks at Office Depot or Staples. Go ahead...buy a box and GO WILD!!!

Do you collage? Have you ever tried? Do you want to? I would love to hear about it!!