Making Ephemera - Clusters!

 Clusters are some of the most relaxing little journal bits to make. The repetitive motions of laying out your strips and attaching them all in the right place just feeds my soul.

I like to make clusters out of scraps - scrap fabric, laces, papers, etc. Then, I tend to find a focal image (smaller things since my clusters are usually pretty small - meant to embellish rather than be an ephemera piece on their own) and attach that piece to the top of my little meticulously placed scrap pile.

*End cuts of paper (think journal pages being cut down to size)
These are just a few scraps from a very large collection of scraps. The good part about clusters is that you can use these smaller bits and strips that are otherwise too small to turn into anything else besides collage.

                                    I usually have shorter pieces of lace - 2ft and less - that work great in these because you don't need a set amount. A small triangle of lace? Perfect. Long strips flapping in the breeze? Looks great. No one has ever looked at a cluster and said, "this cluster looks awful," Every cluster I've ever seen is beautiful in its own way and you definitely know where it belongs and how it should appear in your work. That's what makes you an artist.

Larger pieces of scraps and book pages work great as bases.  A few other great base ideas:
*Playing cards
*Corrugated cardboard pieces
*Game cards of all kinds
*Index cards
*Guest checks
*Post cards/greeting cards
*Packaging


I always keep a bag of eyelash trim handy. All colors, all styles...I keep a bag nearby. This stuff really works wonders on all kinds of projects and clusters are no different.

* Ribbon, Lace, Trim (eyelash trim is awesome!)

*Fabric bits

*Scrapbook papers

*Dyed, stamped, stenciled papers

*Painty papers

*Wallpaper/wrapping paper (these add some fun texture/color to your projects!)

Here are some of my completed clusters. I got really into the small yearbook images as my focal points. I sell a packs of yearbook portraits (small ones to large ones) in my Etsy store (here)  Follow that listing on Etsy so you will be notified when I add other fussy cuts. 

All kinds of fussy cuts work great as focal points in your clusters.

Never underestimate book page images, either. They are some of my favorite pieces of ephemera to use. I love repurposing books and being able to use as much of it as possible.

My little flags you see...I made those using scraps and cutting a triangle out of the bottom after folding it in half. You will see that in-depth on my Youtube video of my cluster process.

Doilies are awesome to use, also. You can tear them into pieces or use them whole as the focal point. They add a lot of texture and interest to a cluster regardless of how you use them.

Here are a few more finished clusters. A lot of my focal points are pieces I received in happy mail from others. Some of them are printables.  

Buttons work great on clusters, just keep in mind they are dimensional and can be difficult to write over if they are in a journal. I tend to use buttons on my greeting cards and covers.

You can cover your staple on the cluster and I have done that numerous times, however, its not necessary. Its all a matter of personal preference. If you choose to cover it, you can use things like buttons, sequins, flat-back gems and such, etc. Just make sure it doesn't take away from your focal image. 

ORRRR...use your staple cover as your focal point. I have done that numerous times.

Are you interested in a craft-with-me? Check out my YouTube video of cluster making that I made!
Cluster Vid

Have fun creating and remember...scraps are beautiful, too!

~M