Mixed media crafting takes various forms and utilizes most any type of material. 
By scrounging family attics, second hand stores, auctions and recycling facilities, you’ll find many items you can upscale into art.
For instance:

keys
broken jewelry
old or distressed wood scraps
metal boxes
hinges
nails and screws
hardware cloth
wire
kitchen utensils
stones – colorful and dark
metal tags
cancelled stamps
belt buckles
buttons
many more
old paper and newspaper clippings
old photos

If these items don’t look old enough or fit into your theme, distress them or add dabs of rust colored paint.  You may want to spray rusted objects with a sealer to prevent further deterioration.
How have you utilized rust and relics in your mixed media …read more

The other week, I managed to lock myself out of my house for four hours, with my purse, my mail, my banking, my puppy, and about two dozen wire hangers. I was definitely mad at myself for doing it, but fortunately, I found it more amusing than anything else once it all sunk in. Granted, I still feel like a moron for doing it, but it’s a funny story. You can read the whole thing in my Inkthinker blog post My day so far (a tragicomedy).
Why am I telling you this? My brother and his girlfriend …read more