Mixed-media artists Debbi Crane and Cheryl Prater share their enthusiasm, humor, materials, techniques, and projects to make mixed-media art accessible and appealing to the masses. Featuring tips and tricks that seasoned makers will find innovative but those new to artsy-crafting will find attainable, Mixed Mania shares all the ingredients readers need to know to get their creative juices flowing.

Divided into three main sections, Mixed Mania takes an unstuffy approach to a range of techniques including art quilts, painting, collage, bookbinding, assemblage, drawing, image transfers, sewing, doll making, scrapbooking, keepsake art, and decoupage. The book is divided into “artistic appetizers,” “creating main courses,” and “sweet treats and special occasions.”

Projects are laid out like recipes complete with ingredients (materials), instructions (what to mix, add), and tips (how it should look, taste, etc.) Each showcases colorful, innovative collage and assemblage projects created with a variety of ephemera and mixed-media materials, all with detailed how-to instructions. Each artist contributes projects, tips, and ideas in their own distinctive voice, and the overall narrative captures the playful and spirited tone of a conversation between two opinionated friends.

The graphics and design of this book have a mid-century modern flavor with a fun retro cookbook theme and a narrative voice to match: a tone that is two-parts feisty June Cleaver with a heat gun mixed with one-part savvy instructions and a sprinkling of sassy on top.

Paperbound, 8½ x 10¼, 128 pages
150 photographs
ISBN 978-1-59668-084-5