Inside the Roben's Nest: A Peek at Paper & Skin
Creating texture, layering interest, and infusing our work with personal touches.
There’s something quietly magical about lifting an image from the page ~ and watching it take on a whole new life.
Inside The Roben’s Nest for August, we leaned into the magic of giving new life to images and color. We played with photo transfers using gel medium, a technique that’s equal parts delicate and delightfully unpredictable.
With a few favorite photos and some simple tools, members of The Roben’s Nest explored the art of creating translucent, weathered images that look like they’ve lived a life.
Some chose moody black and white trees. Others went bold with color.
But every image had a story, and every transfer added a little more soul to stitched books, swatch cards, and journal pages.
Examples of my Paper & Skin Image Transfer
I shared tips for working with a mix of image styles and sizes, why I love the contrast of grayscale and vivid tones, and how to soften the lines for a worn, soulful finish. The beauty of this process? It’s wonderfully imperfect. And that’s where the magic really blooms.
Here’s a look at what made this month’s creative session so inspiring:
We embraced the “less-than-perfect” edges that give photo transfers their beautifully aged feel.
Members shared personal photos and discovered how layering them can evoke emotion and memory.
The tactile experience of working with skins and paper gave everyone a chance to slow down and get their hands messy.
Stitching and swatching met image and ink in unexpected, joy-filled combinations.
Like all things inside The Roben’s Nest, Paper & Skin wasn’t about doing it “right.” It was about showing up, playing with materials, and finding joy in the process. No pressure. Just possibilities.
If you're curious to learn more about this vibrant, creative community, just click the link below:
Take a peek at these fun projects and see what the members are creating lower in this post.
And as always, the work our members created? It blew me away. Keep scrolling to see some of the soulful, stunning images they brought to life…
Paper & Skins Created By The Roben’s Nest Members
