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Collage Cards

by Lori Roberts

Stamping Deck Crewmember

You Are My Mother and My Friend

You are my mother and my friend,
Which is unusual.
Somehow our characters must blend:
Your wisdom and my will.
I turn, and you are there for me;
I speak, you understand.
I feel cared for, but also free;
You lead but don't command.
I'm fortunate that I was born
To someone just like you;
I love you, not just as my mom,
But for what you are and do.
~Author Unknown~

I would like to dedicate this poem to all of our readers and wish you a very happy Mothers Day!

This month's assignment is one of my very favorites…COLLAGE!

col·lage (k -läzh , k -) n.

An artistic composition of materials and objects pasted over a surface, often with unifying lines and color.
A work, such as a literary piece, composed of both borrowed and original material.

What does this mean? Where do you start? What materials do you need? I am going to show you how I like to form my collage work.

There are no rules. Remember, this is your artistic composition of materials and objects that you have collected: pictures, papers, ribbons, charms, or anything else that you want to include in your collage. How about gathering all those little mementos and creating a collage with me?

All of my collage pieces for this article were formed on a piece of cardstock. If you want to create a larger collage, you can use: foam core board, matt board, or an artist canvas. Find a picture on which to focus. This picture will be the center of your collage. Use those of your "found" objects that relate to the centerpiece and add them as background or foreground. Place your image down and start playing. Add bits and pieces. Rearrange them until they become a story that is pleasing to the eye. When you are satisfied, you adhere your collection to the surface you have chosen. Here is a useful tip that I use: I take a digital picture of it, so I can capture the collage and have it for reference when I reassemble it.

To glue down your collage you can use one of many different types of mediums. Gel medium is my choice for heavier objects such as buttons, lace and trims, or beads. A good glue stick is perfect for your pictures and papers.

After you have assembled your collage, you may want to use some inks, chalks or water- based oil crayons to give it a soft, blended look. Add some fine detail to your collage using glitter glue, gel pens, or tiny beads. The possibilities are endless. Let you and your muse have some fun!

My first set of samples are ATC's (Artist Trading Cards). This is a collage in its simplest form. The regulation size for an ATC is 3 ½ x 2 ½ inches. I begin with a background by either using bits of scrap paper or just doing the direct to paper with my chosen medium. I will focus on an image and build on it, adding bits and pieces. I rearrange until I am happy with my collage and then start to glue the parts in place.

In my next sample, I did a simple card using a piece of scrapbook paper for my background and using elements from a magazine. I cut out the chair and then added the picture of the little girl. Next, adding a framed picture of a man gives the idea that she is thinking of him.

I made this card, which focuses on the image of a young girl and built around it, adding my embellishments.

This last piece is my favorite. Making a background with alcohol inks, I built up my collage card from there by stamping my image, cutting it out, and pasting it to a piece of black cardstock. I stamped a piece of paper with music notes and then centered my picture on that by using an old piece of foreign text from a newspaper that someone sent me. I added napkins, flowers, vellum stickers, and typewriter stickers for my words. I wanted to tone down the "whiteness" in my collage, so I used various inks to make it look softer.

I hope you have enjoyed our little voyage in the land of collage this month. Remember there are no rules: let the creative artist in you have some fun! Create a masterpiece collage card. I love hearing from our readers and will answer any questions that you might have.

Until next month...Happy Collaging!

Lori Roberts
loriroberts@ssreflections.com
Stamping Deck Crewmember
S.S. Reflections, Inc.

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