Paper jewellery collage or decoupage?

What is the difference? Collage, according to dictionary.com is "a technique of composing a work of art by pasting on a single surface various materials not normally associated with one another as newspaper clippings, parts of photographs, theatre tickets and fragments of an envelope." On the other hand, the Decoupage definition from the same source is "the art of decorating something with cut-outs of paper, linoleum, plastic, or other flat material over which varnish or lacquer is applied." Sounds similar, except for the fact that decoupage uses cutouts and lacquer or varnish. For the purposes of this blog post, I'm just going to talk about collage. I use it in some of my mixed media art, including altered dominos, and resin covered bezels. Could beads, pendants and necklaces be far behind? Perhaps not!

Now let's talk about paper! For the last few years, I've been involved in an international paper swap, run by a lovely lady in Germany. If you're interested, check out the Paper Swap Blog, and follow the instructions to join. You will be paired up with someone in another part of the world, and for the cost of postage; end up getting a generous supply of various papers and ephemera to use in your art. Good mail is always exciting, and it's really quite addicting! Of course the papers will not necessarily be acid free, and could possibly yellow over time. However, I'm not all that worried! I do try to use acid free glue, resin and varnish though (UHU glue sticks, Ice Resin, Mod Podge, Acrylic Gel Medium).

If you're gluing paper to paper, use the glue stick (as it will prevent wrinkling). Use Mod Podge or Acrylic Gel Medium when gluing paper to chipboard, wood or metal. If you want to add a paper collage to the bottom of a metal bezel, make sure that you coat all sides (including the edges) of the paper with Mod Podge, then once dry add embellishments and the finishing layer of resin. Do not add resin directly to paper as it will cause staining. With the exception of Ice Resin (when fully cured), these glues and finishes are only water resistant, and not waterproof. Collage is a very flat art form; so remember to add depth by layering colour, value, and texture. You'll be surprised at how easy it is!

Why don't you give collage a try in one of your next creations? A small wooden heart would be perfect as a pendant. As it happens, Pam just gifted me with a few, so I believe a bit of collage play is in my future. I'll be sure to post the results!