I recently bought a cool collage kit from Amazon. The "Collage Vintage Notecard" kit is published by Accord Publishing. The artwork, papers, and projects in the "Collage: Vintage Note Card Set" are designed by Maryjo Koch who is known for artwork and her book "Vintage Collage-Works: Artful Ideas with Antique Ephemera". The kit is a complete collage kit with instructions and an assortment of supplies. It is affordable at a price of under $16.00.
The instruction manual is full of pictures of the various things designed and made by Maryjo Koch with the materials in this kit. They range from cards to decorating journals. It offers very simple step-by-step instructions that are written for those who not familiar with collage work and/or working with antique style ephemera. For someone seeking more advanced knowledge and ideas in collage, I would recommend one of Maryjo Koch's books. This kit is created for beginners and is represented as such through the materials in the kit.
The kit contains:
Then I cut out the "Tuxedo Dot" paper for the side of the triangle shape.
I painted a couple of coats of Modge Podge to protect the papers. To finish, I added some hardware, wire and beads to make a handle for the piece.
The instruction manual is full of pictures of the various things designed and made by Maryjo Koch with the materials in this kit. They range from cards to decorating journals. It offers very simple step-by-step instructions that are written for those who not familiar with collage work and/or working with antique style ephemera. For someone seeking more advanced knowledge and ideas in collage, I would recommend one of Maryjo Koch's books. This kit is created for beginners and is represented as such through the materials in the kit.
The kit contains:
- A Detailed Instruction Booklet
- 12 notecards and envelops
- 96 sheets of assorted artwork
- A proportion wheel
- A glue stick
- A handy organizational box to hold and protect the supplies.
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| Collage Kit |
Don't be fooled by the picture of the box above, there are a lot of supplies provided in this kit. The selection of decorative papers is so varied that it will appeal to a broader group of crafters.
There are papers with maps on them.
There are cool vintage looking letter style papers.
There are wall paper print papers.
There are postage stamp images.
There also a great selection of music sheet papers.
There are various animal images.
There are also a nice selection of rose papers.
The kit also supplies a "proportion wheel" which is a very handy tool for the beginner who likes to pre-calculate their layout. It helps the beginner figure out the measurements when working with different size ephemeral. For those who enjoy the more traditional "cut and paste as you go method" you do not need the tool.
The instructional booklet is really easy to understand. It goes into detail on the composition of decorative papers and ephemera. It also gives you some fun collage project ideas to build on.
First Project.
My first project was very simple, I combined some of the different papers from the kit to create a simple card.
First, I chose the background image. Then I cut out the bird image and the flower image and glued them onto the card.
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| Bird Collage Card |
Second Project
For my second project, I decided to cover a plain journal with some of the papers from this kit.
I choose the papers, ephemera, and plaid paint products to cover the book.
Then I took the butterfly that I had cut out and added some "Martha Stewart Glitter" to it.
I cut the various pieces out and then glued them onto the book cover. The project took about 20 minutes to finish (including paint drying time).
Then I took the butterfly that I had cut out and added some "Martha Stewart Glitter" to it.
I cut the various pieces out and then glued them onto the book cover. The project took about 20 minutes to finish (including paint drying time).
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| Journal |
Third Project
For my third project, I decided to make a small wristlet type purse for my daughter. I started with a wood triangle purse blank.
Then I decided to use some scrapbooking papers that I had from the Echo Park Paper Co "Dots and Strips" collection. The first paper I used was the "Large Leaf Dot" paper.
Then I decided to use some scrapbooking papers that I had from the Echo Park Paper Co "Dots and Strips" collection. The first paper I used was the "Large Leaf Dot" paper.
I put the wood frame onto the paper to trace the pattern.
I then did the same thing with the "Ruby Red Large Dot" paper.
Then I cut out the "Tuxedo Dot" paper for the side of the triangle shape.
I added a border from Colorbox to the front of the piece.
The finished wristlet.
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| Purse |
The techniques covered in the instruction manual cover a nice base from which a beginner can create some fabulous work and build upon. Beyond instructions on how to make your first collage card, the book offers hints on aging, scumbling, and other tips and techniques. Additionally, due to the very generous amount of supplies, you can apply the knowledge learned from the kit to journaling and home decor pieces.
Tips
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| Plaid Extreme Glitter Paint |
- Lay out the papers and ephemera that you are planning on using to make sure they compliment each other.
- Keep the paper scraps, you can use them for other projects.
- Don't forget to add fun items like buttons, charms, etc. to give your pieces dimension.
- When working with the Plaid Extreme Glitter paints, I put a piece of plastic wrap onto the container before I put the lid back on. It keeps it from drying out.
