Making Collage Postcards

Just can't seem to tear myself away from playing with my new EK square punch! Here's yet another collage postcard I made the other day with this helpful little tool:

The papers I used were already in my paper stash, so it was simply a matter of selecting colors and patterns that looked good together and using the punch on them. The 140# watercolor paper the 1x1 inch squares are adhered to had been cut for another project but never used. So without the need to do anything beyond creating 24 squares, the postcard went together lightning fast. I used my trusty matte medium to glue them down, then applied it over the surface of the card to seal it.

If you don't have any hand painted papers, you can use images from old magazines, calendar illustrations and any number of other "found" papers. Packaging materials often have very bold graphics and interesting typography that work well also. This postcard was one I made using black and white typography taken from magazine ads:

I didn't use a punch because at the time I didn't have one. I simply used a craft knife to cut the paper pieces into rectangular shapes. Then I arranged them on a piece of watercolor paper and glued them into place.

And here's a third postcard with a playful look. To make it, I punched out one inch squares from a  magazine ad featuring bright colors and simple designs:

It may not be "high art," but making your own postcards is a whole lot of fun. You'll have the satisfaction of knowing the correspondence you're sending is one of a kind, and as such, it's sure to delight the recipient. And if you use materials that were destined to be discarded, you can pat yourself on the back for re-purposing them into mail art that's attractive and useful!

Text and images ©2015 Lynn Edwards

Serendipitous Art -- From a Paper Towel!

I always wipe my brushes on paper towels to remove excess acrylic paint from the bristles. A while back, I was painting away with a riot of colors in a slightly watery manner, and was using a slightly dampened paper towel to wipe off my brush. When I was finished, I didn't discard the paper towel, I just set it aside to dry.

The next day, a different painting had me using a lot of golden yellow that was fairly diluted. (I use fluid acrylics; adding water to them creates a watercolor-like wash.) In this instance, I had about a quarter cup of this watered down paint left over at the end of the day. So, on a whim, I applied it as a "background" color to the paper towel I had used the previous day. Here's what I ended up with:

I kinda liked the effect -- cheerfully colored brushstrokes with a washy look -- but didn't have any use for it in mind, so I just added it to my paper stash.

Then a week or so ago I bought a paper punch on Amazon that makes perfect one-inch squares. I had a field day going through old magazines, looking for ads with colors or graphics that caught my eye. I like to use snippets from magazines to make little collage postcards I send to friends and family. It's a good way to upcycle and it gives me something creative to do when I'm watching TV at night. Here's a postcard made with the new punch:

After making up a couple of these using magazine pages, I got the idea to try using that paper towel. Much to my surprise, the punch had no trouble slicing into it, consistently yielding pieces with nice clean edges. With this punch, you can turn it over to see exactly what you're punching out, so I tried to position it over the choicest parts. When I had a couple dozen pieces or so, I adhered 24 of them to a piece of 4x6 watercolor paper using matte medium. Here's the result:

As each piece was glued down, I brushed more matte medium over it to seal it well. The surface texture is still apparent, which gives the piece a very dreamy, "soft" look, I think. I really like the way this little collage turned out. It tickles me and tugs at my heart at the same time, knowing that it's not meant for me to keep.

But, as a postcard, I don't think it would survive the rigors of the postal system. So I'll put it in a nice mat and offer it for sale through my Etsy shop later this week. I hope someone who likes it as much as I do will buy it and enjoy it each day as it brightens a space in their home!

 Text and images ©2015 Lynn Edwards