Hello friends! Happy May! Today I’m sharing something a little different from my usual bright mixed media makes. This project leans more into a vintage collage style using layered ephemera, soft texture, and pieces pulled from my stash. Sometimes it’s fun to step outside your normal style and see where creativity takes you.
📚 Starting with “The Collector”
I recently found the beautiful The Collector from Craft Consortium, and it is packed with gorgeous imagery and backgrounds. The vintage tones, labels, and worn textures were perfect for creating a layered collage-style card.
🎨 Building the Background
For the base, I started with a gel print from my stash and added extra texture by stamping the Seth Apter Mini 167 from PaperArtsy in clear embossing. This creates a subtle layered texture that catches the light without competing with the collage elements.
✂ Layering the Details
Next, I cut out several images from The Collector paper pad and layered them onto the background.
To help everything blend together, I added:
- Soft ink blending around the edges
- Gold thread for texture and movement
- Leftover elements from a previous project using the JOFY Mini 103
I love incorporating leftover pieces into new projects because it gives everything a cohesive feel across different makes.
💌 Finishing Touches
To complete the card, I added a sentiment from the Lavinia Sentiment Stickers collection. That final sentiment pulls the whole design together without overpowering the layered details.
🌿 A Little Creative Encouragement
If you’ve been feeling stuck creatively, try this:
👉 Pull out a paper pad you forgot about
👉 Pair it with one background from your stash
👉 Add texture instead of more products
👉 Let the layers tell the story
Sometimes your favorite projects happen when you create outside your usual style.
Thank you so much for stopping by today. I hope this inspires you to dig into your stash and experiment with something a little different this week.
 PaperArtsy – Seth Apter Mini 167 Shop at: TP |
 PaperArtsy – JOFY Mini 103 Shop at: TP |
 Altenew – Metallic Thread Set Shop at: Alt |
 Craft Consortium – The Collector Shop at: TP |
 WOW! Embossing – Clear Shop at: WOW US | TP |
 WOW! Embossing – Clear Embossing Pad Shop at: WOW US | TP |
 Lavinia – Sentiment Stickers – Uplifting Collection Shop at: TP |
 Tsukineko – VersaFine Clair – Nocturn Shop at: AZ | TP |
 Gel Press – Reusable Gel Printing Plate Shop at: AZ | TP | Misc | |
 Hero Arts – Wagner – HT400 Precision Heat Tool Shop at: AZ |
 Speedball – 2″ Brayer Shop at: TP |