Be Inspired By Collage with Melissa

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines collage as:

"an artistic composition made of various materials (as paper, cloth, or wood) glued on a surface"

And a Wikipedia article on the subject begins:

Collage (From the French: coller, to glue, French pronunciation: ​[kɔ.laːʒ]) is a technique of an art production, primarily used in the visual arts, where the artwork is made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole.

Scrapbook layouts certainly sound a lot like collages, according to those definitions! We tend to think of a certain style when we hear the word "collage" though- something a little less structured and more random than a scrapbook page- and I've collected a few examples of gorgeous collage artwork from around the web to inspire you today.

Image Credit

Image Credit

Image Credit

Image Credit

Image Credit

I was inspired to bring that collaged look to one of my layouts this month after seeing the gorgeous multi-color patterned paper sheet included in the Main kit (all supplies on this layout are from that kit).

I started by taking a haphazard slice from that sheet, then layered in the stitched border (a little collage in and of itself!), die cuts, and other embellishments and papers until I was happy with the look. I didn't think too much about balance or lines or symmetry- I just went with what looked right, and I was surprised and delighted when this page was finished in under 45 minutes!

Collage style is also a great way to use up a pile of scraps- simply layer them up until you're happy with the composition!