My Collage Years

I learned at a young age that I was no good at drawing. Sure, as a kid I prolifically drew my little heart out in scribbles, doodles, and girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, but I never created great masterpieces. The perspective was off. The eyes weren’t right. The horses looked like cows, the cows looked like UFOs.

During my teenage years, I began making cards. I grew up making birthday cards for family members using stencils and stickers (which provided a crutch to my poor drawing skills) but at age 14, I was ready to up the ante a bit. It started slowly – I used old photographs and greeting cards, catalog clippings, some stickers, and my trusty gel pens to create one-of-a-kind collaged notecards. They were basic, but different, and the design always contained at least one word that denoted the type of card it was... so I called my makeshift business One Word Prints.

I had fun putting pieces together and creating themes, and began to fill a shoebox with scraps and mementos to have on hand for future art, and I took several art classes. As my love for collage grew over the years, so did the size of my projects. I made framed prints, journals, mini 'scrapbooks' for friends, and of course, cards. Which pretty much brings us to present day. I don’t claim to be an expert in the field, but I know what looks right to me, what colors work together, and what makes me happy.

And my designs are just that – a mixture of associations, colors, and themes, inspired by my world, my experiences, and the things I find beautiful. But creating a beautiful, quirky, and unique product is just part of it. Authenticity is also a very important consideration as I make artistic choices. I want the materials I use to echo real life and to be pulled from real life, which is why I don’t subscribe to the “scrapbook” culture of pre-cut pieces, pre-printed papers, or cheesy stickers.

Each scrap I choose for a piece has been carefully collected, torn, and placed, so you can be certain that any collage of mine that you admire or collect has been handmade with love & care.