| Stamp collection has been around for many | | | | your stamp collage. You may use warm-toned |
| decades as one of the most popular hobbies. | | | | stamps at the left moving to cool-colored stamps |
| However, as we go into the twenty-first century | | | | into the right. You may even use a pattern for |
| where correspondence between two people miles | | | | the stamps. The possibilities are endless. Imagine |
| apart can be done faster through email, stamp | | | | what you want to see in a framed stamp collage |
| collection has already been forced into the | | | | hanging on your living room and work on it. |
| background. | | | | Once all the stamps are pasted with your desired |
| The presence of electronic mails has given stamp | | | | pattern on the cardboard, you can now have it |
| collecting two implications: (1) that although the | | | | framed in your local framing shop and hung on to |
| number of stamp collectors have diminished, (2) | | | | your living room. As a stamp collector, you will be |
| the value of old and rare postal stamps have | | | | able to express your identity subtlety and at the |
| acquired more value now than ever before. This | | | | same time, add character to your living room. |
| is good news to stamp collectors around, | | | | Stamp Collage Place mats and Coasters |
| especially those who have the rarest and largest | | | | If you want to use your old common and |
| stamps in their collection. | | | | ordinary stamps to create character in the dining |
| However, some perennial stamp collectors are | | | | room, you can also do so. The materials and |
| faced with the question: what to do with | | | | process for this second project is very much the |
| common, ordinary stamps? Throwing common or | | | | same as the first. Only, the cardboard serving as |
| ordinary stamps are out of the question. | | | | the stamp collage base, or, in this case, the place |
| Throwing stamps away will definitely not do for | | | | mat or coaster, will have to be cut according to |
| the avid stamp collector no matter how common | | | | the size you want. |
| the stamp may be. Common and cheap stamps | | | | Paste in the stamps onto the cardboard according |
| can't also sell for much. Thus, the question | | | | to the pattern that you want. Again, make sure |
| persists: what to do with old, common, ordinary | | | | to apply just enough glue to keep the collage |
| stamps? | | | | surface even. To add an antiqued-tone effect, |
| Here are two easy projects for the stamp | | | | dabble a few granules of coffee or sponge the |
| collector. | | | | surface with coffee. |
| Framed Stamp Collage | | | | Once your place mats and coasters are nice and |
| For the framed stamp collage project you will | | | | dry, it is time to bring them to your local |
| need scissors, glue or paste, loads of common or | | | | laminator and have your place mats and coasters |
| ordinary stamps and a large cardboard. You can | | | | laminated for use. |
| choose to cut your cardboard to an irregular or | | | | Years and years as a practicing artist have taught |
| desired shape or simply choose to leave it | | | | me to waste not, want not. There is beauty and |
| rectangular. This cardboard will serve as your | | | | functionality even in the most mundane, ordinary, |
| base for the collage. | | | | unexciting things of everyday. It is up to the artist |
| Simply paste and position old, common or ordinary | | | | in you to see the potential and make the |
| stamps onto the cardboard. It is recommended to | | | | mundane special, the ordinary extraordinary and |
| use same-sized stamps to achieve even sides. If | | | | the unexciting, exciting. And although anyone can |
| there is not enough same-sized stamps to use, | | | | argue by saying that he or she is anything but an |
| start gluing the differently sized stamps from the | | | | artist, these simple projects will hopefully |
| center of the cardboard going outward. Make | | | | encourage you to waste not on your old common |
| sure that you do not use too much glue. This will | | | | stamps and want not in the simple delights of |
| result to unevenness on the collage surface. | | | | stamp collage and stamp collecting. |
| Color schemes may add an interesting detail to | | | | |