Every collage begins in my head and my soul. Still, without the right tools and materials, my ideas could never take physical form. Here is a short list of the tools I use for each of my creations.

1. Base paper. I prefer cotton or mulberry paper hand-made by artists. It’s more unique, softer to apply, and gives a more personal touch. I also love rice paper for its translucent effects, especially when overlapped.
2. Images. I usually use collage books or high-quality Taschen books for inspiration. While many suggest working with magazines, I don’t really enjoy them, as the print quality is quite low and the paper lacks thickness.
3. Scissors. Scissors are among my most essential tools, and I use more than one kind. I use straight, sharp Fiskars scissors for rough or large pieces, curved manicure scissors for detailed work, and small straight scissors for tiny cuts, like shaping hair or fur.
4. Application tool. If I use die-cuts for background effects, I like using this application tool—it helps release the paper from the die and makes it easy to remove small cut pieces.
5. Glue. Although there are many options on the market now, I continue to use thick PVA glue for most paper and acrylic matte varnish for rice paper.
6. Re-Inkers. For tinting paper, adding shadows, or just unifying the colours, I use archival re-inkers. It’s important to have the inking pads filled with the right amount of ink. Sometimes, less ink is better than too much to avoid excessively non-removable dark marks.
7. Blending brushes. I use a variety of those, from quite large to very detailed ones, to make sure the application is even and correct.
8. Finishing varnish. After the collage has fully dried, I seal the surface with Liquitex gloss varnish to protect it from moisture, dust, and wear. Other brands can be used as well. Because cotton and mulberry papers are highly absorbent, they need multiple applications to create a smooth, even gloss. It’s always best to apply several thin layers rather than one thick layer. Varnish may alter the appearance of the background paper.
9. Washi tape. When I use washi tape in a collage, I add a bit of PVA glue for better adhesion. If the collage isn’t framed, I use washi tape to finish the edges.
10. Other tools. Of course, many other random tools may be needed: glue brushes, varnish brushes, sponges, wet paper towels (to remove excess glue), stencils, stencil butters, D-rings and wire for the back, frames and screws etc. I’ll talk about them separately, as well as the tools I use for card-making.