Mademoiselle Collette. Hand-made Paper Brooch.
A new collection of hand- made paper brooches
Over the years I have collected boxes of archival mount board offcuts from my artwork.The other day I had a bit of a play with them and came up with some French- inspired brooches. Each brooch has been fully made by hand, even the cutting, so there maybe some flaws which I think only add to their charm
On the front of each brooch I have decoupaged some French paper with Mademoiselle’s wearing 1950’s “Mode Française” enclosed with my vintage hand- dyed doily scraps. On the reverse I’ve decoupaged some French word or words with a nickel free brooch pin. Each piece is fully waterproofed with liquid gloss resin on the front and several coats of acrylic sealant on the reverse.
Brooch size approx. 3’x 2.5” – 8 x 6cm.
Brooch pin nickel free.
You can buy my brooches and other French- inspired goodies from my Etsy shop
CARING FOR A BROOCH
Each piece of archival board is hand-cut and sanded then sealed with liquid gloss resin and several coats of acrylic sealant on the reverse. Waterproofed, this will protect the piece for normal wear and moisture but still wear and handle with care as you would any hand-made item.
CREATIVE WAYS TO WEAR YOUR BROOCH
Pin a brooch onto an evening bag. This method looks best when the brooch is pinned onto a clutch or other small evening bag. Pick a brooch that matches a color or detail in your dress, and it will really help tie the bag into the look.
Want your outfit to have little French chic? Simply wrap a scarf around your neck and fasten it in place with a brooch. Very simple but effective. For a slightly more modern take on this look, place the scarf around your waist or hips instead to draw the eye downwards and accentuate your figure.
Another neat idea takes a bit more creativity. Use a brooch as a hairpin. Make a bun or french twist extra glamorous by pinning a brooch in your hair. This usually looks best in the back of your hair, but use your judgment depending on the style. You will need bobby pins for this technique, since brooches are decorative but aren’t great at holding hair in place by themselves.
Do you have a plain belt? Jazz it up with a brooch. You can either pin the brooch directly onto the belt, or for leather or delicate items, use a piece of ribbon to hang the brooch or tie it in place while protecting belt.
