What is Mixed Media Collage?

Most of my ACEO cards are described as "mixed media collage" — and people sometimes ask what that actually means. Here's a quick look at the art form and why I love it.

What is Mixed Media Collage?

Mixed media collage combines multiple materials in a single piece. Instead of just one medium, the artwork is built from layered elements — cut paper, printed imagery, ephemera, and other materials, all assembled by hand.

The result is art with texture and depth that you can't get from any single medium alone.

How It Works on ACEO Cards

My ACEO cards are hand-cut and hand-assembled on standard 2.5 x 3.5 inch cards. Each piece is built up in layers — a focal point, background elements, and details that create a complete scene or portrait in miniature.

The small format makes the layering more visible and intentional. You can see and feel the different materials and how they interact. Every element has to earn its place.

What Makes Each Piece Unique

This is the thing I love most about collage: every piece is truly unrepeatable. The specific combination of elements, the way pieces overlap, the composition that emerges — these can never be exactly replicated.

When you own a mixed media ACEO card, you're holding something that genuinely exists only once.

In the Shop

Collage and mixed media techniques appear across most of my collections, from Floral Crown Portraits to Whimsical Woodland to Mountain Horizons. Browse the shop to see the range.