PPA vs Mod Podge

Any artists out there?

I love mixed media arts. One of my favorite techniques is collage.  There's nothing like the sturdy feeling of paper layered on paper with bits of ephemera and embellishments that tie together to create a story on a page.

When I first started collaging and decoupaging, I used Mod Podge. It is great stuff.  It's inexpensive and comes in several finishes. It's great for kids projects and art pieces that are not going to be sandwiched in a book (ie pages of an art journal).  You can use your 25%-40% off coupons at local craft stores... locally here we have Joanns, A.C. Moore and Micheals. I think we also have a Hobby Lobby, although I have yet to find it around.



One problem I was having... the pages never seem to fully dry.  It's a disaster in art journals as the pages stick together and the art is ruined.  I used to place wax paper between the pages because I didn't know what else to do!

After some careful searching, I tried a gel medium.  You can use that as a glue or for final finishes (just like mod podge). A little pricier, but seemed to work a little better.... not to mention the sturdier more flexible finish. still a little sticky.


Just as I was losing hope, I came across PPA- PERFECT PAPER ADHESIVE by US Art Quest.  This stuff is awesome!  Our Micheals in Frederick, MD was the only place I found it locally.  Sadly, they were discontinuing it so I bought up the remaining 2 bottles.  If you find it again, it's WELL worth using the 40% coupons. I also found it on Amazon and it ships very quickly!
This stuff dries flexible in either a glossy or matte finish. NO STICK! This may very well be the best acrylic adhesive medium I've come across...~

If you have had success with other collaging mediums, please - please - please share! 

I love to collage and am always looking for the next best thing!

Paul Mitchell TEA TREE Body Bar

Recently I started using the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Oil Body Bar. It's great for summer time skin.
It smells great, has natural anti-bacterial properties, skin soothing ingredients and can be used on face and even for shaving! I have read countless 5 star reviews and am also a believer.


Where did I get it?: Last winter I bought a PM Tea Tree Oil Shampoo and Conditioner gift set from a local salon that included this bar which I had not used it til last month when my face started breaking out a little and I needed a healing cleanser for my face. I have never used a bar cleanser for my face before, but I figured if it has tea tree oil it should help. My face is definitely less oily and the acne is subsiding.

A few days ago, my youngest daughter woke up with a little prickly heat (heat rash) from a few days in the sun. She showered and used this bar on her skin and felt refreshed and not itchy.


So I decided to try to find a couple bars to put in each shower and realized that each bar sells for about $8.  So I did a bit more research and found an alternative from Sally Beauty Supply. They sell the generic version and it costs about $3 (less if you have the Sally Card).  So I bought two bars and have put them in the two showers.  That was yesterday, so I need about 30 days to see what the results are.  But as for smell and weight they seem equal so far.

I'll update this post in a few weeks with the results. In the meanwhile, I'd love to know if you have any experience with either brands of soap... and if you know of another alternative!