craftgrrl | decoupage question (Reply)

I think I know why everyone calls it modge podge, even if they are using some other decoupage medium. The word decoupage is hard to spell.

Ok, my question. I haven't done decoupage since girl scouts. Reading

craftgrrl has inspired me to decoupage over some of my magazine collages, to protect them and keep the edges from curling up. These are already completed collages, and I used rubber cement because I didn't know any better.

So I got some Modge Podge and foam brushes, and this morning I made one coat on the top of a collaged cigar box. Too late, I noticed that there were a bunch of air bubbles. I tried to smooth them out. They kept popping back up. So once the coat was dry to the touch, I smashed them down as much as I could, put a sheet of wax paper on top, and then piled some heavy books on top and I'm hoping for the best. I'm sure there will still be bubbles though.

I've only coated the top, but I noticed I have bubbles all over the sides and the inside, too. I don't think they were there when I first made the collage; they seem to have appeared after the rubber cement was totally dry.

So I looked online for decoupage troubleshooting tips just now and found a site that said to make a tiny slit or a pinprick in the edge of the bubble, slip some glue in (or Modge Podge I assume), and press it down. I'll try that when I get back home, but my question is, have any of you tried this? How do you slip the Modge Podge in? On a toothpick? If I use a pin to pop the air bubble, that's going to be impossible. Do you have any other suggestions or tips?

From now on I'll use Modge Podge to glue my collage bits down, and make sure everything is all smooth and pretty, but I have these already finished ones that I want to rescue if possible, so any help will be greatly appreciated! And of course I will post piccies once they are done.

Thanks!