Use your Scraps!

I don’t know about anyone else (well actually, I’m not having it that this doesn’t happen to every crafter) but I have LOADS of half-finished projects; there’s folders with random die-cuts, backgrounds, shapes, sentiment strips, sentiment die-cuts…

Basically I’ve got bits of cards that I’ve started but then for some reason changed my mind. I never throw them away because a) it’s wasteful and b) I tell myself I’ll use them.

What usually happens though is that these half-done things sit in my desk and I never go back to them.

So I was completely inspired by the wonderful Mary Polanco on YouTube, who posted a video where she used up some card scraps. I decided to use up some of these things I’ve got sitting round and make some cards and let me tell you, I MADE SO MANY CARDS! It was so satisfying – it was like crafting and cleaning all in one so felt doubly productive!

Firstly I had quite a few alcohol ink backgrounds that I hadn’t used for whatever reason. I decided now was the time. I have so much fun making these things but I often just have no actual plan for using them.

For some of them I had few sentiments and frames so mounted the backgrounds on some coloured card and made these 3 simple cards.

Another couple of spare alcohol ink backgrounds were used with some tropical bird die-cuts from Sizzix where I’d die cut the whole set TWICE but then not used them. I decided these pink and orange backgrounds would be nice and summery with the birds. Again I had a couple sentiments already cut out and once mounted on some bright card these came together nicely.

With the last couple of alcohol ink pieces, I ended up using them behind some background die-cuts that I also had lying in a drawer. I really like the subtle way the colours come through and as I’d added foil to the alcohol backgrounds there’s a nice bit of sparkle on them. I decided to keep these two cards nice and simple and added some sentiments in bright card stock that matched some of the alcohol ink colours.

For these next two cards, I already had the card bases sorted – I’d just not put anything on them! I think I made these when the weather wasn’t too nice so decided the bright colours were not matching my ‘wintery vibe’ so stuck them in a folder. I had some Lawn Fawn pinata die cuts which I’d already coloured in so stuck these on to some bright circles along with the banners which I had already. I added a sentiment onto the same orange cardstock and that was these two done. They’re busy but I like them!

Moving on, I remember making these next backgrounds which were done by heat embossing some flower stamps and then randomly painting on watercolours. I wasn’t sure I liked them when I’d done them so stuck them away. I’m glad I kept them – as messy as they are I think they’re nice and bright so just adding a black sentiment was enough for these.

The next backgrounds were made ages ago when I decided to use small stamps from a few different stamp sets and repeatedly stamp the images to create my own background paper. I never really decided what to use them for but in the spirit of using up what I already had cut, I pieced together some sentiments and before I knew if had four more cards!

Finally, I had a couple of silver foiled backgrounds that I’d made using a star stencil and Gina K transfer gel. I had the Lawn Fawn ‘Out of this World’ die-cuts already cut & coloured in my stash, as well as the ‘little town border’. On this I added a bit of silver ink so it matched in with the background a little bit more. I finally added a a sentiment from the same set. For the second background I mounted it on purple card and stuck it down onto a base. For the sentiment, I grabbed this I had this die cut/heat embossed sentiment from my stash which was a perfect for the card but was a little dark. I just cut the same sentiment using white cardstock and put it behind to create a highlight. Finally I stuck this onto a white glitter card circle from my stash, which I’d used some Distress Oxides to colour. I really like the way these cards turned out!

All in all, I got 17 cards out of my stash without having to die cut anything! (okay so I cut one sentiment out) This was definitely worth doing and it took around 6 hours to do spread over a couple of days, which I think was a good use of time!

I feel much less wasteful and have some nice new cards to boot. Will definitely try and do this every few months or so. Thanks Mary!

Sutz x

Products Used

• Lawn Fawn stamps/dies – “Out of This World’; “Year 7” (pinata)
• Lawn Fawn stamps – “Let’s Toast” (the avocado); and “Summertime Charm” (the strawberry)
• Lawn Fawn dies – “Little Town Border”; Scripty Smile”; “Scripty For You”; “Scripty Love”
• Sizzix “Tropical Bird” die set
• MFT dies – “Happy Birthday”; “Twice the Hugs”
• MFT Stamps – “London Mouse” (bus & traffic lights)
• Hero Arts “Hello” die
• Fuzzy Lemon “You’re a Star” die
• Altenew “Simply Friend” die
• Altenew “Hello Sunshine” stamp set
• Mama Elephant “Hello” die
• Gina K decofoil Transfer Gel
• Creative Stencils “Stars”
• Purple Onion Designs stamp set – “Hometown Bakery” (‘It’s Your Birthday!’ sentiment)
• Ranger Alcohol inks in Purple Twilight, Honeycomb, Poppyfield, Patina, Indigo; Copper & Snow Cap Mixitives