Recycling Packaging and Scraps into Greeting Cards

Hello everyone, this is Patti sharing with you today a post I’m sure you’ll love.

I’m going to share ideas on how to use up those scraps and the wonderful bonus with the packaging that comes with all the Architextures!  I’ve challenged myself this year to try and use up the leftovers from major projects before I store them away.  You all know what happens when we neatly package up the scraps, find a nice little corner to tuck them into, they stay there!  Much better, while everything is still messy on your craft table, to just sit back, relax and have fun putting together your cards.  They don’t need to take huge amounts of time or product, and the receiver is going to be ecstatic  with anything that arrives in their mail box.  So let’s have at it and let me show you my ideas.  It was hard to come up with a supply list because I’m using bit and pieces that came from lots of areas, but I did post links for you to the majority of the products used, it will at the end of this post.

Using up the bits and pieces you have lying around can create a dilemma of it’s own.  Recently my niece had come by asking for some help with a project.  We were coloring some metal trinkets and I grabbed a piece of acetate that had been around a spool of ribbon (it was already in the garbage).  We used some Alcohol inks to play and experiment and let the excess drip onto the plastic.  When done I looked at the plastic and thought, “oh my this is too nice to toss”.  I added some more drips here and there, let it dry and set it back.  My niece asked what in the world I was going to do with it.  I don’t know but you never know when it will become just the thing you’re looking for.  It didn’t take long, the stip behind the ribbon and saying here is that very one.  So keep the little bits and bobs, throw them in a container and when you’re ready to create pull them all out.  Everything is fair game.  It doesn’t take large amounts of anything to add interest to a card, so even small leftovers can find a recycled home on your card front.  You can see here I’ve used the ‘Art Heals – spread the cure’ sentiment.  That comes from the packaging of the Parchment Rub-Ons.  I think having the packaging come with all these sentiments is a genius innovation on 7 Gypsies part.  Being a card making it’s always fantastic when I have sayings at my fingertips.  With a snip, ink and paste we’ve got loads of sayings for our cards, tags or journal pages!

I enjoy doing one card on video, so you can see the process and the thought behind my end result.  This is the card we’ll make together on screen.  It combines scraps from the 7 Gypsies Wanderlust and Gypsy Moments collections.  That’s one of the beautiful benefits of Canvas Corp products and collections, they all play so nicely together. I love the girl from the Gypsy Moments Poses and Reflections papers, these gals just speak to me.  If you look at the background you’ll see it’s many pieces put together quilt style.  I use up a lot of scraps using this technique.  In fact often I’ll make up card front mats with the scraps and put them back for a creating day.  Simply cover a piece of cardstock slightly larger than your finished card front mat with some sort of tape or glue.  Start applying your pieces, they can be strips or squares, any shape you like just so they totally cover the front.  Don’t worry about the outside edges that extend beyond the mat, those are snipped off at the end after your mat has been covered. I like to work with all the same weight paper.  Those that come in the 8×8″ pads are a lighter weight than the 12×12 sheets.  But, this is my preference and certainly doesn’t need to be yours.  I also like to ink all the raw edges, I just have a real aversion to uninked edges.  I tend to not overlap edges when I use this technique to keep the mat more uniform in thickness.  If you’re looking for a chunky, textured effect by all means overlap to your hearts content.  Since I tend to use straight edges I cut lots of strips of various widths to have ready when I’m all set to start gluing in place.  Then it’s just a matter of pick, stick and trim.

One last idea I’d like to share with you is when you’re spraying with your Mists.  I love Glimmer Mists, Plain Janes, Base Boards, you got it if it comes in a bottle and sprays I like it.  But as you know when you’re spraying a small surface the spray floats.  How do you handle the overflow?  Do you sop it up with a towel and toss it.  Oh be still my palpitating heart!  I use watercolor paper and spray so that the excess lands on it.  When I have some full sheets I toss them back for the ‘create’ day.  Here’s a photo of a couple of my overspray papers.  The mat on the above card was done using one of these overspray catchers.  So much better than tossing away all that gorgeous color and sparkle.  And wow, when I’m ready to create I’ve got pages of sprayed backgrounds just calling my name.  So keep this in mind.  Lots of journal makers do this but often times if you’re a card maker you don’t think about the possibility that those over sprays have at a later time.  Even sopping your overspray up with a sturdy paper towel and allowing it to dry can be used on cards.  Don’t forget if you use a lighter weight paper to catch the excess you have a terrific base for home made flowers.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little glimpse into my studio and how I use up the leftover paper scraps and packaging.  As crafters we most often see things with a different eye than others (a hoarding eye, can’t throw that away it can be altered).  This is wonderful but only if we are actually using up some of the hoards.  There is nothing better than taking a stash of scraps, packaging and over-sprays, and making tags and cards.  Your card and tag coffers will be full of wonderful creations to adorn a package or enlighten a heart when they arrive by snail mail in someones mailbox.  The most important thing of all is to have fun and enjoy your crafting for that’s what it’s all about my friends.  I hope you’ll join me on the video.  I have 9 scrap cards to share with you and lots of other ideas and techniques I use when creating.  Thanks so much for sharing your time with me.  Patti

Supplies

7 Gypsies
Architextures 8×8″ Paper Pad,  Architextures Stash Paque – Create, Wanderlust 8×8″ Pad
Architextures Parchment Rub Ons – Pose and Inspire,  Gypsy Moments – Poses and Reflections 12×12 paper

Canvas Home Basics
Bulk Cards A2 Kraft, Bulk Envelopes A2 Kraft, Sisal Rope

Tattered Angels
Glimmer Glam – Rustic, Glimmer Mist – Various

Follow Canvas Corp Brands Store, Blog and Facebook Collective Group (this is a group you must request to join, but boy is it worth it!!!)
Canvas Home Basics at Facebook and Instagram.
7gypsies at Facebook and Instagram.
Tattered Angels on Facebook and Instagram.

Visit me at A Soul’s Heartbeat on Blogger, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram.

Have a great day!!!

– Patti –

Sign up to Receive Inspiring Content, Exclusive Offers and More!

Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.