Category Archives: stash

Nov19

Keeping It Simple

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Keeping It Simple

Today’s card started off with another alcohol ink background. Since it seemed like a masculine background, I looked for paper scraps that would work with the background, and stumbled across these fun little cards from a Simple Stories 6×6 pad. Adding a sticker that’s been in my stash for ages was the perfect finishing touch.

Boy and alcohol ink background

Today’s tip: while you have your supplies out to create a background, make more than one. By making batches of backgrounds or bases, you’ve always got a great starting point for when you’re actually ready to make a card or two or ten.

Have you been making any cards this month? What’s your favorite technique to use when making a card?

Nov17

Pocket Page Supplies on a Card!

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Pocket Page Supplies on a Card!

One of the most fun classes at this past October’s True Scrap Was Layle Koncar’s Pocket Pages class. She used them in so many fun ways, you’ll be inspired for days. And you’ll get all those pocket page cards you HAD to have out of your stash. As soon as it’s available to purchase individually, I’ll link you up so you can check it out. I can’t recommend it strongly enough.

As you may be able to guess, this card was totally inspired by a pocket page card.

simple pocket page card

Don’t you just love the peek-a-boo possibilities of pocket cards with die cut shapes in them? A simple backing of a patterned paper behind it, and a little trimming, and you’ve got a card. You can stamp any kind of sentiment. I went with a heart theme here, although I think originally I was thinking something a little more patriotic/Americana.

What’s your favorite scrapbook supply? Can you think of a way to use it in a way it wasn’t originally intended? Let’s stretch that stash!

Don’t forget, if you want to get a card from me, you need to be on my mailing list. I’d love to send you a card!

Nov12

Digging Thru Stash

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Digging Thru Stash

I have a confession to make. I could probably make a unique card every day for a year, and still have untouched craft supplies. There are so many things I bought with the thought that I’d use them immediately, and yet, they’re still sitting here, gathering dust and wrinkles and cat hair. (Why do my cats insist on sleeping on my work tables and chair? On top of partially completed projects? Do you have any idea?)

How about I use not one, but two of those so-called must-have items?

sticker and pearls card

 

This card started with the idea that maybe I should start a card with a sticker rather than a stamp. This set of stickers jumped out at me when I opened the drawer, and said “Use us! Quick, before the cat decides to climb into the drawer and sleep on us!” Well maybe not that exactly, but they were eager to finally get out of their packaging.

(Why, yes my supplies talk to me. Don’t yours?) 😉

Once the Magenta metallic outline stickers started talking to me, the Shimmering Pearls got in on the action too.

Shimmering Pearls are another version of all those pearl powders out there. These were originally in a liquid, but I’ve had them so long, the liquid evaporated, and I just had cakes of pearl powders on the bottoms of all the jars. I added some water to them, let them sit for a bit, and then attempted to stir them up. They’re a bit lumpy still, but very useable, as you can see. (I used them to color in the flowers on the stickers.)

Final touch of stash busting: the woven background. I had made a woven sheet using handmade papers for a project a few years ago. (Ha! Try more than a decade ago. I’m telling you, my stash is HUGE!) It seemed like a good compliment to the quilt like feel of the sticker image.

So, how big is your stash? What’s the oldest thing in it? Use it!

(I actually used my oldest stamp on the hexagon card just the other day. I’ve had that leaf stamp since, oh, about 1989.)

Nov2

Adaptable Punches

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Adaptable Punches

Day 2, Card 2!

As I said yesterday, today’s card is also based on a sketch from Becky Fleck’s Page Maps 2. (affiliate link)

The main reason for that is to show you how you can closely interpret the same sketch and get two different cards.

Now there's glitter on the sketch!

Now there’s glitter on the sketch!

Just to compare, here’s yesterday’s card:

card from sketch 1

You can tell they are based on the same sketch, but with different supplies and different techniques, they each have their own vibe.

The fun tip for today concerns those lovely decorative corner punches you’ve been putting off using. The Martha Stewart ones work well for this, as well as any punches that are designed with removable paper guides. (EK Success springs to mind at the moment.) You don’t want one with fixed guides. Well, you could use one, but that would make it more complicated.

Start by taking a strip of paper (I find scraps from previous projects ideal for this) and insert it completely into a decorative corner punch. You want the flat end of the strip to be flat against the back of the punch so the design comes out straight when you punch the paper. It’s okay, even more than okay, if your strip is wider than the punched design. After you punch the decorative corner out, you can cut off the excess sides with your paper trimmer or scissors, or even an exacto knife and ruler. You could even be a rebel, and leave the excess around the punch, so the negative image becomes the focus.

I cut my strips to different lengths, but again, this is something you can do or not do according to your own whims and design sensibilities. Just think of the possibilities of this technique. You could never have plain, boring journaling strips ever again!

Tomorrow’s card will use this sketch again, and then we’ll move onto some more fun card ideas.

Don’t forget, if you want to get a card in the mail, make sure you’re on my email list. Sign up here!

Oct28

Card Month Reminder

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Card Month Reminder

Starting November first, we’ll be studying card technique and design every day. That’s a LOT of cards to make. Rather than letting those cards take up space, I’d love to send them out to YOU!

Make sure you’re on my mailing list by October 31. I’ll be emailing all my subscribers and asking for the snail mail addresses of anyone who wants to receive one of the cards made during November.

You can sign up by filling out the form at the top right of the blog, or by clicking here.

Have any topics you want me to cover in November? Tell me NOW so I can be sure to fit it in!

This is going to be fun!

What should I play with first?

What should I play with first?