Love Me Some Scraps!

I love to sit down with my "scraps"

and let them "speak" to me.

I know, not normal.

But all you scrapbookers out there know how many extras there are

after we've finished a project.

There are sticker sheets left ~ with only a few stickers.

Extra strips and morsels of paper left after mats and borders were made.

Well, I like to take those scraps and make border sets.

I combine the strips into borders

and decorate them with some of the unused stickers.

I make a title or a journal box

and some photo mats.

These make great gifts for other scrappers.

I always have some for sale at my workshops.

And they're easy to use later when you have a page to finish that fits one of these themes.

I do love me some scraps!

Making Sweet, Simple Cards

We had a few friends over on Saturday night ~ so I fussed just a little with the table, and treated myself to some daffodils.

Before everyone arrived, I took some photos of the daffodils ~ knowing that if I got a picture that I liked, I could make some cards. Today I had 10 3.5" x 5" prints made of my favorite shot. As I've mentioned before, I'm a big fan of using my scraps. My current project has left me with a pile of paper and sticker scraps that I haven't used yet.

So, I sat down with my daffodil prints and my scraps and got to work! First, I cut a piece of card stock to measure 5.5" x 8".

Then I folded it in half so that I'd have a card that evenly bordered the 3.5" x 5" prints that I had made.

Then I chose another piece of paper from my scrap pile and, using double stick adhesive, secured my photo along a clean edged corner. Once in place, I trimmed the mat so that the photo would have a thin frame in a complimentary color.

Once my photo had a mat, I attached it to the card ~ so cheerful, don't you think?

This pretty, home made card cost about thirty cents! Once I have this basic formula, there are lots of ways to add to it ~ to play with it. Word stickers and letter stickers can be added.

Or, just grab different color scraps, and create more blank, photo cards.

If you have ribbon, twine, buttons or other doodads, feel free to add them. You can trim the photo so it's off center, tear the paper mat for a different effect and add some twine ~ endless possibilities!

Cards this size fit into standard "invitation" envelopes (4 3/8" x 5 3/4"), and as I said, envelope included, cost less than a postage stamp! I enjoy giving sets of cards as gifts, sending my own notes and hand made birthday wishes....and using my scraps of paper!

What photos do you have that would make pretty cards?

Don't take the "Scrap" out of Scrapbooking!

One of the things I love the most about scrapbooking is: There are no rules. Once you've made sure that all the materials you are using are "photo safe" ~ anything goes! The point is to preserve the photos and to let them tell the story! And while I love new stuff - the latest papers and embellishments - I also enjoy challenging myself to use all the paper and scraps that I already have to make borders and cards and even entire albums. A couple of years ago I took all the "extra" photos of my kids that hadn't really fit in any other scrapbook and all my "leftover" paper and stickers and made two ABC books.

It was great to take an otherwise random collection of photos and organize them by following the alphabet ~ this way I could use photos from different ages and stages on the same page, and tell the stories of their personalities, their likes and dislikes, and different events and places. Best of all, I didn't buy one new piece of paper or one new sticker or marker to make this album....literally made a book out of scraps!

D is for Disney ~ one of our favorite places!

E is for Easter!

G is for Goofy!

It's also meaningful to add in other scraps ~ ticket stubs, maps, a lock of hair, postcards...any little "scrap" that helps to complete the story.

Ticket stubs!

A page from my favorite page a day calendar!

Note cards from my birthday flowers!

Sometimes I think there's such an emphasis put on the layouts and the extras that we add to the photos on the page, that we forget it's the photos (and our words) that are at the heart of the story. So, I say...keep it photo safe, and keep it simple. But, those are my "rules"...that's my style. And, as I said, with SCRAPbooking ... anything goes!