Bits Of Glue, Sprinkles Of Glitter, and Paper Scraps Everywhere

I have a stash of scrapbook paper from Michaels http://www.michaels.com/scrapbooking
and some recent additions from Club Scrap http://www.clubscrap.com. So much paper and I was feeling quite overwhelmed by it. What am I going to do with all this stuff?

February I spent some time handling my scraps and making a bunch of flowers and embellishments using the Cricut http://www.cricut.com/(X(1)S(inss53exioly0t55st32dg45))/default.aspx and Sizzix machines http://www.sizzix.com to use up some of this paper and to keep from buying more stuff.

I wasn't in the mood to do scrapbooking. I have a gazillion photos that I need to do something with, but I just keep putting it off.

I thought I may make some cards. BUT - how do I start? What are the sizes of regular cards? What kinds of things can be used? I had so many questions that I needed to find some help. Doing a Google search brought up a whole bunch of stuff and I wasn't interested in reading all they had. I wanted pictures. Video would be fantastic.

Then I remembered that Google has a video tab. I hunted in there for a while and found a few things that peaked my interest. Nothing that really made me want to spend a lot of time researching. Then I came across Dawns videos and things began to click.

Dawn (I don't know her last name) is a Stampin Up Demonstrator http://www.stampinup.com and she uses Stampin Up rubber stamps, papers, inks, and whatnots in her cards and other items.

I got so excited and the creative juices began to boil over after watching her tutorials. I can do this. I really can.

Then I had a dreadful thought. I don't have any Stampin Up stamps. That almost - ALMOST - stopped me from doing cards. There was going to be some creative license taken here if cards were going to be made with what I own now and don't have to purchase.

So....here is a sample of what I was up against and the solution to this problem.

















This is Dawn's card that holds a gift card. These are photos taken from my computer screen of Dawn's YouTube tutorial for this little cute card.

And this is my solution to the problem of not having the rubber stamp for the front image, nor the hole punch to make the notch in the thing to get the gift card out.
This stamp I've had for a long time and have not known what to do with it. I think it turned out pretty good. And the notch thing I used a sunburst punch that I own. Works the same as the hole punch.

Go give Dawn's tutorials a try. They are fun. You may find all kinds of things in your craft drawers, bins, containers, and baskets that you thought you would never have a use for. Haul those goodies out and rethink their purpose.

Ta Daaa. Scrap Paper Embellishments with Cricut and Sizzix Side Kick

This has taken a total of five (5) days to do.

Do I feel great, or what?

One thing I forgot to tell you.

You can use the papers that you think won't be much. This scrap piece of Halloween juvenile paper was not something I really wanted to make flowers out of. But it turned out pretty good.

See?

You would not even know what this paper had come from - unless I blabbed to you about it first.


So, here is what I have gotten done in the past five (5) days.

Discounting the fact that I had purchased the Cricut machine and two cartridges a few years ago, and the Sizzix machines - both of them - along with the dies since 2006. I figure I have saved myself some money by making all these embellishments from my SCRAPS of paper.






























































































Save the oops. You can still do things with them.


If you have the Cuttlebug embossing folders - you can even enhance your scrap paper embellishments. This is just sooooo cool.

















Apart from the really boring aspect of this project - waiting for the Cricut to cut the papers - this project was not really that hard. I just had to get myself psyched up enough to do this.

Even though I went through a patch of not knowing what to do, I guess I really did know what to do, I just was unsure of the process.

So, take a stab at all your scraps.

If you don't have these machines in your home - they are very expensive - there are craft stores in most areas that have these tools. Check with the owners of the craft stores and see what their policy is about using their tools. You may start by bringing a few pieces and getting yourself familiar with the machines. I would not advise bringing in a huge box of scraps and taking up residence at the craft store, but I would think you could bring some papers with you.

These scraps are from papers I already have on hand, they are not papers that I no longer have. Each of these items I just made can be used on my layouts and with cards I make - because I have similar papers in my stash. I don't have to worry about not matching my embellishments to my paper - they already do.

Now, the next part of this is putting bling on these little embellishments.

Let's see. I have embossing powder, rubber stamps, inks, brush markers, glitter, gel pens, brads, rhinestones, eyelets, mica, glossy accents, and .....