Using Paper Scraps To Make Christmas Trees For Your Cards

Since I'm really big on utilizing paper scraps, I thought I'd mention using them for simple Christmas trees for cards (I know... we're still in August, but sometimes you really do have to start working on Christmas cards early).

Dig through your scrap pile and find a piece of paper that you like, cut 3 triangles and place one on top of the other to create your tree. Cut a rectangle from another piece of scrap to create your base, set it in place and you're done.

Happy Girl Card Made From The Scrap Paper Pile

I've been trying to get back into the swing of things since I got back from my little vacation, and I've been playing in my scrap paper pile again. This card I've called 'Happy Girl', mostly because it pretty much sums up my post vacation mood.

Stamping On Painted Papers

I do a lot of work on canvas and acrylic and mixed media papers, and because I tend to be obsessed with minimizing waste I save scraps that I know I'll be able to use again.

When I was working on this 'Thank You ' card I stamped the dancing images on a scrap sheet of acrylic paper that I had already painted on (a remnant from another project) and the burnt orange really did the trick. I liked the way that the painted acrylic background made the dancers appear to 'pop' right off the card and added just the right amount of color to the composition.

Working With Fabric

Since I have this thing about throwing away my scraps, I'm always trying to find ways to use them. I came up with this little 'Cozy Cottage' after working on a fabric collage and when I was finished I realized that I had quite a bit of scrap fabric on the floor. So I decided to use them to make this piece. I made sure to work in a stock size so that it would be easy to frame. It's done on a 5x7 inches backboard which made it easy to put a mat around it and frame it out to 8x10. Not bad to get all this from scrap fabric.

Mixed Media Fabric and Handmade Paper Card

It's always nice to be able to work on a card using different mediums. I made this card using different scraps of handmade and Mulberry papers and fabric (I just can't stand to throw anything away). I chose bright vibrant colors, patterns and prints, and layered them to create the house adding the stitches to the paper to add a little extra detail. I love playing in the scrap pile because you never know what you'll end up with once you start putting those scrap pieces together.