Scrap-tastic Challenge
December 31, 2009
Happy New Year! The Papertrey Senior Team is kicking off the new year with a scrappy challenge! Nichole challenged each of us to create a project using scraps. We all have them....probably buckets of them. I thought I'd share my project with you today, along with a glimpse into how I store and sort my scraps.
First, my system....I have an assortment of bins and jars where I toss my scraps.
This little basket holds all of my stamped images that didn't end up on a project. I usually just punch them out with a coordinating punch, or trim them down and toss them in this basket.
This little jar holds extra do-dads that I got out, thought about using and decided against. They get tossed in the jar...mostly because I'm too lazy to put them back where they really belong. :-)
This jar is for my Papertrey ribbon scraps. They are not allowed to be tossed in with my other ribbon scraps. They are special. :-)
This is my system for storing Papertrey cardstock scraps. All other cardstock scraps get tossed in a basket, but my Papertrey scraps get special treatment. Each color has a file folder. I punch a circle from each color and staple it to the tab of the folder, then just toss my scraps in their appropriate folders when I clean up my work area.
Ok, now on to my project. I decided to get out my little baskets of scraps and just play around. I love to do this every once in a while. I only have one rule when I do this...no cutting into a new, full sheet of cardstock or patterned paper. The last thing I want is to end up with MORE scraps when I'm finished. Sometimes I use the scraps to make a set of tags, sometimes I make cards. This time I decided to make some small enclosure cards. These are the perfect thing to throw in a gift or tie onto a gift bag. They each measure 2 1/2" x 4 1/4".
If you want to do something similar with your scraps, I would suggest making some cardstock bases and getting out a few basics like a favorite sentiment set like Mega Mixed Messages or Vintage Picnic Sentiments and a few elements stamps...like Polka Dot Basics or Vintage Labels.
I like the 2 1/2 x 4 1/4" size bacause it's small and easy to fill up with scraps and you can also make your own envelopes using a standard A2 envelope.
Simply cut the envelope in half...
Then stitch up the sides to create two small envelopes from one. The cards fit inside perfectly. You could also put a thin line of adhesive if you don't want to stitch it.
If you decide to spend some time with your scraps, I'd love to see the results! And be sure to stop by the rest of the Senior Team to check out the clever things they did with their scraps.