New England Stamper

More Scraps

I'm still working on that pile of scraps!  Today's Splitcoast CAS challenge is to use patterned or designer paper in a clean and simple card.  So out came my scraps again and my 1" circle punch.  The paper I chose is called Flock Together and is on page 162 the current Idea Book & Catalog. 

The finished card measures 4.75" x 4.75" and the vanilla panel measures 4.5" x 4.5".  To line up the circles, I found the center of the vanilla panel by drawing lines from corner to corner.  I placed the turquoise circle in the center and eyeballed it from there. 

This would be a great layout to using up both card stock and patterned paper scraps.  You could use a larger circle punch and make the overall card bigger - it has lots of possibilities.

I love these colors together, they look so fresh!  I'll be posting a few more cards using this combo in the coming days.

Thanks for visiting,

Supplies:

• Stamps: Tiny Tags
• Paper: Kraft, Vanilla, So Saffron & Old Olive c/stock, Flock Together designer paper
• Ink: Tempting Turquoise
• Accessories: Linen Thread, 1/4" Tempting Turquoise grosgrain ribbon
• Tools: Jewelry Tag & 1" circle punch, 1/16" hole punch

All supplies can be purchased here.

Stampin' Up! Helps Haiti

Help make a difference in the lives of those who continue to suffer from the effects of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12.  From now until February 28, 2010, Stampin' Up!® will set aside $2 from the sale of every I {Heart} Hearts stamp set and donate it to the American Red Cross’ Haiti Relief and Development Fund. The Red Cross is already well-established in Haiti, and this money will be used to provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need.

I {Heart} Hearts – clear-mount  (block D recommended)	118571	$18.95
I {Heart} Hearts – wood-mount	117010	$26.95

I was privileged to visited to Haiti 10 years ago when I worked for a non-profit that build homes, hospitals and orphanages there and in other Third World countries.  And it was a sobering experience, to say the very least!  I know that conditions haven't changed much in the last 10 years and the earthquake will only have made the devastating poverty there worse.  It's heart warming to see so many individuals, organizations and corporations donating time and money to help rebuild this country.  

In addition to the $2 Stampin' Up! donates, I will donate an additional $4 for every set sold.  You can purchase the set here and find out more information about how else SU is helping Haiti here.

This stamp set was featured at the SU Regional back in October and here's a photograph I took of the display board. 

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are able to help! 

Scrap-tastic

I did promise you some cards using up those scraps I just organized, so here you go:  two cards using heart punches.

The first uses up some retired card stock (Baja Breeze) and ribbon (Riding Hood Red) because that's one of my goals this year - start using my supplies and stop hoarding them.  I ran a piece of white c/stock through the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder before punching out the hearts.  The adorable tag is from the new set Tiny Tags plus the Jewelry Tag punch - love them!

The second card uses the same large heart punch with one of the three hearts from the Heart to Heart punch layered on top.  Before punching them, I stamped the c/stock with the new mini background stamp - Fine Flourish.  The sentiment is from the new Well Scripted set in the Occasions Mini Catalog.

I hope you have a great weekend!

Supplies (card one):

• Stamps: Tiny Tags, Polka Dot b/ground
• Ink: Riding Hood Red & Baja Breeze
• Paper: Baja Breeze & Whisper White c/stock
• Accessories: Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon, crochet thread
• Tools: Big Shot, Polka Dot embossing folder, large heart punch, Jewelry Tag punch

Supplies (card two):

• Stamps: Well Scripted, Fine Flourish
• Ink: Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Regal Rose
• Paper: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Regal Rose c/stock
• Tools: Mat Pack, Large Heart punch, Heart to Heart punch, dimensionals

Storing Those Scraps

Happy New Year!  It's that time when we all want to get organized, right?  So, I figured I'd share with you how I organize my scraps of card stock.  As an SU demo, I always seem to have a lot of scraps left over after cutting projects for Stamp Club or a class, but I really can't stand to part with them. 

I love the idea of hanging files or neat boxes with lids etc, but I'm so visual that I need to SEE what I have. So, I use a Sterilite Show Off box that measures 14 1/4"L x 9 1/2"W x 6 7/8"H, which can be bought at Target or Walmart.  I've discarded the lid and have it open on my desk at all times.

Firstly, I sort the scraps into color groups and a neutrals pile (greys, black etc).  You'll notice that Chocolate Chip cardstock has its very own pile because it's the color I seem to use the most.  I include in my color scraps all the old Stampin' Up! In Colors, even if they are retired because I need to use them up.  But that's a personal choice for each demo.

Any pieces that are smaller than 1" x 1" are tossed, so is anything that is damaged.  Before filing I trim up the scraps to a square or rectangle shaped - no odd shapes or ripped edges.  And if a piece measures more than 5.5" long, I trim it to either 5.5" or 4.25".  This is because I'm a card maker and not a scrapbooker.  If I scrapbooked, then I'd probably leave longer strips in my scrap box for layouts.

The dividers were created from the card stock at the back of Designer Series Paper packages.  They measure 7.75" x 5.5".

You can see from the picture that I store full card fronts at the front of the scraps box.

I had a little fun decorating the outside of the box with the scraps from a retired Simply Scrappin' kit.

My scraps of vanilla and white card stock are stored in a separate little basket.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing cards that use up all these scraps.  Come back again soon!