To Save or Throwaway

Hello! Are you one of those card makers, like me, who is always seeing an item that could be repurposed on a card and hoard all sorts of items for that purpose?  I am trying to use up some of these saved items instead of just throwing in a box.  This week I purchased a garden flag and the picture on the package was perfect for a card.  (See photo below) So I trimmed the glossy photo from the package and attached to a scrap of blue cardstock and then to a card base of Textured Green CS from my stash.  Stamped the sentiment from my stamp stash with GKD Blue ink and heat embossed with Clear EP to create a Birthday Card. 

Challenge:
As You Like It Challenge: To recycle or buy new.  My card is made from a recycled package. I really like to buy new but there is a great satisfaction when I can salvage something and create something without spending money.  And it's also a challenge to my creative side to do so.  

Photo of Flag Package

Praying for the people of Ukraine. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Hugs, Theresa

2 Cards from 1

Hello!  I never throw something out if I think I can reuse or upcycle the item. I found an old commercial Christmas card that I had saved and made 2 cards from it. These are not my usual handmade cards that I stamp, color, emboss, etc. It was so easy that I feel maybe I should not enter them in a challenge.  But then I do not think I am breaking any rules???

I trimmed 2 panels from the old card and matched up with some bright green textured card stock in my stash.  I assembled 2 cards and added a die cut sentiment from metallic gold cardstock to one.  Die is from Cheery Lynn. I let the existing sentiment remain as is on the second card. 

These cards will go in my collection of Christmas cards made for my mother's Life Care Center. 

Challenges:
Krafty Chicks Challenge: #598 Week 2 Christmas. Must have something with Christmas. 

Merry Little Christmas Challenge Blog: MLCCB  42 Anything Christmas Goes. 

Stay Safe and Healthy! Thanks for stopping by. I love reading your comments. Theresa

Peace on Earth Card

Hello! I just came across a Christmas challenge that is new to me, and I have a card that I'd like to enter before the deadline. I am entering this card in Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge #8. The inspiration board is shown below.  I was inspired by the Blue and White and Snow elements. I used some designs cut from an old Christmas card and a stamp from a magazine freebie from Cardmaking & Papercraft on a white card base.  The sentiment with stars was stamped with Memento Paris Dusk ink and embellished with some sparkly Stickles. 

Challenges: 
Christmas Kickstart Challenge: #59 The Sentiment takes Center Stage

Peace on Earth Challenge #8:

Stay Safe and Healthy! Thanks for stopping by. 

I love reading your comments. Theresa

Christmas Carols from an Old Songbook

Hello!  I came across an old Christmas Carol Song Book that was a free giveaway from an insurance company in the 80's, I think. 

I thought the pages of songs would make great Christmas cards so using some solid card stock and old patterned paper in my stash, I created these cards. I simply cut or tore the pages and attached to a layer of patterned paper and then to a solid color base. I distressed some of the pages by crinkling and sponging with Distress Ink.  One page I dry embossed.  Patterned Papers are from Webster's Pages and Cardstocks are Gina K Papers. 

Challenges:
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge: Always about using Patterned Paper.

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge: #578 Anything goes as long it's Christmas. 

This was a great way to recycle the song book and use up old stash.

Thanks for stopping by.

Theresa

Recycling Catalog Photos for Cards

Hello! I have not been blogging much in the past 2 months but hope to get back in the routine of posting and visiting other blogs this month.  I have started the year by trying to use up some of my stash and saved items to clean up my studio. I will share more of those projects later.  I am always seeing useful items for cards in all paper goods including magazines, advertising, catalogs, napkins, cards etc. that I receive.  

Today I am sharing several cards that I made for a package that I will be mailing to a Life Care Center.  Since I was looking for some ideas for quick and easy Easter cards to create for the nursing home, I was inspired to use photos of flowers from a plant catalog ( I seem to receive one almost weekly).  As I was about to throw the latest envelope with ads away, I thought how the photos would make lovely cards using some colorful card bases and simple sentiments.  For the card bases I used Yellow, Pink, and Green textured cardstock from Bazzill that I found at Tuesday Morning.  I trimmed the photos and attached to the card bases and then added  Easter sentiments that I stamped with some  Hero Arts and  Gina K stamps. Used Black Versafine ink for stamping. The photos shown include about 31 of the 45 cards that I have made.  I printed a verse for inside the cards on white cardstock and attached to the inside.

I thought this was a productive way to use something rather than just add to the trash. I hope the cards make someone smile and feel that they are remembered at Easter.

Looking forward to warmer weather.

Stay Safe and Healthy!

I love reading your comments. Theresa

Recycled Box

Hello!  Taking time out to post a card that I made for the Challenge DCC S220 at The House That Stamps Built which is to use a recycled item on your creation.  This was easy for me to do since I save a lot of items in my studio.  I pulled out a Kleenex box that I had saved because I like the pattern on the box....they really use some nice designs on those boxes. I was also inspired by Donna's card that she made with a recycled Kleenex box.  I trimmed a portion of the box, inked the edges with a gray copic marker and attached to a white card base.  I stamped the Repeat Impressions stamp- a large "Thanks"- on a scrap of white cardstock with a Memento Gray ink  and embossed with Clear EP.  Attached to the card. I stamped and embossed the Repeat Impressions words "for all you do" on the large yellow circle in the pattern to finish. 

Other Challenges:
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge: Always about using Patterned Paper. 

Stay Healthy! Wear a mask!

Have a great day! I love reading your comments. Theresa

My "Chuck It" Thingys"

Hello!  I know some of you have been reading about the rubbing tool that Chuck Meadows made for Gina K to use with the Misti tool.  His tool was made with a curtain finial and a furniture cover with carpet base.  I decided I must have some supplies on hand to make my own.  I am one of those people who never throw anything away.  I knew I had some of those furniture covers with carpet somewhere and I finally found one.  But in my search  I also found a pack of adhesive felt pads in assorted sizes.

Hmmmm! What can I do with those???

  So with the furniture cover I glued it on to a jar that sits on my desk to contain small clear stamps that  got misplaced.    Used some craft glue that works with metal and wood. This measures about 3" X 3", a perfect size for rubbing the Misti.  And the great thing is I did not add anything more to my desk, and the jar with carpet pad serves a dual purpose. 

But I am not finished yet.   I took one of the 1.5" adhesive felt pads and attached to a wood and cork stopper from a bottle of Jack Daniels(thanks to my DH who drank it and gave me the empty bottle) and attached a 2nd smaller felt pad to the cork side. This will work for smaller stamps or sentiments used with the Misti. 

And just because I also  found a White Drawer pull (that I saved when I replaced it on a drawer), I decided to add an adhesive felt pad to it and make another smaller "Thingy". 

So much for using what I have on hand and nothing costs me a penny more.

Have a great day! I love reading your comments. Theresa

Butterflies Fly Again

Hello! Sometimes I am immediately inspired by a challenge and know at once what I am going to create but other times, it takes awhile to come up with an idea.  I knew at once what I was going to use for the Just Us Girls Photo Inspiration shown below.   It might not be acceptable but I knew that I wanted to recycle some butterflies that were on a card that I had received some time ago.  I carefully removed two  die cut butterflies that were already enhanced with glitter and gemstones and set aside while I created a card for them.  I printed a digital image of orchids (inspired by the JUGS challenge graphic) that I had from Beccy's Place on Ivory Cardstock and colored with Copics and Pencils and stamped a birthday sentiment from Gina K Designs. I attached the image on a card base of the same Ivory CS and adhered the saved butterflies. I drew on the antennas with a black marker.  I am pleased with the results and happy to have found a use for the beautiful butterflies.

Challenges:

Allsorts Challenge: Week 556 Take Flight

Beccy's Place Monthly Challenges: January Create a card or paper-craft project using any Beccy's Place image. Used Beccy's Orchid.

613 Avenue Create: Challenge 229 Anything Goes with optional twist Make It Shiny

Just Us Girls Challenge: #520 Photo Inspiration Week

Have a great day! I love reading your comments. Theresa

To Recycle or Not Recycle

Hello!  Today I am sharing some Christmas cards that I made using recycled parts and pieces of Christmas cards that I have received over the years.  I never like to throw any cards away and always tried to reuse or recycle parts.   Without going in to a lot of details, I am showing some of these cards below:

 I included these cards in 95 cards that I made and sent to the Living Care Center where my Mother has been for the past year.  I hope the 95 residents there enjoyed receiving the cards.  I do not see anything wrong recycling cards as long as I am not doing so to make a profit.....just using to send joy to others.  I do not enter any challenges with these. I don't think I am breaking any copyrights, etc. But maybe I should keep this a secret.

Speaking of my Mother, she will be 100 years old on January 20, 2020.  And I will be working on a very special card for her big day!  Since I know my card making friends or followers may wish to send her a card, I should establish a card drive so she will receive a ton of cards.  I will have to work out some details so that can happen.

Have a great day! I love reading your comments. Theresa

Christmas Treats in a Tin

Hello!  I wanted to share an item that I made from Altoids tins using some paper scraps and ribbon and other bits from my desk.  I used these to give out some candy treats and tips. They could also be used to give gift cards as well. This is just one of the many I made. (Forgot to make pictures of the others).  I made a template for trimming scraps of papers for the top and bottom that I attached with glue. I wrapped ribbon around the outside edge using double sided tape. Added various trim to the tops that coordinated with papers.  For this one, I used die cut Holly leaves and enamel dots that I colored red with Copics.  Added a stamped sentiment to the lid on the inside and filled with goodies.

Challenges to enter:

Love to Craft Challenge Blog: LTCCB #41 December Anything Goes

Die Cut Divas: Challenge Get Ready for Christmas/Winter. Used GKD Holly Die.

Have a great day! I love reading your comments. Theresa

Recyled from Another card

 Hello!  I save elements from cards that we have received over the years with the intention to recycle on cards that I create.  Recently I took time to put some of these to use.  For the top card I trimmed a foiled panel with embossed  snowflakes and attached to a red card base that I stamped and embossed with Silver EP a sentiment from Repeat Impressions.  I also embossed the edge with Silver EP.

 For this card I trimmed a wreath from a larger card and attached it to a 4.25" x 5.5" card base and added die cut words from Metallic Gold CS and a strip of metallic trimmed from another recycled card. Used Cheery Lynn dies.

 I started with a GKD Red CS base for the above card which I inked the edges with Pilot Gold Metallic pen.  I attached a Tree of  Gold Metallic paper that I fussy cut from a recycled card.   The sentiment on Red Foil with Gold Metallic words was fussy cut from another card and added atop the tree.

The last card that I am sharing used the embossed tree panel from a recycled card that was trimmed and edged with Gold and attached to a white card base.  The lower strip embossed with words Family, Friends, Christmas came from another saved card. 

I love being able to put these items to use in some ways rather than just throwing away. 

Challenges to enter:

ABC Christmas Challenge: U is for Upcyle
The House That Stamps Built: Anything Goes O2319. Top card used Repeat Impressions stamp.

Have a great day! I love reading your comments. Theresa

Card with Heart

Hello!  My card today was made with the My Favorite Things stencil Radiating Rays.  I sponged DOI Fired Brick on a panel of white CS using the stencil and then cut with  a Spellbinders Scalloped Heart die. I stamped a Gina K Designs sentiment in the center with Versamark and heat embossed with Gold EP. I attached the heart to Gold Metallic paper that I recycled from a card that I received from my DH and then placed on a white card base.
I do not have many stencils and do not make many cards with stencils.  But, I was inspired to make this CAS card for the new CAS Stencil Challenge that started this month.
Challenges:
Time Out Challenges: #126 Loving
CAS Stencil Challenge:  January Sponging with Stencils
Dies R Us Challenge: #112 Anything goes using dies by companies carried at DRU store.

Have a great day! I love reading your comments. Theresa

Recycle Cards

Hello! Today I am playing with a challenge to recycle Christmas Cards using elements from cards to create a new project.  Above is a photo of a card that I made taking the banner from one card and the barn from a second one.  I inked a white card base with Summer Sky ink and attached the barn and banner that I took from the cards shown below.  How simple was that and a great way to reuse items.  The foil and glitter were great accents on the cards.

Challenge:

Winter Wonderland: It's Snowtime! Have snowflakes falling on my card.
 Fab 'n' Funky Challenges: #421 Recycle your Christmas Cards.

I found a lot of elements on cards to recycle and am sharing another one that was very simple to do. I simply removed the topper that was attached with foam dots, trimmed the edge to fit a smaller card and attached to a Bright Green card base. The original card is shown on the right below.

Have a great day! I love reading your comments. Theresa

Recyling from a Catalog

 



Hello!  For the AAA Cards challenge we are to feature something that we've re-cycled on a CAS card.  I decided to use a Coldwater Creek catalog and cut some of the pages with a Memory Box die for my design.  I am showing the cover that I used to cut the flowers and I used another page for the stem of the flowers.  I stamped a GKD sentiment with SU Always Artichoke ink and edged the image layer with a green marker before adhering to a wine card base. 

Challenges:
AAA Cards: Game #73 Upcycling

Simon Wednesday Challenge: Simon says Clean and Simple

Have a great day! I love reading your comments. Theresa