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I go thru my scraps and try to use pieces before cutting larger pieces or sheets. I make punches, shred to make paper salad, my dd likes to make paper quilts with them as well.
__________________ Melissa Wadkins (Mel)
Peace begins with a smile.
Member #3785
I have all my scraps organized into rubbermaid shoeboxes according to color family. I also have a box for my vellum, whites and the REALLY small pieces of paper that is good for something (just don't know what yet).
I dig through the boxes before I cut large sheets of paper. I usually uses these for layering.
If you do a seach for "scraps" in the gallery , you'll probably come up with several ideas. I know I use scrap for a lot of my designs....I never throw anything away! :lol:
__________________ "Life is much too important to be taken seriously." Oscar Wilde Proud to be a member of Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge DT! My BlogMy Gallery
I use my scraps for swaps! I am an SU demo so I have a swap every couple of months or so at demo meetings etc. I am also using my scraps for convention swaps.
At stamp camps or when a customer comes by to stamp I let them use my scraps to try new things or new colors too.
I use my scraps fairly often so I don't have a whole lot. They are sitting prominently on my desk so I can grab them quickly!
Being a hoarder, I keep them in a small clear box ~ before cutting a full sized piece I look in the box...there' usually at least a 1/4 piece of cs or so in there. As well, you just never know what you'll use them for! Sometimes crimping, sometimes cutting.......but I know if I didn't keep them I'd sure need them everytime I make a card!
__________________ ~Debbi~
Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. ~Author Unknown
I organize all of my scraps in ziplock baggies. Each color has it's own baggie and I find that I"m using them up much quicker than throwing them all into the same box.
My youngest daughter loves to stamp and she gets to go through the shoe box for her projects.
Sherri P
It s so funny this topic came up!! Guess what I just finished! You'll never guess so I'll tell ya I took all my scraps seperated them by color and recycled them. YUP I made my own paper! It is incrediably easy! And what a project to do with the kids! FUN! I made some rose red paper and today I am doing whit and off whites! EASY EASY! not alot of mess! it just takes forever to dry! 2 days! But I am stamping on it today!
I keep scraps in the front of each of my file folders. I have one file folder for each color, and I have a ceelophane bag in the front. When I have a scrap piece it goes in the bag, so I always can see if I have a small piece handy for layering.
Another thing I do is if I triple layer a c rd, I will try and cut out a section from the middle layer so I have another piece to use (teh piece I use sort of looks like a frame). This saves my paper pieces and givces me lots of good size "Scraps" that would normally just be taped down.
__________________ I want people to be afraid of how much they love me-M. Scott
I keep my scraps unless they are itsy bitsy but I found some folders (with sides enclosed, whatever they are called) at W in colors so I have my scraps in those by color, then ALWAYS look there before cutting into a new piece.
I have 4 clear acrylic boxes right on the shelf for easy access when I'm stamping. One for each color family. I try to use scraps first when using small pieces for the words on cards.
Another cool thing I just discovered this last week: the gift packages in the new Level 3 Hostess set Tag Time fit perfectly on all the 1 inch strip scraps cut from 12 X 12 paper when making it 8 1/2 by 11. I have a ton of those little strips that I could never throw away. The packages fit like they were made for the strips, and I can make tons of different cards now with my scraps of every shade.
You can use patterned paper scraps to do quilling, put in RSVP pens (search this site for directions), teabag folding, iris folding, paper mosaics, paper strip cards, etc. Here are some sites that will be sure to get you going:
I bought a plastic coupon/accordian style caddy. Each section is labeled a general color (red, blue, etc.). I put my extra strips in their respective slots. I have a larger one for my larger pieces. I also have a place for my designer paper as well.
I wish I had more room to have file folders (hanging type) to separate the papers and organize my colors and extra snibbits!
I, too, save scraps, even small ones (mainly strips). Larger scraps are plopped in an old baby wipes box that has the top removed.. .. reds & pinks together, browns & tans, blues, etc. Small scraps (skinny strips and small stuff that would get lost in bottom of baby wipe container) are placed upright in small square acrylic box that was a leftover from something. Having these small pieces in easy reach on my work table makes it much easier to do layering and such because I don't worry about "wasting" a larger piece of cardstock. The scrap boxes hardly take up any room and I'm not paranoid about keeping each color separate from another - groups of color work just fine and if on occasion a blue gets slipped in with the red's it isn't a big deal. It's really taken the stress out of what to do with "leftovers"! :lol:
I store my CS in hanging file folders. Paper scraps are kept in page protectors in the front section of each color folder. This system has worked best for me because the scraps are easily accessible. Before switching to this system, I would forget to check my plastic tubs for scraps before cutting into a larger piece.
I have mine stored in the CM file mates thing they are generally loabeled like red, blues, green purple. I had two of them full. One was "contraband" and the other was SU. I just recently went through all the scraps reorganized and gave my daughter one of the file mates stuffed with scraps (the contraband and some things I had stamped and cut out and had to many of). Now I have mine filled with SU paper and maybe some patterned paper that I liked. I always check through this before I mat or do anything. ALso having scraps is a good way to play with the color combinations on something you are trying out without having to cut a whole piece of c/s.
Oh another great thing is when you make a "gift" album for someone use your scraps. I just made a 1st bday for my niece and I didn't buy the SU 6x6 because my inlaws don't really appreciate anything handmade (maybe they do, but who knows) so I wasn't going to buy them a super nice album and do it all up for them, so I bought an inexpensive one from "M" and did that it came out cute and I used all scraps!
They do come out textured and very cool! Today (sctually just bended pulp) I'm going to put in some dried leaves, etc... to get a natural look!
don't get me wrong I only use scraps that are to small for use! when I am stamping I keep a paper shopping bag next to my desk and I throw all pieces too small for use in there and when its half full I recycle it! Its a fun project for the kids!
I keep mine in 4 of our 8 1/2 x 11 Craft Keepers one for each color family. These stand up in a small box on top of my counter right in front of my ink. I have Neutrals in a 12x12 craft keeper as well. For as many cutting mistakes as I make on a regular basis I rarely have to cut up a large piece of paper for a smaller piece. If by chance I do have to cut a larger piece I always try to cut 1/4 peice off and 1/2(card size) I have 2 stacks with these ready to go always so I can make speedy cards. I always grab these stacks when I'm trying to combine colors as well. Sometimes just restacking them gives me color combo ideas I may not have come up with on my own.
organized all my paper by making a file folder for each color of card stock. I put all my scraps in the front of my cardstock file so I can use them up first before using another sheet of cardstock.
I use them for filling in cello bags after I shred them, punches, stamp cut outs and more!
Sometimes I have just the right size for a little gift tag or something small like that, perhaps a post it note cover.
HTH,
Cindy
__________________ Stampin fool...will stamp on ANYTHING!
One of the ladies in my card making/ swap group (art_yayas) makes her own paper using dryer lint and scraps. I think she then dyes the paper to her color of choice. Pretty cool!
thank you, thank you, thank you, what great ideas for organizing them better! A "Use it Up" swap sounds great! Maybe even a gallery so I can get some visual ideas of how people use their scraps?
Virginia--You're welcome. I enjoy making the paper strip and paper mosaic cards so much that now I have a separate spot where I keep all my "scrap" strips to use for this technique. :lol: I think it may be possible to never have to throw any paper scrap away, no matter how small.
I can't throw any scraps away. Instead of categorizing my paper by color, I sort it by size: full sheets, pieces large enough to be card backgrounds, pieces large enough to layer, really small pieces, and slivers. All the slivers go in a bucket for recycling into handmade paper--with dryer lint to bind it. (I'm THAT Ya-Ya.)
The really small pieces I glue to large index cards, usually in groups of five, forming little background "compartments." I cover the edges where the small pieces meet with tacky tape and beads/glitter, or I stitch over them, or whatever. And then I attach some kind of collage element to each compartment--a button, a bow, a die-cut image...you get the idea. Then I layer the decorated index card onto a card front with other papers.
These days, I find it hard to part even with junk mail!
I can't throw any scraps away. Instead of categorizing my paper by color, I sort it by size: full sheets, pieces large enough to be card backgrounds, pieces large enough to layer, really small pieces, and slivers. All the slivers go in a bucket for recycling into handmade paper--with dryer lint to bind it. (I'm THAT Ya-Ya.)
The really small pieces I glue to large index cards, usually in groups of five, forming little background "compartments." I cover the edges where the small pieces meet with tacky tape and beads/glitter, or I stitch over them, or whatever. And then I attach some kind of collage element to each compartment--a button, a bow, a die-cut image...you get the idea. Then I layer the decorated index card onto a card front with other papers.
These days, I find it hard to part even with junk mail!
What do you do with your scraps?
