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Taking a tip from SouthernGalsDesigns, my friend and I played with mixed media yesterday using junk mail and old magazines as the base. It was liberating to know that stuff was just going in the trash anyway, so we made a big mess with paints, inks and sprays. We used stuff around the house to add texture - a plastic fork, bubble wrap, toilet paper tubes, hot glue stencils, etc. Most of what we did we loved. If not, out it went without a lick of guilt.
Didn't cost a cent, except for the paint/ink, which was minimal. If you're feeling stuck, I highly recommend getting back in the groove using your junk mail.
__________________ Debbie "Make it work, people." - Tim Gunn My Gallery
I always hesitate when I throw business envelopes away - I remember someone making beautiful backgrounds with them, and they always have such interesting patterns.
I keep thinking I should do something with the small city based free magazine we get each and every month but still haven't done so. I end up tossing 4 or 5 of them into recycle monthly.
She is like my junk mail journaler hero. She does amazing pieces with junk mail. She has me saving everything. Some pieces of junk mail I have are prettier than what I can buy at the craft stores. My DH got in a motorcycle catalog the other day. It had the most beautiful street graffiti prints inside. The prints were on glossy paper. I felt like I found a treasure.
I took her key advice. I keep my junk mail in a bag. She keeps hers in a box. When it's full nothing else can go in there unless I throw out something or use it.
Funny story- My DH has been saving Amazon boxes. I bought a few dolls last month. My DH stole the boxes they were shipped in. He said they were perfect size for things he was storing in the garage. He told me I had to order more dolls so he can have more boxes, lol. Even my husband is now a monster about recycling mail, lol.
Funny story- My DH has been saving Amazon boxes. I bought a few dolls last month. My DH stole the boxes they were shipped in. He said they were perfect size for things he was storing in the garage. He told me I had to order more dolls so he can have more boxes, lol. Even my husband is now a monster about recycling mail, lol.
That's a riot. I save Amazon boxes too! I have used them to make an ink pad organizer, and marker organizer (along with toilet paper rolls as dividers).
I cut off the flaps off one box and made a grid with rubber bands and store my craft paints in it. It fits perfectly in a drawer.
I use them to store my inventory cards. I made dividers from the flaps and keep them in categories.
Give me an Amazon box, a craft knife, some foam board (from the dollar store, of course) and hot glue and I can make an organization system to rival anything from Ikea! That just leaves more money for stamps! Yay!
__________________ Debbie "Make it work, people." - Tim Gunn My Gallery
That is my DH! He finally gets a beautiful garage and he's completely reconning it with recycled finds. I was thinking he wanted it really fancy. No, he's happy with his tin cans and Amazon boxes.
When the first Amazon box came in he ran off with it like it was the prize of the century. He wasn't home for the second box. I laid it in his chair. He came home from work. Saw the box and his eyes lit up. He was so excited, lol.
Then I got about three more in and he ran off with those. The last one he said to me very seriously "You need to order more dolls so I can have the boxes." The problem is I cleared out my wish list, lol. I guess I need to make a new one.
There is a tip for recycled pretties. If you have a little girl or doll collector in your life steal the boxes the dolls are packaged in. I get the most beautiful backgrounds, heavy acetate and other graphics from my doll boxes. You can use the doll accessories to make beautiful silicone or Mod Podge melt molds. Doll brushes have beautiful patterns. With the holidays coming up there might be a treasure trove for you to dig into.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Buried Treasures
That's a riot. I save Amazon boxes too! I have used them to make an ink pad organizer, and marker organizer (along with toilet paper rolls as dividers).
I cut off the flaps off one box and made a grid with rubber bands and store my craft paints in it. It fits perfectly in a drawer.
I use them to store my inventory cards. I made dividers from the flaps and keep them in categories.
Give me an Amazon box, a craft knife, some foam board (from the dollar store, of course) and hot glue and I can make an organization system to rival anything from Ikea! That just leaves more money for stamps! Yay!
When the first Amazon box came in he ran off with it like it was the prize of the century. He wasn't home for the second box. I laid it in his chair. He came home from work. Saw the box and his eyes lit up. He was so excited, lol.
This is so funny! I feel that way when I buy something at a store and they wrap it in pretty tissue. I immediately think how I can use the tissue as backgrounds or in collage or decoupage. And at baby showers, I tell everyone, save the tissue for me -- crumpled or not, LOL!
At our last holiday party at work, we could take home the flower centerpieces. I didn't care about the flowers. I wanted the gorgeous silver paper that lined the vases! Just pulled it out and it's going into holiday cards this year.
__________________ Debbie "Make it work, people." - Tim Gunn My Gallery
Y'all are cracking me up!! So much for my new years promise a couple of years ago to purge the recycle junk I had accumulated over the years.
Lylacfey and I had an online friend at another forum that made an ink pad holder out of foam core. She said it was very easy to do and a lot sturdier than she had expected once finished.
Maybe you can decorate it with decoupaged junk mail ;)
Lylacfey and I had an online friend at another forum that made an ink pad holder out of foam core. She said it was very easy to do and a lot sturdier than she had expected once finished.)
It was easy and I could custom make it so that it wedged between my work table and upper shelf. Hardly needed any math skills. Unfortunately, my ink stash has grown and I need to make another one. Hmm. I could do a build-on.
__________________ Debbie "Make it work, people." - Tim Gunn My Gallery
This is so funny! I feel that way when I buy something at a store and they wrap it in pretty tissue. I immediately think how I can use the tissue as backgrounds or in collage or decoupage. And at baby showers, I tell everyone, save the tissue for me -- crumpled or not, LOL!
I am so bad about that too. Ask any of my loved ones they dread holidays. I am so slow at opening gifts. I carefully unwrap each gift, smooth the paper, fold the tissue paper carefully. It takes me fifteen minutes to unwrap a present. I get left alone while unwrapping. That's a plus, lol. Last year I got a present wrapped in vintage dog paper. I don't even remember what the present was. I was so excited about the wrapping paper, lol.
I got a mailing in the other day from Bvlgari. It was done in gorgeous letter press on linen paper. I spent fifteen minutes just studying it and then I hugged it. Everyone was laughing at me.
I love my junk mail, lol.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stampin stacy
Lylacfey and I had an online friend at another forum that made an ink pad holder out of foam core. She said it was very easy to do and a lot sturdier than she had expected once finished.
I made a foam core ink pad. ! Guess who stole it? Now it happily resides in the thief's studio. The thief found me a beautiful wooden cassette holder. He thought it was a fair trade.
I stole his gaming shelf to store my acrylic paint bottles, ROFL!
Getting Messy
! Guess who stole it? Now it happily resides in the thief's studio. The thief found me a beautiful wooden cassette holder. He thought it was a fair trade. 
