Butterfly Duo

Ever since I organized my Scrap Stash into a compact and easily retrievable system, it’s been a pleasure to dip into it and see if there’s anything I can use on a current project.  The answer is almost always a resounding “YES!”  and I love the jumpstart this gives my creative processes!

Except for the card base itself, this entire card was made from scraps and leftovers.  I don’t suppose I’ll live long enough to use up every last scrap I’ve got, but this sure slows down their relentless expansion into the living room.

 While I have a larger flat box to keep my 8.5x11 background papers in, I needed a handy arrangement for my smaller scraps.  What’s my system?  It’s a no-frills idea involving a generously-sized decorated photo box from ACMoore and a collection of large-ish (7”x12”) glassine bags saved from previous purchases of clear stamp sets.  I’ve sorted everything by individual colors, and have a “Multi-Color” bag to hold scraps having several colors.  The bags are stiff which allows the labels to be upright and easily visible.  I kept the flap at the top so that it would be easy to insert scraps as they accrued.  When it’s playtime, it’s a simple matter to pull out a bag or two and take them to my worktable as needed.

I have some die cuts and specialty scrap papers stored at the front for visibility.  Along the right side, there are a handful of sandwich bags, each with a varied collection of scraps whose colors work well together.  Every so often, I take out one of these bags and put everything in it on a card.  There isn’t much room for these sandwich bags which is exactly the point:  it’s a fail-safe method for keeping the stash easy to USE!   Hope you find these ideas useful . . .

Cardstock:                     Marcos Jute, Beckett Iceberg

Stamps:                          Hero Arts Zig Zag Background

Inks:                                Distress Barn Door, Broken China, Dusty Concord,

                                           Frayed Burlap                   
Dies/Punches:               Cheery Lynn Lace Corner Deco B, Small Exotic Butterflies #1,
                                             Die-Versions Hint of Lime Alpha, Die-Namics
                                             Accent It Labels & Tags
Impression Plate:        Cheery Lynn Cement
Doo Dads:                     Distress Stickles Antique Linen