Baby Formula Tin Yields Scrapbooking Resource:

Baby Formula Tin yields scrapbooking resource: I have just discovered a new resource for my scrapbooking and frankly I'm a little upset. You see if I'd had this idea 5 years ago when my first child was born I would have accumulated several tonne of this resource by now.... Let me elaborate.

My daughter is still drinking toddler formula and the other night when I was planning out this page in my head I was pondering what to do about the title. I had created the "xmas" and the "J" disc and the smaller "snowflake" disk out of paper clay but I didn't have a "1st". Then while making a bedtime drink for my daughter I had to open a new tin of formula and whala there it struck me... inspiration that is.... The foil that seals the tin is made of a very thin metal. This metal is easy to cut and punch (with a large punch and simple shape only.... I tried a small snowflake punch and although it worked it got stuck and was very difficult to remove) and also easy to dry emboss if the foil is flat. In this case the foil was bumpy.

Although not strictly safe because it isn't Acid and Lignin Free I can spray the back of the product with a special spray that will neutralise the worst of the Acids etc and make the product scrapbook friendly or I can simply keep it away from direct contact with my photos..... It's up to you what you prefer to do and how pedantic you are about the Acid and Lignin free qualities of a product.

So I hope you enjoy this idea and come up with lots of wonderful uses.... I'd love to see some examples of work by anyone who is able to access this resource.

Storage Ideas From Underpants To Donuts:

Storage ideas from underpants to donuts: Does anyone else get frustrated at how much money you spend on storage devices and the like? I hate it when I need to re-organise the hoards and hoards of supplies by purchasing a new storage device.

Don't get me wrong. I think organising your items by category and colour is wonderful. (I'm also a mad organiser).. BUT I hate spending my limited scrapbooking budget on storage devices when I could be purchasing paper, or ribbons or stamps and punches.

This week I discovered a couple of great space organising items and they didn't cost me anything.

The first is the pack my daughter's recently purchased underpants came in. You've probably seen them. A pack of 5 underpants in a little plastic (sometimes opaque but mostly clear) pocket with a small hanger at one end and a clip at the other.. I love this! I keep ribbon and yarn offcuts in it... Anything not on a roll basically. And as my collection expands and I can reorganise them into one colour per packet. I love the little hanger which is an added bonus enabling me to hang the bag within easy reach.

The second find is..... wait for it... you'll never guess...... A Packet that previously held 12 donuts. Now I'm sure you think I've lost my mind here but hear me out. All of my ribbons that are on a roll were getting messy and dusty by displaying them on a rod within easy reach (two paper towel holders with a length of dowel balanced between them). So by storing them inside this clear box I can see them easily. They're also easier to take with me for scrapping at a friends house. Now all I do when I want to use some ribbons is pull out this clear plastic box and look at my ribbon collection which is kept dust free and clean at all times. It is easy for me to expand this storage device as my collection grows and simply file items by theme or colour.

I'd love to hear from fellow scrappers on everyday items that you've used to great storage succes.

Scrapbooking Survey ...

For some reason the link will not work in the forum, so here it is again:

Scrapbooking Survey

http://www.bestnicheinfosite.com/?43aa178a-cf74-4460-9675-9324cfd845ab=

Now for some reason this is still not working, but if you copy and paste it into your address bar and make sure it has the = at the end after the 45ab link as above, then it will work.

Thanks

Shopping Bags A Great Find!

Shopping Bags a great find!
In my search for the cheapest scrapbooking layout ever I have discovered shopping bags. What I love about these is they're free with any purchase!

A clothing retailer in my local area has created my absolute favourite scrapbooking supply.... it's a shopping bag.

This particular shopping bag is a clear plastic with white swirls and designs all over it and then the company name in big pink letters. The letters are ideal as part of a monogram (I cut them out then stick them to the back page of an old notebook.... {another free material} You can then either cut the letter out again or paint the cardboard before adhering the letter and cutting a shape such as a square or circle with this letter in the centre. I then add a sticker or embellishment and there you have it a monogram!) The rest of the bag is ideal as a background...... I sew it to the page and have even sewn it to a piece of cardstock that is then folded into an envelope. The only thing you need to be careful of is that the plastic is sewn on to the cardstock flat and that there are no airbubbles or creases..... unless you intend them like a fan or pleats.

You will also find many paper bags that you receive your purchased goods in which can be useful scrapbooking supplies. These are fabulous because..... Yep you guessed it... they're free. Simply paint them to get the desired colour scheme.

Junk Mail Provides Inspiration:

Junk Mail provides inspiration: As a scrap miser I am constantly looking for scrapbooking supplies. Everything is fair game! Even if I can't use something because its not acid free I can often use the concept. Recently a bedding manufacturer sent out a beautiful brochure and the layout for the campaign has proved very useful. I placed a piece of transparency on the page and traced over the beautiful swirly design with a glitter glue. This design gives me a place for two photos and a spot for some journalling in the middle. I love the simplicity of the design as it has a doodling inspired look without being a doodle as such.... if that makes sense? So keep your eyes open for inspiration..... Even your Junk Mail can be useful........

Welcome To My Scrapbooking Blog...

My first tip for fellow scrapbookers looking to save money is to save everything! Save every scrap of paper every snip of ribbon and every other thing that comes into your life. Whether it be a kids toy, a postcard, an old charm or piece of broken jewellery or a beach find.... Everything is a potential embellishment for a page. I have used gumnuts, sea shells and even bark to good effect. What's your strangest free embellishment?

Welcome to My Scrapbooking Blog

Welcome to what I hope will be the first of many blogs. I'm addicted to scrapbooking and would love to hear from other like minded people. My passion is how to scrapbook cheaply!

I refer to myself as the scrapmiser because I try not to spend much on my layouts. Recently I've spoken to a few people who would love to do scrapbooking but are put off by the price of all the materials.

So that got me thinking about how much an average page can cost. My pages tend to be pretty cheap but I am now obsessed with finding the cheapest way to do beautiful layouts.

I'd be interested to see if anyone can beat my $3.02 page? (Contents 3 papers $0.91 {12x12 - not all used have left overs but for ease of calculating I'll add all three papers into the cost} and some stickers (I have used three different pages each costing $1:10 but have only used a third of each so I'm estimating one full page of stickers plus $0.03 for adhesive and $0.98 for an embellishment.