Using up your Paper

A really great way to ensure you use as much of your paper as possible is to group together layouts of similar colour combinations and try to do as many layouts as possible with the same paper combos. Or id the photos are all of the one topic (i.e a holiday) this is a great way to make a mini book with a common colour scheme to each page... (you may need to get really stingy oops sorry I meant creative to make a few pieces of pattened paper go the distance for a mini book). Once that is done try to do a card and even a matching gift card.

Once you have done as many layouts and cards as you can, it's then time to "file" your leftovers. Find a storage system that works for you and store all your unused scraps in it. Grouping together by colour is a good way to use up as much of the scraps as possible. And make it easy to find what you're looking for another time.

Whenever you're doing a layout and have picked out your papers it's a good idea to have a little peruse through these old scraps to see if there is any small scraps that will co-ordinate with your new layout. Maybe make a "button" for a flower or even a photo corner..... even a small paper embellishment.  Whatever you can think of to use up a few more of those scraps.

Finally when the scraps are either so over used that you never want to see them again, or the scraps are too small for you to make a layout, I like to then make up a card kit. I take a Kaisercraft card and matching envelope and piece together a card (but don't stick it down). Put all the pieces in a small bag along with a few different stamped sentiments for the front page. (This allows the crafty person to decide if it's a birthday, get well or sympathy card etc). You can then either give this away (with several others of course) to someone who is a little crafty but not as well kitted out with tools and scrapbooking supplies as yourself. Or you can set someone who is bedridden up for an easy craft activity. I found this was especially good for my elderly students who aren't as dexterous with their hands anymore.

I like to group mine together by colour and then set up my daughter and her friends to do a "no mess" craft activity for her play dates. The girls love making things and I appreciate the low mess factor. LOL

Finally if there are any scraps left after all that I give them to my daughter to use in her craft.

I like to make cards when I feel my creativity hasn't had a workout for a while but I don't have time for a full layout. then I get down my "scraps file" and make cards from it rather that cutting up my new good 12 x 12's.

A really good way to test your creativity is to take three or four co-ordinating scraps of patterned paper and challenge yourself to make a layout or even two with them. You'll be really surprised what you come up with when you have to use your ingenuity.