Have Scraps? Make Cards!

Good morning Bloggers, and happy Monday! I have a few cards from the Hampton Art Stamps Summer CHA booth to share with you today. I was asked to showcase 7Gypsies stamps and papers, plus some items from Canvas Corp. One of the directives I got from the Hampton Art sales team was "make the cards simple and easy to reproduce."

We all know that my cardmaking style is not usually "simple," but I always aim to please, so while I was working, I kept in mind all the scraps I have (even my blog is about scraps!) and how easy it is to make cards from small bits that most people would throw away! Let's face it, a "by-product" of all papercrafting is scraps, and lot of them!

There are endless ways to sort, store, and save paper scraps. But, wouldn't it be better us USE them? The best way I have found to use the endless scraps of paper and cardstock that collect on my work surface is to make cards with them. I donate cards to a few organizations that require cards be "mostly flat" and easy to mail. What a great time to pull out those scraps and get busy!

Here are four cards that use mostly small amounts of paper (I hesitate to call them scraps as they were all brand new papers!), plus bits of "this and that."

I used papers form the same family to create this card, and stamped the image onto a scrap of cream cardstock.

I edged the stamped image with ink to make it pop, rather than matting it with cardstock.

Sometimes our background paper makes a big statement, like the compass-themed paper from Canvas Corp. I stamped a simple butterfly image and trimmed it into a circle shape. It pops off the card.

At first glance, this card may seem complicated, but it really isn't. I used two prints from a 7Gypsies paper pad, and a few scraps of cardstock to highlight the stamped message. Adding a punched border and a few embellishments really pushes the card into the next level.

Instead of double matting my sentiment with the same die cut shape, I used two different shapes to give more contrast.

I love text stamps, and the NEW Distressed Words ATC stamp is amazing! I used a marker to highlight a few of the words, making them pop.

A scrap of printed paper and a punched border, and the card is finished! Easy as eating pie!

To see the Hampton Art Stamps summer release, CLICK HERE. I will share details of all the 7Gypseis art shown in the catalog here on my blog, all during the fall. Stay tuned for my posts!

Abundance:
Ink:
Clearsnap Colorbox:
Graphic 45 Decades Antiquing Ink (Venetian Lace, Photogenic)
Fluid Chalk (Chestnut Roan)
Stamps:
Hampton Art Stamps - 7 Gypsies (IC0191 Abundance, PS0679 Distressed Clock)
Cardstock - Cream, Black, Kraft
Designer paper - 7 Gypsies - Gypsy Packs
Embellishment: 7 Gypsies Pyramid Studs
Die cuts: My Favorite Things Die-namics (Fishtail Flag Stax)

Beautiful:
Ink:
Clearsnap Colorbox:
Graphic 45 Decades Antiquing Ink (Bon Voyage, Photogenic)
Stamps:
Hampton Art Stamps - 7 Gypsies (IC0191 Abundance, IC0195 Butterflies)
Cardstock - Cream, Black, Kraft
Designer paper - Canvas Corp.
Embellishment: satin ribbon
Die cuts: Spellbinders Standard Circles Large and Small

Blessing:
Ink:
Clearsnap Colorbox:
Graphic 45 Decades Antiquing Ink (Photogenic)
Stamps:
Hampton Art Stamps - 7 Gypsies (PS0630 Blessing Not in Disguise)
Cardstock - Cream, Black
Designer paper - 7 Gypsies - Lille
Embellishment: Canvas Corp. cord; button; bamboo string
Die cuts: Spellbinders Labels Twenty-one, Labels Twenty-five
Punch: Martha Stewart

Stamped Text:
Ink:
Clearsnap Colorbox:
Graphic 45 Decades Antiquing Ink (Photogenic)
Fluid Chalk (Chestnut Roan)
Stamps:
Hampton Art Stamps - 7 Gypsies (PS0680 Distressed Words)
Cardstock - Cream, Black, Kraft
Designer paper - 7 Gypsies - Gypsy Packs
Embellishment: Canvas Corp. cord
Punch: EK Success
Marker: Copic