Using what is left...

If you have been a following of my blog - you know that I am a big proponent of using up my "stash." Oh yes, I love new crafting supplies as much as the next person...but I sometimes have greater inspiration when I try to use what is left in a creative way.  My last blog post showed you two layouts where the "confetti" was actually the stars and hole punch outs from other projects...and I think several of the ribbons and strips of die cuts were also things that were just snippets left from other projects that I hadn't "put away" just yet.

So today, I though I would do a quick share because three elements of this card came from "using what is left...from other projects.

First...the green grassy hills is a bit of creative cutting and placing from a strip of left over pattern paper. When I make cards I like to use 6x6 paper pads because the scale of the print is appropriate, and you have "pre matched" colors and patterns to work with.  I don't ALWAYS start with a single paper pad - but it is a good foundation or a place to begin.  So, I had about a half of a page of that darling green dotted paper and both sides of it had "hills" cut out of it...so I just split it down the middle, inked the edges and it became two rolling hills for my Sunrise Card.

Secondly, the sunrise is stamped on a bit of card - that I had started stamping for another card thinking I wanted to use this burnt orange color (terra-cotta tile from Papertrey Ink) - and once I had them stamped, I realized it was too orangey for the papers I was working with...so I just set the unfinished sun rays aside and worked on the other card....but I came back to it and realized I could balance that really dark color my using some light blue and a less solid stamp to fill in...I kind of like it - and it allowed me to use what was left....even something that hadn't worked for another card.

Finally...I am not sure that I would have put this particular card on a black card base...if I were just "planning" it from the beginning - but, I was using what was there...and I decided to add the silhouette of the chicken and that little bit of chevron die cut (yes...more left overs) - and when I stamped the sentiment in black it just felt like those three black elements would seem totally out of place if they didn't have some other black to "ground" them to the card... Shimelle Lane has a great video out this week on "Grounding" elements on a scrapbook page if you want to learn more about that - here is where you can see it - You're Grounded Video.

So there you go...a little card that was created by just looking at what was left and usable before I swept my desk clean and moved on. Fun and festive...and helped me to not feel so back about throwing things out...because I do that too!  Having too much stuff to choose from can be as paralyzing as having too little...so I regularly destash and share or just give it to Good Will or Salvation Army - or most recently to our local Ronald McDonald House for the families that are staying there while dealing with a sick child to have some "art supplies" to play with...they love those kinds of donations, if you are looking for a place to send some of your stash.

Gotta run.  Appreciate you guys, and hope you are having a blessed week!  See you soon!