Would You Like to do More with your Supplies?

Ideas for Craft Supplies

Image courtesy Flickr/chrissy.farnan

Have you accumulated more arts and crafts supplies for your favorite hobby than you know what to do with?  Would you like to find some ways to use them?

Whether you like to scrapbook, stamp, make cards, art journal, create mixed media, or any number of other hobbies, you probably have a stash of items that you are not really using on a regular basis.  This picture depicts a very tidy space, but many of us don’t have things this organized (and you know who you are)!  The fact remains, if you’re not using your stash of goodies, they are just taking up valuable real estate in your space!  If you are like most hobby enthusiasts, there is no telling how much money you have invested in these items.

This isn’t about making you feel guilty for not utilizing all that great stuff.  Instead, it’s about creating a plan to use it up!  We often get in a rut and use the same products over and over, and the rest just begin to collect dust.  In part, Artful Adventures is about helping you find new ways to use stuff you already have on hand!  We are going to dig in and find what you have, and help you find some ways to use it up!

As we get ready to do that, I would urge you to get started by finding out what you have.  Put like with like so that you begin to see what you really have.  Once you begin to do that, you’ll know what you have and it will be so much easier to move forward.  That way, as we talk about ways to use different products, you’ll know if you have it on hand, or if it looks like something that could work with others things you have, you won’t end up having duplicates.

I’ll confess right now that my arts and crafts items have finally made their way into a single area, and it so much more efficient!  However, I had been carrying items all over the house and using them when the mood hit me.  I am afraid that method has cost me several black markers I was using on some lettering projects.  Ouch.  I still hope they turn up before I need them and end up replacing any or all of them!

Not only are we going to talk about ways to use products, but we’ll talk about using them to cross from one thing to another: (come on say it with me) whether you want to use it in scrapbooking, stamping, card making, mixed media or art journaling!

What kinds of products do you have that you just aren’t using these days?  Leave a comment and let’s see what we can do!

 

ScrapAhead – Halloween or Trick-or-Treat

This is the very first in my series of ScrapAhead™ pages!  These are ideas you can use as a jumping off point to create your own pages, by using either the products I show you, or something similar.  Many holidays are so busy and you might like to get a jump start on creating some scrapbook pages, so that as soon as you can print your photos after an event, you can get them on a page and have completed pages in no time!

Today’s idea is for Halloween or Trick-or-Treat.

The background was not stamped.  We used a stencil which we made by cutting a shape with a die.  Then randomly placed the stencil around the background pages, and sponged on the darker ink.

The black swirly shape was from black paper we ran through a die cut machine using another die.

The skeleton heads are stamped on.  We used a glue pen on the eyes, and added glitter.

The right hand page uses the same boarder elements as are on the left page, but this time they are added to the top.

You can cut several mats and just leave them off the page until you are ready to adhere the pictures.  That gives you options when you put the page together.  The borders on the orange mats were made using a rolling stamp.  You could use these for pictures, or use for journaling.

The little flag has sponged edges, a stamped imagae, and is adhered with a brad.

All the products on these pages were from Stampin’Up, and if you don’t have a consultant, you can shop and get help from my friend Georgia Gugiere!  However, you can certainly see how you could use these ideas and substitute with products you may have on hand.

I will soon be having some ScrapAhead™ classes both online and in person, and will have more information on that coming soon. They are going to be FUN!

Freedom of Mixed Media

As I was creating this piece, I realized how liberating it feels to use items I have on hand, and not worry about what specific medium I am using!  Mixed media has really allowed me to feel free to create!  Grab some supplies and see what you can create.

This red, white, and blue stripes on this piece are all made from torn paper, adhered to an 8×8 canvas.   The letters U S A, as well as the large star, were cut and used as a mask.  The image transfer is of the famous painting of Francis Scott Key, the author of the song, “Star Spangle Banner,” of which there are lyrics from a very old piece of music.  There are numerous layers of stamped images using both ink and paint.

For some reason, this is one of my favorite pieces!

Mixed Media Girl – Music of Life

This mixed media girl was made for a special friend.  She truly follows the music of her life and makes every single moment count!  She has a vibrant and colorful personality and is truly and inspiration for anyone who has ever “wished they could” do something.  Make time and make it happen!  Learn a new skill, try a new technique, but if you want to try something, give a try and don’t just “wish” you had!

CLC, you are an inspiration!

Oh, and this piece is done on a 6×12 canvas with layers and layers of ink, paint, stamping and rub-ons.  The girl is paper piecing and paint.