More than just the packaging

Have you ever looked at the packaging our scrapbooking products come in and thought "I can't throw that away, I might use it!?" I'm sure I can't be the only one, and Prima seem to be one of my most favourite companies when it comes to product packaging. At the ATDML retreat at the start of the month one of the classes used several Prima Journaling notecards, which when purchased as a complete pack, come in a very neat notecard box. When packing up the kits with Mel & Jill, I remarked at the boxes and how neat they were, saying to Mel "I could do something with that" and there the challenge was laid down. "Go on then, and we can share it on the blog" they said!

So, here I am a few weeks later sharing my altered notecard box. First up, BBA image (Box Before Ann!)

And now BABA image (Box Altered by Ann!)

I have made the box into the housing for my Shimelle Christmas journalling class and the inside which once held Prima Journalling cards, now holds blank 6.5"x4" pieces of Kraft cardstock ready for the first class prompt tomorrow. The box actualy comes apart reasonably easy making it simple to cover in your choice of papers, and then reassemble as it was before. Add some distress stickles and a few beads, a stamped tag and a thickers JYC title and I'm all set.
The Prima notecards can be found here and are less than a fiver! Nice inexpensive Christmas gift to yourself!

Scrappy Birthday!

This weeks Chicken Soup recipe was so sweet and immediately I knew i wanted to make a card with it. As I love to do I raided my scraps box to make this little birthday card for my cousin.



About 18 months ago when I was setting up my new craft area I set aside a cube in my expedit unit and one of the large boxes that fit inside it just for scraps. Previously I was rubbish with scraps, it wasn't that I threw them away or was wasteful with the paper I just didn't really have a system for dealing with them. I tried putting them in baggies with the un cut sheets of what ever they went with which seemed like a good idea so that when I worked with a paper I would have some co-ordinating off cuts to hand but in reality it didn't work for me.

Instead I now have a large deep box and all my scraps get chucked into it. I then rummage through it for just the right piece when creating a layout or especially when card making. It has helped me move away from only ever using papers from the same range together and it has made card making much more fun as I was always put off by having to cut into a whole 12x12 sheet to make a card. Now I have plenty of options and feel very good about using up my scraps rather than guilty for "wasting" a sheet of paper on a card!