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I am trying to think of different things to use as embellishments. What kinds of things have you used that others think of as trash? Coke can tabs, garbage ties, etc...
I've used bubble wrap (the kind that is really small like each bubble is the size of a pin head - it's hard to find, but when I do, I hoard it for my cards!) I've also used plastic grocery bags. You can use your heat tool and "melt" them to shrink them. I use them as a background effect. I did a cool one a while back using book images cut out from a Barnes and Noble's bag. I'll see if I can find it LOL! I haven't yet used the blue-green bags from Walmart.
__________________ Michelle
Docorate of De-Edumacation, Lawd, How Cum granted by Rainsong
"What's life if not doing things for other people?" Martin Gray
I have used the pins and tags that come back on the dry cleaning. And the plastic thingy's that hold the tags onto new clothes...they are great bead anchors.
Some stores have the paper bags with different string or ribbon as handles. If I have no need for the bag, I rip the string or ribbon off and use it in cards. Had some really great twill tape on a bag last week!!
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"It would be crazy to choose this world over Eternity."
I take my used fabric softener sheets and dye them using ink pads or walnut in and use them instead of mulberry paper. Makes good ocean waves if you kinda pleat it. Makes the front of the card pretty heavy tho'.
Funny you should post this. When my dd went to VBS they made "tamborines" and held some beads on with blue meticallic-looking twist ties. I thought that would be a cute embellishment on a card.
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Jackie G. (aka Jacquita) SCSmember #656
Write your sorrows in sand and your blessings in stone.
I love trashy cards! In my trashy card classes we have used bottle caps, paint chips, netting from a ham, pop tops, gauze and index labels. My students now tease me about throwing parties where I serve beer and ham just so I can get more "supplies"!
I used to use jackets for hot coffee cups. You know when you buy a latte and they give you a wrapper to go around the cup to protect your fingers? The ones I used were corrugated or waffle-stamped. Nice!
I love finding fun and funky things!!! I went through the kids craft drawer when I was cleaning it out and found funny little beads to use from my DH's craft kit, mini beads to use in shaker cards, charms from a hair kit, stirs from the coffee shop make great embellishments, the round red kind look like a mini straw for a glass of lemonade, the wooden ones stamp really well with stazon. I scrounged a few mini spoons at the ice cream place and plan on using that with the Sweet Treats set. Some packages have pieces of foam as cushions that look chunky and collagy. I found the media specialist (librarian) from my school throwing out some old filmstrips, they had some "blank" slides on the end. I'm saving that for a collage. I used a tag from a skirt I bought and covered it with CS and embellishments, looked so cool. Speaking of tags, they often have great fibers attaching them to clothes. The buttons from old outfits are fair game as are the mini envelopes they come in, I scrouge ribbon from every flower arrangement I ever get (none from DH, he's not a flower sendin' kind of guy). I found a bunch of clean smushed bottle caps in a parking lot, cleaned them up and used CEffects to adhere them.
My kids get so embarrased when they see me collecting some piece of "trash"!!! They always start with, "Mom, what are you....oh yea, stamping stuff again!"
I'll be monitoring this thread for even more trash to treasure ideas. How 'bout that as a theme for the DD gals?!
I got a [filled] hardware caddy last week only because it had some metal washers in there!!! I envisioned using them as embellishments. I am going to empty the cute little caddy and use it to store eyelets, brads and my own embellishments! I like this thread, too. I will check back and get ideas. In the meantime, i am going to keep my eyes open for bottle caps!
Janice
One of many items that I can think of right off hand is the orange netted bag that onions come in. I cut that up and use it on card fronts. Also use paper clips, tin cans (cover with stamped cardstock for pencil holder, etc), and drywall tape (like mesh). Acutally I have a book called Budget Scrapbooking by Memory Makers. I belong to thescrapbookclubonline and got it from there. http://www.thescrapbookclubonline.co...id=330062&rl=y
It has LOTS of ideas for "recycling" items around the house for scrapbook type projects.
I got 2 old 'gas' keys out of a free box at a sale yesterday. I could just visualize them used on a masculine card w/ and old car or something!!! I am thrilled over them!
The foil tops from Hershey's Swoops - draw on the printed side with a ballpoint pen, it looks embossed on the other side and then if you color with some Sharpies the texture of the foil makes it look like stained glass.
I have two pet birds who frequently 'donate' feathers for my embellishment hoard. I've also raided my jewelry box for goodies. Took apart a few old watches that no longer worked to use the bits and pieces, and I've swiped washers drywall mesh from dh.
Last week my sister arrived at my home bearing a gift for me--no special occasion, but the gift bag has a toile pattern. I'll cut it in smaller pieces for layering.
Also last week, youngest dd came to visit and her belt broke--bead belt! She didn't feel like stringing all the beads back onto the cord, so she gave me the whole thing.
Eons ago I embroidered a piece of burlap to look like a feed sack. Never did hang it on the wall, but I still managed to get some use out of it by warming a piece of magic foam and pressing it into the burlap. Instant background stamp.
I recycle styrofoam meat trays and cut shapes out of them for shadow stamps. They work well and are easily replaced. My best 'foam' stamp yet is a ginko leaf I cut out of a meat tray.
Check out your bags of potatoes. On the front of paper bags there is a 'window' of plastic mesh. The holes in the mesh are much larger than the magic mesh, but just think how neat they would look with beads strung in a few of them or woven with ribbon. Or the mesh can be used as an overlay and then brayered for a neat look.
Coffee filters. We have a permanent coffee filter in our pot, but used paper filters, rinsed, dried and brush clean of all grounds can be cut into pieces for a scrappy background. There is an artist in California (I think) who makes paper kimono art from used coffee filters. A quarter circle of a filter could be accordian pleated for a fan on the front of a card.
Cheapo kitchen skewers, the wooden ones, could be used to 'hang' a layer, something like a tapestry rod, or curtain rod. Cut the pointed end off and sand smooth for a finished look. Stain with ink and hang a piece of vellum in front of a window stamp.
Okay, can't think of any other trash stuff... had a beer before dinner and it seems to have wiped out a few more brain cells.
trashy embellishments
