Monday, January 28, 2013

Turn Your Trash Into Treasure



Welcome to another edition of, The Cherry On Top,

I am so glad you could join us.  I finally got around to doing some up-cycling.  I've been going a little crazy with my newest obsession, digital scrapbooking.  I think I may even have to blow the dust off of my newest Webster's Pages kit.  That just isn't right?!  Hehehe...  I do plan on making some beautiful cards and tags with it.  There will be tutorials of course.  It will be about mixing and matching collections.  I do this mostly out of necessity.  I hardly have the funds to purchase entire collections.  So, mixing and matching and getting it all to flow can be a bit of a challenge, but I love a challenge.  Don't you?

Back to today's up-cycling project, which is a refashioned or pimped up yogurt bucket.  I also keep the buckets from nuts, too.  The lids fit great and the best part, they hold up in the dishwasher!  They are super for Legos, left overs, snacks, candy...The handle makes it so easy to carry around and my boys love them.




Materials:

clean bucket
white paper (for backing)
glue
tape
washi tape (in various widths if possible)
6 cupcake papers (that's all)
scissors (only if you want to cut your washi tape)
embellishments

This baby was pushed out in under 30 minutes!  I wish I could say that for my boys!  Hehehe...  The labelling didn't come off.  So, I taped some plain white paper all around it so you couldn't see through it.  Then I flatted out some cupcake papers and glued them on.  Yes, that's it!  I added a bit of bling because most of my stuff is blingy.  For the lid, I used another cup cake paper and styled up a flower and added another bling flower.  Around the edges and for the handle, I used washi tape.    My first thought was to go around the handle, but instead I chose a wider washi and just went over the top, folded down the sides and then chose a narrow washi for the inside that was the same width.  Perfect!  I love washi tape.  It is just so easy to use and starting to pop up more, here in Belgium.  

My materials were purchased at Hema for under 5 bucks.  I did have all of these materials at home already and you probably do, too.  I plan on having my boys decorate their own buckets.  I have Thomas The Train cup cake papers as well as diverse occasion ones.  You more than likely do as well. You could mod podge just about anything on these. 

I tried tying all kinds of ribbons and bows on the sides and added and added, but it didn't look right.  I keep this bucket on my scrap desk.  It's full of markers and gel pens.

Get up-cycling and turn your junk into treasure!

Sunday, January 20, 2013

EcoScrapbooking


Welcome to another edition of EcoScrapbooking!

The Cherry On Top is dedicated to making things fabulous without spending a lot of dosh as well as up cycling everyday items and using them in artsy endeavours.  Waste not want not!  Although, most of my projects and layouts are eco-friendly, I pulled out three examples that use minimal materials which are probably laying around your abode and that go together in a synch.

Most of the stuff I make is for other people.  Teachers, friends, parties, baby showers...Giving helps reduce my clutter. It makes someone feel special, that YOU made something with your own hands. Not only do I recycle things from the mail and stores, I save a lot of money.

Below is a stunning, fun, layout made from scraps and stickers.  That simple!  Paper and stickers when done up just right, can look great.  I put the flower stickers on the same dark pink colour paper and cut around it, took some more little round stickers and put them on my metal, pink floors for a little more glam,  layered around the letters and added some contrast for maximum poppage.  Layering always heightens your look and adds luxury, too. 


Even smaller layouts like the 4x4 below uses less materials.  Besides the orange paper, all the other pieces are just scraps I keep in a clear bag.  I purchased the snowman ellies from a discount store and added dollar store snowflakes from many moons ago.  The ribbon and fabric on the elements gives texture and a sense that more money was spent than really was.



The layout above is SUPER eco-friendly.  Do you see why?  The insert for this mini album is made entirely from old Christmas cards.  I love using old cards.  They provide a very rigid background, they are free and I also take part in recycling.  Yippy!  I am even frugal to a point where I used the hole cut outs as embellishments on this layout.  I wanted extra reinforcement for the holes in the insert so I used a circle punch, then my hole punch.  (I can't find my eyelet tool.)  Metallic paper adds shine and bling!  Did you notice the wordart was also from a card?  Thrifty, festive and cute!

Take a look at the layout below.  A very simple layout using minimal materials.  A background paper, scrap for behind the photo for layering, mesh from an old gift, cheap, brass brads from Staples and one decent embellishment from the discount store and your finished.


The last layout is a favorite of mine. I whipped it up on a whim.  This went on a present for the little girl pictured here.  It is made entirely of scraps.  Scrap ribbon, paper and letters from a set that was almost finished.  Short names are great for this.  Hehehe...  I think it's stunning and I didn't pay a penny to make it.


The Cherry On Top is here for you!  Here to inspire, encourage, give, help, teach and support our fellow artists as well as remind our fans about the importance of our dear Mother Earth.  Happy scrapping!  Thanks for your visit.  Be sure to do it again!