This card layout is really good for using up scrap strips! It's also a fun way to combine patterns you normally wouldn't, because it's such a small part of each showing that the "clashing" becomes a bit of the patchwork charm instead of an eyesore.
This next card came about because I mis-measured some copper foil paper and couldn't bear to throw the strips away. Three or four of them, evenly spaced behind your focal point, become a visual "mat" that is unique and thrifty! In this case, the strips also help tone down the busy pattern of the feather-print paper. Win-win!
My last scrappy card this week used up five pieces of 1 x 4 inch strips to take that mat idea to the max for a fun and unique background. It's very textural, but the busyness works because of the coordinating colors (think of how different this layout would be with a black card base).
If you love cards that use up bits and pieces from the scrap bin, you should head to the Paper Scraps Projects section of this blog ASAP! You'll have so many ideas you might just find yourself making some "scraps" on purpose because you've cleaned out your stash!
If you can't tell, I love me some stitched dies! There's a great selection of shapes and sizes in my online store. If you are just starting out, I recommend the Stitched Shapes dies, which will give you a couple of sizes in square, oval and round. That's a great place to start. Another fave is the new Stitched Nested Labels, which I used on two of these samples. My other most useful one is the Layering Ovals collection. It's just a really elegant look you can't get with round and square shapes.
Thanks for popping in today! I hope you're inspired to go rummage through your scrap bin and see what happens next. Happy Stampin!
