Scrap Cards
Article, photos and work by Airees Rondain

Do you have piles of leftover scraps too precious for you to throw away yet too small for your next layout? Why not make beautiful handmade cards out of these?

Making handmade cards doesn't require additional tools aside from what you, as a scrapbooker, might already have. Basic tools are ruler, pencil & eraser, paper trimmer, glue, cardstock, pieces of scraps from patterned papers and other embellies that you might want to add.

In the samples below, I made a few cards from my existing pile of scraps. Since I do my scrapbook layouts mostly in 8x8 format, I am left with a 4x12 cardstock scrap which I can use for my handmade card.

To make the "Dad card", I used my Sizzix tag die (smallest) to create the tags and die cut the letters using my Ransom Alphabars. Brads were added to the tags for an additional 3-D effect.

For the "Birthday card", I punched large circles from pieces of pastel cardstocks. A larger scrap of patterned paper was used for the background and a strip of Happy Birthday patterned paper from DCWV stack was overlayed to convey the message. The ribbon, also a leftover from my previous layout, added the final touch for this Birthday card.

In the last card, I used the negative diecut of the Sizzlit heart die which I used in my recent layout as the main accent for this Valentine card. I then added word strips from DCWV leftover patterned paper for the background and inked them. The jute string was used to tie the two hearts together.

In this high-tech age of email and text messaging, keeping in touch has become so easy and yet so impersonal. Wouldn't it still be nice to pick up a letter from your mailbox? What more if it's a handcrafted card! You can't buy that from a bookstore!

Another use for your excess papers is to make paper piecing as embellishments --- unique one of a kind scrapbook embellishments ONLY YOU would have! Paper piecing is the art of putting together several layers of cut-out shapes to re-create an image.

There are many ways of doing this technique --- either by freehand or with the help of tools such as paper punchers or templates.

Aggie, a freelance paper artist, shows us how easy it is by making a boy’s jumper in just a few minutes. She cut the outline of overalls from a blue cardstock. She then cut the front

As mentioned earlier, paper punches can be used as a tool in paper piecing. However, you can also use paper punches on its own. There as so many shapes and sizes to choose from and it's so easy to use, even kids would know how to do it. All you need is paper and a puncher and you're all set. Here are some tips on how to make the most out of your puncher:

1. Use two or more shades of monochromatic paper to give more dimension to your punch art.

2. When adhering the punched shapes, it’s better to use a “stick” applicator or glue pen to lessen the incident of sticky and messy fingers.

3. You can use a mixture of basic shape punchers to make a border design.

Tag Maker
Article & Pictures: Lala Marie Lacson-Evangelista
Scrapwork by Bea Sanvictores

There's a new tool in town that would be perfect for your scraps! The Tag Maker from Making Memories can make customized tags for any kind of project you may have. Put pictures, paper, ribbons, etc. in a tag and what you have is a personalized embellishment. It’s so easy to use and very little force is required to crimp the tag into place.

The whole process can be summed up in three easy steps: Cut, crimp, and embellish.

Scrapbook enthusiast Bea made a tag out of a business card.

First, she traced the portion of the card she wanted, using the circle template included in the kit.

After cutting out the photo, she carefully inserted the photo into the matching rim.

She slid both tag and rim into the Tag Maker, pressed the handle and crimped it. Voila, an instant tag ready to be added!

To know more about the Tag Maker, visit the Wish Page. The Tag Maker is currently availble at mylittleattic.com