Scissor Delight

The economy has put a major dent in everyone’s spending nowadays. Even scrappers have had to rein in our budget and hold off on purchasing the latest and greatest products. The nice thing about hand cutting designs from patterned paper is that that you can stretch out your hard earned dollars. Instead of using this one sheet of paper for a single layout, by cutting out various patterns, you can create several different layouts for very little money.

I challenge you to pull out a treasured piece of patterned paper, grab your scissors or craft knife, and see how many different ways you can use it. It's a great technique!

A Note To You by Michelle Wilwand

Supplies: Paper, Stickers: Crate Paper, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Butterflies, Envelope: Maya Road, Brads: BasicGrey, Alphabet: American Crafts, Jenni Bowlin Studio, Thread: Gutermann.

Design Notes: I love sewing on my layouts and a couple of tips I have learned along the way are to always have a needle dedicated to paper sewing, if you also sew on fabric, and to make sure that any adhesive used before sewing is placed so it is not where you will stitch. Gummed up needles are no fun! The rainbow turned sideways on this layout feels a little like the relationship between my son and me. There is definitely good and beauty there, but it is a little sideways at the moment.

Journaling: Inside the little envelope is a note to my son Mitchell. He and I have had a difficult relationship lately and I wrote the note, remembering a time when he was a few years younger when we always got along. I reminded him in the note how very much I love him and the great things I wish for him in his life.

They Mean The World To Me by Nan Abrahão

Supplies: Paper: Sassafras Lass, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Alphabet: American Crafts, Paint: Making Memories, Other: brads.

Design Notes: I just love to stamp my layouts with acrylic paint (here I just used a piece of cardboard). To have a great contrast in my layout I used the black paper as my layout background, because Sassafras papers are so colorful. To create some "volume" in my layout, I just splashed some water (with spray) and crease the cutting elements from the Sassafras papers by crushing them with my hands. And at the end, I created a few sewing lines with my sewing machine.

Behind You by April Yap

Supplies: Paper: Scenic Route, Crate Paper, Cosmo Cricket, BasicGrey, Alphabet: American Crafts, Chipboard: Cosmo Cricket, Pebbles: Prima Marketing, Die-Cuts: Scenic Route, Making Memories, Stickers: Sassafras Lass, 7Gypsies, My Little Shoebox, Jenni Bowlin Studio, Tools: Punch (Fiskars).

Design Notes: I hand-cut the vines from BasicGrey Indian Summer patterned paper and made a big corner. I also used foam-squares to make the photo stood out on the layout. I love sketches, and often changed them to make them my own. This layout was inspired by sketch #45 at 52sketches...52week.

Journaling: "...but whatever road you choose, I'm right behind you, win or lose." - Bob Dylan