Scraps, scraps and more scraps!!

Hello Friends! One of my most difficult challenges is using scraps. I tend to make a card for a specific person and/or occasion and have a pile of paper scraps once the card is complete! What to do, what to do? So I have recently developed a multi-faceted strategy for #1 not creating scraps and #2 using them up quickly.

1. I try to buy the small size paper pad collections. The papers are coordinated and there is less to have to use up which calculates to less scraps.

2. I always buy 2-sided paper unless it is just a piece I absolutely CAN'T live without. That is rare. This allows endless flexibility in the papers you pair together.

3. If I do buy a 12x12 of double-sided, I use it all up, making several cards at once. Since I keep several copies of sentiments stamped up ahead of time, sometimes I make a bunch of cards from the 12x12 completely EXCEPT for the sentiment and then when I need a card, I pluck the right sentiment to the occasion out of my stash and slam it on the card and into the mail!

How's THAT for managing my scraps?

Now the story on today's card: my middle daughter (and her sweet Iyla!) are staying with us for a short time since her husband is being deployed to Afghanistan. She is an incredibly talented scrapbooker and crafter (not into cards though.) I found these scraps on my work table the other morning, where she had been working the previous night. I loved the colors and just started fitting them onto a ready made card base (I cut those way ahead of time too in both cream and white while I am watching TV, so I always have a pile ready-made). Love that Basic Grey Kiyoshi! Sentiment is from Daily Bread Designs, Punch is Martha Stewart, ribbon is from my Michael's $1.00/spool stash and of course the little tear drops, how can you go wrong adding them as an embellishment? It is not obvious from the picture, but they are lavender also - found huge packs in lots of colors at Craft Warehouse! I will never run out of them - gee, maybe I need more scraps to go with the tear drop embellishments! LOL!! Hope you can benefit from my newly found scrap management plan! Have a great Friday!