The Scrap Stash Project: The Motherboard

 I've been using up my Scrap Stash recently and I'm rather surprised at how well and efficiently I've managed to whittle down the pile of parts and pieces. From a file folder stuffed with patterned papers, I've used up my larger scraps. But what to do with the smaller or odd-shaped bits?

Here's where it gets interesting. I am not the originator of this method. I read about this in a magazine article years ago and it was called The Motherboard. If you want to use up a lot of scrap bits all at one go, this is the method I highly recommend. And I've recently discovered a way to jazz it up a bit. But first, the original method.

A Motherboard is just a collage of paper. I used to make them in large sizes (like 8.5 X 11) and cut them down to card fronts. But I've changed my method as it's easier for me to work in the card front size from the beginning and I don't have to worry about cutting through multiple layers of paper with my trimmer. 

So here's how its done: cut a piece of paper/cardstock to A2 size. This is your base. Add a selection of paper pieces to the base with adhesive. I have found that I have lots of long rectangles and square shapes in my scrap pile. I like to make stripe backgrounds with these. Just cover the whole base and voila, a background ready to attach to a card base.

Wanna know how to make this even easier? Use sticker paper or an adhesive sheet as your base. You know those sheets of label paper that you can run though a printer? THOSE are awesome. Just cut them up to base size (or just use the whole sheet and then cut it down), remove the backing to expose the "sticky" side, and add your scraps to it. I like to just hang the scrap paper over the edge of the base and trim it off with scissors. That way, I don't have to get frustrated trying to line up an edge. It's all scraps anyway!

Wanna jazz this up? Make it look a little more cohesive? When you use the sticker paper, leave gaps between your pieces where the adhesive is still exposed. In those gaps, you can make a little magic.  

One thing you can do is add embossing powder to the sticky gaps between your papers. Once heated and melted, you get a glossy layer in your background. Just a reminder that embossing powders come in many forms and not all are great at sticking to the back of a sticker. But if you like this textured look as shown in the photos, it's pretty easy to do. If you prefer a smoother look, you'd have to use a very fine embossing powder or apply layers of embossing powder. That is not so easy as you'd have to apply an embossing ink over only certain areas. I like the textured look. (Though, I didn't try it, you could also apply very fine glitter in this space and burnish it in. Not sure if it would stay attached and I'm not a glitter girl.)

Or you can make it even easier (but no less messy) by adding foil to the sticky parts. I tried this a couple ways and here's what I discovered.

If you want to use those foiling sheets, like Deco Foil, that run through a laminator, it might work. I tried that. However, I discovered that because some of my scraps were more heavy-weight papers, the thickness prevented those foils from adhering everywhere. I couldn't get the foil in contact with the adhesive on the paper without having gaps. Those gaps, of course, would then stay sticky. If you had larger open areas, those types of products will work. For my applications, they didn't. As you can see from the photos, I wanted the foiling to simply fill in the gaps. (I will also mention here, that I did not try running it through a die cutting machine. It may be enough pressure to make the foil adhere without heat. In this method, I am not using a laminator to apply the foil: I'm relying on the adhesive, which is not heat stable.)

To fill in the small areas, I used a product called Mega Flake. (Cosmic Shimmer makes a product called Gilding Flakes. Same thing.) There are several products like this on the market and it's not anything new. It used to be called "gold leafing". This product is a jar of very thin, metal flakes. Imagine a very thin piece of aluminum foil chopped up like a salad except you have a mixture of metals like gold, copper, and silver. These flakes can then be applied to a sticky surface (some have a special glue that remains tacky when dry) and burnished into the surface. This type of product works sooooo goooood for this application.

So I used a sticker label sheet cut down to the size of a card front. Exposed the adhesive. Laid down all my paper scraps and applied the flakes to what was left sticky. These flakes are very light and full of static so be prepared for a mess as bad as a 4 year old with glitter in a sprinkle jar. But the results are worth it. I would recommend working on a bare, hard surface that is easy to wipe off because the little bits of flake will become glitter and get everywhere. (I personally worked on my floor. My floor is covered with vinyl tiling and it was a simple matter of sweeping up when I was finished.) Be sure to follow the directions that the product provides. It requires a little burnishing and some buffing. Mega flake and the Gilding Flakes come in mixtures of colors and these flakes provide a more mottled look as seen in this last photo. Heads up: Flakes of this nature are also less shiny than the foil sheets. Just a FYI.

Also, you can use the two products together. Just use the foil sheet first, then add the flakes to fill in any gaps the sheet leaves behind. This will also give you a bit of a mottled interesting look.

I didn't count how many backgrounds I got from my scrap pile but I had a large stack on my desk when I was done. I'm still working through finishing some of them but next post I'll try to remember to share how I finished these.

-Wy

PS: Here's what those "flakes" look like.

The Scrap Stash Project

 I don't know a paper crafter that doesn't keep their small paper scraps. Some keep them for the duration of a project and some keep them for years (or decades). I keep them but, for the last few years, I have been good about using them. Once the pile gets to the point that I can no longer find things in it quickly, I pull it all out and use it. If I can't use it then, I pitch it. (Yup, you heard me; pitch it!)

I'm dedicating this post to how I managed to use up a pile of scraps and the things I made with it. I hope some of this might help you conquer your scrap stash. I'll probably have a couple posts regarding this ongoing project so stay tuned.

First, I pull out all the paper scraps. I sort them by color. I put them into rainbow order and put patterned papers in with the color that predominates. (If it's pretty equal, I'll just put them into the color family with which I would pair it.) As I am doing that, I am pitching any paper that is too small or is looking a little rough around the edges.

Any white or black (or sometimes ivory) cardstock is kept separate. I put these scraps into another pile. I use these scraps to stamp sentiments on for my cards or if the pieces are large enough, I'll also stamp images to be colored and die cut. I'll also use them as bases for ATCs, ATC Coins, and book marks. Colored cardstock scraps I am keeping to die cut as I recently invested in a die cutting machine. 

Second, for each color family, I sort the stack by size. Larger pieces may be big enough to be a A2 size background or they may be a good mat for a focal image. This is where I'll usually begin. It's easy. I start matching background paper to card bases and I assemble them right then and there. Do I have a finished product? No. What I have is a start. When I have a background all ready to go, all I have to add is an image and a sentiment or word, perhaps. I find my cards appear more cohesive when I have the background all selected as I can color a stamped image to match the colors of the card base.

For large pieces, it's easy to think in terms of a greeting card. But when you get down to the smaller pieces or odd sized pieces, you need to think in terms of other things. For instance, I use a lot of smaller pieces to make ATCs (artist trading cards or coins), bookmarks, or layered embellishments from geometric shapes.

The nice things about ATCs is that these could be used on a greeting card as a focal point. But I also keep a lot of my ATCs because I tend to use my favorite papers on them. Bookmarks can be laminated if you keep in mind not to use 3D embellishments or layer too many papers. If it's too thick, it won't laminate well but regular cardstock with a couple layers of patterned paper or stickers work pretty well.

Now you may wonder why I bother to sort things by color if I'm making backgrounds for cards and small projects. It's easier for me to see what papers I can pair up together. When papers are sorted into the same color family, it's pretty easy to see how many shades, tones, or values of color you have. If you're going to pair multiple colors together, you want to make sure those match between color families. It's also easier for me to match stickers or embellishments that I already have to these colors as well.

So that's the first step with the larger scraps. In the next post, I'll share my secrets of the Motherboard.

-Wy