TOTW - Use Your Scraps!!

I am a keeper of scraps. I have lots and lots of them, and I even get them as gifts from other scrappin friends!! I don't mind...I hate to waste paper and sometimes a scrap is exactly what I need to complete a layout! I even save scraps of ribbon, packaging - both from scrapbooking supplies and toys - and I keep them all together and at the ready!

For the Techneek of the Week today, I am going to show you a super easy way to dip into some of those scraps of paper I know you've been saving!

You will need:

• Lots of scraps of pattern paper. Even if you don't save your scraps, you can still make use of this techneek. Just rummage around on your crafting table for some leftovers from your last project. They don't have to match each other!!


• A circle punch - any size will do. I used my 3/8" punch, which works well for this layout which requires lots of small circles.

I keep all of my larger scraps sorted by colour. I put them in a small plastic bag or page protector and store them with my larger patterns (on an organizational note, I use to sort all of my papers by company, but I would always have some company's with only one sheet of paper, so I ended up with a HUGE miscellaneous file! Now I keep my most favourite companies together, and sort everything else by colour. I have also learned that I plan a layout and choose paper by colour, so it made the most sense for me!)

Grab your circle punch and start punching! I punch between 3 and 6 circles from each pattern.


Keep punching out of a variety of patterns and colour until you have a respectable pile. You may or may not use all of these (I sure didn't!), but if you don't you just have some ready-to-go scraps the next time you need them!!


Don't forget about those transparencies...they look awesome too!


Make a mark where your photo (or photos) is going to go. This will help you place your circles, and if you stick it down it's harder to change your mind later!


Start placing them down on your background sheet of paper. For this techneek I chose one that has a grid pattern. This makes it easy to line up all of your punched out circles. Don't choose a background with a busy pattern...your circles will disappear when you stick them down. If you want to use a pattern paper as your background, punch out your circles from solid paper instead of pattern and see what happens!


Once you've got a nice pattern going with your circle scraps, glue them down. Make sure you still like where your photo is going to end up. I glued my circles down with a little dab of glossy accents right in the middle. I liked how the edges lifted up and made it look like the circles were just floating on the page!


I wanted to keep the focus on the circle pattern I created, so I didn't want to add a lot of extra embellishment. Instead I chose to embellish the circles themselves! I used some Doodlebug bling and some random buttons to add some sparkle and dimension to my circles.


I still wanted a little more dimension, but I wanted to stick with my "circle theme" so I found some round embellishments: these fab gears by Riff Raff Designs. I painted them a navy blue and sprayed with Denim Blue Glimmer Mist for a little extra sparkle. They look great on the page and don't distract from the awesome circle design.

The finished layout! I added the title in the space left by my circle pattern, and will write in the date later. See all the leftover circles...I'm going to stick them in their own baggie so they're ready the next time I want some circles!
You could also try:

• Experiment with different sized punches. Use a larger one, or lots of different sizes on the same layout.


• Try using scraps that are all from the same colour family, and choosing a complimentary colour as your background.


• Punch out any shape you like - scalloped circles, squares, stars, hearts, etc. I would recommend avoiding those little tiny shapes as they won't look like much on a big layout, even if you use a lot of them.

That's all for now. I'm going to put the Project of the Week on hold for a little bit. With Juli busy with her own stuff, it's too much for me to handle all at once! But I'll keep the Techneeks going as long as I can!

Check back next week for a special CHA Edition of TOTW...Chantel and the gang will be back by then and I hope to have lots of freebies to work with!!

Later,