Waste not want not

I'm one of those crafters that likes to keep scraps and offcuts from projects and in the years I've been enjoying making things with bits of paper the scraps have amassed rather a lot. I do get around to using them but it's always good to challenge yourself to stick to just using off cuts and waste, not only is it cool to not waste stuff but it also takes a big chunk off your ermmming time deciding what to pick out to use!

This project was great fun to do, it's another recipe book I've been asked to make one just with cake recipes in (cupcakes muffins etc). I might end up keeping this one though and making another to give! lol. More scraps will get used up that way too ;-)

All the papers are October Afternoon from the Daydream, Weathervane and Detours ranges, Bazzill cardstock, American Crafts Thickers, MM Tiny alpha stickers, October Afternoon and Banana Frog stamps and Theresa Collins recipe cards + other odds and ends from my stash.

I cut down the largest scraps of papers and cardstock to 4x6" to make the pages at the front of the book. The shaped pages are freehand drawn out with a black marker and then just cut out, really easy to do with offcuts and you don't have to find a straight edge!

Some more of the inside pages:

At the back I've included some lined pages to write notes and new recipe ideas in.

This is another scraps project again using the same October Afternoon paper leftovers and a circle punch to punch out the shapes and layer them up into the design.

This is the card I've made for Mother's Day this Sunday. This time I used fabric scraps to make the embellishments with and mixed them in with some newer paper from the yum American Crafts 'Craft Fair' range. All the buttons are vintage ones from the massive stash my great grandma has - now that's a generation that know things about reusing and making do, if my gran hadn't saved all those yummy buttons I wouldn't have them now to enjoy :-)

xx Leo