Celebrate!

Yesterday I talked about unfinished projects and getting behind.  I really like to plan ahead.  One of my favorite “do ahead” projects is making cards out of the scraps from my scrapbook pages.  This was a trick I learned many years ago, and it has never failed me.  The concept is simple:

Every time you make a scrapbook page, use the scraps to make a card.

I usually wind up making multiple cards, so I have a very large stash ready for any occasion.  Some people might think this is impersonal, but it’s actually quite the opposite.  I have a list of all the upcoming birthdays and celebrations, so when it’s time to make a card, I just refer to that list and pick an event I need to send a card for.  And because my colors are already picked for me (perfectly coordinated, I might add!), I can spend more time on creating a card that suits the personality of the recipient and less time picking out which papers match.

These cards were made for my handsome nephew who lives in Arizona and his dad, who recently vacationed in New Mexico where he enjoyed exploring historic sites, absorbing the Southwest culture, and communing with nature.  I thought the colors of this collection by Stampin’ Up! just screamed “Southwest”, and the pattern felt masculine, so I thought, why not? The "celebrate" banner was made using Close to My Heart stamps.  I think they turned out really cute, don't you?  And best of all, it gave me an excuse to use that lovely Triple Treat flower stamp and some of my SU punches.  Now that’s worth celebrating!