Recycle

Cuttlebug Challenge this week (for a chance to win the awesome new embossing folders debuting at CHA!) is to alter something from the recycle bin. Now, I am going to take liberties with the recycle part. I toss old plastic containers- eeewwww to clean them. I toss old cardboard boxes b/c in Miami those boxes ended up with ants in them or bowevils so it is habit that I got into. What I do recycle, I do reuse. For example: I save all of the gift bags that we receive presents in. They are darned expensive, so I reuse them like crazy. Like this red bag. I refold them and store under my bed in the "rubbermaid container that holds all wrapping paper paraphenalia". Looks good doesn't it???? I even reuse tissue paper! Call me cheap, I think of myself as frugal!

Now for all of the papers....here is where I am taking my recycle liberties. The paper was my sisters (who is on a few DTs) and she was purging her "old" stash. So, wonderful sister that she is, instead of tossing, she gave them to me! I am using old papers in a new way- recycled paper! Yes, could be stretching it a bit......LOL! The papers are: around the block and flair. The cut out of poinsetta leaves are Anna Griffin (hard to tell, but there is 3D on them as the diecuts were meant to be layered. The red and green were embossed on the swiss dots and swirls folders for texture. The Jingle Bells lyrics are Flair paper (you can find lyrics and sheet music on line- just GOOGLE it! easy peasy to make even Birthday cards with the sheet music). The edges were distressed with a Heidi grace tool and inked with chocolate to give the vintage feel. The tag was made out of some old paper, Anna Griffin and tied on with hemp. I wanted to use some old christmas cards that I have stored, but took one look in the garage, shook my head and walked away. Took my losses and improvised. Glued onto some tan cardstock, scalloped the edges and inked in more chocolate.

If you stayed this long, I hope that you liked the final product and it gave you an idea or two on how to recycle old bags and where to get vintage items like postcard tags and sheet music.