The Tools

I love making cards.  A few years ago I was looking at the stacks of cards I had saved from Christmas and birthdays and trying to figure out what to do with them.  I had one pair of fancy (zigzag) scissors and so cut around a few images, punched holes in them and considered them gift tags.  Suddenly I had a giant stack of gift tags, more than could ever really be used.  I started looking around for some firmer paper so I could turn some of the tags into cards.  I found some of my old university manuals which had cardstock dividers and was off.

Hubby bought me an embossing set, then I ended up with a paper cutter, paper punches and Cuttlebug embossing tool.  Now I have lots of toys/tools to vary the look of the cards.  I've had to vary the containment devices for all of the different types of papers I've collected.  I'm particularly fond of taking single-use items (like packaging or the silver/gold lining on the inside of an envelope) and turning them into something new.  I like to use junk mail items that are printed on nicer paper to use as contrast bits for the front of a card or as a background for an embossed piece.  Family often ask me "do you want this for your cards?"

Every time I sit down with paper and the best tool of all - double-sided tape - I never know what creation will come out of it.  Hours can go by and I enjoy playing with bits of paper to turn them into something that I hope another person will appreciate because it is not only made with care, but from items that would otherwise be thrown away.

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