It’s true. This month’s scrap-happy card project uses tie-dyed wet wipes. Four year old, tie-dyed wet wipes, just to be sure that they are good and dry. [Smirk]
I’m joining Kate, of Tall Tales from Chiconia, for her monthly scrap-happy blog post. The challenge is to create something made entirely of scraps.
A few year’s back I took a card-making class with my sister from Michael Strong.
Michael had us create cards using baby wipes, normally reserved for changing nappies or diapers and a few drops of alcohol ink.
Alcohol Inks by Tim Holtz
White backing paper and tie-dye affect using baby wipe and inks
After the ink dries, you attach the wipe to a sticky backing for support. I came home with several finished cards, a pile of tie-dyed samples and lots of good intentions.
Samples of ink-dyed wet wipes
These past four years flew by!
With ScrapHappy August looming, I pulled out my four-year-old stash of faux tie-dyed wipes looking for inspiration. One by one, I ran each sample through my Big Shot die-cutting machine, and I was off having fun.
In class we made simple backgrounds using the tie-dyed sheets. I took it a step further and cut the samples into interesting shapes.
Here’s one for Halloween: I used the shadow cut of a “trick or treat” die and a circle to emulate the moon. I used an “oops” card to make the grey shadows, simply tearing the edges and adhering to the top and bottom of the card. That’s supposed to be a bat over the moon, but only if you’re hard of seeing. I’ll have to fix that.
Next up, a Christmas card using one of my sister’s snowflake dies and a blue and purple dyed wet wipe.
Ink-dyed wet wipe and snowflake die
This thank you card is going to our Lifted Spirits summer intern. She’s been a wonderful addition to our team. We’re going to miss her.
I die cut the daisy background , then made a frame to hide the jagged edges. The sentiment “Thanks” is also from a tie-dyed sample.
Ink-dyed wet wipe and two die cuts, daisy background and thanks sentiment
This meandering plant die is one of my favorites. It’s a gift from my friend Pauline. I love the mixture of blues and greens.
If I did this again, I would not remove the sticky backing. I had to arm wrestle all those tiny bits into position and the backing kept sticking to itself, even when peeling slowly. The colors are gorgeous though, and it’s interesting how much texture you’ll find in these wipes.
Ink-dyed wet wipe and meandering plant die
I still have several shapes to work with in the future, and as always, it’s great working with what you have.
I’m off to see what the rest of you are up to this month. Here are some links to other August scrap-happy posts.
Kate , Gun, Titti, Heléne, Eva, Sue, Nanette, Lynn, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Debbierose, Tracy, Jill, Claire, Jan,
Moira, Sandra, Linda, Chris, Nancy, Kerry, Claire, Jean,
Joanne, Jon, Hayley, Dawn, Gwen, Connie, Bekki, Pauline and Sue L.
Gardening Nirvana 
These are all terrific. Did you let the wipes dry before adding the ink or after. How much fun those must have been to make. I love everyone of these.
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Thank you, Marlene. It was fun dropping ink onto the (wet) wet-wipe. After letting it sit for a bit, we ironed it dry, then added the backing. I wonder if it wasn’t an accident that turned into an idea…dropping ink, then using a wipe to clean it up. I really like the way it looks, but the wipes tend to stretch out. They also have a rougher edge that is hard to cut straight. That said, I really had fun running all the colors through my die cutter, and I’m so happy to have finally turned those scraps/samples into something useful. xo
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It seems classic that you made a halloween card, Alys! I knew that was a bat. I like that last blue-green jungle card as well. These really are something and I bet your intern appreciates that hand crafted card.
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Thanks for cheering me on, Lisa. I’ve always admired people who could put a few marks on paper and have you believe it was a cat or a flower or whatever they intended. It’s truly a gift.
You’re right about the Halloween card. I can’t help myself. What kind of crafting are you getting up to lately?
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These are beautiful. I’m finally getting myself back to busy but cards haven’t made it yet. I am in the middle of refinishing a little chair and I did a little memory project for our cat and doggie. Both have been gone a few years. I am trying to decide on a homemade gift I can make everyone for Christmas. I’ll keep you bbn posted. Take care.
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I’m often challenged to come up with homemade gifts with universal appeal. I’ve never fully mastered that. I’ve had friends that make an ornament each year or friends who bake, but neither appeals to me somehow. Please let me know what you come up with. I love that you’re making memory projects for past cats and dogs. They never leave our heart. Thanks for visiting.
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I love the idea of using something which is normally the ultimate throw-away to create these beautiful cards.
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It’s certainly unexpected. They’re soft to the touch which adds to their charm as well. It’s fun trying new things.
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These look really good Alys.
Not to be a party pooper but wet wipes may soon be a thing of the past – certainly in the U.K. where a ban is soon to be enforced due to them being flushed down the loo and causing all sorts of trouble.
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/plastics/wet-wipes-keeping-them-out-our-seas-and-sewers
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Thanks for sharing this article. I really enjoyed it. I only recently, and rather naively, realized wet wipes contained so much plastic. It just never occurred to me. We give them to our unhoused women at Lifted Spirits who use them for bathing. I look at them so differently now knowing how they are used, and at the same time knowing they’re ending up in landfill or backing up plumbing our worse. We’ve created a mess on this planet, eh?
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Amazing what you can do with wet wipes! 🙂 Lovely cards Alys. You are so creative!
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Thank you, Cathy!
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I would neve r in a million years have guessed they started life as wet wipes. Fantastic.
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Pretty funny, eh? Thank you.
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What a great project: scrap happy AND recycling. The colors are vibrant and the work looks so delicate. 🙂
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Thank you, Joanne. These were fun to make. I was delighted with the way the “tie-dyed” colors showed through once cut.
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Amazing… that is something I would NEVER thought of using in card-making, or indeed for any other crafty project.
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Jan, nor I before taking his class several years ago. It’s been fun learning a new technique.
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I’m (almost) speechless! This is so clever and SO effective! Who would ever imagine that these gorgeous cards came from such humble beginnings?!
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Trippy, eh? They’re even soft to the touch, another added bonus.
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I salute you! Truly, your ingenuity and creativity make me think that there might be hope for the human race.
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You made me smile, Laurie. Thank you.
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I really love the way you bring art to so many different areas of life, and find ways to share art with others too. These are so pretty!
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What a lovely thing to say. Thank you!
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Your cards are beautiful, Alys. They function as lovely gifts, and I’d imagine that taking the time to put them together is very relaxing. I admire the time, planning, and execution. 🙂 Very creative!
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Hello Debra, I’ve been thinking of you. I hope you are managing well. Thanks for your kind words. I love making card with someone in mind, or simply making them knowing that the perfect someone will present themselves. I love matching cards to the receiver. I’ve been long overdue for this relaxing and creative task. I’ve really enjoyed it and plan to do more. xo
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I like this idea! You may have been just in time to keep me from giving away all my card-making stuff. I once enjoyed it a lot, but can’t seem to get interested again, but I do have some dies and a Big Shot … so we’ll see! Thank you for sharing these cards, I think the thanks card is my favorite, though I’m quite fond of the batty moon, too.
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I hope you’ll jump in with your BigShot and try some new cards. Something else I’ve done is make leaf impressions using the big shot. I love Halloween and I always grow pumpkins. A few years ago I placed pumpkin leaves between a folded sheet of watercolor paper and ran it through my Big Shot. I turned the impressions into cards. It was so much fun. Sometimes we just need a different way off looking at things. Let me know if you jump in.
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some very unique cards!
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Thank you, Claire!
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The die-cutter sounds a fantastic tool. Even without one, the tie-dye idea is a good one. Thanks for the thoughts you’ve given me, Alys. I hope your recipients appreciate your creativity and work.
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It’s a fun tool, Helen. I like using it for leaf impressions too. You would enjoy that as well I think.
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I’m sure 😊
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I love those colours. I use wet wipes for a final smooth over silver clay (if I want a lightly matte finish) before firing, and I keep one in the open pack of clay. I’ve had the same packet since 2013, They need a drop of water to rejuvenate, but still work really well. When they get beyond useable, they go into my ‘sweeps’ pot, along with the worn out wet and dry, alligator tape and double-sided sticky tape and broken saw blades, ready to go back to the scrap dealer for silver reclamation. Really interesting to see someone else using them for something bizarre 😉
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I’m fascinated that your waste contains bits of silver for reclamation. It’s nice to know they can extract it.
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omgosh! You really make the most of everything. How awesome are those tie-dye wipes ! I’m betting Laura would be on this like crazy. My personal favourite is the daisy die. I’ve also looked at wipes when I’m watercolouring and thought they’d be pretty dry. But unlike you’re creative project, mine just went in the bin
xo K
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