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ScrapHappy: A Balm for the Soul

My recovery from hip replacement surgery is going well. Without needing ice packs and elevated limbs, I could comfortably sit at my crafting desk to make a few ScrapHappy cards. Thank you, Kate, for bringing us together for these monthly challenges.

I have an inordinate amount of green paper scraps spanning many shades, solid and print. I managed to work four green scraps into three cards. I will continue to challenge myself to use more. I have an unappealing shade of leftover green paper from a paper pack that I will never use, so it went into the “scraps for testing ideas pile,” allowing me to cull the useable greens.

samples of green paper scraps

The first card incorporates two shades of green and a blueish background from a Halloween pack, believe it or not. As I’ve challenged myself over the years, I’m more confident about mixing the unexpected. It’s fun.

components of card
card made using green and blue paper scraps

Once or twice a year, I receive a coupon mailer from a clothing company called Tommy Bahama featuring beautiful tropical art, something I can’t bear to toss. I set the envelope aside and waited for inspiration. This month, I incorporated the front and back of the envelope into two cards.

Tommy Bahama Envelope with tropical flowers

This first card uses a cutout from the front of the envelope, set behind a trellis die-cut using a green scrap. I inked a piece of white paper to get the shade of blue I wanted, then sandwiched the trellis, orchid, and blue paper, matting a sliver of purple to tie the colors together.

paper scraps used to assemble card
white paper covered in blue ink
Hello Spring card

The final card uses the back of the tropical art, one more green scrap (yay), purple scraps from my sister, and a butterfly transfer to tie it together. I enjoy using up what I have, repurposing when I can, and, most of all, creating cards to send to friends.

Tommy Bahama Envelope with tropical flowers
three dimensional card using green and purple scraps, butterfly transfer

These are difficult times. If you’ve been looking for a way to reduce stress, creative outlets like card-making, sewing, knitting, gardening, painting, or writing are a balm for the soul.

three dimensional card using green and purple scraps, butterfly transfer
Hello Spring card
card made using green and blue paper scraps

Here’s a list of contributing scrap-happy bloggers:

Kate, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan, 
Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera, 
 Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Nóilin, Viv, Karrin,  Alissa,
Tierney, Hannah and Maggie

31 thoughts on “ScrapHappy: A Balm for the Soul”

  6. The three dimensional card is amazing! I have kept the one you sent me (the others have been sent to friends or family) as I can’t bear to part with it! 💕 Good to hear your surgery was so successful Alys. Hope you will notice better mobility soon. 😃

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  7. So glad that your hip replacement recovery is going well, Alys. Soon you will be back to all kinds of physical activity and you’ll forget that you ever had all that pain and those limitations. Hurray!

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  8. Wowsah! Double Wowsah. What a flair you have. Those cards are utterly beautiful. I so love the way you spot materials that the rest of us would throw away and use them to create something lovely. Glad you are recovering from your surgery. May the healing continue.

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  12. This post feels ‘healing’ in so many beautiful ways, Alys! I’m so happy to know that you are feeling comfortable sitting and creating beautiful art again. Your beautiful cards gave you peace while creating them and we can feel a sense of peace as we admire your creativity. I adore all of the lovely layers on your trellis card and your sentiment stamped on the vellum circle. “Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought.” ~ Albert Einstein 🩷 Dawn

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    • Dawn, thank you for your good cheer. I often think of you in your studio creating with watercolors, paper, ink, and other mediums. Your journals are works of art. You have the unique ability to see the positive in things, a trait that clearly lended itself to teaching all those years.

      Thank you for sharing the Einstein quote. I’m sending love and light your way. xo

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