Mother's Day Card - Mojo Monday 292

I love the blog Mojo Monday (mojomonday.blogspot.com). Every Monday they post a new card layout and then during the week anyone can contribute their creation utilizing that layout.

Here is the layout template for this week, Mojo Monday 292.

This is my design using that layout, a Mother's Day card. I've had this really cool paper from American Crafts (a la Carte) that I bought some time ago and hadn't used yet. I really love how this turned out!

Paper scraps addict

A common dilemma of paper crafting is what to do with the leftover paper scraps. How small is too small to save? And how do you organize them? By color, size, what? I'd love to hear your ideas!

I used to save any scraps that were about 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" and tried to organize them by color. I've tried clear expanding sorters (such as for coupons), zipper storage bags, etc. I found out, though, that I was so overwhelmed with all of the paper so much that most of the time that the scraps just piled up on my work table. I'm now keeping scraps no smaller than 3 x 3 and just toss them into clear Sterilite Snapware bins. I use one of the bins for the patterned paper and then the other three bins contain everything else. Now I'm no longer obsessing about what color category teal paper would go in (is it blue or is it green?) and my work table is now a lot cleaner!

I also had a "crazy" idea about what to do with the scraps that I do throw out. Why not recycle them instead of mixing them in with the regular household trash? I keep a paper grocery sack under my work table now and toss the paper scraps into there. When it gets full, I put it in our recycle bin. (Make sure your waste disposal service allows you to recycle paper first!)

My beginnings in paper crafts

I've been drawing and creating artwork as long as I can remember. My very first card was a get well card for my Grandpa. I even made a 3D paper bow for it! I was very surprised that my Grandma had kept it all of these years.

When I got serious about making my own cards, I taught myself calligraphy using this book (no personal computers with fancy fonts back in the 70's!). I don't have any of my original calligraphy pens anymore, but I sometimes enjoy looking at the book just the same.

Then sometime in the 80's I purchased my very first rubber stamp and ink pad. Believe it or not, but the ink pad hasn't dried out and I can still use it!

In the late 90's, I attended my first stamping party (DOTS) and I was officially addicted! I still have several idea catalogs from DOTS and Stampin' Up! that are fun to look through occasionally for ideas. 

I now have hundreds of stamps, a wide variety of ink pads, ribbons, assorted embellishments, and a paper stash/hoard that never seems to be enough. My tools include edging scissors, a wide variety of markers, embossing powders, various adhesives, embossing folders, and my newest and favorite tool of all - my Silhouette Cameo! I'll write more about my Cameo in a future post and why I ditched my Cricuit Expression.