Scrapostable

Compost
So everyone has those food scraps when cooking, I know I do, and if you set up a good system it can save you money and have a lasting effect in your garden.When I say scraps I mean like egg shells,onion peels,potato eyes,banana peels basically any extras.(no meat or bones) Everyone who has bought strawberries or grapes from the grocery knows that those few grapes or blueberries that are not edible.
Here is the plan:
1. Set up a small garbage can-small or big depending on what you feel your trash output would be.
I use a small closed top lid and reuse the plastic bags that I occasionally get form the grocery store when I forget my reusable's. then that is it.
2. Fill -when full take outside sprinkle under plants or in a com-poster you may have outside. The garden will thank you and you will get a better harvest for giving your plants those extra scraps.

Sewing Scraps

     The idea of throwing things away that cost so much  is  just sickening sometimes. I have found a great way to use those little piece you cut off around a square or while cut out projects into something you can use around your other crafting projects. I find that I always have to cut a  little piece around my squares once sown. I also find that I just normally throw away, but sometimes I am in love with fabric, so I want to use for other things. I decided to start saving them and then needed to purge my art room. I took all my little scraps and found coordinating pieces and started using for tag holders to gifts. You can use them together and form a braid with three pieces and use as an embellishment on cards I also can use them to tie important letters or little projects in tightly bundled packages and set aside. You can use these scraps to close the top of a present or around a vase. Have fun with it.Use your scraps to the fullest and feel better about that special fabric purchase.

Project Scraps

On the topic of scraps, I also make  a mean scrap soup. I love to make soup when cleaning out the fridge and pantry its easy and always an adventure. Normally I always start with a few basics. Some meat, I generally will use a ground turkey, beef or sliced sausage. something I have left over in my freezer even a turkey carcus or chicken. I try to find that last onion and pepper in the fridge. I cook up the meat, onion pepper and add whatever spices. I brown til nice and golden. I then add my chicken or beef stock that will be my base for the soup. Here comes my favorite part. I always have somewhere a leftover extra veggie in the fridge, green beans, carrots or some leftover spinach. Into the pot it goes. I add potatoes last bits of frozen veggie bags from freezer into the soup. I like to use up the last bits before opening the new bags that are in the freezer. I tend to add crushed pepper flakes, garlic and white pepper to my soup. I like a nice zip to my soup. I then let it cook down a bit and add some homemade noodles or some small pasta either stars or orazo. It will make the soup more of a stew by soaking up flavor and helps thicken the soup. Once I feel its done I try to ladle my soup into my soup mugs and place in the oven. Depending on what I have, I will  either add a slice of cheese to the top or a piece of bread that has been buttered and seasoned. I let it brown  or melt and serve. its rustic and comforting. Scrap Soup, make it while cleaning too! :)

The Technique of Serendipity Squares (Scrap Squares)

I have been trying to understand this techniques and deciding what is actually the correct way of making serendipity squares. I have come up with this... The correct way is your way! I like to try and find papers and scraps that kind of tie into each other but really they do not have too. You can use these papers as backgrounds and fronts of cards an embellishment or even as covers for books.  The basic process below.

First step is to grab you nicely organized box of scraps and a glue of your choice. I prefer a thick glue stick that will glue anything to paper. It needs to stick all kinds of paper to one sheet.  Cut your pieces of scraps if you need too but the first round is basically rounding up your inner kinder-gardener and just glue to page.
 I like to glue those unwanted little strips and little piece and glue to a coordinating background or any background.

After I decide what color embossing powder will go well with  the paper. I choose a clear embossing powder so you can see the color below and I can then inck around it.

I then added some glimmer mist...

I then cut my work of art into inch squares.

I then attach to a plain piece of cardstock.

I redo this process as little as once to how ever  many levels you ant on a piece of paper.

I love this new found scrapping transition.

Scraps

This month is scrap month, The majority of posts will be on all kinds of scraps.I love using a multitude of papers for many projects, at first I would throw away my scraps taht were small and would not be very useful I then found you can do so much with your scraps of paper. I am learning though if I saved every scrap, I would be in so much "scrap," I would not be able to move. I have worked out a pretty good system for me but others may have choose a system that works better style for their needs. As long as you contain the chaos of your scrap paper you will be doing very good. Here are some ways to do this.
Have a container that you are comfortable with in size and start placing scraps that will fit the container and that will not be so overfilled you can can move them. You may need a couple scrap containers and you can organize scraps by size and or color or projects.

A stack for serendipity projects, or for strictly cards making, maybe a manila envelope of scrap papers a good for beeswax art. The possibilities are endless. I try to keep my scrap together, but if you find you just have too much and do not want to just through it away, Join art supply swaps. I love them. I can give away scraps that I just have too much of or have no interest in anymore and pass them to someone who may find a great idea with them, in return you could trade for something you need or have wanted to try.
 Another great way to spread around old scraps that you do not want or need, if you have a scrapping group just make nice grouping of your scraps maybe by colors and or designs wrap it with an old ribbon or some twine, viola a scrappers dream. I enjoy scrapbooking and IO also know if you do not leave room to expand your scraps you can get stuck, so purge, rejuvenate and have fun with it.