Have you ever done a “Look what I found”-card? Sometimes when I’m short of time or just stuck creatively I go to my Magic Box and have a look. In there among leftovers from previous craft projects I find plenty of solutions and creativity – hence a “Look what I found” card. It’s a real treasure to have such a box! I always get my flow back that way.
Type of project: Card
Occasion: Valentine
Style: artsy, monochromatic
Techniques used: Distress ink and salt, die cutting, heat embossing, fuzzy cutting
Decoration: liquid pearls
Main colour: purple
Media used: paper, embossing powder, spray paint, pens
Equipment used: scissors, dies, stamps, stencil
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In my Magic Box I have put leftovers from previous crafting. It could be colored stamped images, die cuts, backgrounds and maybe some unfinished objects (so called UFO:s). There is absolutely no explanation to why things end up in that box. Some of things I find there are amazing. Others have potential. The common thing is that they are in some way unfinished, didn’t fid their place during last crafting session and definitely wasn’t ready for the trash bin. It’s like going for a pleasant treasure hunt when opening the lid on the box. The things in there get new life and I always find new ways of combining the objects in there. Sometimes I pick out a few things to add on a project I’m working on. Other times I find that final detail that will do the trick for a t project. This time however I collected a bunch of things, combining them in to a whole new project – a valentines card. This saves time massively I tell you! This is what I found today:
First and foremost this background! I mean isn’t it the coolest? I made it by pouring grain and fine salt on a extra wet ink distressed background. When leaving the wet color to dry with salt on it, it will create crystal patterns in the ink. Why on earth is it still in the box, I think to myself and I have to make more of these.
Let’s see what we can create using it together with some other purple things I found in the box. A stamped and colored bird. A frame. Some heat embossed scrap papers and the letters to the word love.
I also pick out a piece of white paper, some flower stamps, dies in shape of leaves and stems and spray paint. So I sprayed some…
… and stamped some…
Then I put it all together:
A few tricks I used:
Double up for shadows – cut letters (or other objects) twice and put them slightly diagonally on top of each other to create a shadow!
READ ALSO: MAKING NO-WASTE FLOWERS
Use a colored background to stamp flowers (or leaves) on. Cut them out and use as decorations.
Draw a frame by hand with a black or white pen. On this card I used both.
If you don’t already have a “Magic box” with leftovers I suggest you start one. Remember, it’s a little bit like a bank account – you don’t wanna find it empty so better deposit! If you drop something there every time you craft it’s soon gonna be a real treasure.
Karin Åslund is from Sweden. Karin has been writing for TPC since 2020. Karin started paper crafting in 2005 and she makes cards, mini albums and do some Art Journaling. Her paper projects are often made in traditional Vintage or in a Whimsical style.