Use it up and wear it out

Use it up and wear it out is my mom's motto.  And while I am not as nearly as thrifty as she, I have learned that not everything has to cost you.  There are plenty of materials you undoubtedly have on hand that can really enhance your projects and make them yours.  Which brings me to...

Tip #2: Chipboard is everywhere - the backs of writing tablets, cereal boxes, cardboard inserts. It is not always necessary to BUY chipboard. In fact, unless I'm using it for a class, I rarely use store bought chipboard. Before applying paint or paper to coated chipboard (like what is on cereal boxes) rough it up a bit with some sandpaper. Some of the best chipboard are the inserts used to separate the cans in Fancy Feast cat food cartons. So, think outside the box (or inside it). Crafting does not have to be expensive!

Case and point - recently Gregg and I took a trip to Las Vegas.  We visited the Bodies exhibit at the Luxor and the CSI exhibit at the MGM and I bought lots of little souvenirs along the way.  So instead of buying Las Vegas scrapbook paper, I used the colorful bags given to me in the shops.  These were way better than scrapbook paper because they were themed exactly to what we did and better yet, they were FREE.  If you don't like the slick feel of the bags, then slap them on a scanner and print the designs out on paper.

Fabric can also be used in scrapbooking.  I find that there are sometimes a lot more fabric design related to my theme then there are scrapbook papers.  I am a scuba diver.  Have you ever tried to find diving themed papers?  Yes, there are some fish papers available, but most are cutesy and not at all what I want to use in my scrapbook.  But, there are hundreds of patterns of fish fabric available.  I sometimes us the fabric and sometimes I take it down to the UPS Store, make a color copy and use that (that way I can use the fabric later for something else).  Check out the remnant bins at your local fabric stores.  I sometimes find a whole yard or more of fabric for just a buck.  And while, in general, I tend to try and shop mostly at local merchants and avoid the chains, you can find great deals in the remnant bins at Hobby Lobby and Walmart.  These stores also tend to have a larger selection of novelty prints than traditional fabric stores like Joann's.

"Doing it on the Cheap" can force you to be more creative and ultimately, you end up with a better, more unique project.

So go out there and create something (cheaply)!

Questions, Comments, and Snide Remarks

Thanks for joining in on the fun!

Here's where I hope to document my wanderings and post all the tips and tricks I've learned from others, and through my own trials and tribulations. I'll start first with a tip:

Tip #1: When applying paper to a two sided piece of chipboard where the holes have already been pre-punched, apply paper to one side, punch out the holes through the paper, and then apply the second piece of paper. This will make it easier to find the holes and punch them properly.

OK, so much for that! Now, on to the fun stuff - where to get the goodies. As I occasionally do on a Saturday, I spent the day wandering around downtown Phoenix exploring antique stores, thrift shops, and other places with my mom. Today we headed over to 7th Avenue and explored a couple of nice places. First was the antique mall on the corner of McDowell and 7th Ave. This is a place with lots of small dealers all under one roof. While there are some higher end (and higher dollar) antiques, there's also a lot of great stuff for the collage artist at a reasonable price. I bought a small tin type photograph for $4 and my mom found a rustic bird house with a license plate roof for $5.

A little further up the road is Antiques on Camelback and then the White Dove Thrift Shop. I thought the prices in the White Dove were a little high for a thrift store, but the merchandise quality was good. White Dove also has a store in the east valley where I think the pricing is more in line with other thrift shops.  We finally ended up at Melrose Vintage. This place looks like something right out of the magazines - white shabby chic furniture, light airy linens, vintage accessories, and YES, scrapbooking supplies! They had a huge selection of "blanks" by which I mean chipboard clocks, frames, purses, etc. for you to decorate. They had a good selection of tools and some nifty beads and soldering supplies. Their paper stock was well, vintage style, in keeping with their store. So, if you were looking for themed papers, you are out of luck. I was most intrigued with their display pieces. They used old mini loaf pans to display the beads and an old garden stand for paper and other accessories. I just wish the displays would have been for sale (although I probably couldn't afford them). Not an inexpensive place to shop, but they had some really unique pieces, I'll definitely be back. Check out their store online at : http://www.shopmelrosevintage.com/

Please feel free to post your own tips in the comments section of the blog that way we can all learn from each other!