Stamping at Home: Using Up a Paper Collection

In preparation for the new Seasonal Expressions 2 idea book from Close To My Heart, I've been trying to use up the rest of my paper and scraps from the current paper collections. I've not been very good at that in the past, and I have lots of partially-used paper collections in my craft room!

I have a few strategies for using up paper collections. First of all, if I haven't completed the layouts or cards from the workshops provided by CTMH, I'll do those first. All of their workshop guides can be downloaded for free from my CTMH website, even if you didn't purchase the workshop kits. Once I've made all of those that I want, if I still have leftover supplies, I'll look through the idea book and see if there are any projects in there that I want to copy - and there usually are! Finally, I'll get on Instagram and search the hashtag for the paper collection I'm trying to use up.

Yesterday I decided to start working my way through my Chelsea Gardens leftovers. I had already made four layouts and several cards from the scrapbooking workshop kit, so I looked through the idea book. I found a card I had noticed earlier but hadn't made, so I decided to make it! And then, since I had enough leftover paper, I decided to make it one of my card buffet cards for next month!

The polka-dot paper is from the Chelsea Gardens collection, but the yellow paper is from Stargazer. I love how the idea book shows how to mix and match collections! This card also uses stamped images from the We Belong Together stamp set. But unfortunately, that stamp set will be retiring at the end of April.

I also checked Instagram and the hashtag #ctmhchelseagardens. Over the past several months, I have started saving card and layout ideas on Instagram in collections, and I love being able to find all of my favorite ideas in one place!

The layout below was inspired by a layout from @donnascraftyheart several months ago. If you don't follow her, you should! I really loved what she did, and I love how my layout turned out!

I had plenty of 12-inch strips left from my Chelsea Gardens paper packet, so I cut them to 1.25-inch wide and spaced them out on a piece of White Daisy cardstock. I used some remaining Complements for the title and embellishments and two cut-apart cards for the journaling block.