FRUGAL CRAFTING IDEAS - PART 2

Boy do I have a great "frugal" and thrifty idea today..... a cute technique for your cards or a scrapbook page! 

Go to your local hardware store and buy a couple of feet of WINDOW SCREEN! We're going to do some "screen printing".

Now cut yourself a little rectangle that matches the size you want for the cover of your card (or area of your scrapbook page).

 

 

In this instance, I'm making a quick little card, so I cut a piece about 5 x 5 and placed it over my piece of Colonial White cardstock.

Now get your sponge or dauber, and two or three colors of ink pads.

Tap your sponge onto the first color of ink, and press it over the screen on the left area of your screen and cardstock, about 1/3 of the way across.

Then tap your sponge (same one or a new one if you don't want to contaminate the colors on your sponge) onto the next color of ink, and sponge across the screen in the middle.  Then use the 3rd color of ink and sponge the remaining area.  Press FIRMLY onto the screen so the color will go through onto the paper.

I just used one cosmetic sponge for all three colors as I can toss it when I'm done.. or save it for another similar project using the same colors.

Remove the screen and VOILA! you have a really unique looking "designer" cardstock!  I only used two colors, Lagoon and Pear.  I then distressed the edges of the cardstock with the Lagoon ink.

This looks so pretty! I like the swirly effect. You can add to it or add more colors if you want!

Now adhere this piece to a card (I used a glitter card that I got at JoAnn's - can't beat those sales now and then!), add some ribbon and a sentiment and there you have it. Quick, fun and easy... and you will even feel artistic because you created your own designer cardstock.

I cut the flower shape with my Cricut - you could use a punch. I used the Life is Tweet (retired) stamp set and cut out the 3 little birdies.  I then stamped the little flowers over the "screen printed" design. Any cute stamp set would do. I raised up the sentiment with 3D foam dots.

 

I think I'll try this technique for Halloween, using goldrush, black and slate inks for the screen printing, our Bronze Shimmer Trim instead of ribbon, and the Creepy Creatures stamp set with the little dracula cut out, and "fangs for the memories" in a circle for the sentiment.  Then I'll stamp little black bats all over the screen printed area!  

A fun, quick and easy work of art!