Wednesday Sponsor Giveaways : Paper Relics, Shabby Chic Crafts, & Scrap Etc. Events

My frugal tip is to take shipping boxes and cutting them into shapes to make mini albums with the bind it all. Also, reusing ribbons from packages, my ribbon stash shows it all!
Thanks,
Gayle
p.s. Don't think I could swing Scrap etc. from California... :-(

If I am in need of a specific embellishment or piece of paper while working on a project, I "shop" my stash first instead of running to the store. I can almost always find something that will work with my project, and even if it wasn't exactly what I initially pictured at least I am using something I already own. Sometimes I like what I find better than what I was going to purchase!

My favorite cost saver is MS Publisher. Really... you can plan out your whole page, crop and size your pictures just perfect, and then just print what you need... right out of publisher. I will plan several pages at a time, fitting my pictures onto one sheet, and print. Then I can line up all my journaling, titles, accent pieces etc that I have already sized and print onto scraps.

I am so excited about these giveaways Ali! Especially the Scrap Etc. event. I definitely can go, I am near Atlanta! So excited over here..I have many frugal tips when it comes to scrapbooking. I reuse everything from tags off clothes, to pretty papers that wrap items. I especially love small brown paper bags. I reuse that for making paper bag books and making treat bags.

Of course, I have been using the supplies that I have and trying to get really creative with the things I have to achieve the look I want. Also, I spent some time getting my "stuff" organized - I'll use what I have if I know I have it! :o)

My frugal tip.....When I buy foam dimensionals, I use the circles and I also cut out the areas around the circles for smaller things that don't need an entire circle. I never throw away this foam.
Also, I save the slick sheets from glue dots and stickers, I attach any punched, hand-made embellishments with a glue dot to give away or use on cards later. I use up lots of extra buttons and punched shapes this way and the slick sheet keeps them organized like real 3-D embellishments when I slide them into little zip lock bags.

Hmmm, my frugal scrapbooking tip would be to organize your patterned paper scraps as you would your full sheet patterned paper, and use them for stamping or punching embellishments, creating journaling strips, etc... Chances are that you liked it enough to use it once, you will pull it out again as a scrap!

I've used wrapping papers from birthday parties & gifts in my scrapbooking pages. Excellent way to REUSE items!

Hey Ali!
Thanks for the opportunity to win so many fun things. Impossible for me to attend the Scrap event, but would love a try at the other items.
My frugal ideas...if I REALLY need something, I never pay full price, always a coupon, sales, trading, etc. I use washed styrofoam meat trays as painting palettes, make color coordinated ribbon by using plain white ribbon and a marker and "dying" it the color I need, and make use of neccesary office supplies such as staples, paper clips, luggage tags, post-it notes, etc. double as cardmaking items.

My frugal tip is to occasionally put yourself on a paper diet - resist those urges to run out to the LSS and buy whatever fun paper you just saw in the scrapbooking mag you were reading! All of us probably have enough paper in our stashes that we could do this and not skip a beat, and it's fun to go back and see what we picked and remember why we picked it. We put ourselves on every other type of diet, why not this one? I'm trying this currently {with the complete support and encouragement of my husband :) } to decrease my stash and be a little more responsible with my $$. So far, so good!
Of course, winning in a giveaway doesn't count! hee hee.

Oh, Susi, sorry to hear about your lost pictures! :-(
I sync my pictures to the computer pretty much daily, but I'll add to *your* tip by saying, make sure you have a backup of your digital pictures! (We're having computer issues and it was only by the grace of God that I had everything in another location.)

SHARE-SHARE-SHARE.....find a buddy and split the price and contents of embellishments; will you really use all 200 easter pink brads??
FL ISN'T TOO FAR FROM ATLANTA!!! COUNT ME IN!

I love using corrugated cardboard.......from the box we get our scrapbook goodies in. I used some last night to make a little wall hanging. Just scrapped on it and tied the pieces together with some ribbons. So cute!
As much as I'd love to go to Scraps ETC, I can't. I went last year though and it was AMAZING!!! :)

Never let your Michaels or JoAnns 40% coupons expire. Go buy some adhesive!

Always save your scraps! You never know how much time and money you can save:)

Too funny...i also like to save clothing tags and use them as embellies :)

Killer giveaways...I live in CA, so know Atlanta trip for me either :(
My frugal tip is when you buy things (and not just scrapbooking items) look for ways you can reuse the actual packaging materials. I recently found a chipboard book at Big Lots for $2. There were about 10 6x6 inserts used to separate the pages as originally packaged. I removed a couple of the inserts, covered with pp and decorated it to use for my December Daily Album from you Ali! A custom scrapbook for FREE!!

The best tip to be a frugal scrapbooker is to avoid the temptation to buy everything new that comes out! I usually get scrapbook kits (which you can often buy from other scrapbookers at a big discount) and, for me, supplemented with lots of cardstock, they last a long time.
P.S. I would love to go to Scrap Etc.!

I love to use the packaging that my scrap supplies come in. Most of the backings for rub-ons and sticker are heavier and have some sort of design. I've made them in to mini-books in the past. They also work well as door-hangers.
Everyone has left such great tips!!

My LSS has a 'Scrap Yard' quarterly. It is like a yard sale where folks bring in and sale their scrapbooking and stamping supplies. (One person's trash is another person's treasure!) I usually find great deals!
Sometimes I sell and get store credit to buy new stuff with no out of pocket cost.