Saturday Step by Step - Repurposed Packaging

Hi everyone. Jenny here with this week's edition of the Saturday step by step. On Tuesday Wendy Vecchi shared her ideas for repurposing the packaging that comes with Idea-Ology Remnant Rubs and Industrious Stickers (see her post HERE). It got me thinking, then testing a theory, messing it up a couple of times, then succeeding!! So here's my idea for using up that packaging...

It's so easy to create this seascape as long as you get one with it and don't over-think it. Here's how. Dip your packaging sheet into a mix of rubbing alcohol (surgical spirit) and Cornflower Blue Archival Reinkers. Dry quickly with your heat gun (don't take long with this) and repeat this process until there is a good amount of colour on the sheet. For me it took three goes max.

You should still be able to see the swirls from the packaging. Now to get some bubbles in this 'water'. With a small brush flick some small droplets of rubbing alcohol onto your sheet and watch it react! Too much and it will spread into huge bubbles which are not as effective. Dry quickly again and it's done. Now just cut to the size you need for your card or project.

Stamp the seahorse onto a piece of Specialty Stamping Paper with Watering Can Archival Ink.

Colour with Distress Stains using a Tim Holtz Fine Detail brush, then dry, cut out and cover in a couple of coats of clear embossing powder. I edged mine with a Pumice Stone Distress Marker to get rid of those pesky white edges.

Cut some greenery shapes using a couple of the Alterations Strip Dies and Kraft Coredinations card. Remember, you can cut with the front side facing up or down to get the reverse image. Sand back each stem whilst still attached to the card, then remove the waste and shape the leaves with an embossing tool.

To finish your card layer your leaves in a pattern to follow that on the altered packaging sheet. Then add the seahorse - I raised mine using foam pads which also have the edges coloured. Finally stamp a sentiment in Jet Black Archival Ink, and layer your finished sheet on a couple of layers of colour-coordinated card.

Here's a few close ups so you can see how that packaging colour and pattern still shows through to work with the inky bubbles.

Letting the background 'do the talking' by keeping the embellishments simple this way also has the benefit of making this a super quick card to put together.

And of course Wendy always knows what to say and I could have chosen several sentiments to fit lots of occasions.

So that's my take on Wendy's challenge. I hope it has inspired you to look at your packaging in a new light and even have a go at creating your own seascapes. Don't forget our 'Vintage Seaside' challenge runs through Tuesday June 3rd so there's still time to enter.

For now, have a great weekend and take care of yourselves,
Jenny xxx

Ranger Wendy Vecchi Archival Reinker - Cornflower Blue	$17.95 Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Nautical Blueprints	$6.39 Core′dinations Kraft Core By Tim Holtz - 4.25x5.5" Paper Pad	Ranger Inkssentials Speciality Stamping Paper 8.5 X 11	Ranger Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink - Watering Can
Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain - Antique Linen	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain - Scattered Straw	Ranger Embossing Powder - Clear	Sizzix Alterations Decorative Strip Tim Holtz Spring Greenery	Sizzix Alterations Decorative Strip Tim Holtz Festive Greenery Die
Ranger Archival Ink - Jet Black	Stampers Anonymous Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Stamps - Heirloom Art