Recycling Envelopes

Confession: I've always loved the patterns on the inside of bills. They come in anything from houndstooth to woodgrain to stripes, and they come in many colors. I've been saving them for a long time and thinking there has to be another use for those patterns. After all, scrapbookers spend hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars a year to buy patterned paper for their projects. So I decided to embark on a card-making project using the recycled envelope insides.
I'm not finished with the actual cards, but you can see that I've already cut the envelopes to make 3 3/4 x 5 card fronts. I generally left edges ripped from where I'd used my thumb to open the bill. I like the texture. I'm also interested in the clear acetate windows in the envelopes. I think I can tuck vintage images or sentiments behind those.

I have lots of punches, and I used those to punch out flower and butterfly shapes. If you don't have punches, you can generally find them at your local scrapbooking store. I know our local stores offer studio time, which includes use of such tools.

Finally, I've inked the edges.

This is what insomnia brings! However, I'm now actually getting tired, so making the actual cards will have to wait. I hope my blog readers haven't given up on me and will check in for REGULAR updates. I promise.