Hello friends! Today I’m sharing one of my favorite ways to stretch my supplies and make the most of every creative session.
If you’ve been following me for a while, you already know I have a hard time throwing away anything colorful that comes off my gel plate. Every little strip, corner, or leftover piece finds its way into a small container on my craft desk.
Today, that little container became the inspiration for three completely unique cards.
Sometimes the smallest scraps hold the biggest creative possibilities.
🎨 Building Backgrounds from Leftovers
Instead of starting with a fresh sheet of paper, I reached into my stash of gel print scraps and began creating small collage panels.
Using a square piece of cardstock as my base, I simply glued down the colorful scraps until the entire panel was covered.
There was no plan.
No pattern.
Just color, texture, and intuition.
One of the things I love most about this process is that every panel tells a different story. Even though they’re made from leftovers, each one becomes a one-of-a-kind background.
Once the adhesive dried, I added a few random paint marks across the panels to bring in another layer of texture and movement.
Sometimes those final little marks are what make everything come together.
🍃 Creating Three Different Focal Points
While the paint was drying, I reached for the beautiful PaperArtsy JOFY mini 103 leaf stamp and challenged myself to stamp it three different ways.
I created:
- A classic version stamped on white cardstock using Versafine Clair Twilight ink.
- A soft, translucent version stamped on blue vellum and heat embossed in white.
- A second vellum version heat embossed in gold for a little extra elegance.
It’s amazing how changing just the paper and embossing color can completely transform the same image.
Once each leaf was finished, I paired it with the collage panel that complemented it best.
✨ Finishing Touches
To complete each card, I added:
- A simple hand-drawn frame
- A short sentiment
- Minimal embellishments to let the colorful backgrounds remain the star of the show
The result is three completely different cards, all created from pieces that could have easily ended up in the trash.
💡 A Little Creative Challenge
Before you clean up after your next gel printing session…
Don’t throw away those scraps.
Instead, try this:
🍃 Save every colorful leftover.
🎨 Create a simple collage background.
✨ Stamp one image in different ways.
💌 Let the background decide where the focal image belongs.
You might discover that your favorite cards come from the pieces you almost discarded.
Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope this project inspires you to dig into your scrap bin, embrace a little creative play, and discover the beauty hiding in those leftover pieces.
Happy creating! 💛🌿
 PaperArtsy – JOFY Mini 103 Shop at: TP |
 Embossing – Bright White Ultra Fine Shop at: Lindys | AZ | TP |
 WOW! Embossing – Clear Shop at: WOW US | TP |
 WOW! Embossing – Clear Embossing Pad Shop at: WOW US | TP |
 WOW! Embossing – Metallic Gold Rich Pale Shop at: WOW US | TP |
 Tsukineko – Versafine Clair – Twilight Shop at: TP |
 Gel Press – Reusable Gel Printing Plate Shop at: AZ | TP | Misc |
 Speedball – 2″ Brayer Shop at: TP |