6 Quick Cards with Paper Scraps!

In today’s post, I’ll be sharing some projects made with my “card salad” paper scraps.

Are you wondering what “card salad” is? In case you’re not familiar with the term, it’s what I call the leftover paper scraps from a creative card-making session. When I create I almost always experiment and play with various color combinations, layouts, die-cuts, etc. to find just the “right” combination of elements for my final design. It’s through this process of fine-tuning my design that I end up with all these bits and pieces. They are like a yummy salad of paper scraps that are a great jumping-off point for creative play!

TIP: If you end up with leftover paper scraps (worth keeping) after you’re done creating, I recommend putting them in a baggie for easy access later.

What you see here are the contents of my card salad baggie from one of my Maker’s Mojo Creative Escape projects.

NOTE: Watch my video tutorial below to see the fun fold card I make during the summer Maker’s Mojo Creative Escape.

What a great bunch of pieces I had to work with for today’s cards!

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

Here is my first finished card:

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

For this first card, I dry embossed my whole assembled focal piece with the Timeworn Type embossing folder including the Cajun Craze sentiment backing.

I love the added texture this gives to my piece. Three pieces from my card salad baggie were used here, the stamped leaves piece, the Old Olive Circle, and the Cajun Craze sentiment layer.

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

The ribbon used here is the Frayed White ribbon you’ll find in the annual catalog. It actually starts about 3 times as wide as the piece you see here. I cut this ribbon down the long way to get a narrower piece for a more subtle, less bulky look. When cut this way, you can add some additional texture by pulling out some of the ribbon filaments for a look that I absolutely love. Plus, you essentially get three times the value when you use it this way! Love that!

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

If you watched my video tutorial you may notice one important difference from the versions finished on camera!

Check out my video below to see if you can see what’s different!

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

For this second card, the color distribution is a bit different on my leaves, plus I changed some additional details as well.

The central leaf stamped here was inked up with Crushed Curry plus a little Cajun Craze on the tips. I love how this image turned out. It was definitely a card salad piece that had to be saved and used!

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

My sentiment is heat embossed in copper on Pear Pizzazz cardstock and die-cut using one of the Harvest Dies.

The sentiment piece was already heat-embossed and die-cut. In fact, all the pieces used here were in my card salad baggie except for the Cajun Craze circle, the Old Olive card base, and the Crushed Curry layer!

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

Instead of using the Timeworn Type Embossing Folder, I’ve used the Leaf Fall 3-D folder instead.

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

Again, the whole assembled focal element, layers and all, were dry embossed. I made sure some of the circles showed the dry embossed leaves. The solid cardstock shows these shapes more than on the stamped parts helping to call attention to this detail.

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

I love how quick and easy this card was to make since so many of my pieces were ready to go!

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

Here’s my final full-size card!

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

I used 5 elements from my card salad baggie to create this card, including the sentiment piece, the three thin strips along the left, and my stamped leaves piece. The central leaf on this one includes both Pumpkin Pie and Cajun Craze ink.

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

The sentiment piece is heat embossed in copper embossing powder on Basic White cardstock. This is the only one of my three full-size cards where I’ve used Basic White instead of Vanilla cardstock.

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

I simply LOVE how this one turned out! It’s the thin strips and added gold cord that really pull this one together!

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

Here are the insides of all three of my cards.

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

Comment and let me know which is your favorite!

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

So after completing my three full size cards I still had lots of little bits and pieces in my card salad baggie!

With just SOME of these extra nibbles I created these 3″ x 3″ mini gift enclosure cards

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

I love having 3″ x 3″ card on hand to throw a quick little note in with something I’m sending. It just is easier and faster than writing a full card plus they’re just cute!

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.
Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.
Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

I stamped the insides and envelopes for these ones as well.

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

Comment below and let me know which is your favorite of these!

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

Can you see the small pile of pieces in the upper right-hand corner of the photo below?

Those are the paper scraps I still have left from my card salad baggie! There’s not too much but I’m sure I could still make more cards with just a bit more time. Fun right?!

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing my cards made with paper scraps from my Maker’s Mojo Creative Escape “card salad” baggie!

Here’s my full set of lovely fall-themed cards. These were all so quick and easy to put together!

Learn how to use your paper scraps to make a bunch of quick cards. Projects feature the Soft Seedlings Stamp Set and an autumn color scheme.

Check out my video tutorial to learn more about these cards and see the fun fold project I created at the Maker’s Mojo Creative Escape.

It was just one version of four shared during my presentation! These events are so fun and we have one coming up in October! I hope you’ll join us!

Purchase the supplies used here! You’ll find project dimensions, my video tutorial, and a supply list below.

Happy Crafting!

Melissa 🙂


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Learn how to make this in my Facebook Live video tutorial here:

The project demonstration begins at around 7-½ minutes in case you’d like to jump ahead.

If you watched this video here on my blog and enjoyed it, please go on over to my YouTube channel and give it a Thumbs Up, Share it with friends and Subscribe to my YouTube Channel. I’d be so grateful! Plus, once you subscribe, you’ll have the option to click on the bell, to be notified whenever I publish a new video.


Project Dimensions:

  • Thick Vanilla, Old Olive, or Pear Pizzazz Card Body: 5-½″ x 8-½″
  • Old Olive or Crushed Curry Layer: 5-¼” x 4″
  • Very Vanilla or Basic White Embossed Layer: 3-¾″ x 5″
  • Cajun Craze Sentiment Backing: 1″ x 2-¼”
  • Very Vanilla Sentiment Piece: ⅞″ x 2-⅛”
  • Old Olive Strip (base for small strips): ¾” x 3-¾”
  • Strips in Gold Brushed Metallic, Crushed Curry, and Distressed Gold: 3/16″ x 3-¾”
  • Scraps in Basic White, Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Crushed Curry & Cajun Craze for die-cut circles and sentiments

Project Supplies:



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About Me Page

I am a seeker of that crazy, excited feeling that comes when you've created something that’s unique, beautiful and expresses who you are in some small way. It’s like making a new discovery, when you find a unique combination of color, layout, dimension and texture. I call it a creative spark and it makes me giddy! Through sharing and teaching I hope to help others find this amazing feeling of creative bliss!

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