Recycling Craft Inspiration from Katy

Hi Friends

Recently I  held a recycling challenge at Yvonne's Do More with Less and chose 5 super talented ladies as winners to feature on my blog here. 

This is the first time I am featuring someone on my blog and I feel so excited and happy to share the talent of my first guest who is Katy of http://iliketocutandpaste.blogspot.in

Katy

Katy recycles an amazing variety of objects including plastic bags !--- she floored me and I am sure will enthrall you too!!

Katy do tell us a bit about yourself and your crafting journey.

Hi!  My name is Katy, and I live in sunny Florida, USA.  I live with my husband, 2 year old son, and our 2 cats.  We love going to the beach, Disney, swimming in the pool and being with family and friends.  When we aren't making memories, I am trying to scrap them :)

I started scrapbooking over 15 years ago.  My introduction to scrapbooking was a scrapbook I made for my high school band class.  Later, a friend reintroduced me to scrapbooking and from there I got into cardmaking.  It wasn't until I went to a few Creating Keepsake Universities (a scrapbook convention that is nothing but a weekend of classes and crops) that I really really understood how big this craft is and how to incorporate techniques and different materials into projects.

Recycling Craft

An example of what she means is this beautiful project which has lots of recycling too[Details here] 

In June of last year I took my love of paper crafting to the Internet.  Ilovetocutandpaste.com  was born.  My husband is my biggest supporter in my blog.  Every Tuesday I do a Tidbit Tuesday which can range from a product to a technique, to a full project. On Fridays I post a project that way my blog is active at least twice a week. 

I participate in online challenges that help stretch my creativity, and I also share them on my blog.  I visit other blogs (including Dr. Sonia's) and find so much inspiration and knowledge.

Katy do tell us more about your crafting passions 

Paper crafting is my favorite hobby.  I mostly make cards and scrapbook pages. Lately, I have begun making tags which is great if you are short on time. 

Here is am awesome tag in which Katy incorporated some amazing household stuff --details here

Recycling Craft

Sometimes I will alter a box or a jar.  Mixed media projects are also becoming one of my favorite things to make.  If I can use something that would have otherwise been thrown away, I am that much happier.

Some Recycling ideas and tips from Katy..

I think that you have to look at household items in a different way.  For example, if you have a manual cutting machine (Cuttlebug, Vegabond, etc) you can cut cereal boxes and make flowers or whatever dies you have on hand.  Then you can paint them so now you have a customized embellishment.  You can also use ads and newspaper to do the same thing.  Or even wrapping paper left over from an opened present.

One of my favorite things to make is to take a flap of card board and decorate it and turn it into a wall hanging.  For these I go where ever my creativity takes me (after I use what the online challenge called for.) I can incorporate any number of techniques in creating these.

Recyling Craft

This beautiful wall hanging was made from a diaper box  and here is how Katy did it: Recycled Wall Hanging Tutorial

Katy  transforms plastic bags into beautiful objects---[I loved these and almost jumped with joy!!]

Plastic Bag recycling crafts

I like to think of ways to use plastic bags because I always seem to have an abundance of them.  I bought a small loom because I wanted to make flowers.  I can’t crochet or knit so I thought this would be perfect.   A friend suggested I look at YouTube for instructions.   So not only did I learn how to use my loom, but the video also showed using plastic bags. The lady on the video made it look so easy to get the bags cut and onto the loom. I found it worked better if I cut the bag into strips, taped the stripes together and made “yarn.”

Plastic Bag crafts

 Now I have my flowers! Drop over to Katy's blog to see her detailed step by step tutorial on How to make Plastic Bag Flowers

Plastic Bag recycling craft

 I took my flowers a step further and added colors to the bags.  Because plastic bags are non-pourous you can use Ranger’s Alcohol Inks on them.  Too much fun!

Plastic Bag Recycling

A few months ago I bought some Cosmo Cricket Glubers (really big and super sticky glue dots to make ribbon flowers) and used strips of inked plastic bag to make the flowers.  It is a bit tedious because the plastic bag easily sticks to the Gluber but what a wonderful result when it is finished!

Plastic Bag recycling

Drop over to Katy's blog to learn how she made this gorgeous plastic flower : Plastic Bag Flower Tutorial 

I have also made 3 dimensional ghosts out of white plastic bags.  For these, googly eyes are a must!
Here is how Katy made this adorable project:Plastic Bag Ghosts Tutorial

Plastic Bag Ghosts

I loved exploring Katy's works and here are some words of wisdom from my new found blogger friend..

Thank you so much Dr. Sonia for having me as your first guest!  It has been a true honor and pleasure!  Recycling is a lot of fun and is friendly on your budget!  Until next time my friends…Reduce, Recycle, and most important Reuse for your art projects! 

Isnt she just amazing....Do drop over to Katy's blog to see her amazing work and tutorials.