Sep 27 2008
Winter Cardinal - Tutorial #124 and Blog Candy!
Happy Saturday! I love the weekends when I can take my time doing a project in the morning as I drink my pot of coffee. No rushing off to work today.
I’ve had some requests to do some winter type scenes so I got out this great set of stamps by Fire Cracker Designs by Pamela. Here is a link if you want to check out their great online store: http://www.safesecurestore.com/stores/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=firecrackerdesignsbypamela
For those people already making their Christmas cards, MORE POWER TO YOU! I won’t be starting mine until November at the earliest, lol.
The frame I used in this project is one I picked up at a garage sale for 75 cents. It had a horrible picture in it, but that’s all the better. I didn’t feel bad throwing the picture in the trash. I get frames and then make stamped pieces to go inside. It’s easier to know what frame you are going to use and then cut your cardstock to fit it, instead of making the piece a certain size and trying to find a frame to fit the piece. Clear as mud? 
I’m giving this framed piece away as blog candy. I will use a random number generator next Saturday, October 4th to select the winner. To enter all you need to do is leave a comment on this post telling me an item you like to re-purpose. It could be anything. If you are getting this post update by e-mail, you will need to click this link and then leave a comment on the post: http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2008/09/27/winter-cardinal-tutorial-124-and-blog-candy/
Good Luck!
Let’s get started on today’s tutorial.
Supplies:
| Stamps: Fire Cracker Designs by Pamela |
| Paper: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Basic Black, Baja Breeze & Not Quite Navy |
| Ink: Stampin’ Up Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, Basic Black, Night of Navy |
| Accessories: Versmark Pad and marker, Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Brayer, Sponges, Sharpie Gold Paint Marker, Prismacolor Markers, Fine Black marker, Garage Sale Frame, Post it Notes |
Stamped tree by first loading stamp with Versamark and then loading it with Black ink before stamping it on a piece of 4″ square Whisper White card stock.
Heat embossed tree using fine detail clear embossing powder and a heat gun.
Stamped Cardinal by first loading the stamp with Versamark and then loading it with Black ink before stamping it.
Heat embossed the cardinal using fine detail clear embossing powder and a heat gun.
Stamped the house in the distance by first loading the stamp with Versamark and then loading it with black ink before stamping it.
Heat embossed the house using fine detail clear embossing powder and a heat gun.
Colored the Left half of the tree with a Prismacolor 10% Cool Grey marker.
Colored Left side of the tree using a Prismacolor 30% Cool Grey marker, but did not cover the 10% Cool Grey entirely.
Colored the top part of the cardinal using a Prismacolor Scarlet Lake marker.
Colored the cardinal’s underside and tail using a Prismacolor Crimson Red marker.
Colored the Cardinal’s beak using a Prismacolor Burnt Ochre marker.
Colored the very left side of the tree using a Prismacolor 50% Cool Grey marker, not covering the 30% Cool Grey entirely.
Colored over all the images with a Versmark marker, making sure not to go outside the lines.
Heat embossed all the images using fine detail clear embossing powder and a heat gun.
Covered the bottom of the card stock with a post it note to mask it.
Brayered on Baja Breeze ink at the top of the card stock. The embossed images will resist the brayered ink “emboss resist”.
Brayered on Not Quite Navy at the top of the card stock, not covering the Baja Breeze ink entirely.
Sponged on some mountain shapes using Not Quite Navy ink.
Note: If putting in two mountains make one mountain much smaller than the other one so it doesn’t look like your mountains need a bra, lol.
Sponged on some Night of Navy ink at the top of the card stock and at the mountain bases.
Remove the post it note and throw it away. Using a new post it note, rip through the sticky part of the post it note to create a hill shape. Put in on the card stock to mask the bottom of the card stock.
Sponged lightly Baja Breeze ink at the post it notes torn edge.
Remove post it note.
Sponge Baja Breeze ink under the tree and the cardinal to create a shadow for them.
Add a few specks of black marker around the bird. Gotta feed the bird!
Held a Sharpie Gold Paint marker tip, half on the card stock and half on my scrap paper and ran down each edge of the main image panel.
Note: Try this out before doing it on your finished panel.
Panels are as follows from top to bottom: Main image panel, Baja Breeze Panel, Basic Black panel, Not Quite Navy Panel.
One more thing before you run to craft room to start making your Christmas cards, lol, yeah right, I want to give you a great link to a Creativity Survey. Fill the survey out and you get $10 off of your Craft DVD order and it also enters you to win $300 Full Library of PageSage Craft DVDs produced by Page Sage for Artists like Tim Holtz (my hero) and Carol Duvall. Check it out: http://pagesage.com/
Well it’s time to go do some Autumn clean up in my garden, I’ve played long enough this morning.
May your Saturday be filled with really good times to remember.
Until my next post. . . . . . .. . . . . . .
Hugs,
Michelle
Links to all my tutorials can be found here: http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/tutorials-ive-written/
Here is a link to my workshop calendar if you want to get info on beginner and advanced Brayer workshops: http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/workshop-calendar
Bonjour Mme Zindorf!
Oh la la quel talent! Question recyclage: je me sers de contenants de salade type ‘mesclun’. Ils sont fait de plastique transparent et sont parfaits pour le ruban. De plus, je peux les empilers puisqu’ils ont un couvercle. Votre cardinal serait parfait pour un petit coin de ma salle à manger….
Brrr…this really captures winter. This is very pretty, and there is really such depth to the scene with the cardinal in the foreground with the tree behind him and then the house in the distance. Love the shadows on the snow. Thank you for the chance to win this beauty. Maybe my brain is still waking up, but what comes to mind now for something that I reuse is gift bags and pretty or interesting boxes. I sort of hoard those to use for gift giving..lol. Thanks as always for sharing your time and creativity…you are so appreciated
Michelle, Oh how I love this picture it is just so beautiful it takes my breath away. I have a stamp of Santa Clause that I have been trying to figure out what to do to make him special and I am determined to get that done and post it. Thanks for your support and encouragment. Oh by the way I ordered from firecracker design yesterday lol…
Evelynn
Oh, magic Random Number picker, do your best to pick me to win this gorgeous winter scene!
Great job, Michelle! Autumn is a bit in the air here in Wisconsin as well, with winter soon to follow.
Thanks for the opportunity to win this artwork.
This is so beautiful. I love the cardinal and the whole winter scene, wow! Last Christmas I did this and I know I’m doing it again this year. I go to thrift stores and look for old cookie sheets. I cover them with DSP and make advent calendars out of them. This year I’ll also be making a couple 12 month magnetic calendars that you can change with the months.
Thanks for sharing!
stunning and love the snow I always have such difficulty with snow. I like to go to garage sales and thrift stores and get lapdesks or desk centers the type that is small with a large lid to lift and store things in. I distress it and then mount scenes on the lid and then make a desk set to go with it ( stationary and pen)
Hello,
I’ve been reading about you and following your artistry for the past 5 months or so, because my upline’s auntie met you.
Recycle: I recycle the brown packaging paper that comes in a box, like from SU, to help keep your order from being damaged: my 3 year-old niece came over and I traced her body on it, and then we colored it together. I’ve also used that paper for wrapping paper.
Duo-Recycle: Espresso Can + same brown paper = decorated tin for pencils, paint brushes, or door prize slips. (Wheel a design on the paper, tie on some ribbon and Voila!)
I’ve explored art since I was a young girl, and was definitely an artist before a stamper. So I like to make my cards with a more artistic lean, using the talent that God has entrusted to me. Your cards are terrifically artistic!
I admire your cards because there is absolutely NOTHING cookie-cutter-ish about them. They are art, and this community recognizes that. Then when you go ahead and frame them, people especially take notice.
Thanks for sharing your step-by-step tutorials.
Judith
What a gorgeous framed picture! I love your scenes! What a great idea to replace a picture in a frame! I also enjoy recycling things and usually wind up redecorating food containers (i.e. coffee creamer bottles, glass jars, etc.). I also keep all ribbon and little extras as embellishments. Right now I’m hording a ton of bottle caps and have no idea what I’ll do with them, but I keep thinking there’s something I could do…Thank you for your beautiful inspirations and fabulous tutorials! I look forward to seeing your gallery first thing in the mornings!
Absolutely gorgeous! I wish I lived close to take one of your classes. Hope I win…..thanks for sharing.
I want to get my snow boots on and go build a snow man!! Great inspiration thank you! Recycling was initially brought to me by my Mom who knew how to use something up until it was GONE! It was a way of life for us; everything from passing down cloths from brother to sister to brother to sister (4 of us heatherns) to recreating a new meal with left overs. Much too many ways to be listed here but one of the most resent is how I use old mattress pads. I visit yard sales to find these pads. Wash, bleach, and use fabric softener. Cut them up, hem the edges and you’ve got perfect pet bed pads. Some friends (who don’t sew) needed a new cover for their German Shepard. I happened to have a twin size fitted corners protector so I shortened the length leaving all four corners in tact and it fit perfectly. Pieced together legs from old jeans and made a pillow case to go over that and viola! My recycle tip for when I’m in my studio is I use used fabric softener sheets to wipe up embossing powder dust and blotting stamps & brayers between colors.
I love your picture. Now I have to go to garage sales and get old cheap pictures with frames, lol!! I like stamping on old wood cigar boxes. some of the boxes are lovely. But I think I’ll have to put them away and try my hand at some pictures.
I have only recently discovered your site and it takes my breath away. I am now, kinda nervously, dusting off the brayer that hasn’t been used for 5 years… I repurpose a lot of glass jars as tealight/candle holders or ‘fairy’ vases/place holders - you can stamp on them and I just bought a can of frosting spray !! Love the ideas above too !!
awesome! love that birch tree!
Wow! You are amazing! Your winter scene is amazing. My favorite thing that I have repurposed so far is a “welcome garden sign,” one of those unpainted ones that you can get at the craft stores. I painted one and stuck it in my garden years ago. Over the years, it fell of its stick, then my husband screwed it right to the mail box post. Came home one day, and it was lying in the snow! Was ready to throw it away. Decided to sand it, repaint it, added hooks to it, and it became a lovely rack to hang/display my yardstick collection in my sewing room!
Michelle, how beautiful. Like you I love frames. My sister and I will buy old frames and give them new life by sanding and painting or decoupaging. It has been some time since we’ve done this, will have to begin again. Thank you for the inspiration and the blog candy. Many blessings….
I am still waiting patiently to have my own original Zindorf to hang on my very own wall. I am sure this is it! My mom loved red birds (that’s what she called them) and almost always found Christmas cards with a cardinal on them. So I am sure she is sending me a signal that this one is mine! Now to the piece, it is beautiful! I love how you put it together. I am trying to decide whether you have sold me this set. I loved the birch tree stamp as soon as I saw you piece. Hmm, I have already bought so much this month… A question for you. How did you ever start what is such a uniquely Zindorf (as far as I can tell) technique to use versamark ink and dye ink in your creations? It is a perfect idea, and if you keep your stamps clean, I don’t see why your versamark pad would be anything but clean. It is such a great idea! And it gives you such perfect results. As always, thanks so much for your tutorial.
I have the perfect place to hang this art work in my stamp room. You have definitely brought up the brayer to a wonderful level. Thank you so much for sharing everything you do with us. A small recycling thing I do is take all those papers that I print that I don’t use and reuse them. They make a great thing to put onto my stamping pad when I start a new stamp project.
This is so beautiful, Michelle!! As the picture was appearing on my computer screen, my jaw was dropping. Such talent!!
I try to look at everything I throw out with new eyes, lol. I have my plastic strawberry containers being used now as ribbon containers. Cereal boxes and chipboard from paper pads are reused by making templates out of them. A perfect little box, bag or envelope is taken apart and made into templates. Even my LSS, Ink About It in Westford, Mass., takes back their plastic bags and gives you a free piece of cardstock for each bag you return - great incentive! Ribbons from gifts, expensive chocolates etc. are also reused and the list goes on, lol. I’m reading the other comments left to you for new recycling ideas, too
I’d give ANYTHING to have that framed pic in my house for the winter!!
RECYCLE: I took the boxes that my checks come in and opened up the top, flattened it and traced it onto double sided designer paper and made a new pretty top. Then I made a set of cards to go in it.
Thank you for all your pic tutorials. I love to look altho I still haven’t bought a brayer. And my kids are hooked on your pic tutorials too!! The love to see the progression to the end result!!
Shirley
You are THE best ever!
Good Morning Michelle from the state of Colorado! Love this “winter scene!” I’m waiting for the COLD weather to get here. Let see re-purposing…I re-porpose any patterned paper to include the inside of envelopes for Iris folding. All colors and all designs. I save wrapping paper and envelopes. Any paper that isn’t too thick for folding that has a pattern. Needless to say I HAVE ALOT OF PAPER! LOL!!! Thanks for the enjoyable read every morning!
DonnaB
This is absolutely beautiful! I’m partial to birch trees and cardinals
Hi Michelle; what a beautiful project you have made, using this recycled frame. I’m also getting frames too at yard sales and making things with them. I purchased some chipboard cigar boxes recently that I was wanting to collage them, but haven’t. I’ve love to see a project done with those. Jar would be good to recycle too; I just purchased a bunch of them at a yard sale for my sister to use for her canning items. There’s so many items to recycle, but I can’t think of them right at this moment - but I love your blog and all your projects. Thanks for all the ideas, and your beautiful awesome work.
Have never seen this stamp set before (love that birch tree) but will be certainly looking into this set. Have ‘just’ the right place to hang this gorgeous piece in my home. Thanks for the opportunity to win a ‘Zindorf original.
PS Christmas cards not started BUT ideas whirling in my head - now to find the time.
Michelle
Absolutely another work of art!
You are the Rembrant of the stamp, ink & brayer!
Where I live we don’t have seasons, this is an absolute delight for me
hugs
JoAnne
This is just beautiful! I like to repurpose the clear acetate packaging that a lot of items are packaged in. I use them for shaker cards, or emboss them and use them as accent pieces, and they are great for die cutting and using as your own ghost flowers!
Stunning picture! I have a pair of Cardinals I feed all year long and the simple beauty they bring to my yard is so well depicted in your piece!
Now, what do I re-purpose…..shoe boxes for one thing. They hold envelopes, cut cardstock, scraps, cards in progress, completed cards…just about anything I need a “place” for. Plastic trays pre-prepared food comes in for when I’m doing messy techniques….they can just be thrown out. Cases unmounted stamps come in….I use them for die cuts and collage elements etc. Old calendars make great envelopes and they have some great photo’s in them for collage too. Paper towel stands can hold ribbons.
I love Pam’s stamps. What you have done on this picture is great. I would love to win this. I have a great spot for it.
Michelle,
Wow, I can’t believe how beautiful that looks in the frame! A masterpiece for sure! I am currently re-purposing water bottles. Cutting them up and making bracelets and bangles with them. Course I add other things to them to “bling” them up, but it’s been fun. TFS! Cheryl
I love winter scenes and even though I live in OH I never get tired of the snow. I love looking out the window and seeing all the snow knowing I have a warm toasty fire going inside. There is nothing more heart warming then waking up on Christmas morning and seeing a new blanket of snow on the ground. Trees that have lost their leaves with their branches tipped in snow are awesome. I keep some of the brown paper that comes in the SU oder and use it for embellishing cards, tags and scrapbook pages. You can open it up, cut it to size and use ink to distress it. You can also cut it to shape, distress it and use the SU tag corner punch and make a tag for packages.
I am a huge fan of your blog, and really appreciate all the time you put into creating these beautiful tutorials. I love to repurpose glass bottles and jars. I love the different shapes, sizes and colors they come in. I use them to hold ribbons, brads, and small items in my craft area, but also love to use them in the garage for nuts and bolts. I am crossing my fingers to win this beautiful piece!
Michelle this is just absolutely stunning! I love how you repurpose the frame and the artwork you created fits it so wonderfully. I recycle as much as I can. Yard sales are a thrill to go to … never know what you will find.
From furniture to small pieces, there are no boundaries. My most recent was buying an old china cabinet ($5.00). I sanded it down, repainted it in a decorative design, added glass shelving and an interior light. Viola a new piece of furniture that now houses my porclain collection! Total cost was $35.00 plus 4 hours of my time. I now have a solid piece of wood furniture. Your picture would go perfect in my room - I would be honored to own an original Zindorf creation.
Thank you for sharing your talent. I read your blog everyday and wish I lived closer to your classes. Will you ever come to the New England area?
Hi Michelle: I absolutely love your artwork and have been busy with my brayer since I found your site. I now check it every day and am very disappointed when you have not posted. One thing that I recycle is empty “cappacino” bottles…I clean them, take off the labels and decorate them with my card making supplies, usually for Christmas…fill them with candy and sell them at our school bazaar for a couple of dollars…makes money for the school and the kids love them! Shirley.
Wow this is so beautiful. I love everything about it. Thank you for your inspiration and tutorials day after day. I am determined to learn how to do this look. I find that I’ve always had a problem throwing anything out because “I’m sure I could do something with that” is what tell myself, and it is amazing how true it proves to be. Recycling is a wonderful thing. I have to keep myself from going overboard and becoming a packrat though.
Pick me!
My favorite thing to re-purpose are cans. (or jars) I like it, because it makes the giving a little less expensive. And hopefully, people will keep them and use them again. (unlike the paper bags)
Hi Michelle-
Another beautiful creation. I just love the peaceful, quiet feeling you get from this piece. I especially like the cool feeling you get. I could use cool right about now. It’s still in the low 100’s in the Phoenix valley.
I’ve been pulling my stamps off the wood and re-mounting them, as well as new sets, on the acrylic foam so I can use all my stamps on acrylic blocks, and save storage space.
I wouldn’t be able to buy any more stamps if I didn’t do this ! I had no more room ! All those SU plastic boxes take up a lot of space ! Now I use those empty plastic boxes for storage for all kinds of things — Sharpie pens, postage stamps, address labels, push pins, …anything ! They’re clear so you can see what’s in them. I sent a bunch of them, assorted sizes, to a friend in Indiana.
Have a great week-end, and please enter me for the drawing. Thanks ! Sandy
I just love your work. I love to check your blog every day to see the newest creation. You have such a unique style and I really appreciate the many tutorials
you share with us. Thanks for the chance to win! I hope you pick me!
Gorgeous artwork, once again! I saved the large acetate-like plastic sheets that were used in various toy packaging (such as those to package Bratz dolls, etc.) thinking they had to be good for something. I am now storing some stamps mounted on EZ Mount on them and after a few months, have had no problem - the stamps peel easily off the sheets. Thank goodness, or I would have had to find some other use for them before my husband threw them out!
Breathtaking! I love the birch tree…
I love glass, so I save jars of all shapes, sizes, colors…use them to store and hold things, and even as gift containers.
I love repurposing things, too! Saved an old leather attache that my neighbor was going to throw out…some ink, stamps and ribbon later…viola! a lovely place to store my ephemra!
Thank you for the chance to win this lovely piece of art!
Another gorgeous piece! We don’t see the cardinals where we live now, I miss them. As for re-purposing items, I love using old kitchen items for either decor or storage- old tin boxes or bakeware, depression glass pieces, mason jars etc.
I’m fairly new to your blog, and just love your work!
Michelle,
I am speechless! I just LOVE this project! It is so beautiful and purdy!
I am entering because I really really want to win the picture! Ok, favorite item to repurpose would have to be the mint containers - I have so much fun making them into little mini cases for accordian scrapbooks! I repurpose other items too, but this is my fave!
hugs,
Elaine
My great aunt was an artist and I have several of her works with the ornate gold frames. I like to find new uses for boxes. Solme are decorated, some are not. I love your tutorials. Thanks for sending them.
I love to recycle so many things! Bottles, cans, jars, nut, candy, and chip tins. Cut off pieces of card stock, wrapping paper, cardboard tubes, rubber stamp scraps, paper bags, cardboard and acetate are all fun to turn into projects. Sometimes my stamping place overflows, but I try to have an” idea” day once in a while and just let the projects flow. It really cleans up my space , cost next to nothing and provides a lot of little “thinking of you cards” and little gifts. Thanks for sharing your talent with us.
Ad K.
Wow!
Dh said WOW!
Beautiful Michelle!
Breathtaking!
Repurposing is new to me…I just saved a glass jar from making dinner last night!
I love the way you used colour and a torn sticky note to create a little hill toward the bottom of the picture. I didn’t find mention of it in the tutorial, but I think you added highlights with a gold pen on the left side of the tree and its branches, am I right?
All in all, a lovely winter scene!
Oh, my god like usual it’s so gorgeous, it looks exactly like my country place, I need to win that frame so much, Quebec looks like this in winter time. You make my day every day Michelle
forgot to tell you that I recycle glass jar and wood boxes
I think I will have to check out garage sales for some frames!
I like to re-purpose my coffee cans (not very original I know), but they make great gift containers for little things, and you can decorate the outside with patterned paper so it can be useful after the gift is used. I have one in my kitchen that I keep my sweetner packets in. It looks so much nicer than the cardboard splenda box
OMIGOSH!!! Your work is AWESOME!!! I would love to take a beginner’s class. Any chance you will do another at Marco’s? I missed the first. What a marvelous picture.
OMG!!! How beautiful. Frames always capture my attention as they are so able to be picked up on the cheap. I also like to redo jars and containers but that wouldn’t work with beautiful work like yours. If you get a hankering to try it though, I would love to see it.
Wowsie, this is a gorgeous picture! I’m not to good at winning, (meaning I never do) but I am keeping my fingers crossed for this one. The scene you have created is beautiful, I can almost feel the chill in the air, wish I was there instead of the hot humid place I live, Houston. I guess I should be very happy, we just got power restored after hurricane Ike reeked havoc. Now back to the question you asked, I like to recycle mat boards, I paint them the color I need distress them or do whatever it takes to make the picture look good. I also like nice boxes, you can do so much with them, edless possibilities!
Goodbye for now, I’m off to cross my fingers and chant, pick me, pick me!!!!!
Hi Michelle - I love love love your tutorials!! I bought more inkpads, a brayer, ordered prismacolors, bought the Inkadinko witch stamps………and try very hard to create beautiful cards like you (I have a long way to go LOL).
I would like to use my flower stamps more often - I have so many and am never really sure what to do with them
Thanks for taking the time to post these tutorials - they are very helpful and fun.
What a beautiful winter scene. I love it! I enjoy re-purposing frames that I find at the Thrift Store. It’s an inexpensive way to get a great designer look. I also have several Q-tip boxes that are plastic with a flip top lid. They are the perfect size to sit in my desk drawers. One holds my acrylic stamp blocks, one holds Nestabilities shapes that I’ve cut out and another holds various pieces of card candy that I’ve made but haven’t used yet.
I hope I win!!!
Hi Michelle, I’ve only recently starting makng framed pieced but I love to alter tins and repurpose the clear plastic boxes that stamps and other embellishments use for packaging. I have reached that serious illness phase where everything I see has possibilities! LOL Love your framed art. Thanks for the chance to win!
This is simply stunning. the frame is perfect for this scene. I like how it really looks like snow. your tutorials are so inspiring. I think I need to actually get the nerve up now to try one .
Michelle, your art work is absolutely gorgeous - I keep each one in a special folder. You give so much inspiration to people like me. Thanks so much.
Michelle, you continue to amaze me with your creations! I would cherish this framed Zindorf original if I should be lucky enough to be chosen.
I repurpose SU clear plastic cases. I have unmounted most of my SU stamps and use the containers now for storing my small ink pads. I have also organized some of my cards in these cases. There are so many uses for these and their transparency and stackablility makes them a wonderful storage solution.
Thank you so much for your wonderful tutorials. I read and save nearly every one!
Hugs,
Colleen
I love to repurpose items…
I just bought a wine rack holder at a yard sale for 50cents, but won’t be using it for wine… It holds 7 bottles and although it’s a medium color wood now, it will be painted white. It will go in our bathroom to hold magazines! Between the wall and toilet, is about 10 inches… and this fits perfect! I’m so happy.
Love your winter scene. Cardinals always remind me of my grandmother, who is dearly missed… I have her cardinal collection and it gives happy memories.
~Kim D in FL
Michelle,
Thanks again for yet another masterpiece how-to! I’m always awed by each of your creations (though by now I should know it’s going to be breathtaking).
I’d love to have this beautiful piece of art since it’s probably as close to a winter scene as I’ll see here in South Carolina. I’m also originally from Indiana where the state bird is a cardinal!
I recycle those free CD’s that are always in the mailbox and use them as palettes when I’m painting.
Have a wonderful weekend and have fun with your Autumn gardening.
Randa
Just beautiful Michele. This is a perfect picture for your frame! I would love to win this, thanks for the chance.
Great winter scene! Always love seeing what you come up with!
I am into repurposing coffee filters right now….Just posted an example on my blog.
Holly
Love your wintery picture. Getting to be that time of year here!!! My favorite thing to repurpose right now is Altoid tins. I make iPod holders out of them.
I love to repurpose anything I find on the curb, on the side the road. I used to do it full time and made good money doing it. I sell the stuff at yard sales and make between $500 and $600 at each yard sale. You just wouldn’t believe the stuff people throw away!!!! Especially on moving day on a military base or near the colleges.
A chance to have one of your original works is too special to pass up. We had cardinals in the yard when I was growing up in N.C. and I tried to spot the nests.
One of my latest things is reusing the insides of security envelopes as backgrounds on cards. These liners work very well for Oriental themes.
Hey Michele,
Thanks for putting such wonderful creative techniques out into the world for all to learn from.
The shorter list would be what don’t I repurpose? Favorites…..hmmm…..I guess that would have to be bread baking pans (brayering works on those too!), Costco size Oreo Boxes(great for organizing tools or holding cleaning cloths), Dryer Lint (I spin it), pretty much anything……oh yeah paper scraps from stamp camps that are too small to do anything with (if there is such a thing) I collect all the paper and sometimes some of the teeny tiny ribbon scraps and make new paper with them. More specifically I let the good stuff leach and die the new paper and the rest acts like confetti bits of color!
I love depression era stuff - When my friends in the antique busness don’t know what to make of an oddly decorated or repurposed item they call me. Part of the charm of depression era stuff is that people repurposed the heck out of everything. I would have loved to see what my Grandmother (born in 1889) would have made of packing peanuts!
Hugs & Blessings - Jean Fitch
Stampin’Up! Demonstrator
Southern Oregon
Oh, Michelle, how do you come up with such gorgeous scenes day after day?
I mostly re-purpose containers to hold tools, pencils etc. I am reminded that I have a frame in the basement that I planned to use with a crochet project, but now can reconsider that.
Thanks for a chance to win. I also will be putting this set on my list! Love that birch tree!
I LOVE this card!!! I WANT to win, I NEED to win, I HAVE to win,…I hope I win:)
What a beautiful card! You have such a talent and are so generous to share it.
I like to recycle almost anything…love to save boxes, gift bags and even old cards.
I decorate boxes to hold my supplies, and use parts of cards to decorate them.
Thanks for all your great tutorials.
Joy M
I love this beautiful creation and would be honored to have it in my home if I win! I also re-purpose picture frames that I found at garage sales. I used to cross-stitch and have used many of those frames to put my cross-stitches in. I also keep coffee cans and jars and find all kinds of uses for them. Thanks for chance to win this beautiful piece!
I just discovered your website this week. WOW!!! You are so talented & your art truly inspires me. I like recycling cans & glass jars to decorate them and use to hold supplies, pot a plant, or put fresh flowers. Thank you for this wonderful website!
Giselle P.
I re-purpose wrapping paper that is of a high quality - it’s almost like DP and can sometimes make a card pop. Frames come in a close 2nd — it’s fun giving new life to old throw-aways. Thx for the opportunity to win.
Michelle you are SO amazing!! I always love seeing your new projects!! You’ve done some beautiful work with Pamela’s stamps too, all I can say is WOW!
I just can’t stop looking at the birch tree, it’s out of this world. So much so I headed straight to firecracker and bought this set (and 2 others oops). I could never do what you do but I do have fun stamping. I love the framed picture, although all your cards could be framed pieces of art work. Just keep finding and recycling those frames.
Christine Vancouver, BC.
Hi Michelle,
I have just recently discovered your blog and thoroughly enjoy viewing your stunning artwork. You really have inspired me to take stamping to the next level. I love this new winter scene, and would love to win it, but frankly, you’ve given me so much just by sharing your wonderful tutorials. I really appreciate the time and energy you put into these just to share it with the rest of us!!! I have just purchased the scarecrow from Firecracker and will attempt one of your designs!! Okay, I work in Boston in an office, and after Christmas I go around and collect all the beautiful Christmas cards from employees who were just going to toss them in the trash. I use these to make gift tags for Christmas presents (sometimes I just don’t have time to make my own after making all my Christmas cards)! Thanks so much for sharing!!
WOW! This is gorgeous! I am a HUGE garage sale fan. I love trash to treasure finds. You did an awesome awesome job on this one! Thanks for the terrific tutorial!
What a nice looking card, winter is coming soon. I love keeping jars and reusing then. Thanks
What a beautifully serene picture Michelle! I love the way you shaded the snow — it is just how it looks here in Ohio! I have seen many a morning with a lone cardinal surrounded by snow. I especially love that you used my favorite tree - the birtch. Thank you for offering it to the lucky winner!
I would love to own a Zindorf original!!! It would go wonderfully in my craft room, where stangely enough, I don’t have one thing hanging on my walls. I give everything I make away so my walls are bare! This would help brighten the room up a lot.
Repurposed projects - I like using the Altoid tins (and any other tin boxes for that matter). Last Christmas, I painted a couple of the boxes, put 4 ball feet on each, then took them to my two grandsons (aged 2 and 4 at the time) with a bunch of different stickers. They both had fun picking out the stickers they liked and putting them on the boxes. I also had some sticker gems and cutouts that they used. By the time they had finished, they were uniquely their own. I helped them wrap them, and they gave them to their Dad for Christmas for his desk. They were both so proud of themselves that they had made their gifts themselves. In fact, the 4 year old stated “This is awesome, Grandma!”
My most recent re-purpose item is a nice piece of cardboard, about 30×30, kinda between cardstock and chipboard weight that needed recycled from work. Just brought it home yesterday. I also like to re-use string, twine, ribbon. I do have a start on my Christmas cards–Have done 4 of your “Still Winter”Cards–wonder if I can turn a “Trees Three” into a birch? Have some ideas! Thanks for sharing your wonderful work with us. You’ve definately helped take my card-making to a new dimension.
THERE IS NOTHING PRETTIER THAN A CARDINAL IN THE SNOW. TWO OF GOD’S NICEST CREATIONS. YOUR SCENE IS BEAUTIFUL AND YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB OF “GOING GREEN” BY REUSING THE FRAMES. I TRY TO DO THE SAME.
MY 63RD BIRTHDAY IS IN OCT. AND MAYBE I’LL BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO WIN YOUR CREATION.
BLESSINGS, TOMI JO
Another stunning piece of art! I have just the place for this- pick me, pick me!!!
I find uses for containers of any type- for storing all of the ‘things and stuff’ I need for my crafting…….. I do not have a separate craft room, so I need a way to contain all of my supplies.
I Love your blog posts every day! Thanks so much!
Hey Michelle -
This is STUNNING!!
I won’t start my Christmas cards this month - BUT I WILL FEEL GUILTY ABOUT IT ALL MONTH!!
I like to repurpose candy containers - mint tins, tic tac holders, etc. Paint em, cover em with paper - you name it.
This project is amazing - and I thought that that gold line was a mat until you got to the gold pen step.
TFS!
Oh - and TFS on the Page Sage deal too.
I like to repurpose mailing/packaging envelopes, tins, tote bags etc… It is great to get something and then make something different out of it!
Love this frame & picture!! Thanks for sharing…
Love this scene! Winter is one of my favorite seasons and this scene look so peaceful. Pick me please! As for Chrismas cards…yes, I’ve begun. Not because I have to, though. My Christmas card list is based on how many Christmas cards I wind up making that year, so if I feel particularly inspired my list could be 50. If I have a creative slump, only a handful would make the cut. I got some fun Christmas stamps this year so I may have a long list!
Michelle,
Another masterpiece. We always recycle old furniture and clothes. We have a good size family and when we are done with something we put out the word to the family. There are always someone who can use it. My favorite thing is a yard sale for stampers that our local craft store holds once a year. You can sell old stamps, tools etc. and then use the money to buy new stamps. You pay $25 dollars for the table and price your things and keep whatever you make. The store also has a clearance section. A win win for everyone. Thank you againfor sharing you beautiful creations with us.
Linda
I reuse ribbon from packages, and lately I have been altering the crystal light containers. Thanks for a chance at this fabulous candy!
Fabulous winter scene!!!
I don’t re-purpose a lot…but I have one funny item. My DH and I LOVE Jolly Time Blast O Butter popcorn. We buy it inexpensively at a local store called Big R. A case of 30 has 2 boxes of 15 popcorn bags. Those 2 boxes are perfectly sized for invitation sized cards!! So I keep my cards in them! Now I need to start altering the boxes so they actually look nice!
When I saw this, it made me homesick. I am from Kentucky and the cardinal is our state bird. I remember climbing the hills near our home in the snow so I could see the beautiful view. I miss doing that. I love all your creations, but anything with snow and country makes me think of home. Right now we live in North Dakota we’re air force, so yeah we still get snow here too, but nothing can compare to the memories of home. Thanks for sharing this!
Candy
Gorgeous!!! My mom loves cardinals and I’d love to win this on her behalf. As for me, I would love to repurpose the tins my baking implements come in. And now I want to repurpose picture frames as you have ably demonstrated. Thanks for continuing to share your talent!
WOWZA!!
I was directed to your site by a friend in South Africa! Hi Bridget!! I just want to let you know your work is amazing and you are sooooo talented! I repurpose all those little credit card things that you get in the mail. You know, the little cards that come in the ‘You have been PRE-APPROVED!” Apply now! They make great little atc’s, little photo books and gift cards for various things (I give them to my family for things like, one night of babysitting, one lunch on me, one Sunday morning breakfast in bed etc). Thanks for sharing all of your talents and oh–Pick me!! LOL
Hi Michelle,
Altoid tins. I love to ink them up and embellish them, then fill them with different things to give away. As always, love your creations. Thanks for sharing.
Cathie in Maryland
WOW WOW WOW!!!! Absolutely gorgeous! I wish I lived close to take one of your classes.
I don’t know that I actually repurpose things much but I certainly use things up until they are completely useless (ie, jeans until DH makes me throw them away and a piece of cardstock until it is down to a sliver). I had to laugh when you said in your instructions today to throw the used post it note away! Was that for me? How did you know I reuse them until they loose their sticky! Thanks again for your constant inspiration and the chance at this fabulous piece of art!
I am constantly amazed at how you do this. I dabbled a couple of times and realize how much thought you put into putting together your pictures. I swear I see the sunlight off the side of the tree. Actually the gold frame reflection hitting the embossing powder but still amazing!
Michelle….you are wonderful. I wish I had the ability to get to garage sales, because I do ALL kinds of crafts from beading, stitching to cards. I sometimes re-use holy cards or other greeting cards in my crafts. I get beads or beaded necklaces from my friends and take them apart and use them over again. Boxes and cardboard are my big thing too.
Wonderful picture, love the way you have coloured the trunk of the silver birch tree. I have some cardboard boxes that I intend to re-purpose. I read somewhere that the polymer stamps continue to cure and can go hard so I figured I had better store mine in the dark - that’s what the cardboard boxes are for, but I need to decorate them to make them with some pretty papers and stamps and things…. another of those projects I keep meaning to get around to. Hope I am lucky enough to win this picture, it would be incredible to have a Michelle Zindorf original to hang above my craft space to inspire me.
Michelle, I sure wish you would pick my name. It would be a honor to hang that picture in my livingroom by the Queen or braying.
MaryS
Each time I come to your blog I go WOW! You’re one amazing artist & equally amazing by giving us a tutorial. You spoil us! I like to reuse acetate for shaker cards. You can find it on all sorts of products.
Another beautiful piece of eye candy that would look awesome on one of my walls - as for re-purposing, my studio area is full of thread scraps and ribbon to be re-used on a card, chocolate wrappers to be smoothed off for background layers, small prescription ‘pill bottles’ used to store brads etc in, old acetates to cut up and use in cards - I think my family dispairs of me, and I am often told that nobody would want to clear my studio area, it would be too big a job!!
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! My neices and nephews have been reeinforcing that one lately. Have always recycled…the idea of repurposing is gaining popularity with me. I have always used old Christmas cards as gift tags…now to expand my horizons!
Your piece is beautiful…as usual. Like many others…I LOVE cardinals and birch trees, and have the PERFECT spot for your art!
Your stunning artwork always takes my breath away, Michelle! Thank you so much for sharing your talent with these detailed tutorials. I love checking out your blog for inspiration. This particular piece is so peaceful and beautiful! I repurpose gift bags and ribbon. I LOVE ribbon and can’t stand to see anyone toss those extra special ribbons into the trash container and will ask if they mind if I take it.
I just love your artwork. I would be proud to hang this beautiful piece in my home. My favorite thing to reuse is junk mail. I keep envelopes that have interesting “insides”. They can be used to as backgrounds or can be punched to make some cute flowers or whatever. Thanks for the chance to win this great stamp art.
Beautiful winter scene, that tree looks so real!! I would say my favorite thing was my Daughters old dresser, I repainted it to match my craft room and now it houses my fabric!
I am so glad you framed this as it is a work of art. Wow!!
What do I re-purpose: I save all little bits of ribbon and small saftey pins that have the tags attatched to new clothes I buy.
I also save any kind of acetate that comes with something I’ve purchased. As well as cardboard.
Great Christmas card idea! I should be starting mine, seems like it takes me forever to get them all done. I re-use or re-do almost everything. My house is full of re-do’s. From envelopes to make treat bags, to purchased cards I’ve received used for back grounds or sometimes the sentiment cut out with a punch. Makes for a cluttered living space. In the process of down sizing it all. LOL Have a great day!
Wow Michelle this picture is gorgeous. I recycle a lot of things like people say in their comments. So I’ll tell you 2 things we don’t often see. I use old phone directory to glue or stamp. When a page is dirty I take the page off and throw in garbage. It lasts a long time. The other thing is I re-use nail polish bottles. I empty them, clean them. When I paint a room, I pour some paint in it. I store this little bottle in a drawer in the room where the paint belongs. If I need to paint a small spot on the wall later, I take out my little bottle of (nail polish) paint. The brush is already inside and no need to clean it, no mess, when the work is done I just put it back where it belongs. I hope these two tips can help someone!
Your creations always amaze me - how can one person be so talented?
I particularly love the birch tree that you used as my parents are from Europe and my dad used to collect the sap from the birch trees when he was a young boy. It was made into a sweet drink and he often tells me about this. I also have a beautiful birch tree growing in my garden. When it comes to recycling I use interesting shaped jars which I colour with alcohol inks and turn in to beautiful vases.
Thanks for the chance to win your creation.
WOW! What great inspiration! I like to repurpose tabs from aluminum cans. They are great to use as an accent on cards that can be colored by stamping them with craft paint and sealing the color in with embossing. Hoping I’m the lucky winner, if not no problem I am thrilled to see each and every tutorial you post to keep me inspired.
Happy Fall!
Hi Michelle,
First I must say this is another stunning card. I love the way you
stamp your scenes! I could never visualize the scenes you do using the stamps you do. But I am learning from you.
My favorite repurposed item is a thin drawer that we weren’t using, my neighbor
put 2 shelves in it. I have it on top of my stamping table and use it to hold my
supplies such a gamsol and my lastest wood mounted stamps.
Bev
Beautiful card!!! I would say that when I see something that I can reuse I do it, for example I put my embossing powder in bing plastic containers and I used the little container to put small buttons there, LOL
Have a great day
God bless
Giovana
I love cardinals in winter scenes and when my new stamp sets arrive, this card is what I am going to make. The thing I would like to repurpose is my husband! (LOL) He is getting ready to retire and I think his brain is already there! Can you make a masculine card that I can put a “Honey Do” list on? Seriously, I like to recycle glass jars and use etching medium on them, fill them with goodies and give them as gifts.
Hi Michelle, Cardinals are one of my favorites. I love this framed art. My husband and I just scored a ton (well almost a ton - a lot anyway) of fabric and wall paper samples from a closed factory here in our little town. We are both looking forward to all the interesting things we can make with someone else’s trash!
Cheers,
Linda W in NH
Awesome! I like to repurpose cans and jars for gift giving.
What a lovely picture Michelle! I got chilly just looking at it.
My favorite thing to repurpose is probably coasters. I love taking them and turning them into calendars, boxes, etc.
Thanks!
Shawn K.
The cardinal is beautiful! We don’t get snow like that here in Northeast Texas. The picture would be wonderful to look at and pretend we do.
Hi Michelle,
Love the picture. Wish I could sponge and brayer like you! My favorite thing to repurpose are the tabs from soda cans. They make great ribbon slides and can even be spray painted different colors.
Robbie
You do great work! And now that I’ve taken your class, I’m getting even more out of your tutorials. Please keep them up, and have you considered writing a book???
I like to repurpose Altoid tins. I call them “mini scrapbooks.” Pretty scrapping paper on the outside top and bottom (with charms, rub-ons etc). Photo or stamped picture on the inside top. Greeting or message on the inside bottom. They make nice little gifts that represent time and sentiment, but not a lot of money.
Thanks for sharing another great tutorial!
It would be wonderful to win your beautiful work!
DeniseB
Absolutely love this picture. Love everything you do. I posted your blog on my local group and a couple girls got busy creating some of their own works of art. You are wonderful. Keep up the good work.
I like to save all jars to use as ribbon holders and button holders. I also save big pickle jars to save can tabs (to give to Shriners Hospital) and also the plastic coffee cans to save can tabs. I use mint tins to make my son cards with his sight words and spelling words. I use scrap papers to put the words on. Use old pill bottles to keep safety and sewing pins and buttons in. There are so many things, I cannot think of now.
Keep showing us your wonderful work.
You are amazing !!! This may be the card I start with in a series of Zindorf copies. Not to difficult, but definely beautiful. I read a lot of the re-cycled items above but, did not see one I have started to do…. I take the scraps from the Stampin up stamps and cut out small designs and attach them to dalrods from my husbands workshop. Also, made a brick wall, a rock wall, etc. from the scraps.
Winning this artwork from you would be the highlite of my card making efforts.
Keep up the wonderful work.
VStevens
This piece is absolutely stunning! I feel like I could walk right in and start building a snowman! I look forward to checking out your site everyday to see your new, wonderful creations. I only wish that mine would turn out as beautiful.
I am a reduce, reuse, recycle person from way back. The newest thing I have been repurposing (is that a word) is the small, plastic, rectangular baby food containers with lids. My granddaughter just started eating solid food and I have been using them for beads, brads, and other embellishments.
WOW!!!! How gorgeous!!!!
My favorite thing for recycling is kitchen containers- I use them for storage for all my supplies. They work great and I’m not buying a lot of “special” stuff.
As for re-purposing into my crafting, I like glossy magazine pages to use for making diecuts and such with my cuttlebug or Punch Magic punches.
You never cease to amaze me! I look forward to your tutorials each day..
I like to repurpose little bags. YOu know the cute little bags that stores put your give you. They can add alot to a card.
thanks for all you do.
Emanuella
Fantastic work as always, and truly thanks so much for sharing with us all. My number one repurposer is large warehouse size cereal and snack boxes - they are my chipboard! I can cut whatever shape and size I want. I have used them to make the big paper clip “clippies” or sturdy card embellishments. My famous line is “don’t throw THAT away!”
Love your card, it makes me shiver to look at it and the cardinal seems almost real. Please enter me in the random drawing. Thanks
Marilyn
Your work is so inspiring. Thanks for sharing! I love to repurpose all kinds of containers. I use them for storage, gifts and other useful stuff.
Love your work!
I love re-using baby food jars!
They’re just the right size for storing little knick knacky things on my desk. I have one with ribbon scraps, one with beads, one with assorted eyelets and brads that otherwise don’t have a home and one with misc bits and bobs!
Another beautiful card!
I also like to find frames at garage sales for paintings I do. I recycle almost anything that I think I can get some use out of. Cereal boxes, I go to a cigar store and ask for their used ones to make trinket boxes out of, old blue jeans and buttons off of worn out clothes, piece of the cloth for that matter, clear film on many items or bits of plastic. Anything I can make something with, lol.
Thank you for the opportunity.
I like to re-purpose newspaper by using it as gift wrap, making flowers and tags for scrapbooking and cards and altered art. I also re-purpose old frames too. I love all of your projects and get alot of ideas and techniques from your site, you are truely a master at your art. Thanks for sharring yout talent. Linda
What a talent and your tutorial is so very clear. I repurpose way too many things and my office shows it!!! I save old buttons, old jars, frapachino bottles, candles–guess if I think it will make something, I save it. I even save the cardboard from cereal boxes!!! Thanks for this chance to win this beautiful work of art.
Cheryl Sims
Thanks again for another great tutorial.
I reuse the containers that sushi comes in - I find them a great size to hold pens in, as well as to send my daughters lunch to school in - I also use them to hold different items used while scrapbooking - cut out pieces to be used later - I hate throwing things away.
Sandra
Michelle, you are so generous giving us a daily tutorial and wonderful blog candy. I would be so honored to have a Michelle Zindorf original and I have just the right spot on my wall for Winter Cardinal. I have my fingers and toes crossed hoping I’ll win. Marliese
Your work is inspiring, thatnks for sharing!! I have a couple of empty room diffuser bottles that I would like to repurpose; I just need a plan!
I more appreciate winter from indoors, LOL! I’ve often said God put me here to more appreciate spring, summer and fall, but I must admit I do love the change of seasons! In my work I receive lots of bound materials for quarterly meetings and I generally break everything down and hoard the binding, cardstock, and acrylic covers for use in later stamping projects.
I look at everything as if it can be repurposed! My stamping office is full of boxes, bottles, jars and bags to use. I just need to find the time. I never really looked at frames. I have a whole new outlook to look for. Yard sales here I come.
Love your Artwork! I repurposed tow old film strip cabinets I purchased for very little money into storage cabinets for my single wood mounted stamps. Thanks for sharing your time and talent!
What a beautiful winter scene! I can’t wait to try it! I also like to reuse old picture frames. In our card minstry at church we recycle old greeting cards to make new ones. Keep up the good work of inspiring us!!
I’m a major re-purposer! I think the most common one for me is Mason Jars. Not only do I can with them, I stuff them w/ pens & pencils, ribbon scraps, buttons, candies in the pantry, gravies and sauces in the fridge, I fill them with candle wax…. they are indeffinately reusable!
Great tutorial! As always….
Love the winter scene - won’t be long and it will be real in here in Missouri.
I have found the foil that seals many food products, such as my favorite, coffee, is a great to run through the cuttlebug. I used a snowflake folder and it looks just like a shiney christmas ornament.
Thanks for your inspiration - I’m spending this morning trying the previous tutorial, the hummingbird. For once, I have all the supplies I need to try and replicate it!
Winter scenes are my favorites..have to be since I live in New Hampshire.
In my stamping area I have many treasures that I’ve picked up at yard sales or flea markets and put to good use organizing my supplies. My stamps are all displayed on hanging shelves that were originally used for other purposes. When a local newspaper cleaned out its basement I went wild and took all their boxes used to store old type pieces. These make wonderful hanging shelves to display my wood mounted stamps.
I also use old baskets, vases, flower pots, trays, and dresser sets. Organizing my supplies is one of my favorite things about my hobby.
The winter cardinal is such a beautiful piece, Michelle! I like to repurpose the wide plastic jars that I buy almonds in from Target. They have a plain grayish silver screw on top and when you remove the label, they’re perfect for altering for anything! I’ve used mine for coffee, ribbons, and buttons.
The winter cardinal made me realize how soon winter will really be there. I am an avid yard saler and am always on the lookout for ceramic tiles that people have left over from their projects. I stamp on them, spray with an acrylic spray and they become a “hotplate”. I often coordinate them with a card and give as a gift.
I love your work, my favorite coffee time is studying your tutorials on brayer work, you have great imagination and come up with beautiful scenes and color combinations. At the moment I am re-purposing the vacuum seal from the large tins of coffee, I have found that they make wonderful snowflakes when run through the Cuttlebug, have to use a piece of cardstock over them, they are quite thin, but they have a thin film of plastic in the core so they are quite strong. I am new to card making but have been crafting for years so I always look at everything twice asking myself “What could I do with this”? Where all the good ideas come from.
What a beautiful scene! Your tutorials are such an inspiration - thank you!
What a beautiful picture! I love the gold! My favorite item to repurpose is probably Ball Canning Jars. You can do so much with them: fill them with old spools or anything for that matter and use as a decorations. Make ‘Soup in a Jar’ or ‘cookies in a jar’ and give them as gifts. You can even attach a light fixture and make them into lights! The list is endless!
Wow, Michelle, what a serene, majestic picture! Love how you reused the frame - it sets off your picture just beautifully! I would be so honored to hang this in my studio for inspiration! :o)
I like to recylce my protective surface paper (you know the one with all the ink smears, test stamp images, etc?). I find they make very interesting card backgrounds when cut into panels!
Thanks for the inspiration, as always!
Ursula
Great tutorial - I just love your work! One item I re-purposed was an old wine rack I won on ebay. I filled it with clear plastic cups and store my pens, markers, and little scrapbooking toys in the them. Thanks for the chance to win!
I so love all your tutorials. I recycle everything I cn. I reuse a lot with my youth program at church. We recyle cards and make new ones for the local nursing home and the shut in of our church. We recycle the one liter pop bottles we use at church to fill with fresh water for the people without clean drinking water. I reuse my gift bags and boxes. There is just too much to list here but thanks for asking and thanks for sharing your talent and the beautiful picture with us.
Perfect blend, my coffee and your cards and tutorials.
What a beautiful winter scene! So peaceful and serene. I was so excited to see that you made a framed piece. I have made several framed pieces as gifts for family members. There are severall things I like to re-purpose. I have bought 2 jars of old buttons at auctions and love to search for just the right button for a project. Recently I used a piece of tulle fabric that I’ve had for almost a year. I used it in a framed collage of wedding photos that I created for my sister-in-law.
What a beautiful project. I can see doing quite a few of these for Christmas presents! Thank you so much for your website and your step-by-step tutorials. Now, if I could just get my craft room DONE, I’d be up there trying these tutorials out.
I would love to see a way to alter all those blue punch box tins everyone bought from SU when they were available. I know I bought 10 of them and they’re still sitting in the box they came in!
Thanks Again!
First I must say I would just DIE if I had a Zindorff original! I’ve been following you on SCS even before you had a blog. So what would I like to re-purpose…it’s not really stamping related but I have a couple lamps which are purely functional, but I no longer like the base of the lamp. They are porcelain and I would love to do something creative to them…what, i don’t know…but one day the idea will come to me!
Michelle, I admire your use of passionate colors, the depth and glow to your work inspires me. I have tried many of your tutorials and they are so well written and easy to understand, however my work does not compare to yours. I would love to take one of your classes!
We re-purpose lots of items around here. My daughter took a plastic water bottle and turned it into a tornado. She also turned a card board box into a castle. We have used the Ranger Alcohol Inks on glass water bottles making them into flower vases. We have taken paper bags (small ones) and made them into scrapbooks.
Thank you for showing us your art.
Wow, thanks so much for the opportunity to win such a wonderful piece of your art! I am so inspired by your work! or is it play?
Really, I look at everything, and ask myself what I could re use it for. Right now, in my craft room I have re-purposed a fantastic set of test tube spice holders to now hold my beads, brads and gems. I also re-purpose frames, as you do, and use them to make shadow boxes. I never throw away a good bottle or box because I know I can alter it! The list goes on…
I have been crafting in one way or other since I was old enough to hold a crayon, and therefore re-purposing for only a little less long than that!
smiles,Deena
Hi Michelle,
Again, another work of art. I want you to know I officially tried to brayer one of your tuturiols.. guess what? I don’t have a heat gun yet, so I tried a blowdryer..haha.. it didn’t work(talk about repurposing). I will work on getting a heat gun next w/ coupon @ Michaels.
I like to reuse many things.
I coupons shop, so I use :
Envies you get in the mail for ‘returning credit apps, remittance envies; etc.’ in my coupon organizer to divide catatories.
General Foods Intl. Coffee cans for all my different ‘woodies’ craft items.
Cottenelle toilet wipe containers. I make first aid kits, guest soaps, feminine items; etc boxes for camper, home, travel. I store qtips, cottonballs, and other items in them. I take the tops off and put them in my ‘junk’ drawers for odds and ends. Instead of buying expensive drawer organizers. Every closet and drawer in my house has the containers.
Used printer paper, for test copies and crafts painting/stamping.
Shredder paper for mailing packages that need fillers.
Cereal bags are reused for pounding chicken,pork or beef in place of wax paper.
Cardboard pieces from cereal, crackers; etc, I cut up for various uses for mailing.
Rocks: I paint on rocks I find. If I find odd shaped rocks I paint them and use them as Gnome house paper weights, little ladybugs and give away for ‘goodluck’ charms and paint rocks to look like strawberries.
Old pieces of 1″ x 4″ x 8 ” wood: I make ‘REDNECK WINDCHIMES’.
Maybe I will upload those to my gallery one day if anyone is interested.
I could go on and on, but I won’t bore you. Will leave others a chance to share their tips. I enjoy reading about recycling household items.
Thank you Michelle for all your hard work and sharing for we ‘lay people’ to see.
WOW! I am ALWAYS attracted to snow scenes. This is incredibly beautiful. Such a simple design, yet I spent minutes looking over all the elements on the scene.
I am a newbie to your site and your work and I was blown away. You even inspired me to try my hand at your technique!!
I recyle anything that looks like I might be able to use it for stamping. Interesting wrapping paper, clear plastic from boxes and such. Elements from purchased gift cards I receive. Pretty paper bags that small shops give you when you purchase something. You name it.
Thanks for sharing your work…….it is gorgeous!! Now that I have looked back at your work, can’t wait to see what’s coming up. Sue Drees
Beautiful artwork Michelle! I am not looking forward to winter, but I love the winter scene you have created! Another stamp set I have placxed on my wish list! As far as repurposing, I would have to say paper and colored bottles. I love color especially how it changes in the light…and if I get a book or calendar with extra pages, they are always saved for some rainy day when I feel the need to write or list things out. Keep up the beautiful work, your audience loves you!
Beth C
WOW, Michelle! You do beautiful work! My friend directed me here, I’ve subscribed to your blog, and look forward to much more of your work. I am a quilter and love to reproduce quilts from years ago, putting on my own personal touches.
Another gorgeous creation…I want to be you when I grow up.
I use old spice bottles to hold my dew drops and other small embellishments. So easy to jazz them up with rub-ons for holding small flowers and other tiny gifts. I just pop a die cut circle over the lid to hide the words…Justrite stampers are perfect for this project too.
I just found your blog and I am now hooked. You’re ideas are wonderful and I am so greatful that you are sharing them and the how to’s. It’s 11pm and I am so about to pull out my brayer.
Love, love, love your cards and the cardinal winter scene is no exception!! We re-purpose lots of things around my house…. egg cartons become seed starting stations… large liter soda bottles are water reservoirs for my tomato plants… old nylons are used to tie up tomato and other sprawling plants… driftwood becomes “bodies” or pieces of altered art projects… old photographs that didn’t turn out quite right are cut into “mosaic” pieces and used as backgrounds on decorative altered boxes, books, cards…. old Christmas cards are folded “origami” style into little gift boxes.. my daughter is very nimble at folding the tiniest pieces…and the list goes on…Old jeans become “aprons”, or quilt patches, or parts for purses.. chop sticks become backs to bind handmade books.
WOW!! This is gorgeous!! What a beautiful scene! I love to recycle old frames too but I also like to “pretty up” boxes of all sizes and types! Cover with PP, ribbons, bows, buttons, etc!! Hugs…
Beautiful art work!! I recycle everything into something else. Even if I have clothes that can’t go to goodwill, I make sure I take off all the buttons to use in some craft project. Love the chance to win this one - thanks!!
Oh boy!!
This is so stunning and makes me feel very “wintry.” I love winter!
My dear sweetie hails from Louisville, KY so Cardinals are very special to me, in all their incarnations. This is one is very special indeed.
I like to recycle when possible and one of my favorite things is buttons. I save all the “extra buttons” that come with a blouse or coat et cetera and not only use them in crafting but also enjoy putting different buttons on shirts for a more eclectic look.
Thanks for the opportunity to own a very special Zindorf Original.
Two of my favorite things; birtch trees and cardinals. I grew up in Minneapolis MN where we always had cardinals in our yard. 30 years ago I moved way up north to Duluth where it was to cold for those birds. Much to my surprise I had a pair of cardinals at my bird feeder this year! It has been fun to watche them.
Thanks you so much for the beautiful work that you do and your willingness to share it with all of us.
Michelle, you are unbelievably thrifty… who would begin to imagine that your frame was on 75 cents at a garage sale? You re-purposed so wonderfully too!
As for what an item I like to re-purpose, I have two favorites… first are our coat hangers from the dry cleaners/laundry, we’ll collect two handfuls and then take them back when we drop off the next batch of shirts and dresses. We learned this recycling tip when we were stationed in Japan.
The second thing I like to re-purpose is a plastic water bottle. I particularily like the square ones so I have three total from 2 different brands. Now I just fill them up from the tap or our water cooler and I feel better that I’m not contributing to the landfill problems with all those plastic water bottles I used in the past.