Matchbook Notepads from Scraps

As many of you know, I am sort of obsessed with using up scraps, especially paper.  I just cleaned out my bins and boy, do I have lots of beautiful, too-good-to-throw-away paper scraps.  I had to think of a way to use them up.  In a post a long time ago I made matchbook notepads by folding and scoring rectangle pieces of card stock, but when I saw the Tim Holtz matchbook die, I knew that it would make the cutting go faster. The following photos are the results of a little playtime with my scraps.  (Note: The TH die cuts two different  sized matchbooks at the same time.) For the front decorations I used a Sizzix die set (Fancy Square....love, love, love it), stamps from a Hero Arts clear set (happiness messages), small Dandelion Design stamps, and assorted embellishments. The inside pages were cut from used computer paper...great way to recycle all those printed-on-one-side sheets.  One of the matchbooks has a cut out butterfly that was made with a Tim Holtz magnetic die that can be inserted in the opening of one of the matchbook dies. The back of the front cover was then covered with a solid colored card stock and the butterfly glued back into the opening.  Sometimes I didn't staple nicely so I covered up the boo-boo with ribbon. (See the matchbook with the DD image holding a cupcake.) With all the ribbon I have, I couldn't find a lavender one of the right width, so I printed the Hero Arts saying on Heiko ribbon using black pigment ink. 

 I feel good when I don't waste my supplies and recycle. I plan to pass these little scratch pads out to friends and as a type of bonus 'tip' to those who give good service (hair dressers, waitresses, etc.)  (I read about another blogger who passes out handmade magnets.)  Craft a little happiness today!