Hello stampers. Now that is one strange title isn’t it? #loveitchopit This is the catchy title given to a very simple method guaranteed to get you using your designer series paper, or for those not used to such papercrafting “technospeak”, your patterned paper. We tend to buy paper because we love it and then we hoard it because we love it. So silly really. You should use the things you love. You can always buy more if you just want to look at it. So the reasoning behind this catchy title is that if you love it, you should chop it. That’s right, take a whole pack of paper and cut it up into usable pieces that will make it easy for you to make beautiful cards. I have found that you can cut two sheets of designer series paper at the same time, so this will also save you time.

For your 12 x 12 paper you simply cut it into four inch wide strips. Then cut the four inch strips into 5 1/4 inch sections. One sheet of 12×12 will give you six card fronts, so an entire package will give you 72 card fronts!! You will have 4″ x 1 1/2″ strips left over that can also be put to good use. Here are some examples:

You can see how I used the small 4″ strips as well. Here is another one using the same layout and paper.

You will be so very pleasantly surprised to see how fast you can put these cards together when you have all your patterned paper already cut. No need to reinvent the wheel each time as the cards are going to different people. Only the sentiment is stamped on this card. Easy-peasy.

This last card takes a little more time. The Bubbles and Fizz paper is in the background and then a piece of shimmer white cardstock. I stamped the sentiment in Memento black and then colour washed with Brusho to give a rainbow effect. Add a few rhinestones and you’re done!

It is embarrassing to admit that I have had this Petal Garden paper for almost a year without using a scrap of it. Once I used the #loveitchopit method I had a few cards made in no time at all. What is so lovely about our Stampin’Up! paper is that it coordinates beautifully together and with our cardstock so it always looks polished and professional. (sort of like mixing and matching coordinating outfits)

For the 6×6″ paper I find it most useful to cut it two ways, either into 3″ squares or into 2′ x 5 1/2″ strips. Both maximize the use of the paper with very little waste. In fact you can use the 1/2″ strips as well. Here is another card using the 3″ squares but with the addition of the 2″ x 5 1/2″ strip for a decadent use of paper!! Just kidding.

The third card using the Petal Garden paper and the #loveitchopit technique is super simple and perfect for those of you who don’t like tying bows. Simply wrap the ribbon around your strip of patterned paper and adhere it to the back. Not even a knot required!!

Now all this chopping begs the question, how do I now store this paper? I find it very convenient to store things in a similar way, so the best way in my humble opinion is in our wide clear cases. Label them and they store wonderfully right along with your stamp sets. Take a peek at what I did, and ask anyone, organizing does not come naturally to me, but once you start it sure does make your life easier!

The #loveitchopit method results in smaller pieces of patterned paper which now store beautifully in these clear cases. I am pretty excited about this. I find that when your products are all ready to go and stored in a logical fashion you will use them more readily and more quickly. Anything to make card making more easy right?

I will end this blog post with a short video that I shared earlier. A special thanks to Kylie Bertucci from Australia for coming up with this catchy title. It certainly piqued my interest and when I watched her video I saw that her method was very similar to what I was already doing and finding very successful. Kylie cuts her 12×12 paper into 6″ strips whereas I like to cut mine into 4″ strips. You will find the way that works best for you, as long as you don’t keep it on the shelf and hoard it!

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B0Gx_3E-yc

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