Another Frugal Tip AND Trash & Stash Post

This is just an awesome box. Do you know why?

1. It's Trash
2. It's an awesome dark brown color
3. It was filled with straw
4. It was covered by "acrylic"
5. It was tied with a really sweet bow
6. It's cardboard, so gives me yet another reason to dust off my old sizzix die cuts, whoo hoo!!

I just love the color brown, especially really dark brown...reminds me of a semi-sweet dark chocolate Hershey bar. To make the title below, I inked one of my flourish stamps with a paint dabber, stamped on the brown cardboard, put it through my Big Shot using sizzix alpha dies and voila...I made some really awesome letters! (also looks like mint chocolate chip ice cream to me.)

Next, I used the straw that was in the box on the awesome card below. I also used another technique that my friend Paula taught me today when she came over to "play". Thank you , Paula:)

For the block on the left of this card, I started with glossy cardstock and applied alcohol inks with a cotton ball. Then I added the blending solution by spraying it from a mini mister. The blending solution helps disperse the alcohol ink and lightens the area up a little bit. I then used a stamp from my stash (it's really a floral stamp, but looks like a tree here) to add a design. I also used this same stamp with "old paper" distress ink to the sentiment block. The straw across the bottom of the card is from my "trash" above.

I didn't use the "acrylic" yet, but since I've used it before, feel free to view some of my other "Trash and my Stash" projects for ideas.

Enjoy!