Using up the old stuff you've forgotten about is actually fun....

I wanted to share a couple of random things, and a layout with you today. The first is my very large collection of cards that I am sending on Monday to Operation Write Home. As I was going through my cards a couple weeks ago, I realized that I have so many (over 500) handmade cards, and I don't possibly know what I would do with all of them. I almost feel like I can't make more because I have so many already. I wanted to do something good with them, and I remembered that you can donate cards to send to the troops. So after a couple hours this past weekend, I came up with the below box of over 300 cards to send out this next week. I hope the recipients enjoy them, as much as I enjoyed making them.

Next is an idea that I came up with this past weekend. I'm taking May's 'Use your Stash' class over at Big Picture Scrapbooking, and I've been going through all of my scrapbook stuff. I've had a pile of things that I want to get used up - mostly items I forget about, and haven't looked at in over a year. The 'pile' idea wasn't really working for me. I had this corkboard I intended to put on the wall....I got it up this weekend and had the great idea to pin up everything (other than paper and metal embellishments) that I wanted to use over the next month. Here's a pic of it.

It's mostly packaged stickers, rub ons, and parts from kits I've ordered (and those dreaded vellum sheets). It's actually really working for me. I look up at the board when I'm starting a layout to see what I can use.

Ok, on to a couple layouts. I've had alot of trouble with blogger allowing me to post my layouts in the correct orientation. At least for today, it appears to be working. Both of these layouts was based on using up some of my stash. I'm moving outside of my normal comfort zone and I am LOVING IT!!!

I had purchased this bright patterned paper from Stampin' Up! last year to use at a birthday party stamping class. I ended up with some leftover, and it's not really my style, although very fun. The flowers were something purchased a couple years ago as well, and have been used very little. The picture of my sister and niece in the water looked perfect with this turquoise paper.

Last for today - another layout. I absolutely love this Cosmo Cricket paper!!! I bought the paper for a scrapbook I'm still working on, but I'm ending up with too much paper. All of the words on here are from a chipboard set that I haven't touched since I bought it. I started by looking at all of the words, and realized that so many of them expressed how I felt about my husband. The idea for the page started to take shape. My hubby is a pilot, and we are flying in his airplane in the picture. The airplane rub on was just a fun last addition.