“Creativity is making marvelous out of the discarded.” — Anonymous
When someone commented positively recently about my posts on upcycling, only then I looked back and realised I did not share any of the crafts I worked on throughout the year last year in my blog. In fact, I did not even blog that much over the last 12 months.
My upcycled projects last year were few. Besides, I had “succumbed to the hashtag” and posted those few creations on Instagram instead along with some of the older projects from the past few years.
I played more with paper and card off-cuts last year. I visited my printer friend Mary often especially in the last few months and every time after I had been to her place, I would come home with stacks of good quality paper or card off-cuts that they kept for me.

a fellow upcycler and I just think that it is almost a crime to discard these or send them for recycling!

so many ideas and possibilities go through our minds when we saw these…
This monster of a machine amazes me — cutting inches thick paper and cards like butter!

I have learnt over time and now, I get this guy to cut the materials into sizes that I want before I take them home. The stack was what I took home that particular day, not being too greedy and try not to hoard!
Mary and her team are always amazed by what I could come up with using their leftovers. Truly, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!
Recycling
General paper and card: RM0.05 per kg
White paper and card: RM0.50 per kg
Upcycling
One upcycled card: RM5.00
Value of an upcycled card: priceless!
One can never put a value on creativity!

my specialty – rustic flowers

they kept the high quality and expensive gold strips for me – gold rosettes gift tags

more gift tags with rosettes

gift card using expensive recycled card off-cut

this was my training on patience development!

I love all things nature so apart from flowers, I make leaves too

hearts are the easiest to make/cut so these gift tags could be created almost in an instant

and this 3D greeting card too.

just one of the examples of Christmas gift tags

Christmas cards
“I don’t think outside of the box; I think of what I can do with the box.” —Anonymous