About 2 years ago I stopped in a 'surplus-come-art-and-teacher-supply' place called

Art From Scrap. A fun and crazy place, with stuff donated from almost every source you can imagine. (More of these centers are starting up here and there.)

Restraining myself, I came out with only a stack of about 100 2" x 4" specimen envelopes for about a buck. The thought was they were just the right size for packaging jewelry.

Well I still have most of the envelopes awaiting a higher purpose.

AHA! Last week the perfect use came to mind. I love making cards and have a small stash of nice odds and ends, ie ribbon, fancy paper, buttons, beads, trim. And these little $1 punches at Michaels are a hoot. I got one, in the shape of a swirl.

So I made mini cards, fancy ones little collage style ones.

Here's an example or two or three...

Mini Cards



Lots of details in these 2" x 4" minis, notice the strings of beads, butterfly and leave charms, tiny pictures (from a glossy past calendar featuring incredible scenes in China), words clipped from scrap book paper, and more.

Lots more and priced for the budget sender at $1.50 ea.