Told ya, I don't like to waste a thing!

I have an old June Tailor board, it is a cutting board on one side with a pressing mat on the other, but as you can see it is now in pretty rough shape. It is scorched, there is fusible stuck on the pressing surface, then the glue is all dried out and the whole thing has begun to separate.

Do I need a new one? no, not really. I just created a bag/pillowcase sort of thing with handles that I can slip the board into. Now it is still usable, I can press on the new, clean fabric and simply slide the board out for cutting, as an added bonus, when taking it to workshops I can slide my long rulers inside to easily take them along.
I decided to create something similar to make it easier to move about with applique projects. This time I used a piece of leftover sheet (most of the sheet was used as backing for this Row Robin project) The top part of the sheet still had that nice edging, I again, made a bag/pillowcase sort of thing with handles but this time I slipped a piece of Styro-Foam inside.

It is super lightweight, portable, and I can pin into it. This will easily accommodate an 18"block

No Waste

I hate to waste any of my art supplies and more often than not, when I have been playing with paints, I find that I have a bit extra leftover. I just can't bear to watch it get washed down the drain, so I add water to what is left to really dilute the pigment, then I sop it all up with wet paper towels. I think that leaving them to dry on a slightly scrunched plastic bag might help contribute to the texture. Here are a few that turned out kind of interesting. These have all been pressed flat, so what you are seeing is the way the colours dried, blended and the lines that were created. (click on the photos for a closer look)
What do I do with them? Well, this is a postcard I recently made for our quilt guild's exchange. The only "fabric" is that small bit of selvage edge, the rest is painted paper towel that has been stamped and heavily stitched.

Easy, simple, and best of all..........nothing is wasted