Kind of a spin off of ways to make do thread

[klh54]

Does everyone always buy the latest and greatest stamp sets, inks, papers? Does anyone have a blog that they use to publish and talk about their cards and creations made from their stash? I love new things but feel so much pressure to always publish cards or layouts made from the newest products. There is NO WAY to keep up with all that. I can barely catch my breath from one product release to another!! I do know Lindsay/thefrugalcrafter does lots with found things and what she already owns. I'm not wanting more info on how to use what I have differently. I'm looking for blogs where people just love to make cards, etc. without it always having to be the newest products.
Anyone know what I mean?

[RiverIsis]

I don't do latest and greatest, never had that kind of disposible income. I did invest in Copics and do use them a great deal, but otherwise the last stamps I bought were in May/June and they were on sale, so probably not current.

I "ignore" the releases. They aren't my thing. I sometimes compete for free sets on blog rolls etc. but I don't really play into the release hype culture. If I like a set I need to like it for several months before I buy it.

BTW I just posted in the blogging thread that my blog is neglected but TBH when it rains it pours. LOL! We have to enjoy the journey!

[Angelnorth]

I do buy some "just released" stuff from time to time but I don't really have companies I follow so it's not that common that I even know about new releases!

I use older and retired stuff if it suits my project. For example, the last thing I blogged used the Crafty Secrets Seaside set which is dated 2008 on its copyright and I kept most of my CHF stamps when they closed their doors - I still use them and they're pretty much all retired to all intents and purposes (the new owners have not re-released most of the things I have). As long as I'm not planning to submit for publication it makes no difference to me whether something is older/retired (Stampington publications are the only places I know of that don't insist on current product).

I love to find ways to make do, my DH has even commented that I'm more creative if I have constraints rather than unlimted access to stuff! I mourned the demise of the Limited Supplies challenge on Fridays here at Splitcoast for that very reason.

[winnieu]

I use what I have on hand. I do buy new stuff from time to time, but my cards are mainly using stuff I have on hand. I love classic looking stamps, and so I use all my old SU (I bought them, so I will use them...) I think you should enjoy what you create, and not feel the need to keep up with the Joneses in stamping. Have fun...get inky and do it for you....

[Louisa May]

There are blogs featuring challenges using items on hand or older products. Two I know of are "Use it Tuesday" (cards and layouts) here: Use it Tuesday. The other is Counterfeit Kit Challenge: Counterfeit Kit Challenge. The Counterfeit Kit blog challenges participants to use a current kit club as inspiration for combining their own older supplies. It's mainly scapbooking, but there's a lot of good ideas generally at that site.

[PedalPower]

I love Use It Tuesday--used to be on their DT and let me tell you...those girls know how to dig deep in the scrappy stash and make some gorgeous things with long forgotten scrapbook supplies! You should check it out.

I've very much curtailed my scrappy spending and am all about using up what it is in my room. I do belong to one kit (SP&Company) and for $16 a month I get a new stamp set and a 6 by 6 inch paper pad. It's "enough" for me to feel like I've got new goodies, but I'm not spending a lot or adding a bunch of stuff I have to store. Along with the boxes and cabinets full of stuff I already have, I have plenty to keep creating. I'm on board with you!

[Louisa May]

PedalPower, Agreed. Use it Tuesday has an extremely talented design team!

[MSBetsyZ]

Kind of makes me nostalgic for the SCS of days gone by. When I first came here it was to find thousands of samples for Stampin' Up sets. The push wasn't so much to buy new, although this was a SU demo site to begin with. People just loved to share what they were doing with their SU collections.

I think sometimes that as more publications went to requiring "currently available" supplies only, people started feeling that they had to create only with new things. Last year's patterns of patterned papers were stashed in favor of the newest patterns. Same with stamp images.

Obviously as a demo, I skew toward newer stuff. Still, I could never give up my older stuff...I still use it and love it!

[Kristipapercreatio]

I like mixing old AND new on my cards. I love getting new stuff, but there has to be a limit
otherwise I would be in big trouble! There are so many new releases out there that I can never keep up. I just buy what I like and don't worry if it's old or not.
You are welcome to visit my blog anytime!

[Cook22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by klh54

Does everyone always buy the latest and greatest stamp sets, inks, papers? Does anyone have a blog that they use to publish and talk about their cards and creations made from their stash? I love new things but feel so much pressure to always publish cards or layouts made from the newest products. There is NO WAY to keep up with all that. I can barely catch my breath from one product release to another!! I do know Lindsay/thefrugalcrafter does lots with found things and what she already owns. I'm not wanting more info on how to use what I have differently. I'm looking for blogs where people just love to make cards, etc. without it always having to be the newest products.
Anyone know what I mean?

Somewhere down in the blog section of the forum, there is a thread where people were making 100 projects in 100 days entirely from stash, and not buying anything. I'm sorry, it's late here now and I just can't remember who started it, but I know that now her 100 days are up she was starting with something similar. When the thread was in General Stamping Talk I followed it, but I don't tend to look in the blogging section much. There was also a keyword, so there are a lot of projects in the gallery, too.

I really enjoy using my old stamps - new ones are nice from time to time but I don't have the budget to get all I'd like! I think really I prefer techniques to a lot of embellishments, so it's easier to ring the changes with stamps that way. And I know I still haven't come near trying all the techniques in the Tutorials section here!

[Cook22]

100 Cards/Projects in 100 Days by Mindykid at Splitcoaststampers
Here's a link to the thread I was talking about....

[klh54]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Louisa May

There are blogs featuring challenges using items on hand or older products. Two I know of are "Use it Tuesday" (cards and layouts) here: Use it Tuesday. The other is Counterfeit Kit Challenge: Counterfeit Kit Challenge. The Counterfeit Kit blog challenges participants to use a current kit club as inspiration for combining their own older supplies. It's mainly scapbooking, but there's a lot of good ideas generally at that site.

Thank you for the links! I would love more sites that were about using what we have rather than buying new. I know scrap/stamp companies have to keep making money but after a while I'm just burnt out from seeing all the new releases roll out month after month! I don't have the budget to buy everything either (actually it's quite a small budget)!!

[gregzgurl]

I get TIRED looking at how often there are releases for new stamps from many of the companies out there (every month? really? I still haven't used stamps I bought last YEAR, for cryin' out loud!), and we're so inundated with this new gadget or color or embellishment or whatever, that I basically just tune it out and do whatever I want with whatever suits me. My blog and my gallery have both been sadly neglected this year, but even so - it makes no sense to me to try to chase it all down and/or buy it. To be honest, everything is starting to look like everything else to me! I'm happy to just play with my own stuff in my own way and not worry too much about what the rest of the world is doing or thinking...

[Juble]

This is an interesting thread. I also like to purchase new stamps from time to time if they really speak to me. I have a lot of old SU sets that I've bought used and some that were given to me. I really love those older sets and make a lot of cards with them. I don't upload as many cards as I make because no-one seems interested in cards made with older sets. So I send those cards to family and friends who don't give a care how old the sets are. I use to feel like I had to have the latest but have overcome that in the last couple of years. Very good for the pocketbook too

[shirlb19]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juble

This is an interesting thread. I also like to purchase new stamps from time to time if they really speak to me. I have a lot of old SU sets that I've bought used and some that were given to me. I really love those older sets and make a lot of cards with them. I don't upload as many cards as I make because no-one seems interested in cards made with older sets. So I send those cards to family and friends who don't give a care how old the sets are. I use to feel like I had to have the latest but have overcome that in the last couple of years. Very good for the pocketbook too

I am interested in the older SU stamp sets, so please reconsider uploading them. I love to buy the retired sets and then come on SCS and see how people have used them to make cards.

Thanks,
Shirl

[Angelnorth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juble

I don't upload as many cards as I make because no-one seems interested in cards made with older sets.

SU! came late to the UK and so doesn't have the same hold on the UK stamping market as it does in the US. As a result, I have only a couple of SU! sets but I have to say that my impression of viewing and favoriting in the gallery has been that using an older SU! set brings more views and favoriting (not necessarily more comments).

A clean and simple card in my gallery using Long Stemmed is the second most favorited of my projects (here if you're interested). I'm not a big hitter in the SCS gallery and the card was not made for a challenge here (which always brings more views and comments) so I can only put the numbers down to popularity of the set, borne out by the fact another card made with the set is near the top of my viewing numbers too (here).

Viewing numbers won't be instant but over time they're quite likely to grow substantially if an older set is one that remains popular so do consider sharing your creations!

[lylacfey]

NO! BIG RESOUNDING NO! I don't follow trends.

My stamps & papers are eclectic finds for my personality. I freely admit my stamps are a lot of $1 finds. I splurge occasionally on something I really really love like SU's Doily stamp or Stampotique Prom Queen.

My stamp pads are the old SU flip top ones. I love them. My black inks are not trendy but what works with the medium I am using. I own all the reinkers.

I treat my crafting like fashion. I buy trend accessories if I can't figure out how to make that accessory. I splurge on classic.

The only crafting item I do splurge on is Kawaii. In the Kawaii world once it's gone that's it. No more inventory. Hello Kitty Big Shot I don't own, sniff, sniff.

I don't have a blog but I do hope to have a Flickr soon. I really want to do Flickr to keep a showcase of my work. I will be using my loved supplies. I am thinking of starting a new Deviant gallery. I miss Deviant.

[Phantom]

I'm looking forward to reading all of the replies here. Before mine became business blogs, I used everything ~ old, new.. whatever. I didn't really think about whether it was old or new. I visited blogs for creative inspiration and new ideas and that was my objective as well.

Now my blogs are geared to the products of specific companies - and I love them. Of course, people who like those companies enjoy seeing things made with their products. I will still upload other cards and projects to my gallery here. But when you're used to blogging, it's hard to make something and *not* want to blog about it! I actually started another blog just for fun - for art, and whatever I'm working with.. old, new, or a combination. I haven't had a chance to get it going but I'm looking forward to it and it'd be fun to add links to other similar blogs on it, too ~ I'll come back to this thread to find some :^) .

I also love it when I come across great cards in magazines with older stamps!

(I remember when I started out I did look to the galleries here and magazines (not blogs yet!) to find new products and learn what was "out there." So I can understand why there's a place for that, too.)

{P.S. After getting through some of the posts here, I have to add - I agree about the monthly release syndrome... I'm surprised more companies haven't abandoned that concept by now. It's just too much.}

[Phantom]

I love this thread!

[DianeinSparks]

No blog, no purchasing of latest and greatest except for Memory Box dies, they are my addiction! I have stamps that are 20 years old and still use and love them. Lots of PSX and other long-gone companies like Stampassions, Cottage Stamper, and original Darcies and Holly Berry. Lots of the "new" stamps look similar to what I have and the old ones work fine.

[Cook22]

Another one who thinks it's worth uploading older SU stamps! They're mostly what I buy, on eBay or here through BST, and I often look through the set galleries.
I also quite often set a slideshow of a particular set running if I'm listening to something online after I've gone to bed.

[Jill with a G]

I don't know how some people follow all the new trends! For me it's like window shopping. I love to gaze and maybe get inspiration from some new styles and trends-but I certainly don't have to have the newest thing! I am frugal at heart though, one because I need to be, and two because I really think its fun to find ways to do things with old stuff to make it look trendy. I admire people/artists who make their own trends by doing just want they want to do with what they have or what they have found--the find being something old or something very new. I have become comfortable with what I have in my stash, and love using older styles with new things. I love old SU sets and would love to see more stuff done with older and even retired sets because they are just awesome stamps!

[star]

I have been using my stash this past year as a goal set for myself to USE what I already have versus spending more money on "new" stuff that gets shoved onto a shelf and then promptly forgotten. Seriously, I think this is a WONDERFUL idea! Not to say I won't buy anything new, but lately I have found that if I ask myself, "what do I already own that is similar", I end up not buying (yes, I obviously have waaaay too much stuff, LOL!).

I look at the new stuff, wish for some of it, am inspired by most of it, and haven't bought any. Lucky for me, I'm not trying to be published, not on any DT's currently and now have the freedom to use what I loved enough to buy, even if it was 5 years ago!!

[gregzgurl]

I think that's a very valid point - if you're on a DT or have a company that's involved in the stamping/scrapping industry, you sort of HAVE to stay current to some degree! Thankfully, I don't have either of those issues. I didn't mention it in my earlier post, but lately I've been tracking down older (1998-2003) SU sets that I really want, and many (maybe most) of them no longer have galleries here on SCS because they've been retired for too long. That's okay, too, though - I'm challenging myself to just play with my things and come up with my own ideas, rather than tweaking someone else's. Now if I could just discover where all of my stamping time has been wandering off to... HA! That just reminded me of a line from an old B-52s song: "My mind's been going places without me lately..." (I know - I'm freakin' old...)

[Cook22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregzgurl

I think that's a very valid point - if you're on a DT or have a company that's involved in the stamping/scrapping industry, you sort of HAVE to stay current to some degree! Thankfully, I don't have either of those issues. I didn't mention it in my earlier post, but lately I've been tracking down older (1998-2003) SU sets that I really want, and many (maybe most) of them no longer have galleries here on SCS because they've been retired for too long. That's okay, too, though - I'm challenging myself to just play with my things and come up with my own ideas, rather than tweaking someone else's. Now if I could just discover where all of my stamping time has been wandering off to... HA! That just reminded me of a line from an old B-52s song: "My mind's been going places without me lately..." (I know - I'm freakin' old...)

Sue, it wouldn't be that they no longer have galleries , because we don't delete galleries. It's more likely a case that they never did have one in the first place. But if there enough cards uploaded to warrant it, we still create galleries for the older sets. We did a lot a couple of years back, and found the cards to move into them. It's always worth doing a search for the set name and seeing what comes up.

[lylacfey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregzgurl

! That just reminded me of a line from an old B-52s song: "My mind's been going places without me lately..." (I know - I'm freakin' old...)

Your not old. B52's will always be young. I was in a store recently. This teenage boy was going on and on about Barbara Streisand to a group of girls he was hanging out with. How great she was. How beautiful her music was. All the songs he was learning. How she was his biggest inspiration. Then he said "I love her but I think she's dead because you know she's old!"

I had to walk out of the aisle I was laughing so hard. Poor Barbara!

[gregzgurl]

Sabrina - thanks for the heads-up! I guess I'll just have to crank out a bunch of cards with my "new" stamps and enlist some help from friends so we can generate more "old" galleries!

DeeAnn - TOO FUNNY!!! I always find it interesting when I hear the younger generations raving about a "new" song that is actually the third or fourth remake, and I can remember it from its original incarnation. I've noticed that a lot of the music from my early musical awareness (60's) is now being played on the "oldies" station instead of the "classic rock" station. Thankfully, my favorites still qualify for the "classic rock" category - LONG LIVE ZEPPELIN!!!

Everyone else - sorry for hijacking the thread! Back to discussing old/new stuff...

[mamaxsix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregzgurl

Back to discussing old/new stuff...

Hahaha....I'm pretty sure you were discussing old stuff!
What I find amusing is the way stamping trends, like fashion trends seem to go around and pop back up again. Some of my older stamps look very much like some of the "new" things coming out. Guess I'll keep holding on to those eyelets and PearlEx...Yah never know!
One of the best things about giving up my hobby SU demo status was freedom from the necessity or urge to keep buying the latest, greatest thing. I have SOOOOOO much already and I wasn't making enough $$ to justify buying the new stuff all the time to demo at parties I wasn't having. The gals that have active businesses are doing enough sales to pay for their new goodies and they legitimately need to be up to date to show off the new stuff. I think it would be great fun to have that active a business or to be on a DT that gave me new toys to play with. It is a very smart business tool to have such talented ladies cranking out the cards and goodies that make us drool over the new trends. It is a very smart life tool to be able to resist and to be content with what we have. Here's to loving our available supplies :grin::grin:

[SophieLaFontaine]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamaxsix

Some of my older stamps look very much like some of the "new" things coming out.

Yeah!! I saw SU!'s new Jar set, and that reminded me of a VERY old SU! Jar set (Jar of Fun) I bought more than a decade ago(?).

To the OP:
I love buying new stamps and I DO eagerly follow the releases of my favourite stamp companies, but with most other things - Copics, Nestabilities, Big Shot, Stickles, it was QUITE A WHILE after their debut before I very suspiciously and cautiously bought them.

I don't have an active blog though. I neglected my blog out of laziness. I love making cards, but it's not as fun to photograph and upload them - my SCS gallery is all I can comfortably handle.

[CraftyMel2]

I have more older sets than newer sets...the are easy to come by on Ebay at great prices. I ended up spending $8 on a notebook of the inspiration sheets that SU used to use so that kind of worked out nicely with my older sets My demo had asked me what I would like to see and one of the things that I had mentioned was an "instead of" project every now and then. Kind of...I used "xxx" but if you don't have that set, you can use "yyy" instead! That way we could use some of the sets we already have. I realize she needs to sell the new ones to make money but by doing this, you may inspire your older customers to use sets that you sold them a few years back...maybe they will come back to get paper and stuff, it's not just about selling STAMPS...there are lots of other things that are offered.

[Crafter 4 Life]

Crafty Mel 2-

I was at a SU workshop this month and the Demo was saying how sad she was the xxx set was being retired. Your idea of using an old set with suggestions of other sets that can be used with such and such card sketch seems to 'hit the spot'. Is it a requirement that the demos only use current sets? If this is the case, maybe a Demo can suggest using xxx sets (there could be more than one suggestion). This particular demo has us make cards at her workshop that, to me anyway, leave the stamp set used by you at home open. I have several friends that 'can't' seem to see beyond what is in front of them so they are always lamenting about how they can't reproduce the card because they don't have the stamp, paper, embellies, etc.

[gregzgurl]

Believe it or not, I know DEMOS who can't see beyond the samples they've seen of certain sets! Where's the selling point in only using something one way?! I tend to follow blogs and galleries where the person is always using things in unexpected ways. I tend to sometimes/never use things for their intended purpose in most areas of my life, so I'd like to do that in my craft room, too! In answer to the question, though - I think that yes, SU demos are supposed to demo only current product...

[CraftyMel2]

Hey, maybe we could suggest something for SCS...a section in the gallery called "Something old, something new" or similar? The "old" can be stamp sets or dies; the things that don't go anywhere; and then the "new" could be something that is consumable such as paper, ribbon...something using the current colors and newer embelishments. Maybe using a new framelit die with an older stamp set that, while it might not be a perfect match, it will look just as good!! (eg: something that is normally used with "Word Window" now being used with the "Bitty Banner Framelits" to make those older stamps seem new again.) I know that I need all of the inspiration I can get and with such talented people on here, I bet the things they make will be fabulous!!!

[klh54]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CraftyMel2

Hey, maybe we could suggest something for SCS...a section in the gallery called "Something old, something new" or similar? The "old" can be stamp sets or dies; the things that don't go anywhere; and then the "new" could be something that is consumable such as paper, ribbon...something using the current colors and newer embelishments. Maybe using a new framelit die with an older stamp set that, while it might not be a perfect match, it will look just as good!! (eg: something that is normally used with "Word Window" now being used with the "Bitty Banner Framelits" to make those older stamps seem new again.) I know that I need all of the inspiration I can get and with such talented people on here, I bet the things they make will be fabulous!!!

Oh I like this idea! For all of us, major talented and very vaguely talented (like me. LOL!)

[Allistamps123]

I don't have a blog but I do use older sets, and retired sets and dsp. I've been making great cards with SU's Sweet Slumber dsp (from 2009). It was great textured paper. It's my favorite ever. I LOVE to get it out and use it.

I also made a sweet autumn birthday card for a friend today with Autumn Vine dsp from SU. It's from 2008. I also used Branch Out (stamp set) another oldie but goodie and a favorite of mine.

I had to search the internet to find these papers and what year they are from. It just thrills me to get these papers out and use them. They seem so special. It warms me up all over!;-)

As far as new goes I buy maybe four to six new stamp sets each year. I get some of the in-colors, but not all of them. I LOVE to get new embossing folders, spritzes, buttons, ribbons, brads, etc...I like to get accessories, dies, framelits, etc.

[Allistamps123]

Also, looking at some of the posts from today I see talk about the new SU with the canning Jar. I have a very old set "All Wraped UP" and it has a canning jar. I got it used on e-bay maybe four/five years ago. I'm not getting the new set because I do have this older one. ;)

[KatyLynn]

Here's a challenge blog that encourages you to use your "stash" of older stuff:
Clear It Out Challenge

[Allistamps123]

One more thing.....I LOVE to follow La Latty's blog (Patty Gorka). She has been a SU demo for eight years. Quite often she uses a retired stamp set and even retired dsp. It's sooooo refreshing to follow her blog. A NICE mix of old and new. Hooray Patty!!!