S2S Challenge 2014

[yellowrose46]

S2S Challenge 2014
My first year convening this challenge is drawing to a close. I don't know how you feel you have done this year, but I know that I have spent less and used more of my stash. I want to build on that in the coming year, not only for myself, but also to encourage you to do so. The challenge is not only to spend less, but also to use more. There are several forums other than this one, that are dedicated to pretty well the same idea. 'AOCC' and '100 in 100' are just two of them.
A big part of using more of our stash is to get it organized. I am committed to organizing and cleaning up my stamping space in the coming year and I will be encouraging you to do the same.




We're starting off a new year with a new perspective. Let's declutter, decide what we want to keep, donate the rest and clear the deck for all new STAMPING/ SCRAPPING/ CREATIVE FUN!

REMEMBER: There are NO SET RULES. This is all about helping you be more aware of your spend -to-use ratio.

THE CONCEPT:
Determine how much you want to PAY yourself for the following:
(These are just examples. Brainstorm what works for you)

How much will you pay yourself for:
1 double pg LO
5 cards (basic matting/ embossing/ embellishment)
5 ATCs
1 Altered Item
1 Premium Item (think explosion cards or intricate items)
1 Challenge (there are a lot of great threads on this Forum)
1 VSN event
1 Meet-Up event
1 Updated Creative Blog Post
1 Gallery Upload (this is one DAY - not Item. You upload Mon - Fri. you
get 5 credits.)
Participating/ completing a swap or RAK


Some people also pay themselves for non-stamping items (things they need a little extra incentive for)

1) working out
2) losing a pound
3) eliminating a bad habit (credit per day)
4) for each book read


How will you keep track? Some people (like me) have used an account book.
Others have designed Excel sheets to keep track on their computer.
It's up to you whether you carry the totals over from last year or not.
Every week, I will be posting a challenge to get you inspired and get your creative juices flowing.
Let's keep the RED out of our check register and on our projects for 2014!

__________________


Read more: S2S Challenge 2013 by yellowrose46 at Splitcoaststampers

[yellowrose46]

S2S14A 'Old Patterned Paper' Post #27
S2S14B 'Off the table' post # 53
S2S14C Technique 'Glitter Highlight Embossing' Post #91
S2S14D 'Latest Stamp' post #106
S2S14E 'Embossing Powder' Post #130
S2S14F 'Wood' Post #142
S2S14G Technique 'Special fold card' post #151
S2S14H 'Stickers' post #161
S2S14I 'Ribbon' post #184
S2S14J 'Cami's tri-fold card' post #193
S2S14K 'Banners' post #202
S2S14L 'Masking' post #212
S2S14M 'Step cards' post # 231
S2S14N 'Triangles' post #
S2S14O 'Sequins' Post # 254
S2S14P 'CAS' post #264
S2S14Q 'Birds' post # 272
S2S14R Colour an image post # 280
S2S14S 'Embossing folders' post 298
S2S14T 'Butterflies' post #320
S2S14U 'Shades of blue' post #372
S2S14V 'Two Wheels' Post #407
S2S14W 'Gardening'
S2S14X 'Fire' Post #429
S2S14Y 'Shades of Brown' post #475
S2S14Z 'Children' post #507

[yellowrose46]

This is for the second half of the year.

S2S14AA 'Fish' post #550
S2S14BB 'Anniversary cards' Post # 600
S2S14CC 'DTGD' post #640
S2S14DD 'Black and white' post # 713
S2S14EE 'What you are wearing' post #774
S2S14FF 'Yellow' post #805
S2S14GG 'Work' Post #887
S2S14HH 'Scraps' post #946
S2S14II 'Stencils' post #976
S2S14JJ 'Fall square' post # 991
S2S14KK 'Travel'
S2S14LL 'Pink'
S2S14MM 'Seeing Stars' post # 1110
S2S14NN 'Leaves' post # 1138
S2S14OO 'Be a Sport' post # 1169
S2S14PP 'Be Square' post #1233
S2S14QQ 'In Flander's Fields' Post # 1273
S2S14RR 'Get Punchy' post #132
S2S14SS 'Music ' Post #1386
S2S14TT Dimensionals post # 1483
S2S14UU Thank you cards post # 160
S2S14VV 'Lovely as a Tree' post #1796
S2S14WW 'Last minute' post #1856
S2S14XX 'Monochromatic' Post # 1949

[smadson]

Hi Ina! End of year coming quickly! Just put my DM in a home plus on Monday. It has been a long year for me taking care of her. Now, I still worry about her! Well, sorry, not the place!
I am in for next year! Thanks for making a place for us to gather and stamp to spend!

Is it stamp 2 spend? or stamp 2 save? or spend 2 stamp? LOL

[sami02usc]

thanks so excited!!

[yellowrose46]

Sharon, it's originally Stamp to Spend, but I like the Stamp to Save better! After all, if we look at the former, we are always looking to spend the amount that we have earned! I know you wrote that tongue in cheek, but it is an interesting point. That's why I am going to put more emphasis on using our stash in next year's challenges.

[mrslaird]

I am definitely in for 2014! I am going to try to update my totals monthly and get my overall spending down. And, heck yes, I need to organize.

[sami02usc]

I ordered my new planner today (super excited) after way too much deliberation but I plan on using it to help me track this year. I have done the excel sheet and check register in the past and neither were my thing, so here is to hoping.

50 cents a card
$1 3D item (maybe more if extremely extensive
$1 a blog post
$2 a scrapbook page (haven't done this in over a year so paying extra for encouragement)
$5 for submitting to publication (a 2014 personal goal)

Can't wait to see everyone else's plan of action

[auntangie]

Thanks for starting the new thread Ina!

[yellowrose46]

Welcome back all of you! I'm just getting caught up after being without power for 87 hours. It's been quite the adventure/ordeal around here.

[sami02usc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellowrose46

Welcome back all of you! I'm just getting caught up after being without power for 87 hours. It's been quite the adventure/ordeal around here.

Oh man merry Christmas to you.

[yellowrose46]

We had a wonderful Christmas at my youngest DD's place in Toronto. My grandson (13 months old) was the life of the party. No way can anyone be depressed around him....he is such a happy and delightful boy! When we got home, the power was back on. My thoughts are with all those who are still without power. Now, I will be going into my freezers and throwing our all the food that defrosted.

[yellowrose46]

Samantha, your plan looks good. I will probably take last year's numbers, but haven't really had a look at them yet, to tweak them.

[smadson]

Ina! no power for 87 hours!!! Oh, my goodness! So sorry about the food. Last February we had a long power outage here, and many of my neighbors lost a lot of food. We didn't loose as much. We don't have a extra freezer other than the one with the refrigerator.
My daughter and family just left 7:30 this morning on their two day trip back home. The two younger grands, got Kindles for Christmas. It was delightful to see how much they love reading! We had a wonderful week of togetherness. DD helped me clean and sort stuff at my DM's apartment. I have to have a sale and have everything out by the 11th, since DM is in a Home Plus now. So, will still be very busy for a while. I will check in when I can.

[scrappinbinkle]

This sounds like an interesting challenge to me and it is something that I will consider as I have been trying to use my stash or purge to gain some control for awhile now. Maybe having others that are doing the same to keep me going would be helpful!

[FionaB]

I joined the challenge last year, and also the one to make 8 (my goal) Christmas cards per month. I fell off that particular wagon in February - having made 15 in January - and didn't make another until December, when I made 14! So this year Iwill join again but set my sights realistically lower.

The S2S challenge lasted a little longer - maybe March? - and I was so disheartened by my failings that I stopped visiting SCS altogether, made very few cards all year and stopped blogging :( Life wasn't easy and I was depressed, but now things have improved a lot and I'm rarin' to go with a fresh start; I really enjoyed making cards before Christmas and can't think how I considered giving up! I hope the clean slate starts with January 1 because I've gone mad over the past few days and ordered several bits and pieces, but they won't arrive until next year so will give me a boost without putting me in the red

I've decided that one of my weaknesses is buying new embossing folders and not using them so this year I'll put a coloured sticker on each one as I use it and, at the end of the year, see if I should get rid of some as not being my style any more.

[yellowrose46]

Welcome back Fiona. Don't be discouraged by the red numbers/spending. This forum is meant to make us more aware of what we already have and of what we would like to acquire. If you can afford it, have the storage room, and it cheers you up, why not buy that lovely new embossing folder (or die set, or designer papers, etc.) But then we should make sure we use it too. Your plan to put coloured stickers on them sounds good. I may do just that with my current ones!

[scrappinbinkle]

I have found a couple of groups in my area that get together regularly which has been a way for me to meet new friends as well as plan projects to take with me and I have become good friends with a Stampin Up demonstrator and took many of her workshops this year that had me making over 70 Christmas cards as well as a whole bunch of everyday type cards and that really boosted my confidence and mood!

Even though I have had to pay for the classes and am currently in a technique club that meets every other month and requires me to spend a minimum of $25 I have been really careful to get tools and consumables that I know I will use and not stamps and paper which I have so many of already!

I think this is a group that will be good for me and will set some goals this week! I look forward to getting to know everyone!

[auntangie]

I know I will be starting with a clean slate in 2014. I kept track until August or so and was ashamed of how much I was spending and quit keeping track. So, starting the new year with this challenge, the 100 in 100 challenge and the Christmas card challenge. Hoping to keep up with all of them better than I did in 2013.

[yellowrose46]

Welcome back Angie. It's great to start with a clean slate!
A great big welcome to Jeanne Ann! Glad you are getting together with other stampers, although very often we seem to enable each other into spending more money than we need to. I tried the stamp club at a demo's place once and ended up spending more than I wanted to. But you seem to have that under control, buying tools you will be using. I'm looking forward to this coming year and encouraging everyone in organizing and expanding our skills and creativity.

[smadson]

Okay. -question. Do we start over? Because , I am ahead a little and want to spend money when SU has their sell-a-bration sale.

[yellowrose46]

Sharon, it is up to you! Each one of us can make our own decision on that. If you are ahead (which you are) you may carry over your totals next year. I am ahead only a little bit, but I am going to start fresh. I will make note of my year end, and see if I can better it next year. I just spent some money today at Michaels. I just need to separate the paper crafting items from the other things I bought. They had rolls of Christmas ribbon on for $1.00 a roll. Some of them had a regular price of $24.99!

[smadson]

Happy New Year everyone!

[ScrappinCEO]

Hey ladies!
I'm jumping back in this year. I didn't do much of anything all of 2013. Nothing to report. But I'm determined to have play time this year, to not spend a ton because I have plenty to play with.

Here's to a creative 2014!

[yellowrose46]

Kelly, welcome back! So good to hear from you! How are you doing? How is the writing going?

[ScrappinCEO]

Hi Ina

Writing crazy busy. 1st feature last year plus 3 other articles and a novella contract. I'm already in this month's issue of Polymer Cafe - so 2014 is off to a good start.

But I've sure missed playing in the studio.

[yellowrose46]

Sorry for the late posting of our first challenge for this year. It's been quite a morning!
This year we are organizing (if you should choose to accept this assignment) and attempting to use up some of our old supplies. I am starting with my paper stash. So, this week's challenge is to start going through our papers and find one that is at least several years old. If you have just started paper crafting, just find your oldest paper to create a card or project. I will have a sample for you by the end of today. The paper I intend to use is from 2006.

[ScrappinCEO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellowrose46

Sorry for the late posting of our first challenge for this year. It's been quite a morning!
This year we are organizing (if you should choose to accept this assignment) and attempting to use up some of our old supplies. I am starting with my paper stash. So, this week's challenge is to start going through our papers and find one that is at least several years old. If you have just started paper crafting, just find your oldest paper to create a card or project. I will have a sample for you by the end of today. The paper I intend to use is from 2006.

Great challenge. Will have to see if I can match it with the Teapotter cards this afternoon.

[yellowrose46]

Here's my sample card for this challenge. Perfect Peace by yellowrose46 - Cards and Paper Crafts at Splitcoaststampers

[smadson]

Beautiful card, Ina. I love the challenge too. All my paper is pretty old! I am headed to look now!

[smadson]

Kelly, so glad you are jumping in!

[ScrappinCEO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by smadson

Kelly, so glad you are jumping in!

Thanks Sharon. Aside from Quackers and PBR, I really didn't participate much last year. Just wasn't time. I knew it was coming and that's why I handed groups over at the end of 2012.


I don't want to lead any groups - I just want to ENJOY playing for a change. LOL


I found a paper from Hot off the Press - 1996. Used it on my TPT cards for this week so they'll go in the gallery tomorrow.. and on my blog.

[smadson]

Ina, here is my card for the challenge! I combined it with the Try a New Technique challenge. It is only my second card or project in 2014. Thank you!

[ScrappinCEO]

pretty, Sharon. Left love.
Mine should show up later. I had uploaded the card then decided I wanted to put all my TPT for this year in an album so deleted then re-uploaded.

Two of my goals for this year is to:
1) clean out my gallery
2) make some of the ones I have in Favorites

[ScrappinCEO]

HERE is my card. I need to go in and edit to add Keywords.

[auntangie]

Nice card Kelly! I know I had that same paper at one time.

[ScrappinCEO]

Thanks Angie.
When I saw Ina's challenge I went looking for a file tote that houses my original paper.. back when I thought you only bought 8.5x11 hehe. I was actually looking for printed sticker paper but didn't locate it. But the pink jumped out at me.

[scrappinbinkle]

I made my first card of the year thanks to the challenge! I had found a video earlier in the week and got a few card fronts started and reading the thread tonight encouraged me to get at least one card completed. I will have to wait for better light to snap a pic to upload but its nice to have the creativity going in the right direction!

[jan31]

Hi Ina, just found the thread, I will start from scratch again for this year. I have some bits on the way but that was Christmas money so I'm not counting that! I have loads of old paper so will have a go this afternoon.
Good to see you back Kelly.

[ScrappinCEO]

Hi Jan. Good to see you, too.
Wonder how many others will find their way 'home'? ;-)