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Paper, I really need help to stop buying patterned papers. Problem is there are so few places to get craft stuff in Ireland that when I see it I have to gobble it all up.... must be stronger.....
I decided that I will use everything that I already have. I realized that I had become a craft hoarder...though everything has a place and is in its place. But, what is the point of having "stuff" if you don't want to use it? For example...I love Ana Griffin and have collected her stuff and never used it because it was too special to waste!
So, this year....I am only buying glues or things that run out. I am not purchasing any papers or new gadgets. I could open a store. I don't need anything just because it is the latest and greatest. What I already have will suffice! So far...so good!
I decided that I will use everything that I already have. I realized that I had become a craft hoarder...though everything has a place and is in its place. But, what is the point of having "stuff" if you don't want to use it? For example...I love Ana Griffin and have collected her stuff and never used it because it was too special to waste!
So, this year....I am only buying glues or things that run out. I am not purchasing any papers or new gadgets. I could open a store. I don't need anything just because it is the latest and greatest. What I already have will suffice! So far...so good!
You sound like me - my friends would tell people that my craft room was like a store.
I've been using all my "special" items because I've decided that all my projects are special. It's a great feeling to use something up instead of money sitting on the shelf.
Pattern Paper is a weakness for me as well-In fact I just placed an order! (on sale w free shipping
How I "contain" myself? I have divided 12 x 12 carry cases that I got at AC Moore (but they may have something similar in art supply stores for portfolios?) that I use the sections for subject categories like Happy Birthday, Baby, etc. When that section is full.... I dont get to buy any more till I make space by using it. I do also have a list on the computer of what I have so I dont duplicate either that particular one or similar since I have a quick description. Warning: I do not find that they hold as much as they claim (300 sheets? Um no) Which in this sense I guess is a good thing. The one exception is xmas paper because I have to make like 60 for the family so I have to get a lot of a pattern to do it. That I have in a paper storage box from Container Store.
I had my solids/glitter/foil/pearl in boxes too but now I am going to switch over to vertical-much easier to access and to see what I have. I wish I had seen that before!
The other thing I HAVE to do...I keep having "project" ideas...and then I start collecting for it but not doing it...so this year I want to try to do them! ie doing die cut inlays that I collected tiny pattern paper for.
Lastly-I got smart about paper ordering online because since I make cards and not scrapbook pages...I had to learn to gauge pattern scales I was looking at. That helps a lot b/c at least for me, most 12 x 12 paper isnt for what I am thinking of for an A2 card.
Refusing to increase your storage capacity can be a good way to "hold the line"-at least for me. I dont have a craft room, I'm in an apt with limited space in one part of a room so as frustrating as that is a lot of the time-it has it's up side I suppose.
I agree! I am tired of saving all kinds of things in my life for "special occasions"...like china or tablecloths...or craft supplies. Frankly I am not getting any younger, I'm in the "back half" now....so what's the point? There will always be more "special" paper out there if I need it.
Besides if you are making a card for someone, I would think they are special people to you right or you would not do the work. So......use it!
Here's one to chew on...it's morbid, but it does swirl in my brain...what if something happened to you tomorrow and your spouse or whoever had to clear our your stuff...they wont see it as "special" probably and it will just go to donation. Eeek! Sorry but at my age...I keep hearing stories about estate stuff/I've had to do it myself, and it's haunting me (not to mention those horrible horder tv shows I cant bear to watch more than 5 mins of). In my case...my DH isnt going to have a clue. I have my stamping mentor set up to deal with some of it, but I cant dump all that on her. Just sayin'....for us old fogies....
Paper, I really need help to stop buying patterned papers. Problem is there are so few places to get craft stuff in Ireland that when I see it I have to gobble it all up.... must be stronger.....
I live in a rural area and do not get to the city very often. So I also have the urge to "gobble it all up"
So I have started to say no thank you when someone asks if I would like to go craft store shopping.
I find I am a little better when shopping online because it is often hard to see exactly what something is/how it works or see the size. And if I feel unsure about it, it does not go into the cart.
A couple of times I ordered 12 x12 paper and the pattern was way too big for cards. So I will never buy any that way again. But since I said I was not going to buy any DP anymore that's a good reminder to myself.
I'm finding that "turning a blind eye" is a good strategy for me. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've been keeping an eye on things that Beate is selling. I'm being VERY good in that I'm only keeping an eye out for things I've been wanting anyway. I haven't been pulling up images of anything to see if it's something that I might want or even looking at certain companies' lists or any of the dies or whatever. There are some REALLY cute/fun things on some of the lists, but I'm able to say no, thank you, to everything except the very small number of things that she's listed that I've been watching for, anyway. I've also avoided many of the sales that I see advertised for Valentine stamps and clearance items and such. If I don't look, I don't know what I'm missing, so it doesn't matter, right? It's working for me...
I read somewhere just because you have a coupon... You do not have to go use it! That has helped me a lot! I do buy designs for my Cameo with my subscription. This prevents me from wanting to buy expensive new die cuts! Now paper is another story.
This thread is so coool! I really need it! All the advice is wonderful. I know that I must stay out of the craft stores and also limit time on Joann.com and Blitsy.com. OMG...the devil's playgrounds! I spend much too much and my apartment is suffering. I get sad when I look at the piles of just about everything....trying to figure out how it got out of control. Well, the sadness is only temporary...cuz I had so much fun with the buying..oooooo!
Yes, ladyofcards, I have been so cunning, telling myself, go girl. Get something for 50% off at Michael's...or Joann's. And, only buy that one item. But we all know too well we walk out with so much more. I used to be that way with clothes. I'm naked now because all of my money goes into this paper crafting world. Ever see the Ikea commercial with the woman yelling at her husband to start the car so they can get away before Ikea discovers she saved too much? Hilarious! I get that same feeling...Ahhgg!
I want to share a YouTube video with all of you that I ran across and sent it to my family members so they do not think Mommy's on the path to TLC's Hoarders show. Even posted on my Facebook page. Here is the link... enjoy! Hoarders video revisited - YouTube
Here's one to chew on...it's morbid, but it does swirl in my brain...what if something happened to you tomorrow and your spouse or whoever had to clear our your stuff...they wont see it as "special" probably and it will just go to donation. Eeek! Sorry but at my age...I keep hearing stories about estate stuff/I've had to do it myself, and it's haunting me (not to mention those horrible horder tv shows I cant bear to watch more than 5 mins of). In my case...my DH isnt going to have a clue. I have my stamping mentor set up to deal with some of it, but I cant dump all that on her. Just sayin'....for us old fogies....
No, it's not morbid at all. It's a fact. I am not trying to be grumpy about hoarding as I write this. I know people tease about hoarding a lot over here. I come from a family of hoarders, like the TV show. I go insane about hoarding. My Mom is up in the years. I set down with her recently to have a kind empathetic talk with her about when she passes and her large accumulation of items and how she has not left any will or provisions for her death. She said to me "It's your problem!" "It was always your problem!" Yes, that's what I am too her is a problem. Nothing more. This woman whose long life should be celebrated is losing friends, family and now her only child because her possessions mean more to her than those who love her. Of course there is so much more to this than a small paragraph. I know that many of our older relatives do not want to face when their time is near. Sadly, this is not the case.
I think about this all the time that I never want my possessions to become my loved ones "problem". I don't want the people who I love and cherish in my life to ever think I thought of them as problems if I am too be blessed with a long life and when my time comes. I want them to remember the years of love I gave them. I want them to remember me for the beauty I created and not a room full of "junk".
I do have a nice stash in my art studio. It's inspiring and not tiring. When it becomes tiring I give it to somebody who finds it inspiring.
Lastly-I got smart about paper ordering online because since I make cards and not scrapbook pages...I had to learn to gauge pattern scales I was looking at. That helps a lot b/c at least for me, most 12 x 12 paper isnt for what I am thinking of for an A2 card.
I made this mistake when I first bought paper online - I soon got better at judging scale, but I still have some of those large-scale prints!
After a rough couple of years I am trying to make 2014 a POSITIVE year.
For my crafting this doesn't include the draconian Cold Turkey approach, but it does mean that I enjoy using (and rediscovering) the stash I already have. I'm trying to make a Christmas card a week, just the everyday ones I need to send; making cards up until 23rd December, 11pm, last Christmas, was not fun.
Last year I tried to deal with my 6x6 paper pad addiction by saying "one out, one in" and placed a pad on my desk to use up. I had a lot of fun with it and it is nearly all gone - but somehow a few more pads have found their way home with me :rolleyes:
I'm also trying the 5:2 diet financially - not just for crafting. Tuesdays and Thursdays my aim is zero spend. No online impulse buys, make a sandwich not buy one, avoid the Kindle daily deals email... Finding it quite helpful
DeeAnn - my heart goes out to you! How hurtful it must be for your mother to treat you like that, and how empathetic and understanding you are! I agree that the legacy we leave should be more than a pile of "stuff". I'm not interested in leaving a huge string of accomplishments, either. I just want to be remembered as creative and kind...
I'm really big on consolidation, so hopefully dealing with my "stuff" won't be too overwhelming
Here's the update I wrote on my blog for how I did in January. I figure the more I "document" this process, the more honest I have to be about my progress and the more accountable to myself I will be.
Here goes:
Ok...first up: SPEND LESS. Overall, I feel pretty good about January! I spent less than $8.50 on scrappy supplies. I purchased some embossing frames that will bring new life to embossing folders I already have. And I picked up a few wood veneer shapes. They have bikes in the mix, so I know I'll use them! I'm really, really proud of spending less than $10.
Next up: CREATING MORE. I actually did a LOT more scrapbooking this month, which I feel really good about. I finished my last layout from Christmas 2012 yesterday. My last local store that carries my cards is closing, so I'm overloaded on cards and honestly...this was the kick in the pants that I needed to work on layouts more.
And now....SUPPLY de-stashing. This one was kind of fun for me this month. One example of destashing was using a piece of school themed paper, but only for a part of the paper that had red polka dots. I threw the rest away. I knew I would never use it, but in the past it would have gone to my scrap bin. It felt good to use what I needed then purge what I didn't. I also used a TON of scraps from 6 by 6 pads in January, wiping them completely out! Used up!! Whooohooo! Also in the de-stash category: I gifted a lot of cards this month. Our principal's birthday--she got some cards. A friend visited--she got some cards, too! I got joy in making them and in gifting them--double score!
So all in all....I don't feel like the limited spending has cramped my style just quite yet. Now...I know in February I will have some expenses. I *need* some Cameo blades and probably a mat or two, also. Those are not "fun" crafty expenses, but are needed to keep going and will add up a bit. So I know those are in the mix. I am moving past holiday scrapping and into winter sports. I hope I can find treasures in my stash to work with the pages I want to create...we'll see what I come up with!
[QUOTE=wavejumper;20507490]I agree! I am tired of saving all kinds of things in my life for "special occasions"...like china or tablecloths...or craft supplies. Frankly I am not getting any younger, I'm in the "back half" now....so what's the point? There will always be more "special" paper out there if I need it.
Besides if you are making a card for someone, I would think they are special people to you right or you would not do the work. So......use it!
/QUOTE]
yep, I have about 2 'special' tea sets that up until recently i was afraid to use, but I caught an old rerun of a Waltons episode one day where Olivia was saying that you should use all your good things now because every day was special - or words to that effect! it rang a bell with me and so I am learning not to hoard stuff! thanks to the Waltons!
End of the first month of my "responsible spending" plan. I gave myself $200 for things like stamps, clothing, and geek stuff. The number was a bit arbitrary, but I wanted something that wouldn't feel too painful but would still make me think about each purchase.
I ended up spending $159.78. So I have $40.22 left over. I've decided to allow myself to carry over any unspent budget.
Of the amount I spent, $97.93 went to stamps. I made 4 separate purchases from 4 companies, which makes me happy. I like to spread my money around and have been spending way too much on SU lately. I didn't spend any of that on SU this month.
The rest went to clothing ($58.23 which went to a pair of slippers, alpaca socks, and a zipper pouch), and a lone comic book ($3.62).
I don't feel deprived at all, yet each and every purchase was carefully considered. I'm hoping this means I've already started to curb my "I like it so I'll buy it" impulse. I'm really trying to minimize my possessions, and the best way to do that is to make sure my purchases really are filling a need. I also have been working on purging some of my existing possessions, which is an ongoing task.
Hopefully, my responsible spending and my careful purging will help me eliminate the excess in my life.
__________________ aka Sue. Or Sue-odd.
No blog for me. My gallery chronicles my card-making successes and mishaps.
My mom was Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde character..one minute it's "I love you best" and the next it's a laundry list of how I am a failure and disappointment. I have never decided if it would not have been better to just be mean all the time so I would have created some distance and not keep getting emotionally slapped. But who doesn't want to hear their mom say "I love you"?
What I learned too late and WISH I knew decades earlier...You can't change people. They are who they are and after we make a suggestion, just drop it. It's their life to live and just enjoy them while you can. I can never say this enough to people whose parents are still alive and driving them nuts in some way. (mine is not)
She would be appalled at my stash being a depression kid. But that mentality serves me well now...I save scraps and those I wont use I bring to others and offer to them or give unused DP to charities or local schools. I dont know a single art teacher who ever has enough money for supplies right?
Waltzing mouse: lol on the Waltons! I find in the past...5 years...more and more stuff on TV or in movies is "resonating" with me-not the help shows but just something someone says. If it got you to using your things-I say great!!!
That video...you are not going to believe this, but that video is the sister of my stamping mentor and dear friend!! It is a riot as are some of her others. I have watched it several times now and it always cracks me up! It seems to be going a little bit viral since we all can identify with that! lol My friend just laughs about it...of course she has her own "stash" but says yes, her sister beats her hands down. Since my friend works in a stamping store she can try out a lot of stuff w/o having to buy it so has that huge advantage...esp since they often ask to make demo cards with it to put up.
So what was I seeing -well lots of cards using dies. Oh my! I love dies. And every time I see a card using them I feel like I must have the die so I can make something like that.
I own lots of dies and many of them will work just about the same as the new ones. So I turned a "blind eye" to the details and I think I can make do with what I have.
Like my stamps I really do need to start using the dies I have more often before even thinking of buying new.
So what was I seeing -well lots of cards using dies. Oh my! I love dies. And every time I see a card using them I feel like I must have the die so I can make something like that.
I own lots of dies and many of them will work just about the same as the new ones. So I turned a "blind eye" to the details and I think I can make do with what I have.
Like my stamps I really do need to start using the dies I have more often before even thinking of buying new.
When I started stamping I spent a lot of time looking at the cards in the Gallery. We didn't have Pinterest then
Each time I saw a card I loved I wanted to buy all the dies, stamps and supplies to make it. Of course that was financially out of the question. No one can buy everything they see .
As I contemplated my predicament I realized the people on Design Teams don't have any cards to look at for ideas. They just play around until some thing works. At first it is a very slow process, but it gets faster the more you try it.
Take a stamp or die you have not used and play with it until something works. You might try using a sketch .
This way you will only buy things that are unique or fill in a gap in your collect of dies, stamps or what ever. Last year I realized I only had one stamp for Sympathy cards so I bought a couple more
Buy your ink as you need it . This way you will not have a stack of ink pads in colors that you don't use.
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
lindalrd- Stay off Pinterest, lol. So says the girl who is on Pinterest at least once a week. Do you own an electronic die cutter? I make a lot of my own designs.
This industry is like fashion. A fad dies out and then is recreated again. Stencils for example. The industry spins it's like it's new. A lot of industries do that. Like any good Fashionista I practice this rule to spend money on classics and the fads are accessories. Years ago I bought a Sizzix steel rule die of a simple circle. I have used it a lot. Since I bought that die Sizzix has remade that circle three times now! I have seen so many companies practice this it really helps me be choosy. I am very careful about my dies, punches & even cut files I purchase.
Staying out of the craft stores is helping me find the treasures I have been coveting. Out of the blue at a big box store I found a silicon heart mold. It's such a small thing. I thought I won the lottery. I wanted one so long. I do resin. I am picky about my molds. I do make a lot of them. I found a specialty eraser for my illustration work. Another small cheap thing that made my life. Going to the craft stores every week looking at the same inventory really drains your creativity. I am finally finding things that I really wanted for years in unexpected places.
Best thing I have my art spark back. I don't have the noise in my head of craft stores or trends. I have my style, my rules and what my DH likes to say my sass in my creations.
I need to step away from my computer. I just went shopping at Ellen Hutson, loaded my cart with a couple of items, then found a Lawn Fawn stamp set I liked but it was out of stock. So I went to the Lawn Fawn site and put that set into a cart. And I also needed to place a small Amuse Studio order today. I may blow my entire February budget today if I'm not careful.
__________________ aka Sue. Or Sue-odd.
No blog for me. My gallery chronicles my card-making successes and mishaps.
Odd...that's what they make wish lists for! lol. I have stuff in wishlists all over the place. When they have a sale, free shipping...something really significant (not 10%)...that is when I activate the wish list-but still might not get everything if it is long. Also helps keep me from doing impulse buying.
Llindalrd-instead of looking at new dies...look at new techniques to use your dies with. Like I was just playing with mine to learn swing cards, half cuts on tri folds, etc. Or think about making frames. I just made a card where I cut a frame out of pretty PP and put it over/around a stamped image. I still want to learn to do "floating" ones...you die cut a shape, back it with acetate and put a smaller something on the acetate. It looks like it is "floating". I dont need the die in the gallery-I have plenty I can use of mine that will do that. There's a version where it "spins" because you put the inner piece on string instead of acetate. Have you done inlays yet? I want to do that next too.
See the shapes you have now...and find examples that use that shape or something close enough instead of a new shape. There's tons of stuff to do with even basic shapes like squares, circles, ovals and rectangles.
I will join you all on this. I stepped away from this board for several years, I was getting too caught up in the excitement of new trends. I found myself spending much more time shopping/buying than I did on creating. I was addicted to the high of acquiring the item, more so than using it. I backed off on visiting here as I was easily led!!! LOL!
I have so much! If I could kick my own arse I would...I have at least 10k of hobby supplies! Between beading, scrapping and stamping, my room overflows. I actually use about half of it. I am going to do a purge when I go thru and unmount my wooden stamps. I will be posting some items to the buy/sell page.
I did place the amuse order, but I'm sitting on the other two. I find that waiting a day to place the order helps me decide if its really something I want, or just an impulse.
__________________ aka Sue. Or Sue-odd.
No blog for me. My gallery chronicles my card-making successes and mishaps.
I agree! I am tired of saving all kinds of things in my life for "special occasions"...like china or tablecloths...or craft supplies. Frankly I am not getting any younger, I'm in the "back half" now....so what's the point? There will always be more "special" paper out there if I need it.
Besides if you are making a card for someone, I would think they are special people to you right or you would not do the work. So......use it!
Here's one to chew on...it's morbid, but it does swirl in my brain...what if something happened to you tomorrow and your spouse or whoever had to clear our your stuff...they wont see it as "special" probably and it will just go to donation. Eeek! Sorry but at my age...I keep hearing stories about estate stuff/I've had to do it myself, and it's haunting me (not to mention those horrible horder tv shows I cant bear to watch more than 5 mins of). In my case...my DH isnt going to have a clue. I have my stamping mentor set up to deal with some of it, but I cant dump all that on her. Just sayin'....for us old fogies....
This hit close to home for me....... To help out while I was gone on a trip, my kids decided to clean out my garage for me and "organize" my crafting stuff! Since I had so much stuff accumulated over the years, special papers for those special cards, all mediums of art supplies, you name it; well yep, you guessed it, it all didn't fit back into my clean area. Bottles of ink refills, reams of paper (How much white paper do you need, Mom?) and watercolor crayons, paints, pencils, regular colored pencils, paint brushes, are not to be found!!!! Yet, lots of pads of paper, which I may never touch again are neatly stacked with grommets which I will donate soon as well.
I am so touched they did this for me, it's beautiful and stuff is all put away in cupboards. They thought I just used markers, so I will want to replace some things. But I can't get angry about what they did, they don't craft, they didn't know, they were trying to be helpful, and thought they were making good choices for me.
I think of people who lose everything in fires, floods, tornados, and feel I'm still lucky to have what I do. They were just trying to help....... As "wave jumper" commented about hoarding our supplies, God knows I was guilty of that, and will now be very selective as to what I replace. More will go out, now that it's organized, and very little will come in!!!
This hit close to home for me....... To help out while I was gone on a trip, my kids decided to clean out my garage for me and "organize" my crafting stuff! Since I had so much stuff accumulated over the years, special papers for those special cards, all mediums of art supplies, you name it; well yep, you guessed it, it all didn't fit back into my clean area. Bottles of ink refills, reams of paper (How much white paper do you need, Mom?) and watercolor crayons, paints, pencils, regular colored pencils, paint brushes, are not to be found!!!! Yet, lots of pads of paper, which I may never touch again are neatly stacked with grommets which I will donate soon as well.
I am so touched they did this for me, it's beautiful and stuff is all put away in cupboards. They thought I just used markers, so I will want to replace some things. But I can't get angry about what they did, they don't craft, they didn't know, they were trying to be helpful, and thought they were making good choices for me.
I think of people who lose everything in fires, floods, tornados, and feel I'm still lucky to have what I do. They were just trying to help....... As "wave jumper" commented about hoarding our supplies, God knows I was guilty of that, and will now be very selective as to what I replace. More will go out, now that it's organized, and very little will come in!!!
Oh, I felt like crying when I read this... for all the stuff you lost (I would be so frantic) and how nice your kids were; how much time that must've taken.
Love to stamp...oh boy. That is a tough on!! Yes they were trying to help you...but I think I might have blown a gasket. I would have felt whatever they thought should go should have been left in bags or boxes for me to ok.
But you are so right...people lose everything suddenly in a disaster. Those tornadoes in Dec just killed me...one minute you have a home and one minute you have rubble. Since it's Dec...as you pick over to try to save stuff and are probably crying...your tears are freezing on your face...OMG.
I guess the point I was making is that we spend a lot of time and precious money over YEARS building our collections...and it just breaks my heart to think all that work could just get dumped by people who would not know how valuable it was....both financially and in sweat equity. So at least I think it is a good idea to have someone who can just advise the estate person on what is too used and what has value yet in addition to just not having 14 tons of it.
Gee, wouldn't it be nice if someone created a charity for crafts for people who lost their home to help re-stock them? I would ship to them!
After reading about the disaster part...I am from Florida...hurricanes...I was just thinking...wouldn't it be a great cause to find people who WERE affected by disaster...who DID lose everything...and start a forum here to help those people. We all have so much stuff. It would have to be a documented disaster so that we didn't get scammed...but we could all ship things to the person once they are settled into their new homes. It is just a thought. I know that if I lost everything, it sure would be nice to have a starting point again. Opinions?
Thank you for your sympathetic thoughts! I knew only fellow crafters could relate!!! I have to just remember they were things, and focus on what they did for me. The looks on their faces when they showed me, and my excitement to see it all done. Then after they left and I started looking in the cabinets, for how they put things in, I found myself asking where's my trimmer, where were those inkers, pencils, watercolor pads, mulberry papers, you name it, I couldn't find it!!! Shows you I had too much!!! Gelatos I had just bought and hadn't even opened....... That's why I will not replace the majority of the items, I can't possibly use it all including what I still have before I go!!! I would see a new technique/product that would appeal and get it, then may hardly use it.
So, the good part of this has shown me I let myself get sucked in by the lure of the marketing cries of the latest and greatest. I don't need all of that to make attractive cards, I have enough, including my creativity. Sometimes I would go out and look at all that stuff and say "what will I use on this card?", and go to my most current quick and easy idea, since it would be so overwhelming. Now, it will be more organized and easier to look and choose. And, I can now get rid of stuff I don't think I will ever use and donate it easier than before - I've already started an area with items growing!!!! It would be easy to be angry, but where would that get me, I'm going to stay positive about that and perhaps my creativity will be heightened!!!
lovetostamp3, I find your attitude about the "clean-up" refreshing. Instead of getting upset that your children got rid of your things, you are seeing the positive in this situation. They really were trying to help, and in the end, you are realizing that making beautiful cards isn't about the supplies, but about the creativity of the person making the cards.
It's a lesson that a lot of people could use, myself included.
__________________ aka Sue. Or Sue-odd.
No blog for me. My gallery chronicles my card-making successes and mishaps.
Of course you are right to take the high road on this. I was just being honest that I am not that good a person.
And you are right! Your creativity can drive a million designs!...I was just saying to someone about buying new dies...I have been looking at new techniques (for me) that use the kinds of dies I already have. So many things can be made with basic shapes like squares and circles instead of the latest shaped die (ie feathers right now seem hot) Swing cards and so on. (Not that I don't have shaped dies lol)
Sometimes it's good to challenge yourself..instead of jumping to a new design you see, take out some paper and stamps or dies or whatever...and say "What can I do with this?" What is the next card I will need? A birthday? Anniversary? Sometimes the pattern on a paper will inspire me. "I wanna be a kid card!"
After reading about the disaster part...I am from Florida...hurricanes...I was just thinking...wouldn't it be a great cause to find people who WERE affected by disaster...who DID lose everything...and start a forum here to help those people. We all have so much stuff. It would have to be a documented disaster so that we didn't get scammed...but we could all ship things to the person once they are settled into their new homes. It is just a thought. I know that if I lost everything, it sure would be nice to have a starting point again. Opinions?
This would be a great idea if there was a way to verify that the person did lose stuff. And if they could then post a wish-list to avoid being inundated by things they might not use.
I have bought tape runner (ATG) and refills for Tombow Mono adhesive, all bought online This is in my budget. I am saving to buy more sizzix/spellbinders basic shapes. I need the rectangle, scallop circles/squares , and star. Card stock is in my future. I want SU, since I can use this as a card base. So I keep adding change to the jar. Patterned paper, stamps and stickers are NOT in my budget. Best I stay out of big box stores to avoid temptation.
When I see something I want (I don't "need" anything), I think of the price of the item in terms of my hourly wage. And I ask myself, "Am I willing to spend X number of hours working for that?" Very often, the answer is no.
I just finished a card last night for one of Papertrey Ink's anniversary challenges, using colors and items I would never have put together. I was really pleased with the result. This is making me look at my supplies in a whole new light. I don't need new things - I just need to look at different ways to put them together.
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
What a great empathetic group! I went out today to replace my paper trimmer with a 50% off coupon, and found a corner punch on line last night, that was tossed, happened to be my absolute favorite!!! (the Southwest Corner Punch, which they no longer make). So, feeling pretty good. As I mentioned, I'm going to be so very selective about what I replace.
Instead of so many watercoloring supplies again, I think I will stick to a set of water color paints. I seem to enjoy the finished look I get better than the pencils, plus I can do wash backgrounds. I personally like that puddling look that paints or pan colors give you. I'm not good, but I have fun and enjoy playing. One day I hope to take a class in watercolors.
We'd probably all be shocked at what we could get by with, if we had to......... So, pacing ourselves shouldn't be too hard with the supplies it sounds like we all have. Plus, we can always take a designer pattern paper, emboss it, add color, spray or texture to it and we have a new piece of paper for a card or layout!!!
