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If you had 250 in gift cards for Michaels what would you buy for scrapbooking/stamping? I am more of a stamper right now. I am thinking of buying a cricut but do I really need one? I have most of the basics like ink, paper, light table, stamps, xyron stuff.
ideas?
__________________ ************************************************************** Deborah "Imagination is more important than knowledge" ~ Albert Einstein
If you don't already have one, I would get a cuttlebug. Second, I would get a cropodile big bite, then I would get an ott lite, then I'd stock up on cardstock & ribbon.
Thanks for letting me live/shop vicariously through you
I personally don't have a Cricut, but I think that would be an excellent choice. It's probably better tha $250 worth of small stuff. Someone else mentioned at Ott light, which is definitely an excellent choice as well.
If you have a Cuttlebug, you could always buy a few alphabets.
How easy it is to spend $250!!!
I have an ott light never took it out of the box and I have a cuttlebug never used........I have a craft room that is need of organization (depression problem for me) so I have not used what I have bought.......I also bought one of those folding sewing table to craft on never used it yet.
I know I have no business buying anything until my craft room is usable.
sigh
Does Michaels sell Nestabliities?
__________________ ************************************************************** Deborah "Imagination is more important than knowledge" ~ Albert Einstein
Maybe a Cricut, but you could get one cheaper on eBay than at Michaels. If they still have the cube organizer things, I'd buy a bunch of those too. I'm all about the organization too.
wow cool laura, I have never seen those at Michaels, I definately need some organization........I wish they had one just for the ribbon, two rows is not enough room for the ribbon
I can't find a price on those.
__________________ ************************************************************** Deborah "Imagination is more important than knowledge" ~ Albert Einstein
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Depression aye? I've heard that you feel better when you are generous and help others. Maybe you could send that gift card along to someone in need. HA!
I hope I made you laugh.
So, find a friend and "hire" her to help you organize your craft room. Make a point to use what you have before you buy anything new. Maybe sell things you aren't using. I hope you have a good, needy crafting friend who could benefit from your discards. ;) You might decide you don't need a new tool just organization stuff so you could sell the gift card and then spend the cash at IKEA or the Container Store.
i feel ya on the disorganized craft room and depression. if i were in your shoes i would buy things to organize, and also to "pretty up" my craft mood. may put you in a better mood to stamp! (and make you wanna keep it clean)
Laura was right on the prices, I was just there earlier looking at them when I was getting some cropper hopper storage for my paper. I can't believe you don't use your cuttlebug! I would die to have one!!!! If you need organization, then just go that route because then maybe you will start using what you have, and then it will be like you went shopping all over again!
........I have a craft room that is need of organization (depression problem for me) so I have not used what I have bought.......
I would spend it all on organization stuff then. Check out their wood products -- would any of their shelves, cabinets, boxes, etc. help out? You can easily paint those to make them all match. Plus they have lots of craft specific organization things. Remember to think "outside the box" - just because something is meant to be used one way doesn't mean you can't use it in a completely different manner.
If the job seems to overwhelming concentrate on one part at a time. Like just this week get all your ribbon organized. Find a way you want to store/organize it, buy/make/repurpose storage and then fill it. if you break it down into smaller jobs it may be easier. I know when I try to do a big project in the winter (seasonal depression) I have to break it into super small chunks or I get overwhelmed and start 15 projects at once.:cool:
Good luck!
__________________ Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.
since you already have a cuttlebug, I would buy cuttlebug and or sizzix alphabets and dies. and I would buy alot of the organizational stuff too, cause you can always use that stuff for other things too.
Have fun!!
I was going to say OTT light, but I see that you already have one ... and not used it! LOL, I am wanting one so badly ... maybe for my birthday! Other than that, I dont know!!!
If you had 250 in gift cards for Michaels what would you buy for scrapbooking/stamping? I am more of a stamper right now. I am thinking of buying a cricut but do I really need one? I have most of the basics like ink, paper, light table, stamps, xyron stuff.
ideas?
Buy the cricut expressions -- my dh got it for me at Christmas and I love it... greatest thing since sunshine. Also got a cuttlebug which is also a great investment.
Oh I understand about the depression - some nights I create and love it, some nights I think I need to sell all this stuff and just sit cuz I am too depressed to think. But luckily, another night passes, and I am creating again. Good luck. Hang in there.
At Michael's, I tend to stock up on adhesives (mono refills, glue dots, tacky tape, dimensionals), paper cutter blade refills and items like that which are more "necessary" than creative, since I get most of my stamps, paper, ink from other places... perhaps you might want to consider using a portion of your gift card for these items, too, so that you don't have spend the money later. Happy shopping!
I think that if you have a problem with depression you probably wouldn't take the cricut out of the box any more than you did the Ott light or the cuttlebug. Not trying to be judgmental here - I've had that problem myself. And I tend to buy whatever's the "cool" tool of the moment, but like your cuttlebug, they don't get much use.
I think the idea to get a friend to help you organize is a great one. Then you can spend some or all of the $250 on organizational things from Michael's. Having an organized room will give you a lift.
I vote for a big set of prismacolor pencils if you don't already own them. My boss gave me a $50 gift card at Christmas and that's what I used mine one. We are always so broke that I couldn't splurge on them. But I can't tell you what a difference they've made in my coloring.
I also think the ladies have some good ideas about finding a friend willing to help you organize. Maybe you can offer her a few $ worth of your gift card for helping. Or maybe you can go shopping together after you've organized some. Being WITH someone always helps my depression.
I do have a best friend that has offered to help me. She does not want any money for it either. I am so embarassed that I don't want to open the door to that room when she is over. She is also a stamper and she is the one who got me into stamping. So she knows exactly what I have bought. I can't get past being embarassed.
Jane I love colored pencils. I have some but not prismacolor. Mine are Crayola I wonder if the prisma is that much better?
I am so fortunate that I get my mono refills through my SU lady. She does not get them from SU but from an independent place and sells them back to us at cost which is about half the price of Michaels. You have to buy in increments of 6 but that is fine with me.
smithr66 you might be right that I won't take it out of the box, after all I can't even get to my paper.......
sigh.....someone kick some sense in me
__________________ ************************************************************** Deborah "Imagination is more important than knowledge" ~ Albert Einstein
Seriously, I agree that you should buy some organizational tools. I have been in a stamping funk lately, but just yesterday I painted my room, had DH assemble bookshelves from IKEA, etc. I spent this afternoon organizing, and it's making me want to stamp again.
Don't be embarrassed by the mess. If your friend is really your friend, she won't care. Plus, when you're all done organizing, you'll feel so much better! Go for it!
annie she is the best friend in the entire world, I can always count on her for anything, we taught school next to each other for 30 years.....she is a sis a mom and a friend all rolled into one for me
way to go on getting your room together I envy you
__________________ ************************************************************** Deborah "Imagination is more important than knowledge" ~ Albert Einstein
I would treat yourself to something amazing when you have created and christened your craft space.
If you let your friend help you, maybe you could use some of the card value towards a thank-you for her, I know she doesn't want payment, and payment could never repay her kindness but a special gift might be very much appreciated.
If you can get your hands on a coupon you should be able to use it on the wall organizer if its not on sale. I also think they had Prisma Pensils on sale this week. Michaels is having a good sale this week, so I would check out the sale paper.
Heya, Deborah! If you already love colouring, I think you would really enjoy a set of Prismacolour pencil crayons. I used to use Crayolas too until I got my first set of 12 Prismas on clearance, and liked them so much I recently invested in a set of 72. I used to hate colouring, actually, and stuck with bold stamp images, but now that the Prismas have ignited the colouring firefly in me I spend most of my "stamping time" colouring in line stamp images.
If you do go the Prismacolour route, you will want to consider picking up a Panasonic electric pencil sharpener from an office supply store. The Prisma leads are so soft and richly pigmented that using other electric pencil sharpeners may break the tips a lot. I personally just use the handheld sharpener that came with my Prisma set and am happy with that, but that's just me.
I know from dealing with depression myself that it is so hard to love yourself right now, this makes it is even harder to imagine that others love you too. But, your friend really loves you and cares for you! Even the most cluttered, disorganised crafting space in the universe won't change that!
I agree with Joan B to use the gift card at your own pace; if the opportunity just having the gift card presents to you helps you create a vision of where you'd like your craft room to go, that's cool! You don't have to spend a dime of your card before you are comfortable.
If you had 250 in gift cards for Michaels what would you buy for scrapbooking/stamping? I am more of a stamper right now. I am thinking of buying a cricut but do I really need one? I have most of the basics like ink, paper, light table, stamps, xyron stuff.
I would definitely organize my room first. As a matter of fact, I did just that and found I had more stuff than I ever knew I had. I especially had tons of CS and ink pads. Then, when organizing my stamps it was another "Wow, I forgot I had that" moment (or hours). If you organize your room, you'll still have time to spend the gift card. There's ALWAYS something you need!!! A great pair of scissors is a must have!!! I'd be thrilled to help you spend it - LOL.:mrgreen:
annie she is the best friend in the entire world, I can always count on her for anything, we taught school next to each other for 30 years.....she is a sis a mom and a friend all rolled into one for me
way to go on getting your room together I envy you
You are lucky to have such a loyal friend. Don't be afraid to let her help you organize. It just may be what you need to get your creative mojo back!
I know it is difficult to live with depression. I suffer from it myself. I understand you are embarrassed to let your friend see your stamping room. I had the same problem when I had my daughter and her husband come over and help me with mine. After I got over the initial shock of letting them see the room, it was way easier to work side by side with them to create a space of beauty and where I could be creative. If I may suggest, talk to your friend. Tell her you are in need of her help but you are embarrassed for her to see what shape your room is in now. She will help you get over that. Work together with her on a vision of what you want and then together you could shop for organizational things. It may really help with your emotions to have her there and to know you were doing something that you've wanted to do but were too paralyzed to do on your own. When my room was completed, I absolutely fell in love with it! Sure I did some tweeking but it is great! My grand daughter said I can't buy any more paper because I have way too much! She had to organize it by color! That hasn't stopped me though! I have way more paper now than I did then! It's just organized now!!
Trust me, having all that money to spend is a good thing. You certainly can make your life a bit easier and happier if you use it or most of it to organize yourself. As someone else said, then it would be like you went shopping because you would use the tools you already have and never have used! One thing I would suggest from experience is make sure you have a big work surface! I had an 8 foot desk put in my room and it still isn't big enough with all the stuff I have on it! Good luck to you! I'm here if you want to talk! I know how it feels! Believe me!
Hugs to you!
Eileen
PS: Prismacolor pencils ROCK!!! You NEED these!!! (That's what I think anyway!)
Thank you everyone. I can hear kindness and love and understanding in each of your voices. I will be sure to let you all know what I end up doing. If I tackle the room I will take before, during and after photos.
__________________ ************************************************************** Deborah "Imagination is more important than knowledge" ~ Albert Einstein
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I'm sure your friend would love to help you through any difficulty you are having, that's what friends are for. It'll make you both feel good! I have been fighting depression for a long time, very easy to get overwhelmed and difficult to function. Good luck and have fun too
__________________ Bereaved parent (love you forever Hannah!) and PROUD Army mom!
I also know the depression issues... and the embarrassed for anyone to see. <sigh> it isn't pleasant.
My thought was this.
Get past the embarrassment, your friend already knows YOU, and knows what your craft room looks like. Let her help you in there, get it all lovingly organized and put together.
Then take your $250 from Michaels, and share it with her. What a wonderful thank you that could be for her. She won't take your money, but she might take a gift in crafting supplies for a thank you.
good luck, and I hope to see what you've done soon!
Thank you everyone. I can hear kindness and love and understanding in each of your voices. I will be sure to let you all know what I end up doing. If I tackle the room I will take before, during and after photos.
Hi Deborah,
Just stumbled across this thread. Did you get your room organized? I agree with everyone else about how good it feels when it's done.
You should have seen my room!! I started out in small areas, and went from there. My scrap pile was the worst. I am a HUGE hoarder and saved EVERY little scrap, and I mean little.:-D Anyway, I bought a long tote that accomodated hanging file folders and organized all my scraps by color. I even made myself throw away scraps that were smaller than 2" square. It took me two days about 6-7 hours each day to get it done. (I told you I had a lot of scraps!!!:rolleyes: ) Anyway, it is so great to be able to actually use the scraps now and access them so easily.
And, as one other poster mentioned, your friend (if she hasn't already) will be more than happy to help you.
250 dollar Michaels gift card
organize
