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So many of us confess to being "paper hoarders". We just keep buying those darling packs of paper; 12 x 12 , 8 x 8, or 6 x 6. But many of us have trouble actually USING it! I am right at the top of that list.
I just added 10 cards I recently made to my gallery. What I am most proud of is that 5 of the 10 use DP or "scraps" I've been saving "because you never know when you might NEED one that size". Besides, paper is expensive!!
These are NOT ground breaking original ideas for using scraps or DP, but I made myself do it as a personal challenge. The sky didn't fall when I cut into that pristine piece of 6 x 6 DP and I actual like the results.
So if you're like me and need some "inspiration" to just USE what you've already paid for...take a peek at my recent additions. No need for comments, I'm not fishing for compliments. Just thought I'd share! :-)
I'm SO tempted to order the buy three get one free sale from SU, but I am also really challenged to use DP, because I do so much with digital these days. I've been merrily cutting up paper myself this week and using it! Tonight I used two and a half 12x12 sheets on ONE scrapbook page! Woo HOO!
__________________ Terri
Paper Crafty Goals for 2013: 50/135 pages and 185/75 cards.
Having the same problem you have. DP is what got me into card making in the first place - so many colors, such design, so much fun! Ah.... I do digress. Anyway. I've been trying to whittle my stacks down to something that at least appears to be reasonable. I WILL not buy more until 1/2 my stash is gone. Honest! LOL Anyway, I checked out your gallery. LOVE your cards. They are clean but beautiful in design. You've inspired me to dig into some of my scraps.
__________________ Louise Bergmann DuMontAuthor, Speaker, Serious About Her Coffee, Lover of all that is Chocolate...Worshiper of El Shaddai (The All Sufficient One)
So many of us confess to being "paper hoarders". We just keep buying those darling packs of paper; 12 x 12 , 8 x 8, or 6 x 6. But many of us have trouble actually USING it! I am right at the top of that list.
My name is Elizabeth, and I am a recovering paper hoarder. It's been 2 months since I last bought DP.......
I too have undergone a similar challenge - I am working VERY HARD on using up my stash. The biggest challenge - to stop saving that piece because "it's so pretty I want to save it for something really special" and then it sits there - forever! I have whittled my non-Christmas stash down to about 1/3 of what it used to be. I continue to buy Christmas paper but that is because I belong to a crafting guild that does a lot of Christmas crafts all year long.
One of the biggest outward demonstrations of reform is the fact that I went through all of my DP, picked out the papers that I knew I would be using either this year, or it is a special occasion type of paper that I know I will use soon enough, then taking all the rest of it and letting the children in our crafting guild use it for their crafts. It is really hard to sit there and watch them cut it up in random pieces and see the wastage when they go for a 2X2 piece right from the middle of the paper, but I just grit my teeth and try not to look!
I also have created a challenge pile - I grab some papers and embellishments and challenge myself to make at least 6 card fronts with them (often, I make them very generic with no sentiments, so that I can quickly add that as the occasion presents itself). I do this once a week. Once the card fronts are created, if I really like the paper I am working with and there are leftovers, I continue to make cards. If I am done with it, it goes into the aforementioned pile for the kid crafters (this happens a lot with the "what the heck was I thinking" papers!). That way, I get the satisfaction of having used the paper (thus justifying the purchase) and give the kids stuff to work with.
One last thing that has helped - I have learned to let go of the scraps. When I have finished a scrapbook layout or the set of challenge cards, I ask myself if I am really, really going to use that paper again - 99% of the time, the answer is no, so into the kids crafting pile it goes. It's amazing what the kids will make out of that stuff!
__________________ Elizabeth
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Hand over the chocolate, and no one will get hurt!
Last edited by flash&rusty; 07-19-2013 at 05:46 AM..
Your cards are great. It make we want to go home and pull out my scraps. The fall ones you posted back in October really caught my eye. So simple but so pretty.
I got the new envie liner framelits in the holiday catalog from SU (on my demo preorder, catty goes live August 1st), and I am loving them!!! It is a great way for me to use up some DSP!!!!!!
Mary, I think your comments are a great encouragement to all of to use our papers. I too LOVE papers but after hoarding them, I made a conscious decision to use them and 'shop my stash' rather than buying more. When I had a big clean out late last year, some papers that I used to love weren't quite as appealing as they once were which got me thinking that just like some of my clothes, my papers were going to 'date' - so I should use them while I still love them. And after all, new papers are being released all the time and if I ever run out, there is sure to be something out there that I will love just as much.
Thanks for the encouragement. I have a pile of 6x6" paper pads that I need to cut into. Trying to overcome the guilt is difficult. I feel silly about it.
I love your CAS designs, but will try to make some heavier, layered stuff and use up lots of papers. It's almost no fun, having these supplies but not wanting to use them up.
I need to forget about buying anymore dsp until I use up more of what I have. I was at a weekend retreat and did use a lot of dsp, but, hasn't begun to touch my stash. Does anyone know of anyone who does paper scrap challenges, maybe with layouts etc???
__________________ Carolyn
my avatar: (such desparation), Dear God, if you can't make me thin; make my
friends fat"
We moved twice last summer and were unemployed for several months. That helped "cure" me of my paper buying habit. Needing to be on a buying freeze has forced me to use my stash. It's actually a nice feeling. I've found papers I'd forgotten I had and loved. Then of course there were the "what was I thinking" papers but...mostly, I've enjoyed getting reacquainted with my stash. I've bought a few sheets here and there but nothing major.
Actually USING some of my DP
