I have always been a purger. At first I didn't even have a designated anything for stamping except a plastic 3-drawer thingy that held paper, ink, stamps---everything I owned for stamping. I often worked on the floor. With 3 teenaged kids there was little time, money or space, but I managed with the items that were given to me and a set or two I purchased from a friend who was also a SU demo. As time went on, I bought some things that I really loved and used them lots(and still do in many cases). Unfortunately, I did buy some sets that I only liked a couple of the stamps. I never had any problem breaking up sets, so it was easy to give away the individual stamps I didn't like. Now I have my own craft room, beautiful storage and enough money/time and space to create. I spend hours every day in my craft room. Make birthday, anniversary, get well, graduation, baby, wedding/anniversary, congrats, retirement, sympathy cards for family and friends. I do not sell cards---never did---but love giving them away. However, I bought many stamps and supplies when stamp stores and stamping magazines were prevalent. As I try and use them up now, I find that there are definitely things that are not my style (I didn't even know I had a style!) and I get rid of them. I belong to a stamp club and there is a table for freebies at the meetings, so that's where they go. I see very little I want in catalogs anymore, so buy mostly cardstock and adhesive when I'm running low. I pick a theme for each month's cards and that way use all kinds of my stamps and supplies. Some months I pick an single stamp as my theme. Of course I use other stamps with it for texture, backgrounds, greetings etc. but creating 15-20 different cards from one stamp is a challenge I love and some of my forgotten stamps are either getting a new life with me, or are finding a new home. I am a stamper at heart, not a die cutter (except for shapes difficult to cut like ovals and circles), nor a puncher (except on rare occasions) or very much of an embosser (although some texture is lovely). I am getting rid of dies, embossing folders and punches like crazy, because I got on that bandwagon as if I was blindfolded. Purging is freeing!!!
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