How is it possible..
 

... that I don't have star punch? I have a room full of paper, ink and stamps, a Big Shot and dozens of dies and no star punch? Or at least no star punch exactly the right size for the current project. I have a set of 3 dies, but all of them are too big. It truly does not seem possible that after at least 10 years of stamping (and therefore at least 10 years of Christmas creations) that I honestly need to buy a star punch to fit the top of a tree. And yet it is and so I am forced to visit Micheal's - at least I have a coupon :)

I have been there! Think it's a crafting universe conspiracy to get us to spend more money...

I found myself in the same situation, after years and years of making cards. I had no star punch. I resorted to using a border punch I had with stars in it, and cutting the stars apart for that emergency project.:)

Then I ordered this set of the star and heart punches. I've used them both a lot since.

http://www.amazon.com/EK-Tools-Paper...rds=star+punch

Oops I just reread your post and see that you need a bigger star for the top of a tree. Good luck!

There's also the reality that coupons make it easy to get "both" when faced with a choice of available sizes. ;) ;) ;)

Ha, ha ! How did you know? That's exactly what I did - and of course I couldn't use the 40% off coupon because they were already on sale .

I concur with all of the sentiments expressed above... This isn't true any more, but at an earlier point in my crafting journey but when I still had well over 300 stamp sets, I made a gift tag and discovered that I had ZERO "to/from" sentiments - WHA?!?!?!?! How is that even remotely possible - especially considering that nearly a third of the sets were Christmas...?! Glad that you remedied your situation! ;)

Now I wonder if I have a star punch??

This looks hauntingly like an enabling post... Especially Bugga, who is always quick to pass on a link to shop.;)

I also run into those times where I look around me and think of the hundreds and hundreds I have stored in that room and I don't have a little snowflake die? How could that have happened?

I have learned the Micheal's tricks when it comes to those 40% off coupons. I hate that I can't use the coupon when they have what I want at 20% off! I actually lose money when they have sales because I can't use the coupon.:rolleyes: Frustrating.

Remember back in the olden days when we had to cut the star by hand? ;) ;) ;)

Well...I can still remember how to cut a heart by hand, add that punch to a star that I don't have lol

I do! And that's why I needed a punch :)

I think you have one. The exact right one. But it is buried and you will find it when it is time to move!

It's taken me a while, but I have developed the discipline to buy just that one item at 40% off and walk out of the store. Before, the 40% coupon was a lost leader cause I would get in that store and buy $150 worth of stuff by the time I got out.

But it stuck with me that I wanted a Fiskar's hexicon hand punch to make a quilt block card. I was so excited to do this project. The punch was 25% off, but I had a 40% off coupon. They would not let me use the coupon, and there was only 1 punch left. I thought about coming back later and buying it when it wasn't on sale. Frustrating.

If you're desperate, (or on budget lockdown like me) there's always this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARP_IG22YsM

I went through that exact same thing last year when I needed a small star for a tree topper. I now have a small star punch :D

Just this morinng, I realized that I don't have any snowflake dies and the punches that I have are too big for this year's Christmas card. So, I ordered a couple of sets of dies.

Thank you for posting that. Ideas like this are becoming a lost art... "she says as she quickly finishes her Amazon purchase of star dies, star stencils and patriotic DSP". :p

I learned how to make snowflakes this way. How come that didn't pop into my mind when I recently bought the dies and stencils...

I hate to admit it, but I was a lot more creative and smarter when my budget was zero.

Well Hon - that is how we end up with 5 heart punches, 6, circles, 3 stars,...and a partridge in a pear tree ;) just because we needed the one that fits.

I feel your pain - every now and then I need something and nothing I have will work and of course I need a bunch of then so hand cutting is not going to happen.

Thankfully at least I'm able to resist the idea of running out for that partridge. Already have a pear tree, so maybe I "should" change my mind about the partridge. :shock:

Oh yes, a partridge gently poached in pears is quite yummy. :)

I do this all the time now. Especially for a simple or common shape that is readily available on the internet for free.

I say this, but then I purchased a hand punch at Michael's that was a hexagon. Now, I have a Silhouette - what do I need a hand punch for??? My thought was to use it on my scraps. I could make quilting cards (love those). And it has worked out well. I use a couple approx 1 inch punches for this purpose, and run all small scraps through those punches before tossing. I don't mind buying another punch or gadget if I get good use out of it.

On the other hand, my Spellbinder dies... My sister saw my wall of dies and asked, "How many different oval or rectangle sets do you need?!?!? Who is going to know the difference!?!?" :rolleyes: This is coming from someone who clearly doesn't understand what she is talking about. I ignore her when she gets like this.

Yeah, you don't need that kind of negativity in your life :lol:

Put like this, I'm living it large! Thanks for that perspective.:D