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I sat down to stamp with my husband last night, I was going to do this and I was going to do that. I was all geared up. But then this didn't work out the way I wanted and then that didn't stamp right. I wanted to attemp something else and don't have adequate supplies. Half the time I don't have ink that matches the paper or ribbon that matches the ink. I get so frustrated because of my lack of supplies and creativity. I wish my hobby didn't frustrate me so much.
Do you ever get frustrated when stamping? My mom or husband will be there plodding away while I'm ready to rip my hair out! Am I the only one???
april
If it helps any, I've been stamping for 13 years, I do concept design in the art stamping industry as a professional, and I experience this type of thing on a regular basis.
You're being too hard on yourself.
Part of the process of creating means there will be projects that don't turn out. And, each failed attempt actually teaches you something: what NOT to do on the next attempt.
I recently had a project that took 4-5 attempts before I finally "nailed" what I was going for. This is not uncommon.
I'm not gonna lie and say that isn't frustrating at times, especially when I'm under a deadline, but, I'm also not gonna blow sunshine by sayin' that every thing I design turns out exactly as it should with one single attempt. LOL!
Have I gotten better over the years? Sure! But, not without a lot of practice and fine-tuning, experiments gone awry, and failures that nobody else but me ever sees. ;)
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
No, you are not the only one, I have been there many times. Usually I give up and come back another day, surf SCS for a better idea, or go shopping for some more supplies!
It DOES happen to most of us, so don't feel so bad! One of the things I liked most about SU was all the coordinating supplies. I outfitted myself with all the assortment packs of paper, and all of the ink spots, so I at least had the basic supplies to do what I wanted. Then tried to put together a list of types of stamps....floral, 2-step, etc. so if I did want to try a card with a certain "look," I had the right sort of set to work with.
If I still found myself frustrated, at least I could CASE a card, which quite often is all it takes to get the whole "mojo" thing going.
You are by no means the only one. I have struggled with this for a long time. I have only posted 2 cards and they took me 3 long days to do. Both modified from magazines. I didn't really get much feedback so I kind of quit stamping. For me: Problem #1 - I'm not very creative without direction. Problem #2 - Supplies. I thought I was saving money by buying my supplies at different places on sale. Wrong. I actually wasted it (sort of) I can still use it for other things. I talked to my ever so wonderful demo about it (your demo sometimes can make all the difference) and she pointed out that she too had the same problems with her supplies at one time. She said that when she started to build up her Stampin up supplies and everything of course co-ordinated, her creativity picked up and the time it took her to make cards decreased. It finally made sense to me, I didn't really have anything that went together. I am cutting down on my stamp buying and stocking up on supplies. Cutting down my time online and then I can actually MAKE cards instead of just looking at everyone elses cards and ALL my pretty stamps collecting dust. Sorry this was so long.
I was never truly happy with anything I created until I discovered SU. My main reason for loving them is everything coordinates. It improves your projects tenfold if you are a nervous crafter because everything matches so beautifully.
I too am one that agonises over every creation, things don't work the way I want them to, but you just have to lighten up, I think, and play. We forget sometimes that it is all about having fun.
I think we are all there. Many times I sit ready to stamp and nothing, not a thing comes to my mind. I then have to get up and leave my room and admit defeat, at least for the time being. I am about to try and make a card now so we will see how it goes...maybe there will be another new card in my gallery and maybe not....
Hi BlueFlower
I have tried two approaches to this.
The first was to try to stick to one color family. Buy all the stamp pads (or at least a good selection), the CS and the ribbon colors that are available (for example, celery from the SS family). You really can't go to wrong with this approach, but I was still frustrated as the combo CS packs meant I could only produce a limited number of cards in one color scheme (for example, I couldn't mass produce Christmas cards).
The next stage for me was to find a base color that I could use for almost everything and buy a single color CS pack. For me this was mellow moss from the SS and Ruby Red from the EE. I now use these colors as the bases for most of my cards. I use the other colors from the family as the secondary colors for mats and ribbons etc. This has been working really well for me. I get a coordinated look but can produce a few similarly designed cards (if I like a design I like to modify and reuse it). I am now going to expand into some other cardstock colors (celery and close to cocoa are next as I am only into 2 color families so far).
My biggest problem right now is tools. I often sit down to do a project and don't have the tool I need (punches, white gel pen, irridescent ice, chalks, etc). I have now collected all those but there is still more to get!
Anyway, I hope this tips are of use to someone....
The only thing that struck me as odd about your dilemma was that your husband stamps with you! I have experienced the supply problems many times...I just keep trying. As for the hubby thing - how'd you do that?!?! I would love for my dh to create with me. Good luck!
I was reading this for the first time and I was thinking, it took eight posters for someone to point out that her HUSBAND STAMPS WITH HER!! That is the most awesome thing I heard all day. My hubby stamps a little too. For my sake. He draws a lot of our stamps so I make him sit down and try them first with me. Sometimes, he'll say, "Oh, now I see why that doesn't work as a stamp." LOL
As far as your OP. Don't worry, it happens to everyone!!! That's a good time to do something different, for example, I will sit and make a ton of embellishments for future use. You know, stamp a bunch of small tags with words like thank you or Happy Birthday to hang on cards later or do a few headlines for future scrapbook pages. Just something that doesn't require a lot of creativity. In fact, now would be a great time for me to make a bunch of gift tages for Christmas when I lose my mojo. Hmmmmm.
__________________ Be polite to those who are rude to you. Not because they are nice, but because you are.
Owner- Gina K. Designs
Read my blog on SU issues and you'll see that I totally understand and agree that sticking to SU was the right decision FOR ME. It may be helpful if you stuck to one line of paper, inks, etc, until you get to the point where your creative juices allow you to cherry pick from different manufacturers. I'm not there yet!!
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
We all get frustrated! Sometimes I can sit all afternoon (when I actually have free time) and not come up with anything, but then my insomnia hits and I'm on it! I do my best work when no one else is stamping around me. Don't know why that is. I'll have a house full of stampers and not do much, but then when it's quiet, watch out. My husband doesn't stamp, but my adult sons have often stamped something for their wives/fiance. Pretty cool. - Gay Howe
I do my best work when no one else is stamping around me. Don't know why that is. I'll have a house full of stampers and not do much, but then when it's quiet, watch out.
Ditto. :grin:
Sidebar: Was I the only one not surprised in the least at the OP's mention of her husband being a stamper????
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
Sidebar: Was I the only one not surprised in the least at the OP's mention of her husband being a stamper???? [/quote]
I think so my dh wouldn't be caught dead in there!:mrgreen:
I find that some days NOTHING will work for me at all ... no matter how hard I try ... so I stop stamping for that particular evening (or whatever) because I am so frustrated. Other times, everything goes GREAT, I'm creative, everything works ... so you are definitely NOT the only one!
When I read this earlier, I wanted to post, "no, you're not the only one with a creative block, but you may be the only one stamping with her HUSBAND!!?!" LOL
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Laura7712
Sidebar: Was I the only one not surprised in the least at the OP's mention of her husband being a stamper????
I think so my dh wouldn't be caught dead in there!:mrgreen:
No, I couldnt read past the first sentence!!
I would have stampers block too if my husband came into "my" stamping room, I stay out of his garage and he stays out of my rooms (i have a lot of them, poor guy only has a garage )...
I hear ya girl...My DH may not mind being called "Bunny" but he would mind if his friends found out he stamped! lol
Seriously, that is awesome but my best creations are made when its quiet and everyone is asleep.
Also a biggie for me is when no one is demanding my attention.
Don't get me wrong I cherish, love, couldn't live without my GF's and our Crop/Creative Weekly Friday nights but a girl has to have time to think sometimes.
Walk away...Take a break...look at something else and then come back to it...that is what i have to do when I have a creative block.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jpmayo
No, I couldnt read past the first sentence!!
I would have stampers block too if my husband came into "my" stamping room, I stay out of his garage and he stays out of my rooms (i have a lot of them, poor guy only has a garage )...
I wanted to attemp something else and don't have adequate supplies. Half the time I don't have ink that matches the paper or ribbon that matches the ink. I get so frustrated because of my lack of supplies and creativity. I wish my hobby didn't frustrate me so much.
april
Take heart, April! I too went through a period of real frustration because I didn't have adequate supplies OR creativity. It seemed like no matter what technique I tried, it didn't come together the way I wanted it to. Also, I had no clue when I first began stamping a few years ago, so I spent lots of $$ on stamps and hardly any on supplies / tools. I was just about ready to give up stamping all together when I found SCS quite by accident--what a blessing THAT was! Although I still don't stamp often, I find this place to be a great source of information and inspiration. I have spent the better part of this year concentrating on buying supplies instead of stamps (though I HAVE done some great trading/buying in the BST forum), getting my stamping stuff organized, and perusing the gallery / forums for ideas.
I speak from experience when I say keep at it--it WILL get better!
Man, am I glad to hear that I am not the only one! I truly thought that I was just so unimaginative and picky beacause it took me several attepts to be creative! I often wondered :confused: how many attempts it took for some of the beautiful cards I see in the cardmaking magazines or the scrapbook pages in the scrapping magazines. I am working on a card now, had a big idea, tried the big idea, idea flopped...back to the drawing board!:mad:
Thank you ladies! I figured I wasn't the only one, but it sure makes me feel better hearing from all of you.
I think when I have my Stampin' Up party in October I'll have to skip getting stamp sets and instead get some supplies. It's mainly the coordinating that stops me in my tracks.
My husband likes to paint and do pencil sketches, so stamping is just another outlet for his creativity My husband's da kewlest! :p
Thanx again everyone. All the encouragement really helps. Now I'm gonna re-read all these comments so they stick for me!
april
Thank you ladies! I figured I wasn't the only one, but it sure makes me feel better hearing from all of you.
Good!
Quote:
I think when I have my Stampin' Up party in October I'll have to skip getting stamp sets and instead get some supplies. It's mainly the coordinating that stops me in my tracks.
Aha! Simple remedy, then! Buy more. Always works for me!
KIDDING, I am KIDDING(!!!), I hope you know! I'm a teaser! ;)
You do need a certain amount of ink colors and paper colors that work well together to get great results, no doubt about that.
Quote:
My husband likes to paint and do pencil sketches, so stamping is just another outlet for his creativity. My husband's da kewlest! :p
I guess I've just had the great, and evidently unusual, fortune to meet a lot of guys who stamp, from stamp store owners and stamp company owners, to illustrators, designers, as well as my own customers as an SU! demonstrator!
And, throughout history, so many of our most reknowned artists were men! So, it didn't surprise me at all when you said your hubby stamps with you!
I do think it's cool you share an interest that you enjoy doing TOGETHER. That's AWESOME!
Quote:
Thanx again everyone. All the encouragement really helps. Now I'm gonna re-read all these comments so they stick for me!
april
Stamp on, girl!!!
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
am I the only one
