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Kathi - I'm with you - I stockpiled patterned paper and then WOULDN'T USE IT because I was afraid I'd never find it again. I don't even want to say how much I have. I am making myself use it now. So many things listed here that I have and are waiting to be used (again, or even for the first time). I still like my deco scissors. Stickers - I've got enough to open my own store...seriously. I have more than a lss store we used to have. The owner was shocked when she saw my sticker inventory.
...However, you all reminded me of Twistel, crepey paper rolls, Magic Mesh (which is now sticky on both sides), and all the patterned paper that I bought in multiples (like four sheets per style/color) because I was afraid I'd run out.[/quote]
Part II - someone said Xyron - I'd be lost with mine (I have 3 sizes). Use them for adhesive, magnets and lamination. I laminated the templates for the ladies in my cake decorating class - it was so quick and easy, and they didn't have to run out and buy special laminate paper. I use it for my mylar papers and other really then papers that are hard to cut and impossible to punch (run regular paper through one side of adhesive and adhere the mylar to it. So much easier to work with. Brass embossing templates - I have zillions, and will try one of the suggestions elsewhere to run through my Big Shot.
*hoping not too offend anyone* but I dislike "Overscrapped" pages, the embellishments and the journalling takes over and the photos get lost, its like every technique they know was used on the page, I am a CAS girl, I like the photo to tell the story and the embellisments to accentuate to bring out certain aspects of the photo.
remember that technique where you placed a round photo on the page and cut another photo in a spiral and placed it on top of that. to see the picture on the bottom, you simply lifted the center of the top circle.
That one goes right back to Victorian times - it must be one that goes around and comes around. I remember making cards like about 30 something years ago!
I still use mulberry paper all the time, mostly white. I use my aquapainter or wet brush to moisten the paper where I want to tear then simply pull the paper apart. This gives a soft feathery look while tearing in a straight line (at least if your water line was straight). I layer it under a focal point for a soft romantic look.
I also use the colored wire all the time for antennae on butterflies. I have a thing for butterfly cards these days. I curl the end of the wire, punch a small hole with my paper piercer and stick the wire through and tape it on the back. Sometimes I'll curl the wire around a seed bead. My card customers go wild for this kind of detail.
I still use about 5 deco edge scissors on a regular basis. I rarely use eyelets any more and I'm pretty much over using polymer clay to make card elements...I like the effect but it's just too much trouble to pull out my toaster oven and "pasta" machine. Oh shrinky dink also....too much work but cute results.
I used staples on 2 cards a few years back and now am wondering what I was thinking!
Everyone has their own taste and their own style. My husband bought me a sewing machine so I could "sew" on my paper. I was excited to use it. It should not be rocket science to thread a sewing machine, however, to me it was. After trying over and over I had to sell the machine before I threw it out the window.
I did start using eyelets again one the Crop-A-Dial came out. It makes it so much easier.
To bad you sold your sewing machine. I use mine without thread for straight lines and then a white pen to trace.
I'm guilty of hoarding all of the above mentioned supplies except for glue sticks, bottle caps and fun fur. I really am going to clean out my stamp room (someday) and I hope this thread notivates me to purge some things and make more room. I still have the decorative scissors and use a couple of them as they take up much less room to store than the punches,they do the same thing pretty much and I already had them, I have many that I haven't used for years though.
You know, I love my tearing ruler! I can't tear remotly straight to save my life! Every time I ter a paper on purpose it always goes off in som direction I didn't want. I've even almost torn through stamped images I'm trying to tear around. IMO that ruler can save you time and effort if you are that picky about how you tear. Of course, I too am a Virgo... :rolleyes:
You sound just like me. I can't tear a straight line for anything, and I'm **** enough that I couldn't stand it. I was so bad I used to use the Deckle decorative scissors to make a faux torn edge. So, I love my tearing edge ruler! I'm a Leo, which is next to the Virgo. That may be the reason.
I've enjoyed all your remembrances and confessions! I have several scrapbooks and they reveal the stages I went through. I use my shape scissors quite a bit, as I fold computer type paper and insert it in the card, cutting a fancy edge and stamping my decorations and verses on it. (It helps if any of that stamping goes badly, because the outside of the card is still fine and I can just redo the inside.) A good use for the paper sheets you do not choose to use is to make an envelope from them. Most of them are blank on the back, and it is interesting to have a decorated inside.
Kathi - I'm with you - I stockpiled patterned paper and then WOULDN'T USE IT because I was afraid I'd never find it again. I don't even want to say how much I have. I am making myself use it now. So many things listed here that I have and are waiting to be used (again, or even for the first time). I still like my deco scissors. Stickers - I've got enough to open my own store...seriously. I have more than a lss store we used to have. The owner was shocked when she saw my sticker inventory.
...However, you all reminded me of Twistel, crepey paper rolls, Magic Mesh (which is now sticky on both sides), and all the patterned paper that I bought in multiples (like four sheets per style/color) because I was afraid I'd run out.
[/QUOTE]
LOL, I just pulled out a bunch of old stuff and I found a TON of stickers!! What was I thinking??? Especially those alphabet sheets and the ones with the dots on the end (I think someone mentioned those earlier).
Makes me think I should really purchase limited amounts of current trend stuff!!
I'm relatively new - 2-1/2 years - to stamping, but I am just itching to get into some of your craft spaces and purge LOL!!
And by the way, the LSS here in town is closing. He had a huge selection of 12 x 12 single sheets and a HUGE selection of stickers. It was even called Scrappin' and Stickin'. I'm amazed he stayed in business as long as he did. Hopefully he was ready to retire anyway.
I'm relatively new - 2-1/2 years - to stamping, but I am just itching to get into some of your craft spaces and purge LOL!!
And by the way, the LSS here in town is closing. He had a huge selection of 12 x 12 single sheets and a HUGE selection of stickers. It was even called Scrappin' and Stickin'. I'm amazed he stayed in business as long as he did. Hopefully he was ready to retire anyway.
This was one of the BEST threads I have ever read! I was so engrossed in reading, I almost missed a doctor app't. I laughed, agreed, disagreed, thought I would try to justify some of my purchases and finally decided to admit (mostly to myself) that I am a hopeless craft-a-holic! I own just about everything listed, because I HAVE TO HAVE IT ALL! Or, most of it anyway.
A couple of personal thoughts:
I never liked the look of staples - to me they are cheap looking- like your piece was falling apart and you grabbed the first thing you could get your hands on to hold it together. That is not to say there are beautiful cards made with them. In MHO, all art is beautiful, whether it touches my heart or not.
I think that any scrapbook you put the time and the love into, should remain as is (would you redo the birth of your child-could you make it any more perfect than it was?)
I have a problem throwing anything away, so when I bought I new house, I had to make accomodations for my addictions, but I say "It keeps me off the streets and out of the bars".
Oh my gosh.. like Tracy-Stamper, I have sheets of Alpha stickers too. Have I ever used them...NO, but for some crazy reason I had to get them in pink, blue, white, decorated. Geez..I almost forgot about those things.
The pull tabs on the soda pop. I could never make my card look good with them. Then the hardware came out, and the pull tabs were never to be seen again.
This was great for a laugh--at myself! I have gone through many of the "fads" and must admit, that I continue with most although none in great amounts. Seems like certain cards call for certain supplies/techniques. I used to use raffia all the time, but now just occasionally and I can't think of anything else that would have worked. Same with eyelets, fibers and buttons. I use my decorative scissors a lot, and my husband loves mulberry paper, so every card I make for him has it. That being said, I never liked the paper dolls, altered books, stickers, slide mounts or the "too artsy" look and have never used them or purchased any supplies for such. I do seem to have the hoarding instinct and often buy more than I need, so have a lot of stuff in my craft room. I know I will use it, though, if I live long enough. LOL. The most purging I do is with my many stamps. Go through them every now and then and give them away--too lazy to sell them and figure others will enjoy them.
What about the paper doll figures that you could dress up as every sport and every profession?
And I agree-I hate fat glue sticks that cover your fingers. By the end of class it is everywhere.
I was just thinking of the paper doll phase as I was reading through this thread! Hilarious, I have paper doll theme packs tucked in every nook and cranny of my studio, paper doll punches (which I used once last year to make A gingerbread man for my dd's Christmas project. Oh, and I only ever used one...I could never make them look right, but I still can't get rid of them LOL!
Oh my gosh.. like Tracy-Stamper, I have sheets of Alpha stickers too. Have I ever used them...NO, but for some crazy reason I had to get them in pink, blue, white, decorated. Geez..I almost forgot about those things.
LOL :-D Yes, why did we feel like we had to have every single color!!! Crazy, lol.
This thread has been great! I have read every page and have agreed with almost everything you ladies have said. NEVER understood the bottle caps and thank goodness didnt buy any. Fibers - yuck, although I use to crop with that lady who put alittle bit of evrything on ONE PAGE including fibers and the background was always patterened paper. Made me dizzy trying to find the photo. SEI paper? I still have just about every line they ever made, loved the colors I think.
Now that we have decided what to purge, what do I do with it? Nine SU boxes full of pattern paper that has to go ( used to buy 5 of each!) Where do you donate? I refuse to do the bay thing and garage sales are right up there with bottle caps and fun fur...not happenin' here. Who do I donate this stuff to?? Really could use some ideas , I would love to get this stuff out of my space.
Thanks for the memories!
I can't remember the last time I have read a thread from beginning to end! We have come a long way, baby!! I have a whole toolbox FULL of decorative scissors (something like 24 of 'em!) that I can't bring myself to part with! Scrapbook pages with pictures cut into shapes (what WERE we thinking??) I've been doing this for 11+ years and have pretty much EVERYTHING mentioned on this thread. EXCEPT . . . slide mounts??? I guess I was totally out of town when THAT one happened, as they don't EVEN ring a bell! Anyone have a sample of something they did with one/some? I'm still trying to figure it out! (I know what a slide mount IS, I just don't recall ever seeing one used in scrapping/cardmaking . . . )
And I have SEVERAL plastic templates that we used to trace/cut/stencil. I just HAD to have the alphabet ones . . . I actually used those quite a bit on my scrapbook pages (and I still think they look all right!)!
This thread has been great! I have read every page and have agreed with almost everything you ladies have said. NEVER understood the bottle caps and thank goodness didnt buy any. Fibers - yuck, although I use to crop with that lady who put alittle bit of evrything on ONE PAGE including fibers and the background was always patterened paper. Made me dizzy trying to find the photo. SEI paper? I still have just about every line they ever made, loved the colors I think.
Now that we have decided what to purge, what do I do with it? Nine SU boxes full of pattern paper that has to go ( used to buy 5 of each!) Where do you donate? I refuse to do the bay thing and garage sales are right up there with bottle caps and fun fur...not happenin' here. Who do I donate this stuff to?? Really could use some ideas , I would love to get this stuff out of my space.
Thanks for the memories!
Donate it to the art dept at your local school! Art teachers always need supplies like that. Or a womens/childrens shelter? There's bound to be someone locally who can use it--ask a teacher, a community service organization, a LSS--they will probably have some good ideas for you.
I can't remember the last time I have read a thread from beginning to end! We have come a long way, baby!! I have a whole toolbox FULL of decorative scissors (something like 24 of 'em!) that I can't bring myself to part with! Scrapbook pages with pictures cut into shapes (what WERE we thinking??) I've been doing this for 11+ years and have pretty much EVERYTHING mentioned on this thread. EXCEPT . . . slide mounts??? I guess I was totally out of town when THAT one happened, as they don't EVEN ring a bell! Anyone have a sample of something they did with one/some? I'm still trying to figure it out! (I know what a slide mount IS, I just don't recall ever seeing one used in scrapping/cardmaking . . . )
And I have SEVERAL plastic templates that we used to trace/cut/stencil. I just HAD to have the alphabet ones . . . I actually used those quite a bit on my scrapbook pages (and I still think they look all right!)!
Oh my gosh, I found a bunch of these yesterday!! I remember they weren't cheap either!! With them I also found my SU! plaid maker. I still think it's kind of a cool product but haven't used it in ages. I remember it being really messy.
OMG! This IS fun! "Sticker Sneeze" HaHaHa! I remember that. You know what? In 5-10 years we'll look back at the stuff we do now and call it silly and dated. We'll probably be back to the deco scissors and stickers.....
I would never re-do my scrapbooks. (Even the ones where I cut around everyone in the photo and then stacked them all on top of one another. Eeeek!) They show my evolution as an artist.
This is my silly plastic slide and magic mesh collection..that I never, ever used. I don't know what possessed me to buy this stuff. I was probably "moved" by those sample boards..you know, the ones propped up next to the product, showing examples of how to use them. Geez...I allowed myself to get hypnotized by those sample boards. I am living proof that this marketing strategy really does work! lol!
[QUOTE=Vina82;14710476]This is my silly plastic slide and magic mesh collection..that I never, ever used. I don't know what possessed me to buy this stuff. I was probably "moved" by those sample boards..you know, the ones propped up next to the product, showing examples of how to use them. Geez...I allowed myself to get hypnotized by those sample boards. I am living proof that this marketing strategy really does work! lol![/QUOTE]
I also have tons of mulberry paper, you can get a huge sheet for $1 from Marco's Paper. Anyway, a couple years ago on the Martha Stewart show she had a guest who made the cutest cards using mulberry paper. Here is a link to the show clip and the lady's card site. They are sold at Neiman Marcus, so it can't be too out of style. http://www.flauntcards.com/index.html http://www.marthastewart.com/article...g-flaunt-cards
__________________ Martha
"When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life." Jean Shinoda Bolen
I would have to say stickers. I can never buy just a couple of anything, but for years I went overboard on stickers. I never really used them for anything and I am intending to get rid of them. Fortunately, I have four grandchildren who just love them. I was especially bad about the SandyLion ones.
No w that we have decided what to purge, what do I do with it? Nine SU boxes full of pattern paper that has to go ( used to buy 5 of each!) Where do you donate? Who do I donate this stuff to?? Really could use some ideas , I would love to get this stuff out of my space. Thanks for the memories!
Speaking as a teacher, donate your old crafting supplies to a school. We are ALWAYS in need of paper, scissors, art supplies, etc. I teach high school social studies and have 2-3 regular art projects that I do each year. I've used plenty of my retired SU! card stock, markers, etc. Haven't quite gotten to the point of letting them have my DSP (more on that later), but the kids (I teach at a very low SES school) think they are in HOG HEAVEN when given supplies like this!
Just a thought
Rhonda
__________________ I stamp ~ therefore....I work!
NavyWifeArmyMom Come Visit Me At ... A Work In Progress
Very interesting and fun thread. I've been scrapping (CM) and stamping (SU!) since 1995 and have nearly all the items mentioned. Here's my list of "had to have it and now either 'don't get it' or don't use it" items:
Fastenator - great big stapler with decorative wide staples: LOVED this when I bought it - and the 4 different boxes of gold, silver and colored staples. Used it 2 or 3 times, couldn't get it to staple straight, or get the staples to stay in place. Loved it so much I think I bought a couple for Secret Siblings at the time. To Whomever - SORRY! :confused: It collects dust now Colored Wire - got this when I first started with SU! Used it once or twice, poked countless holes in my own fingers, bled on cards, enough said. Collecting dust. Sculpey Clay and Shrinky Dinks - just never worked right for me. Still have an unopened set of the clay and several sheets of the Shrinky Dink paper. Collecting Dust. Magic Mesh - have 7-10 colors (including metallic), used it a couple of times, I think it's sticky on both sides now as well. Collecting dust. PearlEx - still holding out on this one. I love the look, sometimes, but just don't use it very much, so it is also...Collecting Dust.
Never got into Bottle Caps or Slide Mounts. I thought about the Bottlecaps but never wanted to spend the money. As mentioned by others, I never really understood Slide Mounts, couldn't get the picture in my mind of how to use, so .....
In my scrapbooks I used LOTS of ABC stickers, cut pictures into ovals, rounds and squares. I think I have a couple heart and star shaped ones (using the CM templates), I loved (and still do) the technique of "silhouetting" a picture (usually a grandchild) in the corner of a page. Some of my pages have titles, some do not. Many have stickers (I am/was a hoarder), but I don't think of them as "sneezes."
Loved paper dolls as a kid but never could see them on my cards or scrapbook pages.
I have some deco scissors, but except for the postage stamp ones I couldn't ever cut straight with them. I've given most of them away and taken some to school - the kids love them.
I have TONS of eyelets, and the Crop-o-dile, but seldom use them. Prefer brads. Still do love using fibers (fake fur?) on my cards but usually in conjunction with a piece or two of ribbon.
I think the saying "Everything old is new again" about sums up all our feelings about the various craft supplies that we see, drool over, can't live without, buy and then find again after several years and wonder, "what was I thinking?"
Thanks for the reminder of some of my own crafting "blunders" as well as well loved but seldom used supplies!
__________________ I stamp ~ therefore....I work!
NavyWifeArmyMom Come Visit Me At ... A Work In Progress
I'm not understanding the paper doll trend -- can someone send a link to a card or scrapbook page? It does not sound that bad to me!
Regrets? I've had a few. But it's more about the quality of the materials I have purchased (flimsy card stock, random ink colors, random markers, etc.) than trendy items and the quantity of things I've purchased (too much stuff!).
This thread has been great! I have read every page and have agreed with almost everything you ladies have said. NEVER understood the bottle caps and thank goodness didnt buy any. Fibers - yuck, although I use to crop with that lady who put alittle bit of evrything on ONE PAGE including fibers and the background was always patterened paper. Made me dizzy trying to find the photo. SEI paper? I still have just about every line they ever made, loved the colors I think.
Now that we have decided what to purge, what do I do with it? Nine SU boxes full of pattern paper that has to go ( used to buy 5 of each!) Where do you donate? I refuse to do the bay thing and garage sales are right up there with bottle caps and fun fur...not happenin' here. Who do I donate this stuff to?? Really could use some ideas , I would love to get this stuff out of my space.
Thanks for the memories!
hi - I work in a psych ward at our local hospital - I donate lots of stuff (paper, fibers, stamps) to the OT people there to use in patient groups for arts and crafts - if we have a good mix of folks, I show them how to do simple stamping and we make cards - they love it and the hospital budget can sure use the donations...just a thought
__________________ sometimes you have to choose between what's right and what's easy...choose wisely my friend
Thanks MWDStamp for ways to use mulberry paper. The Flaunt cards are so cute! I was thinking of giving the mulberry paper away, thinking what was I going to do with it? I'm so glad I read this thread, now I'm going to make a putting green and some sheep with the mulberry.
I didn't know what slide mounts were so I searched the gallery for slide mounts and there are lots of cute cards using them. Are they really that bad? They just look like a frame.
That's exactly what I used and still use them for. I've used them on scrapbook layouts as small frames to single out a face in a picture, etc. And on cards they'd make great frames for inchies. I'm not so fond of the plastic ones, but the cardboard ones are great. You can paint them, emboss them (they look like old gold picture frames), chalk them, cover them with DP, distress them, etc.
__________________ Keep what is worth keeping
and with the breath of kindness
blow the rest away.
Okay . . . so, I live in Salt Lake City, which as many of you know is the Scrapbook Mecca of the UNIVERSE (we have a scrapbook/crafty type store at least within every square mile of the whole freakin' city)! We practically INVENTED paper crafting here (since there are so many Mormons, and we don't smoke, drink or do drugs, we had to find SOMETHING to do with our time!). I've been perusing said establishments for YEARS and I can honestly say I have NEVER noticed those slide mounts ANYwhere!! There is something wrong with this picture!! Totally bizarre!!
On a funny side note . . . one of my friends who used to be in my SU Stamp Club good-naturedly referred to all the fun stuff I peddled as "Mormon Crack" . . . highly addictive! And she would know, as she is a totally rehabbed former meth user (I am proud to say she is the poster child for what you can do if you put your mind to it!)!!!