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No matter where we are in your creative journey, we're constantly growing and evolving. We try new techniques, get excited about new supplies and master things through many hours of practice. Over time, we learn. Sometimes lessons are easy. Other times, they are long and hard - and leave us wishing we could have "figured it out" sooner.
If you could talk to your creative past self, what would you say?
Here's my list:
Dear Past Self:
- You will not run out of adhesive.
Really. You've got back-ups of your back-ups and even if you run out of adhesive runner refills, you still have liquid adhesive (with extras), double-sided tape and foam tape. So, let go of the squirrel tendencies and don't worry about running out of adhesive so much.
- The supplies you were really excited to buy are still inspiring.
But things that you bought because they were on sale/cheap/retiring are a hit-or-miss. Sure, you saved $7.50 on that stamp set, but if you never use it, it's a waste of money - not money saved. Give yourself time to figure out which supplies continue to inspire you a few weeks after their release and spend wisely on those alone.
- No matter how long you're at it, you will always have things that make you feel like a confident seasoned pro and things that make you feel like a clumsy hot mess.
And that's ok. You can't grow inside your comfort zone - we grow when we're challenged, not when we're sitting still. At the same time, it's hard to stay motivated if you always feel like you're failing because the technique is too new or too hard. So, keep learning from your bad cards and keep enjoying the good ones.
- Share with others.
You'll be surprised to learn just how many people are in the same boat as you are when it comes to thoughts, feelings and goals. They might not always say it in a comment/post, but what you share can resonate with them - just like what they share can resonate with you. Learning and inspiration come in many shapes and forms. So, take the plunge and start participating.
One thing - JUST DO IT, ALREADY! Don't worry about if it's right, or if you have "enough stuff", or what everyone else is doing or what they'll think - JUST GO PLAY!!!
Dear Ann-Marie- Don't waste your money on big box store plain cardstock, it's not worth it. You want to give a nice quality gift just go for the good stuff! Also stop buying so many stickers!
__________________ AM Bevel is DGR Proud SU! Demo - My SU! page HERE Facebook!:HERE Instagram!: HERE Pintrest!:HERE
Dear Past Self....you should have dumped that jerk of a boyfriend you had and hooked up with your future hubby much sooner.
Oh, I'm sorry you meant crafty stuff didn't you;)
__________________ The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable. Practice safe eating always use condiments
Dear Past Self: Don't buy cheap paper because you like the colors in the pack.
Don't bother buying "Fibers"....those fringy strings in bright colors.
Don't worry about wasting your supplies when you don't like the outcome of a card, or trying something new, YOU HAVE PLENTY.
Remember that people who receive your cards can't see what you think are mistakes (Don't worry if it's not PERFECT)....They will see your heart.
Less is more.
It's only paper.
Done is better than perfect.
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
This is a hard one emotionally. Should have never ever done this. I took a self esteem hit over it. Paper crafting is the only area in my life that I have done this. I felt peer pressured. Even in high school I didn't feel peer pressured. Note to self don't fall for peer pressure. Your style is inside you and it is special.
Never make holiday cards. Don't like them, don't feel good about making them. Feel like I spend more time making cards for holidays than spending time with my loved ones and doing fun Holiday things. Never will miss Charlie Brown or Rudolph again because I was trying to finish up holiday items.
Don't buy stamps or supplies from companies because that is the choices you think are opened to you. If a small Etsy seller has the handmade stamp you want then buy it from her. That stamp will be loved and used. I bought so many crazy stamps because I didn't know all the stamp retailers then. Now, I am very careful to shop around. I am never brand loyal.
To all the girls about stickers and fibers. I will take them, lol. Seriously, our pretty ephemera & embellishments we use to make our items beautiful, pick out what you love not what is trendy. Try something trendy but do it in small frugal doses. For example I like wood veneers but I am not huge into them. I think I own one set. I do own one set it is mason jars. I like pretty ribbons, stickers, & bling.
It is ok to get into trend three years to late. Took me forever to get into gold foiling. Now, I love it. I didn't get a Cricut Explore until last year. I only bought it to replace my dying Cricut. I finally got a Fuse last Christmas. To be fair about the Fuse I did really want that one when it first came out.
Dear Past Self,
It is OK to love a style or two and stick with it over the years, trendy or not.
It is OK to suck at coloring while the rest of the world gets really good at it.
It is OK to love crafting and making stuff for the sake of making stuff.
It will feel great to throw or give away stuff you don't use, regardless of what it cost. )You won't get the money back by letting it sit on the shelf, either.)
Mary Beth
This is a hard one emotionally. Should have never ever done this. I took a self esteem hit over it. Paper crafting is the only area in my life that I have done this. I felt peer pressured. Even in high school I didn't feel peer pressured. Note to self don't fall for peer pressure. Your style is inside you and it is special.
Never make holiday cards. Don't like them, don't feel good about making them. Feel like I spend more time making cards for holidays than spending time with my loved ones and doing fun Holiday things. Never will miss Charlie Brown or Rudolph again because I was trying to finish up holiday items.
Don't buy stamps or supplies from companies because that is the choices you think are opened to you. If a small Etsy seller has the handmade stamp you want then buy it from her. That stamp will be loved and used. I bought so many crazy stamps because I didn't know all the stamp retailers then. Now, I am very careful to shop around. I am never brand loyal.
To all the girls about stickers and fibers. I will take them, lol. Seriously, our pretty ephemera & embellishments we use to make our items beautiful, pick out what you love not what is trendy. Try something trendy but do it in small frugal doses. For example I like wood veneers but I am not huge into them. I think I own one set. I do own one set it is mason jars. I like pretty ribbons, stickers, & bling.
It is ok to get into trend three years to late. Took me forever to get into gold foiling. Now, I love it. I didn't get a Cricut Explore until last year. I only bought it to replace my dying Cricut. I finally got a Fuse last Christmas. To be fair about the Fuse I did really want that one when it first came out.
All your favorite Christmas movies including Charlie Brown and Rudolph
are made into DVD format. You can watch them when you craft.
Every year when I put up the Christmas tree and decorate it, I start with Santa Claus is coming to town, Rudolph, and Frosty the snowman.
I bought this years ago at walmart for like $12-15 . The one I have is a red cover and includes the little drummer boy and frosty returns.
During the evening of Christmas week I all so watch the Grinch with Jim, Carrey, Polar Express and It's a wonderful life.
Never miss your special Christmas shows! They are always out at Walmart, Best Buy and on Amazon during the Christmas season! But you can't wait till December to buy them or they will be all sold out. Buy them early or if you buy one one a month on amazon now, you can have all your favorites buy this Christmas.
There is only 354 more day until Christmas Hurry
End of commercial break!
__________________ The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable. Practice safe eating always use condiments
I'm soooo conflicted over this one...it has brought me great joy and great friendships, and I have really loved my 12 years doing it, but here goes, with some uncomfortable honesty:
Don't sign up to be a demo for that company, especially because all of your friends are encouraging you to do it. They can't make your minimums for you. You will buy things you don't love, to be able to showcase cards for your friends, and won't resell them in a timely manner once they've retired. You will hoard paper, or buy things that are retiring, because you are what every company wishes they had as a customer...someone who impulse-buys, AND wants 'one in every color', who can't feel like they are missing out.
And, because you love crafting in general you will still buy non-demo items from other companies that you DO love, then spend years bemoaning the fact that you are unable to use them in your projects, so you amass an ungodly collection of items that would qualify you for an episode of Hoarders. You will have thousands of dollars tied up in stuff and be unable to use much of it up in twelve lifetimes. And the guilt over that spending....yikes.
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Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed so much of my time being a rep for a pretty awesome company, but if I could go back, I'm not sure I would have let myself be talked into it. I'm horrible at sales, I give away a lot of stuff, I have no interest in blogging, and am not very assertive. Pretty much a laundry list for 'How not to be a super successful crafting diva', lol...even though that was never my intent when I started paper crafting...
Dear past self,
There will ALWAYS be something new and lovely calling your name. It's OK to take a pass this time around.
Try to take a picture of the thing that took your breath away, that caused you to buy the whatever-it-is-you're-buying so that when you get around to using it, you'll remember what the heck you wanted to do with it.
You got into this because it gives you joy. Playing and exploring and learning are as much fun as creating that WOW card. Not every card is going to be a WOW, you'll learn a lot as you go, but at the end of the day, if it isn't fun, stop and figure out why not, what's getting in the way of the joy.
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
Dear self don't get sucked into the doing what everyone else is doing insanity and don't feel like you can only do that one thing because they are.
You also don't have to stop doing what makes YOU happy to do something else because "everyone else" is. You should try new things but don't abandon you in the process.
Give your self permission to play, be creative and find happiness doing so no matter the outside influences.
Dear self,
It is okay to throw pieces of or entire projects in the trash. As Edison said, "I've not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work."
I'm soooo conflicted over this one...it has brought me great joy and great friendships, and I have really loved my 12 years doing it, but here goes, with some uncomfortable honesty:
Don't sign up to be a demo for that company, especially because all of your friends are encouraging you to do it. They can't make your minimums for you. You will buy things you don't love, to be able to showcase cards for your friends, and won't resell them in a timely manner once they've retired. You will hoard paper, or buy things that are retiring, because you are what every company wishes they had as a customer...someone who impulse-buys, AND wants 'one in every color', who can't feel like they are missing out.
And, because you love crafting in general you will still buy non-demo items from other companies that you DO love, then spend years bemoaning the fact that you are unable to use them in your projects, so you amass an ungodly collection of items that would qualify you for an episode of Hoarders. You will have thousands of dollars tied up in stuff and be unable to use much of it up in twelve lifetimes. And the guilt over that spending....yikes.
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Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed so much of my time being a rep for a pretty awesome company, but if I could go back, I'm not sure I would have let myself be talked into it. I'm horrible at sales, I give away a lot of stuff, I have no interest in blogging, and am not very assertive. Pretty much a laundry list for 'How not to be a super successful crafting diva', lol...even though that was never my intent when I started paper crafting...
You've pretty much summed up why I never stayed a demo longer than made sense to take advantage of the amazing sign-on special, lol...
Hmm...every mistake is a learning experience but my biggest thing that I rely on now is that people exaggerate. Don't fall into the "must have, works great, love it,..." Before I buy into something I wait, watch, and research because eventually the warts will come out and then I can make an informed decision before I buy.
This is so spot-on. Especially the bit about stamps you were excited to buy won't fail you, but beware of the ones you are buying just because they are a deal. And in my case, don't keep buying SU stamps that you don't really like just to meet your minimum. I burnt myself out on SU that way, and overfilled my space.
I would add:
-Buy the MISTI now! I thought I didn't need it until I actually had one, and now I don't know how I got along without it.
-Don't hoard paper, and don't buy every color just because. Learn what colors you like most and stock up on those. If you want the others just in case, get a sampler pack not a full pack.
-Don't hoard paper scraps and left over die cuts. You will never use them, and they will take up precious space.
-You don't need a full line of inks from three different companies. Stick with one, and if you must have another, get the mini pads.
-Avoid companies that retire items regularly. You will be disappointed when you can't get a certain color any more, and will hoard that color instead of using it. This does not apply to stamps, because I will use them long after they have fallen out of fashion if I love the image.
__________________ aka Sue. Or Sue-odd.
No blog for me. My gallery chronicles my card-making successes and mishaps.
Dear Past Self...
You will make life long friends
You will let the artist out in yourself...just keep going
People will love your cards
This will open a whole new world for you!
Don't buy all this "stuff" (sub in explicative) unless you're truly going to go straight home and make it! Craft supplies ARE NOT a good replacement for retirement savings!
Don't buy all this "stuff" (sub in explicative) unless you're truly going to go straight home and make it! Craft supplies ARE NOT a good replacement for retirement savings!
Wait. It's not? What am I supposed to spend my retirement savings on?
Dear Past Self - Do not buy 5 sheets of every single page of patterned paper you love in fear of it being retired and not being able to find it again. You will end up with thousands of 12 x 12 sheets that you hide in your craft room closet in fear of being accused of being a hoarder. Just breathe, fight the impulse, and trust there will be another design you will love even more. Do not get sucked into the chipboard craze. Or you will have a ton of it years later that takes up precious space and you can't even find anyone who even wants it! Put the lifetime supply of Brads and Eyelets back on the shelves, trust me, your style will change soon. Most importantly - as you get better at this hobby, still just have fun. Stop feeling like each card you make has to be even better than the last one or you're a failure at it. Enjoy the process, ignore the pressure, and make a big fat mess in your craft room!!!
[QUOTE=Catherine773;21393855]Dear Past Self - Do not buy 5 sheets of every single page of patterned paper you love in fear of it being retired and not being able to find it again. You will end up with thousands of 12 x 12 sheets that you hide in your craft room closet in fear of being accused of being a hoarder. Just breathe, fight the impulse, and trust there will be another design you will love even more. Do not get sucked into the chipboard craze. Or you will have a ton of it years later that takes up precious space and you can't even find anyone who even wants it!Put the lifetime supply of Brads and Eyelets back on the shelves, trust me, your style will change soon. Most importantly - as you get better at this hobby, still just have fun. 
Dear Past Self...
