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I do the same thing Inkin - at times I'm so overwhelmed I put something together just to do it. :rolleyes: Then, I'm unhappy!!! Have to get organized or get rid of alot of schtuff!!
Yes. My problem is that if I have paper I absolutely love, I have trouble convincing myself to cut into it. I start the what ifs--I cut it wrong, I need it for something else, I can't find anymore, etc. I have to tell myself that it is just a piece of paper and they is lots more out there.
The more stuff you have the worse it is too! I find I spend more time trying to pick out colors and embellishments than it takes to stamp the card. I always second guess myself when I am trying to combine patterned paper.
That's why I always buy digital papers to download, then if I cut it wrong I can just reprint the paper, there are loads of free papers to download too.
When I go to crops I bring tons; papers. embellishments, tools, cutting stuff, etc., and I still find that I don't have quite the right paper or punch sometimes. It takes up so much time to sort and resort and make decisions that it can get frustrating. Someone needs to post a solution soon!
Mary Beth
So..Now another question..What do you do when you want to get rid of a great deal of your "stuff"? When I first got into stamping I of course bought anything and everything the gazillion of stamping books and mags I bought said I HAD to have in order to enjoy my hobby ;) Now 4 years later (even after selling a great deal of stuff when I signed as a SU demo, not a demo any longer) I still have Way too much "stuff" to really enjoy or do anything with. Think: packs upon packs of 12x12 paper form big box stores..LOT'S of 8x11 CS that I have used maybe one piece out of the pkg...embellies out the wazoo....I am just kind of tired of it all.
I have an art degree and have TONS of art supplies as it is..and teach private classes. I am thinking of leaning more towards the art than the actual crafting..B/c really it is so over whelming to me. I would love to re-coup some of the $$ (and I am sure it wouldn�t hurt my hubbys feelings either LOL)...just a lot of stuff that is never used...
If you want to sell it, there's eBay, or there's always the Buy Sell Trade thread here - it's not limited to stamps. But if it's SU stuff it has to be not current.
Well, my house looks like an episode of Hoarders right now. We are redoing my room so everything has been moved into my living room, bathroom, kitchen and garage. Hopefully the floor will get done by tomorrow so I can start moving back in. I have been lucky though, because a friend of mine is just getting into this hobby so the stuff that I have sorted, alot if it has gone to her.
So..Now another question..What do you do when you want to get rid of a great deal of your "stuff"? When I first got into stamping I of course bought anything and everything the gazillion of stamping books and mags I bought said I HAD to have in order to enjoy my hobby ;) Now 4 years later (even after selling a great deal of stuff when I signed as a SU demo, not a demo any longer) I still have Way too much "stuff" to really enjoy or do anything with. Think: packs upon packs of 12x12 paper form big box stores..LOT'S of 8x11 CS that I have used maybe one piece out of the pkg...embellies out the wazoo....I am just kind of tired of it all.
I have an art degree and have TONS of art supplies as it is..and teach private classes. I am thinking of leaning more towards the art than the actual crafting..B/c really it is so over whelming to me. I would love to re-coup some of the $$ (and I am sure it wouldn�t hurt my hubbys feelings either LOL)...just a lot of stuff that is never used...
I second what Cook22 said above about Ebay or selling here. Try to group stuff in lots. I just sold off some punches on Ebay and made a pretty nice sum.
To answer the original question, I get overwhelmed easily as well. I try to muddle through and decide what to use but sometimes it's so hard!
Often I get out stuff..and get out way too much.."I love this paper..oh I like one even better"..how do you par down what you are using?
I find that if I gather a set of products, whether I'm scrapbooking or stamping, it makes things easier. I get together a sort of "page/card kit," and those are the materials I use. I don't second-guess myself. If I choose certain papers, then I commit to making them work. The same goes for inks, embellishments, etc. Of course, if I think I've made a big mistake in my original choices, I do select something else. Since I've been doing this, I spend more time creating and less time selecting. HTH.
I went through the same thing a lot of stampers do -- it's almost like we could write out the of stages of stamping, LOL!!
When I hit the "too much stuff" stage, I started to clear out. I sold a lot on the BST forum here on SCS, donated some, gave some to friends. My first stage of having too much was too many stamps. Once I got those under control, I then banished all embellishments I would never use. The last purge for me focused on patterned paper.
It's great to recoup losses by selling, but if you find that your "collection" is overwhelming, then I think it's worth it to take a little bit of a loss just for your peace of mind. If it's keeping you from enjoying your hobby, then it's worthless to you, and hanging onto it is just facing your, a) bad decisions, b) things you've outgrown, every single time you create.
It seems a lot of stampers say that eventually they settle into their own style and tastes and no longer make purchases they regret later. If you're at that point and your past stamping life is haunting you, then let yourself move on so you can enjoy it again !
Inkin One, I have a lot of art supplies, too, and finally they are in peaceful coexistence with my stamping stuff ~ hope you find the solution that's right for you!
P.S. The art teacher at my daughter's school was over the moon with just a shopping bag of cardstock, paper and some embellishments ~ I'm sure every community has a group that would be grateful for cast-offs! And you can always document donations for your taxes too.
That last post was really for the OP's second question. For the first, what works for me (after having less) is having things organized so I can see what I have at a glance. Labeled drawers, labeled boxes, and a few shelves are all easily visible and within reach of my work table so I usually know what I'm after before I even reach for anything. Or I can open a drawer of patterned paper and be inspired.
And periodic reorganization keeps what you have fresh in your mind for the next time you're creating!
Sometimes I just look thru the gallery while eating chocolate, find one card that looks impressive, but easy and copy it. Then ideas start flowing and I can create from there. And then let the tidy clean up begin....
I'm going to chime in here with a different take on this. I guess I'm a weird one, but as far as I'm concerned - too much is not too much!
Maybe it is a holdover from my deprived childhood (I'm not kidding, we were pretty deprived compared to other people). I love having lots of stuff. Not to the point of looking like an episode of Hoarders, but lots of nice, useable things. I want many rolls of ribbons, many packs of bling, lots of paper - you get the idea.
I love being able to look through all my patterned paper packs to pick something out that I like. The same thing when I look through the colored cardstocks to find a matching piece.
I recently read a good article about "process people" and "results oriented people". I am definitely in the "process" group because I really enjoy having lots to choose from, and the process of picking it all out is almost as much fun as making it.
I keep all my stamping supplies in a spare bedroom, not picture-worthy, but up off the floor on shelves, or in see through containers. When I go in there, my family says I'm "shopping at my store."
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
When I go to crops I bring tons; papers. embellishments, tools, cutting stuff, etc., and I still find that I don't have quite the right paper or punch sometimes. It takes up so much time to sort and resort and make decisions that it can get frustrating. Someone needs to post a solution soon!
Mary Beth
When you find out, let me know!! I'm always missing something no matter how many lists I make.
Diane
I started off the same way as a lot of other people. I had to buy everything. It didn't help being a compulsive shopper. Now I just buy SU and that helps. I don't go to JoAnn and Michael's every week like I used to. I stopped doing that when I became unemployed.
I've given away carloads of stuff three different times. Now I'm trying to sell stamps on eBay and BST. Tomorrow I'll post some on Craigslist. I have a list a mile long and still don't have anywhere near all of them listed.
Yep, this is me.
Quote:
have tooo much and continue to buy........I am a really sick chick when it comes to this stuff..............LOL
LOL..at least you DO actually finish one! I have gotte so overwhelmed before that I don't even finish one!
Amen sister I am right there with you .... a lot of times I dont craft because my craft room is such a mess and I have a hard time finding an organizational system that works with how I work... if that makes sense... I desperately need to clean up my craft room so I can find things... Drives me crazy.
I enjoy the process of choosing paper, ribbons and embellishments too. Sometimes I think that takes the longest when making a card, but it's what gives me the most satisfaction.
As far as having 'too much'. I do have a lot, but I can't say I have TONS that I would never use. I'm not too impulsive when buying things. I'm pretty picky with papers so I usually buy only what I really like.
Now with ribbon, that's a different story. I'm a sucker for ribbon. I have every color under the sun, but yet when I need that perfect shade of blue-green in polka dot satin, it's not there!! :confused:
Quote:
Originally Posted by buggainok
I'm going to chime in here with a different take on this. I guess I'm a weird one, but as far as I'm concerned - too much is not too much!
Maybe it is a holdover from my deprived childhood (I'm not kidding, we were pretty deprived compared to other people). I love having lots of stuff. Not to the point of looking like an episode of Hoarders, but lots of nice, useable things. I want many rolls of ribbons, many packs of bling, lots of paper - you get the idea.
I love being able to look through all my patterned paper packs to pick something out that I like. The same thing when I look through the colored cardstocks to find a matching piece.
I recently read a good article about "process people" and "results oriented people". I am definitely in the "process" group because I really enjoy having lots to choose from, and the process of picking it all out is almost as much fun as making it.
I keep all my stamping supplies in a spare bedroom, not picture-worthy, but up off the floor on shelves, or in see through containers. When I go in there, my family says I'm "shopping at my store."
Bugga, it is so nice to hear how you love having your "stuff." Maybe I should loosen up a bit . I might just allow myself a little splurge on some new embellishments sometime ~ they can have their own box. It'll be my Bugga box!
Yes. My problem is that if I have paper I absolutely love, I have trouble convincing myself to cut into it. I start the what ifs--I cut it wrong, I need it for something else, I can't find anymore, etc. I have to tell myself that it is just a piece of paper and they is lots more out there.
This used to be my downfall - I loved the paper so much that I just kept saving it for "something special". But, I have come to the realization that I need to use it up - there is always more beautiful paper out there that I can replace it with later. So, I have begun to cut into that paper and get on with it. And, I don't stress anymore about not using up the whole piece - I either set it aside in my scraps pile for later, or into a donation bin that goes to my church's children's group for their use - they love it!
Once I got over this problem, I found that I am much more productive!
__________________ Elizabeth
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Hand over the chocolate, and no one will get hurt!
Bugga, it is so nice to hear how you love having your "stuff." Maybe I should loosen up a bit . I might just allow myself a little splurge on some new embellishments sometime ~ they can have their own box. It'll be my Bugga box!
What a sweet thing to say - Thank you.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
Often I get out stuff..and get out way too much.."I love this paper..oh I like one even better"..how do you par down what you are using?
Oh, and I thought it was just me who gets a overwhelmed. Sometimes I don't get as far as even starting the card and I am just surrounded by what I have pulled out. I do really enjoy the process of looking through my stuff and matching up dp's with cs and picking the ribbon and an assortment of possible embellies like buttons etc. and I feel happy when it all goes together - unless I am having one of those days where I can't find anything that matches like I want, then I have learned to walk away and come back later on or I will be soooo frustrated and cheesed off. It has been really interesting and helpful reading all the replies.
Sometimes I think it isn't product overload but workspace underload.
I dream of a space that is easy to find things in and easy to put things away but with an acre of workbench.
I have sorted most of the first half and that has made it easier to do the co-ordination bit without getting overwhelmed. I get less out now as I can flip through things in their containers then close the drawer when I've found what I want.
__________________ There is no such thing as lack of sleep, only caffeine deficiency.
Product overload was a big problem for me. When I started stamping I had everyone in my head yabbering with what I should use, do, or what they approved of. Jeez! I had a whole room of stuff that was cool but not me. I got rid of it all. I have somebody in our life who has impulse control problems. They tore up my craft room a few month's back and helped me get rid of the rest. You would think I would be devastated over this but I am not. It was kind of a relief. Even though I lost most of Russian ephemera. I am still upset about that. Impule person can't come back to our home. So, no worries.
I practice minimalism anyway. So, less is more for me. Now, I print out my papers. Use less dies and stamps. I make do with what I have. I really, really love making do. That is one of my favorite crafting techniques. It's just more relaxing. It's not fun yanking out half my craft room just to put it back again.
Once you learn your style you can pare down. When your learning a style you just accumulate so much. Every stamper and crafter has been through it.
I was never overwhelmed with product, but I really identify with the whole not-wanting-to-cut-the-pretty-paper syndrome. I have thankfully recovered from this illness realizing that 2 years down the road I no longer love the pretty paper like I once did.. I have learned to use my stuff while it's current and en vogue and just plain enjoy it!
__________________
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I design for: Stampendous!, There She Goes, Technique Tuesday,
SRM Stickers and Deconstructed Sketches.
Every once in a while I purge by having an in home yard sale and I sell off a ton of stuff. I don't have time for mailing a lot of packages and this works. I'm planning another sale for this fall. It is a great feeling to sell off stuff and get a little cash.
I also donate supplies to Salvation Army to sell in their shops.
Too much stuff definitely can stifle my creativity.
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
I keep my stuff under control by only using SU consumables and stamps. Then I have Copics, and a Cuttlebug, and some professional watercolor supplies. I have found that if I stick ONLY to those categories, I do great. I also have over 20 BG stamps, so I refuse to buy patterned paper.
So, I am self limiting in what I have. Plus, using only SU consumables, I always know that things will go together, right?
I can never have enough stuff. I have moved my room three times. I was in a small spot in our house and was bursting at the seams, I moved up stairs to the loft. Nice spot but not enough wall space. When my oldest (DD1) moved out I moved right into her room. She came over to get some things out of her closet, looked at her OLD bedroom and said "you didn't waiste any time" what if I want to move back home. I told her she will have to find a new room. Instead of grocery shopping on payday I go craft shopping.
If I wanted to sell some of this never ending paper supply I have ..like say cut the 12x12 pks into 6x 6 maybe..what would be a fair price? How many sheets? Or should I just leave it at 12x12? I should add that ALL of it is at least 3-4 years old..some really nice paper but not my style and really nothing I will ever use. I have TONS of embellies too..OMG..TONS of them and stickers..and I just need to simplify..and pre made cards ( b/c I had no idea about scoring my own paper I guess I just want to re -coup a little in order to buy a few things that I actually like now...and would use...kwim?
I'm going through a separation and find this thread so pertinent. Anything that I haven't used in the last six months is going. Heaven knows I have lots of DP that needs a loving home. I used to be on a DT that has gone under, so I'm getting rid of all of those.
I'm selling off my much loved sewing machine and cricut. It's funny how detached I have become to my supplies.
Sometimes I think my head is going to explode with all the choices I have.
One thing I did do that has worked out well for me. Is I cut all my 12x12 down into 8x8 and 6x6 sizes. It's easier to work with. And it stores better for me.
My Ribbon I now have in a L 17.375" W 16.125" H 5.375" by Creative Opitions.
Which I like cause I can see just what I have.
So just having those two things corralled sure works great for me.
do you suffer from product over load?
