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Help! I've got several birthday cards to make today that must be sent in the mail this week -- and two have to go out tomorrow. The only thing I want to do right now is read the paper or watch a DVD. Right now this very minute stamping feels like a chore. Setting everything up on my dining-room table, making room, concentrating, then tidying everything up later, blah blah blah. Ick. But I know as soon as I really get into it, I'll be happy, like always.
So, how do you get "in the mood" when you just don't feel like doing it? Stamping that is....;-)
__________________ Now I see the secret of making of the best persons. It is to grow in the open air, and to eat and sleep with the earth. -- Walt Whitman
I'm waiting for inspiration, too. Thought I'd start on after-holiday thank yous, but can't get in the mood to stamp. I sent out lots of Christmas cards this year--maybe I'm just burned out at the moment. Help!!
1. Get a cup of hot coffee (or a glass of iced tea, if the weather is hot). A bit of caffeine always helps me get ready to be creative.
2. Rifle through my CS and DP paper collections, pull out some stamps I haven't used much or some favorite stamps, group papers and embellishments and stamps together in little piles on the table to see what inspires me.
3. Once I have a general idea of the colors and/or stamps I want to use, I turn to SCS for more inspiration. (I have to be very careful with this step, though, because I can tend to get bogged down on SCS, oooh-ing and aaah-ing at all the pretty pictures. I aim to spend 15-30 minutes looking for something that inspires me, and I watch the clock; if at the end of my allotted time I don't find anything, I shut it down and wing it on my own.)
4. Make sure I have at least an hour straight when I can work on a project, and then dive in.
That's pretty much it for me, though sometimes I swap the order of steps 2. and 3. Good luck with finding inspiration!
__________________ Hi, my name is Molly, and I am a Designer Paper addict. My avatar is my virtual representation in Second Life.
I try doing one of the daily challenges. They are what got me stamping again. I love the sketch challenge and the color challenge. You dont even have to do the one that is current, just pick a color combo that suits what you want to do. And if you still need inspiration, pick one of the card sketches from that challenge and use the colors on it. That way all you have to do is figure out what stamps you want to use and what embellishments. I usuall just pull out enought paper to make the card I am working on, and the embellishments that go with it, that way there really isnt that much of a mess to clean up. If all else fails, go to the gallery of whatever stamp you want to use, and copy someone elses work. You can change stuff on it, to make it yours, but that always helps me.
Sounds like you may be dealing with two different situations here: how to get in the mood to stamp, and how to stamp something you NEED to stamp when you don't want to.
For your immediate problem, the birthday cards, I'd say the easiest thing to do is CASE--either a previous card you have done, or from someone else. I like the suggestion of limiting yourself to 15-20 minutes on SCS, though. It is easy to get lost in the gallery for hours and still not accomplish anything (I speak from experience--LOL).
Don't look for inspiration. Look for a design you can do with the stamps and supplies you have on hand and copy it. At least you get the job done and your cards will go out on time. Then go watch your DVD and let the "stamping muse" come to you some other time.
I try and use the sketch challenge when I need to convince myself to make a card I need to make. It usually works. Either that or as someone else said, I just case one of my own.
Thanks ladies. I really just was not in the mood to do this today but it seems to be working out OK now. I did exactly what AlternateReality and Blueheron suggested. I put on some stamping music (Steely Dan and then some jazz), made a cup of tea, and limited myself to only looking at my stuff -- stamps, papers and embellishments -- that could be used for birthday cards. And then I went into my faves for about 10 minutes and without any shame whatsoever CASED 2 fabulous cards, one of which was a sketch challenge (140). It's now 2 1/2 hours later and I've got 3 done. Two to go. And I might cheat and make a second of one of them. Will upload tmw of course.
however I *still* feel grumpy. And my apartment's now a big mess. Maybe chocolate will help ....
__________________ Now I see the secret of making of the best persons. It is to grow in the open air, and to eat and sleep with the earth. -- Walt Whitman
Last edited by merryf; 12-23-2007 at 12:59 PM..
Reason: typo
Generally hubby nuzzles the spot right behind my ear while enveloping me in a big hug.
Oh, you mean stamping...
Rainsong
Okay~ so I wasn't the only one with my mind not on stamping....
This thread *was* under the one that says "Does size really matter??" when I clicked on it~
...It's now 2 1/2 hours later and I've got 3 done. Two to go. And I might cheat and make a second of one of them. Will upload tmw of course.
however I *still* feel grumpy. And my apartment's now a big mess. Maybe chocolate will help ....
Excellent work! It's definitely not cheating to make more than one of the same card, especially if the people receiving the cards will never know.
Chocolate ALWAYS helps. Oh, and give yourself major props for being so productive on a Sunday when a lot of us just want to relax after all the shopping and baking and other major holiday obligations are mostly done! I know I, for one, am being incredibly lazy and unproductive today, so I am impressed by your industriousness; if I were in your shoes, I'd probably have just motored down to Target and bought the cards. :oops:
__________________ Hi, my name is Molly, and I am a Designer Paper addict. My avatar is my virtual representation in Second Life.
My problem with getting started is finding a sketch that's new for me. That's why I LOVE the sketch challenge. I just recently started going back through them and doing them, starting with the most recent ones. Then I try to remember which ones I really liked doing.
I too found this a fun thread...how do you get in the mood for.... well, for cards.. I know what you mean about stamping for needed cards and you just have a zillion other things to do.
I have just a couple of suggestions. When I make a card that I especially like - and I think - hey - this would work for a lot peoples birthdays etc - I make another 5 - 6 more - and then I am good to go for a while. Then usually you aren't caught short in a non stamping mood. This time of year is difficult though, I know.
The challenges help me a lot too. Sometimes I just think oh, no, I just can't stamp - and then an idea from the challenge percolates into my mind - and - there I go. I usually grap a stamp that I like - and take it from there.
But we all need a stamp rest break!! Esp right now!
Okay~ so I wasn't the only one with my mind not on stamping....
This thread *was* under the one that says "Does size really matter??" when I clicked on it~
Boy what a relief it is to know that my mind is not the only one that went there when I saw both of these threads!!LOL
How do you get in the mood?
