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I have seen multiple posts in the last few years about trying to ink up each stamp one has (what a concept? they are to be used and not just collected?)
I got all inspired by my 15 or so Christmas stamps sets (yes it is that bad) that have barely been used. I had no time before Christmas to play, but the week after Christmas I have had off so I set out to make at least one card inspired by each stamp before packing away the Christmas stamps. Gradually it is growing to include dies, embossing folders, and punches too oh and after I put the Christmas supplies up, I want to pick other themes and do the same thing.
Anyway, in three days with little else necessary to do, I have only made 12 cards! ACK! Granted, each card is completely different and thus requires time to design it and I am not spending all day on them. I just come and go from my table every now and then because I can't sit still that long. However, I was shocked that I only have 12 cards made. As most stamp sets have quite a few stamps in them, I hate to even think about how few of the stamps, punches, embossing folders, and dies I have actually used too. I have little piles of items I want to use together around my table to keep me going for what to use on the next card too... Guess this should keep me from buying more of any craft item for a while...unless I run out of paper.
I am an extremely slow crafter so 12 cards sounds like good work to me.
I hosted a large amount of family at Christmas and we've been away for the last several days but I am itching to get going on making a dent in this goal. We return home tomorrow and I am hoping to have this next week with little responsibility outside feeding my family to spend down in my studio space getting inky. Hmmmm, which set to start with...?
I am hoping to put together a stamp catalog in a binder for reference as I work through my stamp sets. On another thread someone talked about "paying" themself for each project and I am thinking that I need to set up some kind of reward for these goals. Maybe $.50/card and $1/layout. That would definitely give me a good dent in my supplies before adding too much new stuff.
I have been working towards it. This is taking longer than I anticipated because I get so inspired by the work I see in the galleries here that I do several cards and layouts with the same set. I am having fun though and it feels good to use stamps that have never been introduced to ink!
Does it count if the only reason that I have inked my stamp is to index it? For most of my stamps that is they only ink they have seen since I got them. I do plan on using each set/stamp on a card over the next year or so.
I've been chugging along for two years on this goal and am doing extremely well. I'm not exactly sure I should be proud of that, but there it is. Working pretty steadily, I'd say I'm about 95% done. It's mostly just loose stamps left...virtually all of the sets have seen ink.
I am going to get one of those "Magic Erasers" and see if my new sets will stamp and hold ink real nice, after I condition them with the eraser. I have hundreds of unused sets in my collection. Time to "just get over it" and use them.
I have a notebook full of stamped images...unfortunately, it is several years old and needs to be updated! When I do get around to updating it, I will set aside stamps and sets that I don't use and can sell. Hey more $ to feed this addiction - I mean hobby! Updating my book will also reintroduce me to sets that I haven't used in ages too.
__________________ A good friend will come and bail you out of jail... a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn, that was fun!"
I want to set a goal that is realistic for me to achieve so my goal is going to be to use each stamp set I have. I am going to plan on making at least one card using each set that I have and if I end up using more than one stamp out of a set that will be great. I also want to update my book of stamp samples that I started last year and am months behind on.
Today I have been working on updating my Excel spreadsheet. I have a lot of data that I put into my spreadsheet so this is very time consuming for me. I've gotten up to the L's after working on this for about 5 hours today. I had no idea I was that far behind in my keeping track of my stamp sets. Tomorrow I will work on my Sizzix dies and embossing folders. That's if I get the rest of my stamps done tonight.
I am going to get one of those "Magic Erasers" and see if my new sets will stamp and hold ink real nice, after I condition them with the eraser. I have hundreds of unused sets in my collection. Time to "just get over it" and use them.
I don't know if you mean the "Mr. Clean" type magic erasers, but I would hesitate to use those on my stamps. Each time they are used on a surface, the erasers erode away a tiny part of that surface. Magic erasers are made of melanine foam; here is a partial quote from a site explaining how they work: "...when melamine resin cures into foam, its microstructure becomes very hard -- almost as hard as glass -- causing it to perform on stains a lot like super-fine sandpaper..."
Just wanted to give you a heads up - don't want you ruining those stamps!
__________________ 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.
Does it count if the only reason that I have inked my stamp is to index it? For most of my stamps that is they only ink they have seen since I got them. I do plan on using each set/stamp on a card over the next year or so.
I am so glad it's not just me,lol.I indexed mine into ring binders last year, and I was truly shocked to discover (a) how many stamps I had that had never been inked, and (b) how many stamps I had that I had forgotten I had! I swear I could make Christmas Cards for the next 200 years, and not need to duplicate a card! How bad is that? I also realised how our tastes change. Some of those uninked stamps I looked at and thought, 'mmm, not sure I will use that, not really my thing.' Yet I must have really liked it, at least, when I bought it.:confused:
For the OP - four cards a day, all totally different? I'd consider that good going. I would only get to make more than that during an intensive challenge like the Dare to Get Dirty. I think you should feel really positive about that.
I sort of made a new year's resolution to make a card a day this year just so that I could use some of the sets I've bought over the years that I haven't even cut out and mounted yet! I had a box that holds 10 reams of paper full of Christmas stamp sets and only used 2 or 3 of the stamps to make this year's cards.....So, I definitely want to go through and try to use all of mine and making a record of them all sounds like a good idea since I'll have them all out anyway! I think I'll scan them as sets and tag them into a special digital file for easy finds later on. I do try to keep them in alpha order when storing them...just gotta to remember what the sets are called.
I consider myself doing good this past year. I didn't spend ANY money on SU! products since I wasn't using them..got into digital scrapbooking and all those products I use can be downloaded for free. The only things I bought this past year was white CS and some cuttlebug embossing folders and stickles glue to make cards for our church group.
Anyway, in three days with little else necessary to do, I have only made 12 cards! ACK! Granted, each card is completely different and thus requires time to design it and I am not spending all day on them. I just come and go from my table every now and then because I can't sit still that long. However, I was shocked that I only have 12 cards made. As most stamp sets have quite a few stamps in them, I hate to even think about how few of the stamps, punches, embossing folders, and dies I have actually used too. I have little piles of items I want to use together around my table to keep me going for what to use on the next card too... Guess this should keep me from buying more of any craft item for a while...unless I run out of paper.
I try and always make multiples of a card. I find that the "idea" phase of making a card takes the longest time for me. Once I have the idea figured out, I crank out 4 or so cards. I might add some variation (different colors, different embellishments) but I figure once the stamp is dirty might as well make use of it! Just keep at it! Good luck!
Check out this thread (listed above). I got at least one card from each of my stamp sets made - it took me over a year to do it. I did not use every stamp in every set, because let's face it, some of them are downright ugly!
My new goal is to go through my crafting magazines and use those as inspiration. I rarely have the stamp sets the authors use, but I figure that I can use the design layout as a starting point.
I'm excited because I quit my part time job in September (worked through December) and now I feel so unburdened and have the gift of time for myself. Hopefully that will translate into lots of stamping.
Happy New Year everyone!
__________________ Jennifer
Live each day with kindness, happiness, and a smile.
How is your goal to use each stamp set going?
