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How do you start a new project? I have so many stamp sets, dies, embellishments to use but sometimes having too much stifles my creativity! Do you have a tried and true way to use your older stamp sets and embellishments? I have tried going into my stamp closet, closing my eyes and choosing one set to make myself use but it just got me curious as to how others begin their new projects.
Sometimes a card challenge gets me going. Other times, waiting 'til the last minute before a specific card is needed gets me started. I actually haven't bought any stamps or embellishments in a very long time, so I think even my newer (to me) stamp sets are older. Sometimes also, I'll ask questions about the card recipient (usually a niece or nephew) - what's new in their life? Then I'll make a card featuring that. Or if it's for a birthday (maybe for a co-worker), I think of what that person likes (horses? Cars? Etc.) and make a card around that.
Sketch challenges are usually my best starting point. Other times, I simply practice my coloring and leave enough space between images to cut them out somehow and use on projects later down the road.
Does “shuffle stuff around on the desk for an age” count as a creative process?! Seriously, a prompt, either from a challenge or the recipient’s interests is my usual starting point. Short deadlines are a good motivator too, too much time is almost as bad as too much stuff to choose from for me!
I have a little plastic storage basket that sits on my crafting table. Every Sunday, I go through a few sections of my crafty storage (paper, stamps, embellishments, ink pads, etc) and pull out supplies to use in the upcoming week. I make myself a mini stash kit and it's just enough to keep me busy and on track as I craft throughout the week. It's shopping my stash, but it feels like an adventure every week because I keep discovering little treasures I've forgotten about.
The contents of the basket can be pretty random. Some weeks, I start with the stamp set and pull out paper and embellishments that might match it. For example, I was using a pirate set recently, so I went through my patterned paper stash and found some nautical paper to use. Other weeks, I start with a different supply -- like a pattern that caught my eye or a color palette I've been wanting to try. For example, I made a bunch of cards with very pastel colors one week. And I also give myself a wild week where I pull things from my stash randomly and challenge myself to use them.
On Saturday evenings, I go through the basket again and put everything back (organization and all). Recently, I've also started using a small journal to list what was in the basket each week and what/how I used it. I've found that it helps a lot to put my experiences down in writing - both to keep track of any ideas I had and ran out of time to make and to help me let go of some of the supplies I'm holding onto just because they're cute/sentimental/etc.
Aside from that, I've also reduced my social media exposure by quite a bit. There are too many awesome DT that share incredible projects and make me want ALL the things. Since I'm on a major spending freeze, I don't want the temptation. So, I just watch old YT videos from my favorite crafters or look up layout sketches if I need a boost of inspiration.
Sometimes I go through my binder of stamped images and choose a category [floral, birthday, images, etc] and find the stamps that have never been used or only used once or twice and then pull out cardstock and patterned paper and then decide what type of coloring I want to do: pencils, alcohol markers or watercolor.
Last week I wanted to use up a 12 x 12 K&Co Hopscotch Boy pad that I've had and used forever and needed a bunch of masculine cards. I'd made cards with this pad years before and used some cute Whipper Snapper stamps so I went through my huge Whipper Snapper collection, pulled out 8 stamps, stamped them on watercolor paper and put together kits of colored cardstock, patterned paper and got out my distress inks and started watercoloring. These kits will keep me busy for the next week or so and I'll have 24 cards to add to my stash.
I wish I had a consistent method! But I don’t. It can be Pinterest (probably is about 70% of the time) but it can also be deciding to try a specific colour combo or stamp set. Or as mentioned, I have a deadline all of a sudden. Like someone asks me at work if I have a couple cards on hand to sell and I know I want to make something different than what I have on hand! Challenges can be quite invigorating. The new SU catalogue comes out and I order something new. That’s always rewarding
But sadly I can’t say a specific approach always does the trick. I hope you find your motivator!
Does �shuffle stuff around on the desk for an age� count as a creative process?! Seriously, a prompt, either from a challenge or the recipient�s interests is my usual starting point. Short deadlines are a good motivator too, too much time is almost as bad as too much stuff to choose from for me!
Like most things, it's really cool to hear other people talk about this - you are not someone I'd think would have the challenges I have! I picture you effortlessly making beautiful things!
i find its a little like the question of what to eat. i wait until i have an appettite, then i try to figure out what im craving & then i play around until im satisfied. (i much prefer crafting over eating!)
Like most things, it's really cool to hear other people talk about this - you are not someone I'd think would have the challenges I have! I picture you effortlessly making beautiful things!
And I have a smiliar picture of you :lol: If I had a penny for every time I finish something and say "Well, that was an uphill struggle" or for every project that hits the trash can...
It's still fun though, even when things don't quite work out - time spent creating things is a good tonic :cool:
Starting a new project - I like to CASE so I will see a sample in the SU! catalog or on one of the blogs I regularly read and sit down to create it. Casing sparks ideas in me so after making a copied card or two, I feel comfortable venturing off "on my own." Sketches are also a great starting point for me.
Using older sets and embellishments - since I shop just twice a year, most of what I have is older. I love searching by stamp set name here on SCS (I use almost exclusively SU! stamps) to see what jumps out at me. Relatively speaking, I do not have a large stash of craft supplies (space limitations and an aversion to owning a lot of stuff) so I tend to use a lot of what I have.
I'm a great CASEr but have really got to stretch my brain if I want to CASE a design for which I don't have the exact stamp set. And I do love sketches! Sometimes I have to finish a card and then tell myself "now, add two things" because sometimes I am quite literal with sketches and don't add additional elements.
The only process I have is to leave something unfinished. When I'm ready to stamp again, I don't have to start with a blank slate. By the time I've finished, I almost always have another idea.
Something that might really get your juices flowing: Go the color challenge thread here and randomly pick 6 color combinations. Then go to the sketch challenge thread and choose six random sketches. Pick out 6 stamp sets you would like to use. Number each set, sketch and color combo 1 through 6.
Now get a die - the kind you roll. So you might end up with the second stamp set, the fifth color combo and the first sketch. Use these to make your card. I usually don't like the first thing I make, but by that time, I'm on a roll (pun intended) and have several new ideas to try.
You can take this further by picking out 6 dies (the kind you cut with), 6 themes such as birthday, get well, etc., embellishments such as sequins, glitter, Nuvo drops, etc.
__________________ 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.
Such a fun thread -- got me thinking about my creative process and how I would explain it. There is "want to stamp,"and "have to stamp" and "feeling guilty if I don't get in there and use some of that stuff." For "have to stamp" I start with what must get done like a birthday card and pick a set and colors that inspire me and crank it out. For "want to stamp" I usually reach into the ideas file (actually more of a heap of papers) and make something just 'cuz. Sometimes it starts with wanting to try a new set or colors or technique. Sometimes it is a work of art and sometimes it gets tossed. When I feel bad/guilty about walking past my craft room and seeing all that stuff, I usually just stamp in a journal or make a little something for the wall. I have been in there quite a bit lately, just playing with all the great new SU! colors and reorganizing some shelves.
Mary Beth
Last edited by lutheran; 06-12-2018 at 03:39 AM..
Reason: a big mess, fixed typos
Something that might really get your juices flowing: Go the color challenge thread here and randomly pick 6 color combinations. Then go to the sketch challenge thread and choose six random sketches. Pick out 6 stamp sets you would like to use. Number each set, sketch and color combo 1 through 6.
Now get a die - the kind you roll. So you might end up with the second stamp set, the fifth color combo and the first sketch. Use these to make your card. I usually don't like the first thing I make, but by that time, I'm on a roll (pun intended) and have several new ideas to try.
You can take this further by picking out 6 dies (the kind you cut with), 6 themes such as birthday, get well, etc., embellishments such as sequins, glitter, Nuvo drops, etc.
THIS is definitely something I am going to do this week. It reminds me of a game I used to play with one of my scrapping coworkers that was kind of like the TV show Chopped. We would draw a stamp set, embellishment and technique out of a bag and have to make something that had at least a little of what was in each. I must like the idea of a game!
- Videos by favorite bloggers or on websites. There’s generally no need to have their specific dies or stamps. (Though sometimes it’s dangerous becasue I want their specific dies or stamps.)
- Deadline and knowing the recipient’s taste or situation that has prompted the card.
Lately my mojo has been gone, so I’m making backgrounds - with alcohol inks, Oxide inks, and a wonderful layered stencil set from Birchmere using Oxides and colored pencil thanks to a mistake aka happy accident.
I have the same problem with getting started. I guess my main motivator is having a purpose for what I create. A deadline doesn't hurt, either! I can't seem to stamp just to "play," which I am trying hard to accept. I hear people I admire talking about creative play, and I just can't go there, which makes me feel kind of guilty almost. As I said, I'm trying to feel not so guilty, and accept that it's just the way I am. Anyway, if I have a definite project, that helps. For instance, I make a lot of cards for Send a Smile 4 Kids. They have themes & holiday/seasonal deadlines that I try to create for, so that helps narrow my choices of products. Birthdays, Mother's Day, etc., are also good motivators. I have a binder with a TON of sketches, both from Operation Write Home (from back in the day) and SCS. I usually start with an image/stamp/embellishment and see what sketch(es) I can find that fit, then go from there. If I have a specific stamp set I want to use, and can't think of ideas, I google that set and look at images of other cards. That usually helps get me going. I once tried making a bunch of cards using one entire 6x6" patterned paper pad, something I saw a woman on YouTube (whose name I forget right now) do. Talk about mojo burnout! Hated it!!! But if you like that sort of thing, that may be a possibility. Some good tips on this thread, though. Good luck with your quest!
My work area is in an alcove in the living room where I have a table and a small bookcase stocked with my basic tools. All my supplies are stored in a bedroom (in labeled clear Rubbermaid totes on a 5-shelf bookcase with some overflow in a hope chest). I have a large square plastic tote with a hinged lid that I use to gather up all the supplies I might want to use. I fill it up as follows and carry it to my work area.
First, I decide who or what I'm creating for (someone's birthday, a challenge, etc.). Next, I choose a general theme and pull out several stamp sets and dies that would work. Then I pick 5-7 coordinating colors plus some neutrals and pull out inks and cardstock. (If it's a color challenge, I pull out inks and cardstock first and then pick a theme and sets/dies.) After that, I pick out several coordinating colors of ribbon, twine, embossing powder, glitter, etc.
I take the tote to my work area, pull everything out and start playing around until I narrow my choices down. I usually end up making several different things over a couple of days from all the coordinating stuff I've pulled out. I pack my tote each evening to stay organized. When I'm completely done with all these projects, I put it all away.
It's a good, fun system for me. I used to have a craft room in the extra bedroom but I like working in the living room so I don't feel isolated. I have fun "shopping my stash" and narrowing my choices before I begin so I don't feel overwhelmed with so much stuff around me. It also helps me stay organized.
__________________ Deborah
Last edited by Glitter Gypsy; 06-13-2018 at 04:27 PM..
I checkout Pinterest for an appealing idea or technique. Then the challenge is on to use a stamp set that I haven't used yet or for a long time and incorporate it into the card idea that stirred me.
Thank you all so much for sharing your processes. I really appreciate it! And I loved the idea that Linda (uncbballfan) had to create a dice game out of it. That and a little pinterest help and I'm out of my slump!
To limit the overwhelming number of possibilities, I choose a theme for the cards I need to make for the upcoming month. That limits the focal stamps to what I have in that category. Sometimes I limit it further by doing all the cards using the same stamp, but in a different way or with a different technique on each card. It is amazing how different the same stamp can look, just by changing the color!
I have the same problem with getting started. I guess my main motivator is having a purpose for what I create. A deadline doesn't hurt, either! I can't seem to stamp just to "play," which I am trying hard to accept. I hear people I admire talking about creative play, and I just can't go there, which makes me feel kind of guilty almost. As I said, I'm trying to feel not so guilty, and accept that it's just the way I am. Anyway, if I have a definite project, that helps. For instance, I make a lot of cards for Send a Smile 4 Kids. They have themes & holiday/seasonal deadlines that I try to create for, so that helps narrow my choices of products. Birthdays, Mother's Day, etc., are also good motivators. I have a binder with a TON of sketches, both from Operation Write Home (from back in the day) and SCS. I usually start with an image/stamp/embellishment and see what sketch(es) I can find that fit, then go from there. If I have a specific stamp set I want to use, and can't think of ideas, I google that set and look at images of other cards. That usually helps get me going. I once tried making a bunch of cards using one entire 6x6" patterned paper pad, something I saw a woman on YouTube (whose name I forget right now) do. Talk about mojo burnout! Hated it!!! But if you like that sort of thing, that may be a possibility. Some good tips on this thread, though. Good luck with your quest!
Motivation is such an individual, tricky beast. I am most definitely in the play camp - I'm allergic to sketches - but what's funny is I'm DRAWN to the opposite of my own style. So I'm paralyzed by a sketch, but I LOVE all the cards from people who use them. Our sketch gallery is one of my faves.
I say never fight your own style, but take in everyone else's!
I have loved reading about everyone's processes! I don't have a consistent process, but I'm fairly consistent in what "prompts" me to make something. I have an Odd Brain that only remembers things that I find quirky or amusing - or otherwise have some kind of emotional response to (positive only - the negative stuff falls away quickly, thankfully). Typically it will be a sentiment that amused me or a slant on viewing an image or scene that was out of left field or something similar.
The last year and a half of my life has been a mojo suck (no major issues, but not conducive to creating), so I've been collecting far more than using during that time. I have set myself a challenge: Go through my "favorites" folder and make a card based on whatever it was that inspired me to put it in that folder - be it a color combo, a layout, a different way of using an embellishment - whatever!
As I mentioned in another thread recently, I use my organizing and indexing obsession to procrastinate on making anything. I only recently came to this realization but, now that I'm aware, I need to do something about it!
I don't think I am sophisticated nor talented enough to have a "creative process". I simply pick out a stamp that I know whomever I am making a project for will like, stamp it and start to color Then I just choose colors think go with whatever I made and use them for the card base and background paper.
I don't think I am sophisticated nor talented enough to have a "creative process". I simply pick out a stamp that I know whomever I am making a project for will like, stamp it and start to color Then I just choose colors think go with whatever I made and use them for the card base and background paper.
You have a creative process. The definitions prove it -
Process: �a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end.� - series of actions or steps: select a stamp from a wide variety, stamp, select coloring medium and colors, color, select paper colors... - particular end: card Creative: �relating to or involving the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work.� Check. Proof of your creative process. : ) Beth
I don't really have a creative process since my cards are based on need. We have quite a large family. But when I'm fresh out of ideas, I enjoy browsing the gallery, Pinterest and other's blogs for ideas. New techniques are fun too and there are loads of them here on SCS. Another favorite of mine is when the creativity is not there, how about just a background day. It's great to have a stash of colored backgrounds on hand and makes card making simpler when you come up with something. Background days are so fun.
Deadlines are a great motivator for me....I always say I will work ahead but I never seem to be able to! I usually start with a sketch....even if I stray from it I find it a great starting place. In the very beginning I used to save everything I made, stamped, cut or colored during the process of making a card.....thinking I may be able to use it. No more......I was overwhelmed by “stuff”. I am not a small scrap saver for sure. I have a small basket on my desk where I may put a die cut that I didn’t use or a background and I empty it every month when I change my desk calendar and start fresh. I also start with a lot of shuffling around at my desk - especially at night. Then it all seems to come together when I get back to it the next morning. I love how everyone’s style is unique - don’t fight it - go with what makes you happy!
Challenges. I work best when there's a challenge in front of me. It doesn't have to be a formal, submit-your-entry kind of challenge. It can be as simple as "today I'm going to use shaving cream", or "OK Lois, make something with stripes". Sometimes it's an idea from the SCS Weekly challenges, sometimes it's a card or technique I saw, maybe it's something in my craft room. But if I challenge myself, it gives me a direction to work toward.
__________________ SilverSnow Lois Malachi 3:10 "See if I will not throw open the floodgates of heavenand pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it"
What is your creative process?
But if you like that sort of thing, that may be a possibility. Some good tips on this thread, though. Good luck with your quest! 
