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The alcohol inks on a glossy cardstock make a really nice background for stamps. I've mainly used them for that and also for coloring glass. There's a video on You Tube showing how to color glass with them. The girl doing the video actually used them to color her drinking glasses. I don't think I would chance that but her kids didn't croak so it must be ok. I used that technique on inexpensive vases etc. Turns out nice and it's permanent and dishwasher safe. One of the glossy backgrounds I made actually turned out to look like camoflauge which is great for cards for those men in your family.
Crimper - if you have a crimper you don't use, dig it out and dust it off and try making crimped ribbon. I use 5/8 satin ribbon for the best effect. Cut a piece of cardstock that matches your ribbon size (5/8 wide) x length of ribbon plus 1/2"; coat the cardstock with tape and attach ribbon to center of cardstock; run it through your crimper. The ribbon looks wonderful - see here.
Great idea, I will have to give that a try!
Regrets:
the fastenator (gave it away)
many many slide/arm type paper cutters till I finally found out that the right one for me is guillotine style
all the different colors of embossing powder (I really only use black, clear, and silver)
all those eyelets in every color of the rainbow! Since I got the cropadile I am using them more, but still I tend to use brads most of the time now, and no way am I buying any more colored eyelets!
mm tag maker -- still unopened after a year or two... I'm giving it to a friend for xmas
and a lot of the rubber stamping books I just had to have, but somehow never want to sit down with and read, get inspired by, or even look at. I'm planning to purge those pretty soon!
Oh, a hint on the value paper...I use it wrap gifts! You can just tape it up like wrapping paper! Add a cool satin bow and you have a FABULOUS WOW present!
Excellent, I will do that next time I need to wrap a gift! Thanks ladies for sharing your "solutions" as well as your regrets.
BIA - I won it in a contest, hated it, sold it for $20 to my sister
StamPress - currently sitting in goodwill box, I couldn't even sell it at my garage sale
ScoreBoard - I do not regret buying it, I loved it, but I love my MS better
Crimper - if you have a crimper you don't use, dig it out and dust it off and try making crimped ribbon. I use 5/8 satin ribbon for the best effect. Cut a piece of cardstock that matches your ribbon size (5/8 wide) x length of ribbon plus 1/2"; coat the cardstock with tape and attach ribbon to center of cardstock; run it through your crimper. The ribbon looks wonderful - see here.
thank you for this tip -- it looks great!
I love my crimper and use it often. I think my regret is the sheer volume of stuff I buy! And someone please keep me away from that $1 ribbon on Michaels -- I need to use the miles of ribbon I already own!
In the Michael's I go to they always have a display of the $1 ribbon right by the line you're waiting on to pay. Usually I say to myself, look at that...only $1.00 and grab one - lol - so you're not alone.
Ugh, mine would be the 18,000 sheets of paper and paper packs that I will never use because they are no longer my style! I purged about 1/2 of my paper this summer and now have made it a mission to get through the rest. Once I am down to a manageable amount I will only buy what I can use!
I also need to start using my Cricut Expression more or it will be on this list too!
I also had a ton of paper that I just didn't like anymore. I gave a lot of it away to a group that makes cards for our soldiers but I kept some for myself. I use it for making templates and when I'm desigining a box, layout, etc. I also use it to cover my desktop to absorb messy things like paint, spray mists, etc.
The alcohol inks on a glossy cardstock make a really nice background for stamps. I've mainly used them for that and also for coloring glass. There's a video on You Tube showing how to color glass with them. The girl doing the video actually used them to color her drinking glasses. I don't think I would chance that but her kids didn't croak so it must be ok. I used that technique on inexpensive vases etc. Turns out nice and it's permanent and dishwasher safe. One of the glossy backgrounds I made actually turned out to look like camoflauge which is great for cards for those men in your family.
I love alcohol inks and I think I have all but 4 of the colors. In addition to the great tips listed above I used it to redo the following:
brass urn - was really tarnished and I don't use brass in my decorating style. I used browns, golds, and orange shades of alcohol ink and dabbed them on the urn and then sealed with shiny clear spray. It looks fab.
Next, I had an ceramic cream colored lamp with a rough pebble finish that I like but I wanted a new look. Again alcohol ink in same colors as the urn and now it looks tuscan and aged. Yummy...
and finally, I wanted a new mirror for my entry to replace the antique gold I have. I never like it but never got around to findin a replacement. Again the same shades of alcohol ink and it looks like I found a great antique frame.
I now have 3 great new pieces without spending a dime. I need to see what else I can redo ;)
The huge paper stack I bought at Costco. There was no way I needed 6 papers of the same design. I ended up giving most of it to a friend as I got tired of using it and looking at it. I am trying to only buy designer paper in small quanities so I use it up before I get tired of it.
BIA - I won it in a contest, hated it, sold it for $20 to my sister
StamPress - currently sitting in goodwill box, I couldn't even sell it at my garage sale
ScoreBoard - I do not regret buying it, I loved it, but I love my MS better
Crimper - if you have a crimper you don't use, dig it out and dust it off and try making crimped ribbon. I use 5/8 satin ribbon for the best effect. Cut a piece of cardstock that matches your ribbon size (5/8 wide) x length of ribbon plus 1/2"; coat the cardstock with tape and attach ribbon to center of cardstock; run it through your crimper. The ribbon looks wonderful - see here.
I would regret my crimper purchase, but I only paid $10 for it only clearance. Hard to believe it sells for $30 at Michaels in Canada
the paper cutter with the light in it? It was a 'as seen on TV' thing
Patterned paper blocks - I now only buy a couple of sheets of what I want..
A fiskars cutting system - gave away
Colored pencils? I bought Inktense, Prismacolors, watercolors, ...I have settled on Coloursoft and Prismas...Love them.
I love Mrs. Grossman's stickers and have tons of them..But I am not letting them go...using them slowly.
I have kept to a Cuttlebug exclusively cuz I know my ocd would kick in and I would have to buy alot of stuff to go with it.
I still use my punches from Creative memories, love my punches, MS, corners etc.
I have a good collection of punches but I am pretty picky about what I buy, Ditto the spellbinders..Great Idea for a thread.
This past year my daughter and I spent 10 months at Mayo Clinic and lived at the Ronald McDonald House. There was a craft room, and I was able to loose myself in scrapbooking once in a while.
Ronald McDonald House is a Stampin Up charity. Find the Ronald McDonald House closest to you or send it to:
Ronald McDonald House
850 2nd Street Southwest
Rochester, MN 55902
If you ask for a receipt, you can even take it off your taxes. They take paper, stamps, inks, embellishments, etc. They also have a cricut if you have any extra carts/
Blessings,
Hollicefaith
Thank you so much for posting this. I don't why I never thought of it--craft supplies and kids go so well together!
__________________ "As a matter of fact, I am a mad scientist!
Oh my, I have to say I love my Cuttlebug and Cricut, but I regret so many things, like the Coluzzle, the fiskar shape cutter, tons of paper, stickers, the quickcutz, and the list goes on and on.
I'm still looking for the perfect storage solution.
Oh My....where do I start?
I have a collection of trimmers I hate- I finally have the cutterbee one that I love and one for a table top that I found at a garage sale, like the one in my grade school supply room (and I'm old!) it has a big metal guillotine blade and weighs a ton, but I love that monster.
I have this monster eyelet setter that I need to get rid of that I bought when eyelets first came out. I have the cropodile that I use, but I really go to my original hammer most of the time.
This thing that came out about two years ago that makes covered buttons w/ paper. I can't get it to work right most of the time...that is very frustrating.
Stickers, stickers, stickers...I'm seeking out the girl scouts now (thanks for that idea)
A few of those huge paper stacks that I only liked about 1/2 the stack of....
Eyelets in enough shapes and colors to last me until I'm 100. I like eyelets, but what do I do with baseball mits? I don't even have kids!
The Coluzzle. Frustrating.....and I've broken the blades so many times.
And storage stuff that just didn't work like I wanted. Most of the time I can find someone that wants it or I can use it to store other stuff not craft related.
I think that is about it. I'm sure if I went back to my room I'd name a few other things.
My regrets are my Slice (bought my Pazzles a little over a year after this), my Big Bite (which I love when I need it, but use my CAD more often), and my Bind it All. But will I ever part with these? No. I *might* use them someday!
__________________ Kelly
♥ Mommy to my handsome twin 3 year old boys and beautiful 1 year old girl♥
I love alcohol inks and I think I have all but 4 of the colors. In addition to the great tips listed above I used it to redo the following:
brass urn - was really tarnished and I don't use brass in my decorating style. I used browns, golds, and orange shades of alcohol ink and dabbed them on the urn and then sealed with shiny clear spray. It looks fab.
What brand of shiny clear spray do you recommend for these projects? Some sprays (solvent based) will interact with the alcohol ink, and I have not been happy with the finish on some of the water-based sprays.
I LOVE this idea and have a lamp in mind to try it on!
Funny how one person's trash is anothers treasure! I saw so many here who regretted their coluzzles... I regret not buying more blades and mats for coluzzle..... I LOVE them!
Although I don't use a my BIA and CAD regularly they are essential to me. So many times that I've need to punch a hole through something thick and the CAD is the only thing that works.
The zutterzisters.com site has some great BIA inspiration.
The things I regret are paper, so many paper pads that I will never never never use. Have since donated most of them. Also regret a lot of my stamp purchases that I bought and only used once.
So funny you say that. My sister just "surprised" me with a Cricut Expression for my birthday. Honestly, I can't say I want it. If I were to buy an electronic cutter, this definitely would not be my choice but at least I won't feel like I didn't get my money's worth. Only that I didn't get her money's worth and since I never asked for one or mentioned it to her, no guilt right? I guess that sounds ungrateful but lets just say I have a difficult relationship with my sister when it comes to money and gifts.
I love my Cricut Expression. I hate the cost and limitation of the cartrages. I thought Cricut Design Studio might be the answer but really regret buying it because: 1) they had the wrong serial # in the package so it took a good week or so before I could even use the software and the Cricut people weren't too friendly.
2) it required many more cartrages to use than I can afford to buy or even want to buy.
Then I found Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL) and LOVE IT! that software has made my Cricut worth owning, and there are tons of free or low cost SVG designs online. Penny Duncan has a whole "nestabilities" type of cuts on her website for FREE!!! At first I thought it just took too long to hook it up to the computer but in reality it doesn't take long and I can make the SVG's in any size that works for me.
I would love a Bind it All, I love making books, journals, etc.
I just bought Derwent Inktense pencils tonight! Dick Blick has them for a good price. My big spends are markers (I like ShinHan Twin Touch - just as good (don't hate me, Copic Purists - love you all and your talents!) and way more affordable right now because a new line is coming out early this summer so the current style is on clearance) and colored pencils. My husband is an artist so he will use them IF there was some reason that I don't - but he broke his right hand in 4 different places (he is right handed) and had to have surgery - plates and pins to put it back together. :( But his talent is in his brain, I keep telling him he can learn to use his left had if it comes down to it. ooo..sorry for going off on that....
I love my Cricut Expression. I hate the cost and limitation of the cartrages. I thought Cricut Design Studio might be the answer but really regret buying it because: 1) they had the wrong serial # in the package so it took a good week or so before I could even use the software and the Cricut people weren't too friendly.
2) it required many more cartrages to use than I can afford to buy or even want to buy.
Then I found Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL) and LOVE IT! that software has made my Cricut worth owning, and there are tons of free or low cost SVG designs online. Penny Duncan has a whole "nestabilities" type of cuts on her website for FREE!!! At first I thought it just took too long to hook it up to the computer but in reality it doesn't take long and I can make the SVG's in any size that works for me.
Wow! We are so on the same page. I don't like the cost and limitations of the cartridges either. My gift bundle came with the software but that didn't seem like it would change any of that. I am very excited to hear about SCAL and will look in to it as. Thank you so much for the advice and recommendation.
I am really seeing a pattern here with the cropodile.
I usually reach for the Cropodile but needed the clikit for some reason this weekend (probably a reach issue). I'd forgotten how much better it works. The Crop-o-dile is just so unwieldy it's hard to get holes exactly where I want and I've never been happy with the setting. On the other hand, I paid all of $10 for mine so I'm not overly upset the purchase.
I will join the crop o dile club....except I find DH using it to punch holes in his belts and so forth.....I can't seem to hold the heavy thing still to punch a hole exactly where I want it. LOL!
I have both the scor-pal boards and won't give them up
I have the BIA and have used it only a few times but think useage will increase since I retired and can plan and create projects for fun.
I too have paper that I don't use a lot of but find that donating it to a school program or art teacher helps ease the pain. OFF TOPIC--I love that Paper Studio and DWVC are making mat stacks with the same designs as the 12 x 12 but scaled down for card use.
Other than a few stamp sets that I purchased and rarely use.....that is it.
__________________ c-mouse-If you can't say nuttin nice--don't say nuttin at all. Thumper. Pansy
Card Sketch Challenge 1-227 done only 396+ to go to be caught up!!!!!
Thanks for the advice on the SCAL - I just ordered it. Mine came with the Cricut Design Studio but it still leaves you tied to cartridges. Now to find a home for the Cricut Design Studio!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jovian7
I love my Cricut Expression. I hate the cost and limitation of the cartrages. I thought Cricut Design Studio might be the answer but really regret buying it because: 1) they had the wrong serial # in the package so it took a good week or so before I could even use the software and the Cricut people weren't too friendly.
2) it required many more cartrages to use than I can afford to buy or even want to buy.
Then I found Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL) and LOVE IT! that software has made my Cricut worth owning, and there are tons of free or low cost SVG designs online. Penny Duncan has a whole "nestabilities" type of cuts on her website for FREE!!! At first I thought it just took too long to hook it up to the computer but in reality it doesn't take long and I can make the SVG's in any size that works for me.
I would love a Bind it All, I love making books, journals, etc.
I just bought Derwent Inktense pencils tonight! Dick Blick has them for a good price. My big spends are markers (I like ShinHan Twin Touch - just as good (don't hate me, Copic Purists - love you all and your talents!) and way more affordable right now because a new line is coming out early this summer so the current style is on clearance) and colored pencils. My husband is an artist so he will use them IF there was some reason that I don't - but he broke his right hand in 4 different places (he is right handed) and had to have surgery - plates and pins to put it back together. :( But his talent is in his brain, I keep telling him he can learn to use his left had if it comes down to it. ooo..sorry for going off on that....
I love this thread. It just helped me to realize I am not the only one who buys things and then regrets it. I was starting to think I had an obsessive/compulsive problem with buying crafting things. So glad I'm not alone.
I'm there with ya! I definitely thought I was the only one with this problem.....sometimes I put myself on forced restrictions like: I can't buy anymore paper until I finish some scrapbook pages etc!
I bought a mat cutter over 10 years ago and have NEVER even gotten it out of the box-I had such dreams of all the wonderful mats for pix of the kids that I would cut myself....
I have to say, I still use my coluzzle all the time, although mainly the circle and oval cutters for cards now.
Isn't it comforting to know that we're all not just crazy! I beat myself up about the things I buy and don't use all the time. I thought I had a littlle obsessive/compulsive disorder when it came to craft stuff. SCS is much cheaper than therapy - lol.
Oh I wish I wish I could go back and not buy so many cuttlebug dies. I hate that cracking sound & anything I need to cut out I have other tools for. I also am sorry for buying those "cute" punches, baby feet, present bows, stars (all 1/2"). So small that I can't get my fingers to not be stuck together with glue when I attach them to the card.
Those tiny cut outs from your punches are much easier if you'll pick up a small Xyron sticker maker....and the secret to loving that is to make sure that you really rub the front and back of the strip before peeling. I even go so far as to trace around very detailed shapes with a fine-point stylus before peeling off the top, clear strip. HTH!
1. KNK (Klik-N-Kut Element) - hunk of junk / never worked properly; always too hot (so hot it would melt the pen/blade accessory holder off every time after 30-45 minutes), ran up the electric bill by $15.00/mo., never properly calibrated, weird software
2. Silhouette v.1 - never worked at all (I guess that's why it was on sale)
3. Annie Howes epoxy system - did not know you have to be in a 72� environment to use it; it's about 75�+ in the craft room when I'm working, 68� or less when I'm not. There's $40.00 I'll never see again.
4. A bunch of stickers I will never use ... those are going in the donate box
5. Zutter DreamKutz - used it once, but I just can't part w/ it yet
6. a small excess of Ellison Chipboard .022" --- too thin & flimsy, I like AccuCut (by Grafix) .030" & .057" better
7. a bunch of punches that only "do" paper & not cardstock, much less heavy weight cardstock; it's so frustrating when shops (on or off line) lie about the products capabilities)
8. Pebbles, Inc. Ribbon iron ... does not get hot enough to get out the wrinkles or creases when it comes that way from the factory
9. Heidi Swapp Iron - same issue as above
10. a bunch of paper - I gotta go through that and do more eliminating
..... anything full retail price, always regret that later .....
Last edited by twink-a-dink; 01-13-2011 at 07:55 PM..
Reason: addition
For me it is the crop o dile. I like it, but I have a hard time using it because my hands are too small to reach around it. There is also a bunch of stuff I ordered off qvc years ago when I first started this hobby....the punches made so detailed that you couldn't punch thru even regular copy paper without the image ripping... All the paper and sticker package deals.
A friend pointed me in the direction of this thread when I expressed some regret at all the money I have wasted on my hobby. Have to agree with most of the things here! One solution I have, is I have a "Kids drawer" in my craft room that my grand-daughters use for making crafts with me. I put everything I am tired of, don't use etc and they love the stuff. I add to it occasionally with dollar store stuff. This works for consumables anyway....not so much the big purchases.
I bought a Gypsy that didn't work send it back, had a cricut sold it and then not remembering how I hated it bought a cricut expression, had it for a half a year finally took it out of the box to cut some stuff could not get the stuff to come of the mat, got a slice for Christmas and I love it, have a Bind it all and a Cinch have not used ether, have a crop a dile , but I use a hand puch it is easier, I gues reading this thread I'm not the only one with got to have it. Oh and I have one of the Tv cutters it cuts fairly decent except I have others that are easier to grap. will sell the Cinch and the bind it all & Cricut expression .
