Reliving and Reloving your Stash

 Hi Crafters

There has never been a better time to go through your craft stash. With all the global problems at the moment,  checking out and sorting your craft items will not only tidy your craft area, hopefully it will inspire you to use what what you already have. 

Recently I have been inspired to use my scraps to make cards, check out Sam Calcott  (Mixed up Crafts) videos. The craft group I attend liked them so much they decided to make them the following week and the cards I made sold out as soon as I put them on the Trade Table. 

Here are some I have made since 

All made with scraps of card and oddments from my craft stash.

With the dull weather returning this weekend I decided to clean up my papers and went through several boxes in the craft room to tidy and sort, starting with the 12 x 12 pads. It was great to see what I had, a little like Christmas revealing papers I had forgotten I had and boxes with so many papers I made a couple of bundles for Ebay , (I also do car boots a couple of times a year) where I sell any craft items I am not likely to use. Mainly papers and dies. I even found an Anna Griffin 12 x 12 paper pad I had forgotten I had and which although lovely and new I decided to sell as I have a lot of her lose papers. 

I have accumulated so many papers over the 20 plus years I have been crafting, some in my stash go back to QVC craft time, particularly K & Co, Anna Griffin and DCWV. I found lovely soft papers that would be perfect for my origami items and a few heavier papers that would suit gift boxes. Stamperia packs and Fabrika paper packs that I bought for Journals. I really enjoyed revisiting these buys and having reminded myself of my craft box contents I will hopefully look in the boxes for my projects this year and use my stash rather than buy more. Retail is no doubt going to suffer in the year ahead, I am not saying don’t buy, just think about what you have already, before making the purchase. After all you can always use what you don’t spend on papers to get yourself that die or stamp or piece of equipment you have had your eye on.  

Next I will be tidying my stamps and then my dies. I love the fact that while I am tidying I often get waylaid with an idea that I have to try out, so the inspiration and love of crafting takes over. This brings me nicely to my decision to have “Using your Stash and Scraps”as my theme for May blogs. 

When I am low on inspiration I check out Pinterest and YouTube for ideas . Like I have said previously most of my projects are not new although I often alter or add twists to items I am making. I try to give credit to those that have taken the time and effort to share their makes on YouTube and Pinterest, and where possible I will add a link to their video’s so you can see how to construct the card or project more easily. 

Look out for my updates on my tidy ups as well as the new posts in May. 

Happy Crafting

Dee

Update- The Anna Griffin pad has sold and my stamp tidy up has started with new items going on Ebay today.