Using What You Have

Let me start by saying, I am a pack rat! I admit it! We have a small room that I use to put my craft stuff in. Let me tell you, it is crammed full! I have an aisle from the door down the center of the room to the craft table, where I have my computer set up right now. The walls on both sides are lined with heavy duty shelves. On those shelves are printers (yes 2), a scanner, a whole shelf of my paper collection, a whole shelf of accumulated designer scrapbook kits, a couple shelves full of fabric, and the rest filled with Sizzix dies, rubber stamps, ink pads, brads and eyelets, buttons, do dads, adhesive, 2 Xyron machines, a laminator and a Cricut and 20 cartridges! Oh and the shelf over the window holds paints, more flowers, more brads, and more buttons! And did I mention my ribbon collection? Or the closet crammed full of yarn?

You get the idea! So about 2 months ago, I decided enough was enough! I cancelled all my subscriptions, as cute as they are, and forced myself to stay away from the craft store. I have been knitting squares from my baby yarn, so I can make patchwork afghans. They are going to be adorable. And if I don't sell them, they will go to the Humanitarian center. And I have started scrapping again. The shear amount of stuff I have overwhelmed enough for awhile, that I couldn't force myself to scrap! Since I began my "Use what you have" campaign, I have felt the old creative juices begin to flow. Here is an example of that ---->

Now the significant thing about these pages are that I used 5 things, paper, flowers, buttons, brads and glitter. That's it. I had this adorable Daisy D paper, but it was really busy, so I cut some of the flowers from it and used them as the basis this page was designed around. Then I made butterlfies from the same paper. Cut them out with my old red Sizzix. Cut 2, stacked them, stapled, then put ribbon down the middle for the body and covered in glitter. Added a button for the head. That's it and they turned out so stinkin cute!

I added color coordinated buttons and flowers and my favorite Thicker stickers, then did the most important thing, told the story of how these pictures all tied together.

So watch as I learn to make do with what I have. This could be interesting! I promise I will buy now scrapbooking supples (with the exception of Kukoyo adhesive, which has been discontinued) until October! Have fun with me and see how well you can do too! Let's see how inventive we get with all we have! And always remember that the reason we scrap is to give our family picture book memories!

Cbris