There comes a time in all crafters’ lives when decisions have to be made.   The craft room, if you are fortunate enough to have one, is overflowing with all the supplies needed for all of our different crafting interests.  I have done cross stitch, knitting and crocheting,  ceramics,  wood crafts, scrapbooking and cardmaking and sewing, quilting and machine embroidering.  I must confess that there is at least a small amount of supplies/unfinished projects left from each of those interests.  And I also must confess that those things are not in my “main” craft room, aka sewing room.  They have definitely overflowed into the other spare bedroom and I have been working on going through all the different bins and boxes.  A few years ago I did give away most of my wood craft supplies.   And I only have a few ceramic pieces in the “craft closet” waiting to be painted.  Of course, I don’t actually have the paint so until I get some, that’s where they will stay.   I have a lot of knitting needles and crochet hooks having inherited them from my grandmother and also a few of my aunt’s.  Add them to what I already had, and well, I guess I’ve got about any size I would need.  I donated any yarn that I wasn’t going to use to a charitable organization that makes afghan’s.   I still have my cross stitch floss and patterns.  They are taking up very little room on the shelf so I decided to keep them there until I can find someone who will use them.  I don’t want to just fill up the landfill with these things.

That brings us to the scrapbooking/cardmaking supplies and my sewing, etc. supplies.  Well, through all the aforementioned craft periods, the one constant was sewing of some kind.  Therefore, we know that the sewing room will remain untouched as far as getting rid of things, except of course the supplies I use to make things or extras I have to share with fellow sewists.   So that leaves the elephant in the room, the scrapbook supplies.  Sigh, so much!  I have made a start on going through it all.  Stamps, stamp pads (tossed them – the ink was all dried out), cardstock –  TONS of that, punches, stickers (stickers?  does anyone use stickers anymore? — I’m giving away how long ago I started on that craft) and, of course, books on cardmaking and scrapbooking.    Now I have a bff whose birthday is this week — well actually it isn’t because she is a leap year baby and doesn’t actually have a birthday this year but I’ll send her a card anyway.  🙂   If I had ink pads that weren’t dried out, I could have made her a card but since I don’t, well it is a store bought one.  But since she has the same “crafters’ dilemma” as I do,  she will understand.  I’d post a picture here of the card but I don’t want her to see it before she gets it just in case she is reading this post.  Wait, what am I saying?  “Just in case”?   Of course she is reading this post.  She is my bff!   If I had thought of it early enough, I would have asked my friend Johnna of Johnna’s Stampin’ Up! Crafters to make a special one for me.  She makes some beautiful cards.  Check out her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1968883040074855/

So to all you crafters out there who are dealing with whittling down all the “stuff”,  I say  be strong, be brave, be smart.   Try to find someone who can use the supplies and  don’t add to the landfills if possible.  But, if it really, really can’t be used, then bite the bullet and toss it.   Good luck to you all. And remember, baby steps are still steps so if you need to take things real slow, that’s fine.  Let me know how you are doing and I will do the same.

Bye for now.    See you soon.

Ginny