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Several thoughts about the posts above that I read. First, I raise my hand -- I, too, am a member of this thread's club. Second, I also have to agree that having too much stuff (can there really be such a thing? :( ) can be overwhelming. Decide what paper, what ribbon, what embellies--what paper was it that I was looking at? Or maybe that other one would look better? Where did it go?? These other embellies would look better with this other paper. We all know the song and dance that goes with this.
Several thoughts about the posts above that I read. First, I raise my hand -- I, too, am a member of this thread's club. Second, I also have to agree that having too much stuff (can there really be such a thing? :( ) can be overwhelming. Decide what paper, what ribbon, what embellies--what paper was it that I was looking at? Or maybe that other one would look better? Where did it go?? These other embellies would look better with this other paper. We all know the song and dance that goes with this.
I totally agree! I also am at work all day...so browsing the galleries is a way to get motivated for the weekend! :-D
I used to read more, plan more, organize more... basically I think I was just a collector of stamping stuff and a packrat to boot. But moving to a new house (well, it was built in 1915, but it's new to me) allowed me to have my very own studio. And I have been so much more creative. I got rid of tons of stuff before I moved and having fewer choices has actually improved my output. Since the move, I've basically just invested in a Cuttlebug, embossing folders and Nesties. And paper - paper is my weakness. And I fallen in love with the clear stamps. Oh, who am I kidding? I just traded my old stuff for new. But I am doing more stamping now.
__________________ 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.
Ditto, ditto, ditto to everything you have all said. LOL I have way too much stuff, got it all organized into a wonderful scrap room this summer, then became a SU demo and discovered SCS. You know where this is heading...so, then of course, I had to "buy more stuff" like the ad says! (Bought a Score-Pal today and already made three boxes!)
Having friends to craft with is key. If you don't have any around, try Archiver's or some other store. Put it on your calender once a week, like a doctor's appointment you wouldn't miss. My friends show up at my house every Tuesday. We start laughing and talking and it gets me going to make something.
Also, I would suggest buying your Christmas cards. What a relief it is! I did it online; they are darling with a photo; cost way less than the materials I would have used to make 150 cards; and saved me tons of time and stress. They even looked similar to the "Always" stamp set so I stamped a chocolate chip bird on the outside of the envelopes for a touch of personalization. Now I have the time to make some cute teacher gifts, offer a few classes (to get sales) and do some fun crafts.
Oh yes, that rings a bell! Time spent browsing galleries on sites such as this, reading (and re reading) stamping magazines, jotting down notes for inspiration, buying bits when I'm out which would look good on a card, dunno how I ever have time to actually make cards. (this could explain why my gallery is so sparse....)
It does seem we all have a lot in common. Personally I don't feel guilty about time spent on-line. I enjoy it! That's what a hobby is all about. It's a healthy way to be on-line as it potentially leads to productivity and is completely harmless. I sometimes feel I may not produce enough to justify the 'tools' but then I look at the size of my card stash and it's ok. I earn the money and spend it on something that makes me happy. I would love to have someone to make cards with, but on-line is the next best thing to not being alone with a particular interest.
I spent last evening thinking about this thread and came up with a couple thoughts: (1) I think the general consensus is that we really do want to spend more time stamping vs. reading, organizing, etc.; (2) I realized (about myself anyway) that the more I looked at other people's creations FIRST, the less choices I gave myself and by the time I was doing looking at other people's cards, there weren't any other good cards to make (in my mind at the time); and (3) I decided that, from now on, that if I thought I was interested in doing a challenge or making a card, I would make the card first and upload it BEFORE looking at anyone else's creations.
I did this today and it worked out very well. If you want to see what I came up with, it is called Happy Poinsettias (I don't know how to link it to this message--I'll see if I can figure it out later--maybe this is it--//www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1127652?cat=500&ppuser=196124.)
Boy have you hit the nail on the head. I spend most of my time doing the following;
Surfing the net for awesome sheets of stamps (rubber unmounted)
Trolling through the Joann website - because I belong to the Free Shippers Club - and so I have to buy as much as I can possibly afford
Rearranging my stamping space
Reorganizing my stamps
Playing with different techniques (brayer, watercolor pencils, gamsol, wet embossing, dry embossing.......)
Ordering books from the library and flipping through them
Well, you get the gist of it.........then when I actually have to MAKE A CARD, I am paralyzed with indecision about the stamp, design, placement,.....
by then I'm pissed off and stressed at having to meet a deadline.
This happens to me alot in my sewing room too - so I'm not surprised. Disgusted with myself,....but not surprised.
OMG!! As I was reading your post I felt like I had written it! I do the same thing! I have a friend's mom coming over tomorrow because she saw my cards and wants me to show her how to make them... and I have no idea what to do! So what am I doing? Sitting here reading SCS... again! But hey, why panic today when I can finish floating around SCS and panic tomorrow! I'm sure I'll find better ideas here than I'll come up with on my own! Thanks for making me feel less alone! LOL
time reading about stamping than actually stamping? I've been in a terrible rut lately after finishing some little wedding projects. I know I need to start my Christmas cards, but I just don't have the get up and go - I think it's got up and gone! I'm thinking I need to gather up my Christmas stamping stuff and put it a basket to get me in the mood. Last year, I had my daughter's wedding on December 22nd and STILL found time to hand paint 80 penguin cards. Ugh! I don't ever want to see that penguin!
Jutta
yes, yes, yes....I get so hooked on blog surfing and spending time here ooohhhing and aaahhhing that I hardly EVER get anything made!!!
(raising my hand) Yes, I am Lisa and I am a SCS/blog-reading/online-store-browsing - aholic!!!! I relate to all that has been said above.
I work at home, and when I get to a problem I can't solve right away, I turn to my computer to browse and "clear my head for just 5 minutes".......then one or 2 hours later I finally look at the clock (OMG!) and realize that yes, again, I have procrastinated and frittered away time that I could have spent producing something (work or stamping)!
I tell my friends that this stuff is like my heroin - I'm hooked and I can't get off it.
So last month I finally had to put myself on a diet - I only allow myself to look at any of this stuff on Friday's. It was hard at first, but now it's not. And guess what? I've gotten a lot more work done AND I've been stamping and making stamped gifts and started my Christmas cards - none of which I would have done before. I know this isn't the solution for everyone, but I had to do something. And allowing myself the one day a week to indulge in this habit means I just check out the things I'm really interested in, and don't waste a lot of time on other stuff.
Sigh, I just love this hobby so much!
Wow, I thought I was the only one that was in this rut! So very,very nice having this site to know people other than me get the Stampers Sludge as I refer to it as. Everything has hit at one time in this stamp land and Christmas cards aren't even in the designing stage yet-surgery on right hand, stress fracture on the foot, right knee made a popping sound and now wearing a brace till time for the Ortho visit and see what needs to be done. I love my stamping, it's the down time/break from the world that takes me away like the old Calgon commercial! Whoops, might have just told my age for those of you that remember the commercial.
__________________ Dance as if no one is watching!
Boy have you hit the nail on the head. I spend most of my time doing the following;
Surfing the net for awesome sheets of stamps (rubber unmounted)
Trolling through the Joann website - because I belong to the Free Shippers Club - and so I have to buy as much as I can possibly afford
Rearranging my stamping space
Reorganizing my stamps
Playing with different techniques (brayer, watercolor pencils, gamsol, wet embossing, dry embossing.......)
Ordering books from the library and flipping through them
Well, you get the gist of it.........then when I actually have to MAKE A CARD, I am paralyzed with indecision about the stamp, design, placement,.....
by then I'm pissed off and stressed at having to meet a deadline.
This happens to me alot in my sewing room too - so I'm not surprised. Disgusted with myself,....but not surprised.
This pretty much sounds like me, but I'd like to add "Buying card magazines and stamping catalogs and spending hours looking through them!"
