When Craft Supplies Expire

Today's topic is a touchy one for most crafters. Eventually, most crafters come to the realization that some craft supplies do have a shelf life.

Take, for example, those fancy edged scissors you bought more than a dozen years ago. They made them look so easy to use, but when you tried, you could never get a straight edge. And they never cut clean, always leaving little bits of uncut card stock. At some point, it dawns on you that those fancy edged scissors take up a lot of room in your craft space and you never ever ever use them.

The scissors have expired.

I would tell you to give them to the preschool class at church, but honestly, they will probably frustrate those tiny little hands as much as they frustrated you.

Why do we hate to get rid of things? Because we spent good money on them, dag nabbit! And we like to think that we are making an investment. Kind of like those Longaberger baskets you purchased more than fifteen years ago that the demonstrator told you would increase in value one day, except now you see people practically giving them away at garage sales.

Yeah. It's just like that.

Today's case in point. Embossing pads and powders.

I had this great idea to do an emboss resist watercolor technique today. Honestly, I'm not a person that embosses a whole lot because it's messy and hot and little bits of powder fly everywhere and then you have to clean the goo off your stamps and...

...you get the idea.

My friend, Nikki, is the queen of embossing. Her cards are veritable works of art. Me? Mine come out looking like a melted crayon disaster.

Today, I grabbed my Top Boss pad, reinker, and Stampin Up clear embossing powder and gave the technique a whirl.

What happened? The Top Boss that's supposed to fade away to no color didn't, and the embossing powder was lumpy and clumpy and didn't adhere worth a darn.

Could it be that those supplies are now fifteen years old and have exceeded their shelf life?

Yes, yes it could be.

I tossed them in the trash and remembered my nice juicy Versamark pad. I gave it a try using a different embossing powder, and voila!

Just the look I was going for!

I washed over the embossed images with my Kuretake Gansi Tambi watercolors, and oohed and aahed over the results.

{Today's Brew: stamps from Paper Smooches, PTI card stock, Versamark ink pad, Kuretake watercolors}

A simply beautiful birthday card for a simply beautiful woman...my Mom!

My Mom is the sweetest woman on the planet. When other women half her age say "I can't lead a bible study or plan a women's retreat! That's too hard! I don't know my Bible that well!", my mother says "Oh for pete's sake, I'll do it!" And at the age of 82 to boot!

After my Dad died, my Mom and her good friend, Donna, organized the widows from church and formed a group they called "Good Griefers". Every month they go to dinners, plays, ball games. Their fellowship means they don't have to spend their days alone.

She gardens, she crafts, and she cooks and bakes as if she still has seven kids living at home. Twenty one grand children and over a dozen great grandchildren...this is one busy lady!

I'm so proud to call this beautiful woman my mother!

I love you, Mom! Happy Birthday!