How To Cull Your Craft Stash

A few years back, I almost gave up paper crafting completely. I found the clutter to be overwhelming! So many stamps and papers and inks and impulse purchases, all piled in to one space that made me feel more guilty than creative.

At that time, I had over three hundred wood mounted stamp sets, accumulated over more than a decade. They took up so much visual space and so much storage. And honestly, I was tired of the stamps and images.

I thought back then that if you owned it, you were married to it.

And then, after hearing accounts from other crafters who had been in my boat, I decided to divorce myself from those unloved stamps. The love was gone. It was time to set them free. I sold them all, and used the money from the sale to purchase clear unmounted stamps from new companies.

I did the same thing with the many pounds of card stock I was no longer using. And all of those large ink pads in the giant spinning ink pad carousel? Sold those, too.

I have never looked back.

I try really hard to make better purchases these days. But still, once or twice a year, I feel the need to go through my collection and look at the things I'm not using.

Take, for example, the adorable Pure Innocence stamps from My Favorite Things. I had purchased quite a few when they first came out. But those cute images of little girls just were not getting the love. I sold the girls and gave them new homes last month, and I'm so glad I did.

It helps to know what kind of card maker I am now. For example, I learned last year that I really don't enjoy making lots of Christmas cards, so I sold off most of my Christmas stamps.

What do I seem to make? I make a fair amount of birthday, get well, and sympathy cards. I make Christian cards of encouragement. I make a few seasonal "Thinking of you" cards. And coffee and tea cards? Yes, I love making those!

So when a company releases an adorable penguin set, for example, I have to be honest with myself and say "But really, how often will I use it?"

Today's card is an example of this mind set. A Band Aid die and Get Well sentiments? Yes, I will use that, and often!

{Today's Brew: Band Aid die and sentiment from PTI, leaves and flowers dies from Songbirds (PTI), PTI ink and card stock, MFT heart stencil, enamel dots}