Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Thoughts on shopping

Hello!
I've been thinking about scrapbooking and scrapbooking shopping over the last couple of days trying to figure out my feelings about both and how they work on my creativity. I think it is interesting to evaluate why and how these things work since I really like to understand myself and be as creative as possible.
 
For a couple of months I've been a member of a Facebook group called 50 projects where we have been challenging ourselves to scrap our stashes and not shop before we've made 50 layouts. I did two rounds of that challenge and it has been very very good on my creativity and 100 layouts in just a couple of months is more than anyone can wish for, isn't it. So, it's been very good for my productivity. But has it been good on my creativity? I'm not so sure.
 
About the same time as I started that first challenge round I also started this blog. Blogging has been super fun and I'm so greatful for all the sweet comments I get and all the wonderful blogs and bloggers that I have found as being a part of the daily bloggers and readers on Two Peas in a Bucket's forum.
 
When I had finished my first round of the challenge I made a small purchase, I bought a couple of decoration packs and some paper pens. No papers, no dies and no stamps. But now when I finished my second round I went crazy with the shopping! I think I have been wishing and planning so much that when I finally got to shop I thought I needed all of it. I will love every one of all those supplies and I don't regret any of the purchases. But I think that I have become way to focused on shopping by staying away from shopping, if you know what I mean.
 
But at the same time, when you have made 100 layouts your old supplies seem to become really old and you have been flipping through those boxes so many times you need something fresh to even get started with a new project.
 
It is hard.
 
I will try a shopping freeze now, without counting layouts, without hurrying and without making shopping lists. I will try and convince myself that there will always come more pretty supplies and I will focus on learning more design theory and making beautiful layouts instead of just producing to be able to shop.
 
This is a layout I made yesterday. It is from the kits I made the other day. I just love that hexagon paper and I went with the lovely color combination aqua, yellow & white. The kids are sitting in bags waiting for us to start packing for our trip to go see my mother in June. The title says "Ready to travel".
 
 

 I don't know if I've become any wiser but atleast I have a plan and a goal. I will stop focusing on products and I will become a better scrapbooker!
 
Take care and have a nice day!
// Åsa
 

9 comments:

  1. Pretty combo of papers, colors and patterns! The big title is very striking!

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  2. Beautiful layout !

    As for me, I prefer set a (small) budget every month. It works for me ! But last month, I bought an expensive class which is equal to 3 monthes budget, so I need to be frozen now...
    I joined the (free) Counterfeit Kit Challenge, and it really helped me for looking at my supplies as if they were fresher (because every month, you copy a trendy kit wiyh your own supply, and often, you realize how much you already have !)
    And it's great for creativity because everybody share ideas about how make your own trendy items (on my blog today, I share my homemade polaroid stamp).

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  3. What a lovely layout! And super cute picture :) I really love your color combo and the bold title. I go a long time without shopping, then go for a while buying - it's a cycle, for sure!

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  4. Beautiful layout. I try to use up what I have in stash and stay away for as long as I can from buying but alas sometimes a girl just needs a little retail therapy and new stuff always seems to inspire me.

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  5. Hej, Åsa. I love the turquoise and orange combination - a personal favourite of mine. Very impressive about your number of LOs, too. I just counted up how many I've made this year and I'm at 60 with a goal of 100 this year, which is pretty cool. I think your reflections about shopping are very true - it's easy to get caught up in the product aspect of it and lose the creativity.

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    Replies
    1. I think this challenge would be tough for me, I think I would lose a lot of my creativity just trying to get the layouts done. For me shopping and the excitement of trying new products increases my creativity a lot :)

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  6. I think you are a pretty good scrapbooker now. It's a great idea about the 50 although you are a stronger scrapbooker than I. I would have went all out after the first 50. LOL

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  7. I agree that you need some new stuff every now and then to get some fresh ideas and inspiration!

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  8. i'm trying to spend less too, i've stopped my subscriptions at Studio Calico because like you said i had more and more products but creating very little. also i think using our stash can be super fun!

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