A Case for Hoarding...

Oh such a dirty word!!!! Yet, I freely admit my guilt!  I have things in my 'stash' that range in age from one-month to 15-years old! Why??? I am always asking myself that question, and the answer is so very hard to explain.  Some things I believe will make their way back into fashion (think vellum, corrugated paper, slides - but truly you can just laugh out loud here); mostly I just can't bear to throw anything away that I so lovingly purchased at any time during this 15 year party.

I consider anything 3-years or older as part of my hoarding.  We've discussed stash before - I have a stash of wood, flair, etc. that is probably larger than I will use before they too go out of fashion.  But it won't matter, as this post is about to illustrate.  Honestly, I don't feel anything ever goes out of fashion in my scrap supplies... I don't believe in fashionable when it comes to nearly anything (as my closet can attest too!).  Fads, yes.  But if you really, really loved anything once, you probably still do in some way.  Oh my, I digress.

So in my never-ending quest to use my supplies (mostly so I have room for new stuff!), I have made it an issue to think back to my hoarding stash before going to my new things whenever I make a layout this year.  Of course, this isn't always going to work.  But for sure, I have more than enough accumulated 'holiday' embellishments that it's worth a shot!

However, before I get on to the examples, I want to just mention a few things.  I have completed about 40-50 layouts since the beginning of the year.  No, I don't plan on bombarding you all at one time with these atrocities.  Rather I plan to show a few examples along the way to illustrate a point.  So sometimes you may see a layout more than once, please just go with it.   Okay... on to a few layouts showing how I've been finding and using my immense hoard:

On this layout I used those lovely snowflake rhinestones that I've had for at least 7 years, the Martha Stewart snowflake punch I've probably had just as long, as well as my vellum paper and some little pearlescent white paint I've had for 10 years or more.  Yet they all look lovely with the Crate Paper and 2Ps items, eh?!

You'd be surprised at how old some of these elements are - for instance the black thickers are several years old.  The heart flair is at least 3-4 years old (the other is a button from a jeweler that I've had about 8-years).  Then there's that Anna Griffin laser-cut XOXOXO paper that I have used almost every Valentines day for years and years.  Oh and lest I forget, the lips brad that poses as the dot over the i... that brad is at least 12-14 years old. Whew!

This layout is one I stole from Shimelle - putting everything practically straight on one side to showcase a lovely paper - and wow! do I love this Maggie Holmes paper!  While many of the embellishments are new (Crate Paper and Flea Market), its the hearts themselves that classify as hoarded - all American Crafts foam and vellum and from a 3+ year-old package.

Last layout today!  It was a total surprise when I remembered that I had that gold 'foiled' paper that makes up the scallops... I've had that 8.5x11 paper for 10+ years.  Then I found the large crown die (actually a CuttleKids set) that I bought at almost the same time I got my Cuttlebug (6-7 years) so used the small crown EKS punch (purchased in a set with a heart on clearance) to create all of those out of some glitter paper.  WooHoo... actual uses for those things I got and then threw in the drawer!  Everything else on this page (except letters of course) is Maggie Holmes to include the Project Life cards (left blank for GiGi to document).  

So needless to say, I've very proud of using my hoarded supplies... which now actually makes them 'stash'.   I hope not everyone is as bad as I am, but if you are or just keep things for a little longer than the '6-months' rule, hope this encourages you to pull them out and put them on layouts.  Well, at least to have absolutely '0' guilt over hoarding/stashing all those purchases... they probably could come in very handy!

Also, just noticed this upon previewing the post... All these layouts use Project Life cards! Oh, I know, you're thinking, "Not that 'Warm Me Up' one".  Well actually that's one-half of a 2-page layout that you'll be seeing soon (remember I told you some would reappear later).

Okay, now go get scrappy!

Stay Safe and Scrap On!

P.S.  While I appreciate the great comments, I only received 2 addresses via my email - really you guys don't want a freebie?  

“A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery