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Post by Linda on Feb 15, 2017 18:29:11 GMT
Do you buy for a specific project?
Do you buy because you know you have (or will have) photos that'll work with it?
Do you buy because you love the product and you just have to have it?
Do you buy by designer or manufacturer or by what catches your eye?
How do YOU choose your scrapbook supplies and have you always done it that way or has it evolved over time?
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Post by Linda on Feb 15, 2017 18:37:02 GMT
I tend to buy either because I have (or sometimes will have) photos that'll work with the product OR product that I know will work with my scrapbook style and will get used.
I've been scrapbooking for 15 years now (wow!) and when I first started, I bought a lot more because I liked the look of it or it was a good price or just was available...now I'm pickier because I've got a better feel for what I'll actually USE. I still like grab-bags of paper because it's always fun to get paper I might not have seen or that just wasn't available in my area (I have a Michaels and now they're building a HL but both our LSS have closed) and I can usually make paper work even when it's a bit out of my box (and sometimes those turn out to be my favourite layouts).
I never got into mixed media and I'm a lot more cautious about jumping on the bandwagon than I was earlier on - I tend to think more about whether I'll actually use whatever it is or if I just want it because everyone's talking about it.
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Elsabelle
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,609
Jun 26, 2014 2:04:55 GMT
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Post by Elsabelle on Feb 15, 2017 18:37:08 GMT
When I started scrapping I'd take my pictures to the LSS and buy supplies to go with them. Slowly I started to buy things that didn't go with the pictures I was working with. Just things I liked. I starting building my stash that way. Now that I don't shop at an LSS but I do have a comfortable stash, I tend to buy what I love and what I know will be useful to me. I buy from the daily deal sites most often but will occasionally buy from scrapbook.com if there's something new or something I love that I don't want to miss.
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Post by myboysnme on Feb 15, 2017 18:38:20 GMT
I buy what I think I will use for photos I already have or in some cases, potential future photos 'just in case.' Like when I wanted to go to NYC I bought NYC paper and then I did go and had all kinds of paper on hand.
I buy what I like but only if I think I can use it and I never buy an entire collection. Some of the papers I am giving away came as coordinating paper and I probably will never use it.
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Post by anniefb on Feb 15, 2017 18:46:04 GMT
Now I buy almost exclusively online as all the Scrapbook stores near me have closed. I sometimes buy for specific projects but what I'm doing at the moment is subscribing to one kit and trying not to buy anything else except consumables like adhesive and white card stock for backgrounds. I thhink this is the most cost-effective way for me to do it.
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Post by katlady on Feb 15, 2017 18:54:25 GMT
I never really bought for specific projects. The only time I would buy for specific projects was when I was cropping at my lss and my page *needed* something. I was a big kit subsciber, so I got a lot of my stuff that way. And I had a great lss and would just buy what I liked. If I had to do it over, I would buy just for specific projects. I have so much "pretty" stuff, but no plans for it. I am working on purging a lot of it though.
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Post by grammadee on Feb 15, 2017 19:11:38 GMT
Great question, linda! I tend to buy products that have themes I either have photos for or predict I WILL have photos. I scrap for a lot of little boys, so any line that offers colours and icons that go with what those guys are likely to do will often find its way to my stash. I also scrap a lot of Christmas and birthdays, so those collections are hard to resist. And I organize by season, so Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter collections are tempting as well. The only time I shop specifically for my photos is when I am at a crop where there is a store, and I might wander around the display tables with a photo in my hand to see what catches my eye. But I often have a mental image of a set of pics when I go to the LSS and look for something that might work with those photos. I started out getting only paper pads &/or kits from either shop at home networks (CM and CTMH) or on line kit clubs (Paper Wishes and some that have long since closed down). I loved my kits because they came with illustrated newsletters showing me how to use all the pretty elements of the kits. It was quite awhile before I had the confidence to just grab photos and scrap them! I remember the first LSS I entered, and I was terrified! How would I ever find anything that matched perfectly like those kits did? Now I shop mostly from the LSS we are lucky enough to still have. There are a couple more of them in a city I visit or pass through fairly often, so I also stop in there to see what they have. One of those has a monthly kit I subscribe to; it introduces me to lines and manufacturers I might never try if I didn't see them first hand. I do order on line, but usually only products from manufacturers I have already used and liked.
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nicolep
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,080
Jan 26, 2016 16:10:43 GMT
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Post by nicolep on Feb 15, 2017 19:30:44 GMT
I'll be real honest and say that if I like it I buy it. I seem to always be able to make any papers/collections with my photos. I am kind of haphazard and all over the map when it comes to any sort of reasoning as far as buying scrappy supplies go.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 15, 2024 1:52:39 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2017 19:49:25 GMT
Me, too. All of that!
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Post by LisaDV on Feb 15, 2017 20:04:16 GMT
Great question!
I used to buy based on sale. Newly one income with a baby. I tended to buy cardstock and useful tools. Pattern paper and most embellishments had to be on sale or clearance.
Then came the buy what I love phase. Over buying, because I had no time whatsoever to scrapbook.
Now I'm trying out kit clubs. I will still buy other collections or single pieces of pp and embellishments, but they have to be because I really like them. Every once in a while, it's a "I need something for these photos." Usually I can make something in my stash work for my photos. I love to get the enamel dots and generic use items from the sales sites when possible.
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christinec68
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,129
Location: New York, NY
Jun 26, 2014 18:02:19 GMT
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Post by christinec68 on Feb 15, 2017 20:04:53 GMT
I used to buy all the things whenever the mood struck or new lines were released or my favorite store was having sale or because it was Tuesday. Now, I usually just shop when I am planning a particular project but I'll throw in a few things that catch my eye to have some new things in my stash.
The only thing I buy whenever is adhesive and white cardstock.
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msliz
Drama Llama
The Procrastinator
Posts: 6,419
Jun 26, 2014 21:32:34 GMT
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Post by msliz on Feb 15, 2017 22:00:06 GMT
Like a bunch of you, I buy mostly adhesive and cardstock (white and kraft). And on a rare occasion, if it's on sale and I really think I'll use it, I'll buy a 12x12 paper pack. But the only other things I've been buying, and only rarely, are cut titles. I never was able to justify to myself paying for a cutting system, so once in a while I'll buy a precut word or phrase or a sticker pack.
Has it changed over time? Sure. In the beginning I bought lots more, but now I still have a whole lot of stuff left over, so I don't need to buy anymore of it.
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,914
Location: PNW
Jul 20, 2014 21:57:23 GMT
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Post by breetheflea on Feb 15, 2017 22:05:08 GMT
We never really had a LSS (most of them closed about the time I started scrapbooking) but I used to buy a lot of supplies at M's and J's, and occasionally Craft Warehouse if I was on that side of town. Now I do most of my shopping at Tuesday Morning, Craft Warehouse (there is one close to my house now) and online... I used to buy a lot of those 180 sheet paper packs (for getting the most paper for my money) but now I avoid them and anything with glitter on it.
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msliz
Drama Llama
The Procrastinator
Posts: 6,419
Jun 26, 2014 21:32:34 GMT
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Post by msliz on Feb 15, 2017 22:11:06 GMT
I think I've had my share of glitter too! Hahaha!
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Post by papersilly on Feb 15, 2017 22:19:38 GMT
i'll preface my answer by saying i have a room full of stuff and i never need to buy anything again save for glues and other adhesives. my buying has slowed down but i still like to buy paper that i like. with collections coming on and off the market so quickly, i want get it before it's gone.
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Post by wordfish on Feb 15, 2017 22:28:06 GMT
Well, today I went to the scrapbook store down the street from my house. I bought some cardstock in shades that will likely work for my daughter's October 2016 wedding photos. I generally only buy white/off-white, black and kraft cardstock but they had a coupon for buy 10/get 10 so I went for it. I also picked up about 4 sheets of patterned paper. They had just put out some of the newer lines, so I went through and grabbed embellishments from those lines that I liked and hadn't ordered elsewhere already. I still spent a fair bit of change, but it felt very picky-choosy to me. I also went on Saturday and bought a good bit but it's extremely unusual for me to go twice in less than a week. The last time I was there, for example, was October. I buy what I like but also what I think I might reasonably use. An example is that I really like that newish line that has space stuff in it, but I am really not sure I would ever use that so I passed it by. I have one category of scrapbook supply within which I allow myself to buy whatever I want to buy: Thickers and other alphabets. My Thickers take up 3 drawers of an Ikea Hemnes dresser at this point, and there are a ton of alphabets elsewhere, but I still feel okay with that. Letters and alphabets? They are my thing. One of my things. It is pretty rare that I buy a whole kit of one particular collection. I have done it more lately than usual, but it's still quite rare. I like to cherrypick what I like and what I think might work. I also regularly pick up papers with a certain look to them. These are mainly grid papers, ledgers, papers with print on them. I love those and know I will use them so I will typically get at least one of those if I spot one in a collection even if I don't really care for anything else. I have a pretty solid collection of stamps, but I very much try to watch it on those. Same with dies. I have never seen the point of getting matching dies for a stamp I might only use 5 times and maybe might not even cut it out any of those times. I try to have a plan for those sorts of things, like if I am going to make a bunch of Christmas cards or something. If I have to have a stamp set and the dies come with it, then great. But that's pretty unusual. For tools, I tend to research those pretty well before I buy them. Not always, but usually. I am a little cautious in that area for some reason. What I really like is if my scrapbook store gets a tool in; then I can check it out in person. Youtube videos with demonstrations are also good for research. My scrapbook attic is very, very well stocked. I would say a little too well stocked at the moment, so I have slowed down on purchases for now. I need to reevaluate the room and reorder things soon. I don't get rid of a bunch of stuff, but in the last year my sister has gone crazy for scrapbooking, so I did give her a TON of stuff. Other than that, I tend to hang onto things for quite a long time. I've been doing this since 1994 and I just got rid of some of my earliest Creative Memories supplies maybe in 2007 and then the rest about three years ago. I still have some of them that I use (like the circle cutter). I do normally scrapbook a good bit, so I use my stuff. I don't really care how new or old it is usually. After the newness wears off of new stuff, I assimilate it into the collective by color or type of product and that's where it waits for me. SaveSave
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Post by infochick on Feb 15, 2017 23:26:46 GMT
I started scrapbooking when I was in high school in the late 90s. Creative Memories all the way. We had a discount store in the town that I lived that would sell those Hot off the Press paper books. My mom and I were so enamored with finding patterned paper, because that was not really thing with Creative Memories, so we would stock up. Then we discovered our first LSS in a nearby city...WOW! We shopped! Fibers, tools, idea books, pattern paper, and always matching cardstock.
Things got a bit leaner when I went away to university and had less time for scrapbooking, and less money to spend. My mom was generous and shared her stash with me, but I don't have too many pages from those days.
When I finished school and started working full time, I became a really committed shopper. Double page layouts were a big thing, so the prudent thing to do was to buy two sheets of every paper in a collection. And the embellishments. After that, head right over to the cardstock and pick up some matching colours. All the better if I could find ribbon to match!
For a short time I also had a part-time job at a LSS...I got exposed to mixed media and all that fun stuff. Bring on the pastes, sprays and paints! Oh and PL cards...way too many PL cards!
Now that I have scrapped for awhile, I am coming to realize a few things. Trends have changed and my style has evolved. I am not good at mixed media pages...I don't like getting messy, so while I love the look of that, and I want to use my supplies, I really need to force myself to do it. I find I am now less likely to buy things that will dry out or expire unless I have a specific purpose for them. I rarely buy matching cardstock now, but hunt down "B-side" patterns that coordinate, or basics like grids and ledgers. Now that I am mostly a one page scrapper, I pick and choose from a collection more. I still tend to buy two sheets of each as a starting point, but now so that I can use front and back, as opposed to a two page layout. If I like only one side, I buy one, if I really like it, I might buy three or four. I used to never buy 6x6 paper pads, but now I pick them up to use in pocket pages and for matting photos. I'm always on the lookout for embellishments that I can use too. When shopping, I find paper most appealing, but when it comes to scrapping something I tend to find it hard to finish a layout without the right embellishments. I'm trying to buy fewer PL kits because I find i like the layouts with cut apart sheets and scrap paper better.
I always have, and still do, buy what I like. That said, there is some paper that is lovely and I know I will never have photos for it, so I can talk myself out of that.
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Post by jennoconnell on Feb 16, 2017 7:01:24 GMT
I started scrapbooking when I was in high school in the late 90s. Creative Memories all the way. We had a discount store in the town that I lived that would sell those Hot off the Press paper books. My mom and I were so enamored with finding patterned paper, because that was not really thing with Creative Memories, so we would stock up. Then we discovered our first LSS in a nearby city...WOW! We shopped! Fibers, tools, idea books, pattern paper, and always matching cardstock. Things got a bit leaner when I went away to university and had less time for scrapbooking, and less money to spend. My mom was generous and shared her stash with me, but I don't have too many pages from those days. When I finished school and started working full time, I became a really committed shopper. Double page layouts were a big thing, so the prudent thing to do was to buy two sheets of every paper in a collection. And the embellishments. After that, head right over to the cardstock and pick up some matching colours. All the better if I could find ribbon to match! For a short time I also had a part-time job at a LSS...I got exposed to mixed media and all that fun stuff. Bring on the pastes, sprays and paints! Oh and PL cards...way too many PL cards! Now that I have scrapped for awhile, I am coming to realize a few things. Trends have changed and my style has evolved. I am not good at mixed media pages...I don't like getting messy, so while I love the look of that, and I want to use my supplies, I really need to force myself to do it. I find I am now less likely to buy things that will dry out or expire unless I have a specific purpose for them. I rarely buy matching cardstock now, but hunt down "B-side" patterns that coordinate, or basics like grids and ledgers. Now that I am mostly a one page scrapper, I pick and choose from a collection more. I still tend to buy two sheets of each as a starting point, but now so that I can use front and back, as opposed to a two page layout. If I like only one side, I buy one, if I really like it, I might buy three or four. I used to never buy 6x6 paper pads, but now I pick them up to use in pocket pages and for matting photos. I'm always on the lookout for embellishments that I can use too. When shopping, I find paper most appealing, but when it comes to scrapping something I tend to find it hard to finish a layout without the right embellishments. I'm trying to buy fewer PL kits because I find i like the layouts with cut apart sheets and scrap paper better. I always have, and still do, buy what I like. That said, there is some paper that is lovely and I know I will never have photos for it, so I can talk myself out of that. I could seriously have written almost this exact same post. I think I am a little older than infochick, but the evolution is the same. Started with Creative Memories, always bought coordinating paper and cardstock, worked at my local LSS and was exposed to all the newest stuff, love the idea of mixed media, but cannot stand the mess, and now, I am more particular about what I buy. I'm not swayed by the latest tool or trend. I know what works for me, and I stick with it. The last time I went to my LSS, I only purchased 9 sheets of paper. Two, I have a specific layout in mind, the rest were patterns or colors I loved and can be used on any layout.
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Chinagirl828
Drama Llama
Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,476
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
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Post by Chinagirl828 on Feb 16, 2017 8:43:19 GMT
I buy what I like but also what I think I might reasonably use. An example is that I really like that newish line that has space stuff in it, but I am really not sure I would ever use that so I passed it by. I always have, and still do, buy what I like. That said, there is some paper that is lovely and I know I will never have photos for it, so I can talk myself out of that. These are both me. I've been lucky that I've always been able to buy whatever I wanted but have had (mostly) had enough restraint not to buy things I don't think I'll use. I've certainly jumped on my share of bandwagons but over time I've worked out my style and am confident buying papers with no real plan but the knowledge they will work with what I like to create. Now that I am mostly a one page scrapper, I pick and choose from a collection more. I still tend to buy two sheets of each as a starting point, but now so that I can use front and back, as opposed to a two page layout. If I like only one side, I buy one, if I really like it, I might buy three or four. This is also me. I think I got back into buying multiple sheets when I started buying paper pads and realised I actually enjoyed using the same paper more than once, particularly if I wanted to use it as a background paper on one page and in pieces on another. I now happily buy three or four or more of a paper I really love and can see myself using often.
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sueg
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,046
Location: Munich
Apr 12, 2016 12:51:01 GMT
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Post by sueg on Feb 16, 2017 10:14:37 GMT
I used to buy more by the project when I had several LSS near me, and scrapped regularly at one of them. I'd do most of my buying either in anticipation of a crop, or during the crop. Now I don't have a store near me, most of my shopping is online and I tend to bulk buy to minimize shipping. I buy more collection packs, as it saves me having to try to co-ordinate colors on a computer monitor. I don't do subs, as I haven't found one I like here - international shipping coupled with customs charges caught me out once too often!
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Feb 16, 2017 10:56:34 GMT
I've been scrapping for nearly 13 years, so my style of shopping has changed and been refined through experience and knowing what I want and like.
When I first started scrapping, there was so much I'd never seen. So much pretty that I wanted. And a lot of FOMO shopping.
Now, I buy a lot of staples. I know I will get plenty of use from neutral colored Thickers and letter stickers, enamel dots, sequins, black ink, etc.
I would rather buy a quirky image in sticker form than a die or rubber stamp, if I'm pretty sure it is an image I will only use once. Volleyball playing elk? Sticker, please! I save my die & stamp purchases for items that I could literally see myself using fifty times. Nested circles, journal spots, etc.
I know that there is always another sale next week. There is no rush. I have plenty of time to think about what I want, and what I need without rushing to get it.
Along the same lines, there will always be a new next thing. If I happen to not grab a paper pad collection, I can always wait for another awesome one to come out. There will always be something new.
Use quality adhesive!
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Post by cupcakepeddler on Feb 16, 2017 11:52:39 GMT
I started out buying with specific photos in mind, like I would go into my LSS with a stack of photos in hand and buy all the paper, cardstock and embellishments that matched. Over the years that changed to buying not only for projects in mind or things that I know I will have a use for eventually to pretty much everything that caught my eye, was on a serious sale, could not live with out....I think many of us know the drill there.
One of the big changes that I have noticed in the way I shop is that I am far more selective with what I actually purchase, there was no rhyme or reason on what caught my eye previously but now I have to know that I will use it. I scrapbook a lot of camping and beach trips so for me buying stamps with shells or anchors is something I would use far more than say a stamp set with flowers.
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Post by cupcakepeddler on Feb 16, 2017 12:02:45 GMT
Never a truer word spoken....all those cheap tape runners in the early days, urrrgh
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PaperAngel
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,331
Jun 27, 2014 23:04:06 GMT
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Post by PaperAngel on Feb 16, 2017 13:14:31 GMT
I'm a non-impulse shopper. I buy supplies that I like, reflect my style & primary scrap subject, & will actually use...eventually.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Feb 16, 2017 16:37:31 GMT
Do you buy for a specific project? Yes.
Do you buy because you know you have (or will have) photos that'll work with it? Yes.
Do you buy because you love the product and you just have to have it? Yes.
Do you buy by designer or manufacturer or by what catches your eye? Yes.
How do YOU choose your scrapbook supplies and have you always done it that way or has it evolved over time?
I buy a lot less now than I used to just because I already have a lot of stuff that I haven't gotten around to using yet, because there's nowhere to shop for name brand things locally now and also because I have an electronic cutter so I have the ability to make a lot of stuff that other people buy. I try to be a little more selective now for those reasons, but if I see something and KNOW it will be perfect for photos I have (or photos I know I will have, themed birthdays or vacations come to mind), I don't hesitate to buy something that will be just right.
I used to buy a lot more stuff just because I liked it whether I had an immediate use for it or not.
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Post by melanell on Feb 16, 2017 16:51:58 GMT
Typically I just buy what I like, but I do keep in mind any photos I have bee recently taking or prepping to print when I shop, so I do buy with certain photos in mind, too. Only very occasionally do I make a purchase strictly for one particular project or layout. That has definitely changed over the years, though, because my style of scrapping has changed. Early on I used primarily cardstock and just a few themed patterned papers as borders, frames, embellishments, etc. Many of my layouts had no patterned paper at all. So back then, all of my paper choices were geared towards certain photos. Then when Basic Grey became super popular and scrapbook lines started having "semi-patterned" papers, I started using those more and more and almost stopped using plain cardstock. And then I just started buying up anything I liked in colors I knew worked well with the majority of photos I take.
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Post by jenr on Feb 16, 2017 17:23:59 GMT
Exactly what infochick said, is how I buy/bought too!
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MDscrapaholic
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,369
Location: Down by the bay....
Jun 25, 2014 20:49:07 GMT
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Post by MDscrapaholic on Feb 16, 2017 17:42:23 GMT
I buy it if I like it. Belonging to a kit club made me look outside the box, and I tried to use whatever was in the kit. However, when I'm buying in real life (like CKC), I HAVE to like what I'm buying. I'm past the stage of just buying it because it's new and cute.
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camcas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,973
Jun 26, 2014 3:41:19 GMT
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Post by camcas on Feb 17, 2017 7:40:30 GMT
I'll be real honest and say that if I like it I buy it. I seem to always be able to make any papers/collections with my photos. I am kind of haphazard and all over the map when it comes to any sort of reasoning as far as buying scrappy supplies go. Yes.......yes!
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Post by katmandu on Feb 17, 2017 17:02:52 GMT
I too have been scrapping for quite some time, and I have a good sized stash built up. So now I just buy a few lines every year (basically replenishing my stock since I use up a few lines every year) and I buy only what I really love (if I really love it I will certainly use it at some point!) I typically keep my eye on new things coming out online (I almost exclusively shop online now) and since I am fairly picky it works out for me to buy the few things I see coming out that I love.
I love coordinating supplies, so I tend to buy most of a collection (I usually average 95% of the papers from a line and 75% of the coordinating embellishments).
As far as themed products go, the only themed collections I typically buy are Christmas, the beach, and baby, because I know I will use those. I try not to have too many themed lines so I don't have leftover stuff that I will never use (for example, I need to slow down on the baby buying stuff because my baby will be a baby for only so long!)
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