2022 Frozen/Chilly Peas

I want to be chilly this next year, and keep focusing on using what I have.

I’m going to try to do a hard freeze this year. In fact, I’m going to work on a major purge and try to down-size. I have way too much stuff and my craft room is over crowded and a mess.

I have spent far too much money purchasing products for different styles and techniques and I need to figure out what it is that I am the most comfortable with. I’m just all over the place and I need to reign myself in.

The only exception is adhesive. I made a fair amount of Christmas cards this year and went through most of my stash and I need to replace my favorites.

My craft room is overstocked - both scrapbooking AND sewing - so my plan is to focus on using what I have and only buying needs - adhesive, albums, page protectors, photos... I'm okay buying to replace staples that run out - I'm not going to go without white and black cardstock if I use them up - or if I need something specific for a project and I don't have anything that'll work. But I have plenty and honestly, I would like to see a dent this time next year.

Last year I did the challenge to complete 50 layouts before spending. I made a purchase part way through, and had to start my count again, and it proved to be really good for actually using things up. I'm currently toying with the idea of doing that again to start the year, or freezing for a month at a time to make it feel more manageable. Either way, I want to get back to the habits I had in the first 2/3 of last year of spending very little but getting lots of pages made.

I have a couple of gift cards to spend now which is making me think of all the things I want to buy, far more than what the gift cards will cover! And I am still trying to catch up with half finished projects and supplies I bought for a specific use and haven’t opened yet. Christmas isn’t even finished and I’m already feeling like I’m behind on stocking my shop for the Valentine’s Day rush… sigh…
That’s making me think I should probably hold off on shopping (even with gift cards) for a couple of months. I’m still want to do better about using what I already have anyway.

this is what I’m going to do.  I did way more shopping than creating in 2021 so I’ll flip the script for 2022.  

joblackford - I got a very generous HL gift card but I think I'll tuck it away to use later - I want to use more of what I already have first

I didn't buy much in 2022, but I also didn't create much. We re-arranged the house too many times to count, and I only just got all my supplies, albums and heritage photos in one place right before the holidays (I have the whole dining room to myself for work/craft). I told my DH that this is the last room move I do with this stuff. And I'm not buying any more storage stuff. What I have gets used up or donated.

I'm thinking I'm frozen on supplies, but chilly overall. Any money I spend on crafting might be classes to provide structure, ideas, motivation and planning around crafting.

And I want to get some movement going on scanning and organizing 80+ years of heritage photos, so I know I need to buy some page protectors and possible albums to finish that.

Joining the chilling squad. I've been pretty tame with my SB purchases since Kelly Purkey cut EU customers off. Didn't buy a single DD item this year either since the only kits I really liked were from Paper Person.    

I'm ok purchasing the occasional stamp set or getting some stuff from a new collection I'd absolutely love but I have no plans to buy anything in particular and I doubt I'll be placing regular orders. Maybe I should use this thread to keep a tally of the things I do end up getting? Sounds like a reasonable enough idea. 

I'm joining #teamchilly. I still have my Paper Person sub, so I know I'll spend money there. Other than that, I aim to stick to the basics for replenishment. If Allison Davis does another FB sketch class, I will sign up for that.

I will probably buy stuff to document my Viking River Cruise in May/June. We've been planning this trip for 2.5 years now!! We're going to the Hague and Amsterdam, then getting on the boat to sail down the Rhine. We'll disembark in Basel, Switzerland, make a stop in Lichtenstein, and spend some time in Innsbruck. We'll then go to Oberammergau for the Passion Play and end our trip by visiting Nuremberg and Prague.

LOL, I need to save money all around so I can have fun on the trip!!

I plan to chill and freeze. I need to get some more precut white cardstock mats from hobby lobby and I’m on the hunt for some better adhesive. In terms of patterned paper I’m in a hard freeze until the end of time. I have no space left to store it. I should be good on cardstock for awhile too with the exception of a few specific colors I’ve been searching for.

I’m no good at commitment to being frozen but I can do chilly. I’ve been chilly the past couple of months. I bought so much in 2020 and the first half of 2021 that there really isn’t anything out there that I haven’t either already bought or seen and passed on. There are a couple of collections that I’ll buy in the spring but I don’t expect any major hauls. I expect a reasonably sized purchase every 8-10 weeks or so.

This is me. I always fail if I commit to staying frozen, but was on a short freeze the end of the year and got quite a lot done. Enough that I'm willing to commit to 50 pages before I shop again.  I feel like right now, I either have it, or passed on it. I'm also out of space for more, and not willing to to jockey things around to make new things fit.   So I'll be very chilly this year. 

My family did the Rhine cruise on Viking in 2012. It was excellent. My Aunts, Uncles and Cousins all live in Holland so we had a massive family reunion in my Dad's hometown first, then my family (parents, siblings, and all our children) spent a few days in Amsterdam, and then cruised down the Rhine to Basel. It was so cool to cruise down a river where you could see land on either side of the boat (as opposed to ocean cruises where you're in the middle of nowhere)- there was always something to see. We went for a swim in the river, too, although the beach we went to was all pebbles and kind of painful! Going through the locks was super interesting, too. Oh, and the food was great.

Anyway, it was well worth it and I'm sure you'll enjoy every minute of it.