At what point is enough actually enough?

Hi, I've been a cardmaker for many, many decades.  I was making cards way before scrapbooking or memory books became popular.  For the longest time, only wood mounted stamps were sold.  I had been interested in bookbinding for quite a few years and collage art too.  But my super joy is making interactive cards.  I have several die cutting machines.  My favorite is
the Cameo where I can design cards.  I've purchased quite a few cut files and obtained freebies from several sites through
the years.  But when I really think about it I love stamping more than using die cut files.

I still have way too much wood mounted stamps.  I buy clear stamps once in awhile (mainly from Ali Express these days).
I've sold excess stuff at our local scrap store flea markets held once or twice a year.  However, in recent years the 2 remaining
scrap stores in my area were only offering store credit.  The stores would conduct the sales and take a sizeable percentage off the top and also charge a seller's fee.  My preference was cash back.  I didn't want to accumulate more items to bring home by having to accept a store credit.  So, I haven't sold my stuff for awhile.  I'm going to sell my used stamps at low prices to friends.

I used to love shopping at Tuesday Mornings to add to my already growing craft stash.  

During the pandemic I took care of my elderly mom who lived in another city an hr. away.  I pre stamped images ahead of time to color
while caring for her every other week for almost 2 years.  I "forced" myself to use the supplies I had at home ie, markers,
inkpads, papers, dies & stamps, etc.  Actually, it was quite refreshing to use my accumulated supplies.  I didn't have the time to complete the cards til I got home the following wk.

My concern these days is I have to be more careful of what I buy as I've been buying too much stuff over the years and
my kids are not into crafting.  Usually when I see something interesting, I have to think about how I'm going to use that
stamp or die in a card, etc.  I thought I was going to get into scrapbooking when the kids were young...then, they graduated
high school, then, college..and still I couldn't get into it.  My grandson is now 2 years old and still I haven't scrapbooked.  
Perhaps one day I'll get into it?  I think my kids worry about the accumulation of craft supplies and how they're going to deal
with all of it once I'm gone.   I suggested they donate my supplies to the local elementary, & middle schools, etc.  I've been wanting to downsize a bit for awhile.

I usually make a duplicate card of the one I send out for card exchanges.  When I'm gone I asked them to donate them
to a Sr. Center, & hospital, etc.

I still have a sizeable store credit sitting at a scrapbooking store.  Perhaps I don't love the lines that store is carrying and/or
my tastes have evolved over the years.  Yes, it's a waste of $ for me not to use up my store credit.  So, some action will
be needed soon.

I think the answer is going to vary from person to person. For me there is absolutely a thrill of getting fresh new supplies, that’s one of the reasons I sub to a monthly kit. I need that excitement to keep me motivated.

When we built out our basement I was deliberate in sizing my craft room 7x7. That’s it. I have to be methodical and ruthless with what I keep. I can try new things but if they don’t stick, I get rid of them. My storage is one Kallax shelf, 2 Alex drawer unit and 2 rolling carts. I used to be an avid collector and user of Tim Holtz supplies. I had one cart and 3 cubbies devoted to his supplies. Over the years I found myself reaching for his stuff less and less. Then I discovered junk journaling. I wanted more journaling stuff so I sold the Tim stuff. I don’t regret it one bit.

I really recommend going through your stash top to bottom and purge what you don’t use. Sell it or donate it. Yea the money from selling is nice, but getting it out of your house is even better.

This is so perfectly said.



That sounds like a *wonderful* plan. I am very much considering using one of the "principle" rooms as our craft/game/computer room when we move - the living room or dining room. My only concern is aesthetic: my scrap room is not the tidiest of spaces and it would be in rather plain view!

I loved reading this thread! I've been scrapping for over 20 years, initially on a TIGHT budget (I remember thinking I'd save by using scissors instead of buying a paper trimmer!) but growing through the years, and now I am so in love with much of my stash - I love having built up to such a selection of new and old, stamps, dies and mixed media options. I feel unconstrained - yes, sometimes the choice overwhelms me, but most of the time it inspires me! There are a few items that I rarely use and feel I could have done without buying them (I'm looking at you PL cards...) but yet I still like having all the choices.

Yes, I am out of space.
Yes, I keep buying things, but have cut way back and am far more selective. LOL about the game collections @breetheflea - I almost went down that rabbit hole myself, but just ended up with too much of the Simple Stories (and I agree, too much primary colour! too much Sorry!)
Since we just booked our first ever Disney trip for April, I had a lot of fun impulse buying my first ever Disney-themed products (the recent Simple Stories) - only a selection, but enough

My Livingroom is to the right, off the foyer (which was the Dining Room, but too small).  I am going to hang a set of bi-fold doors to close it off. 

Me too, the get it before it's gone mentality because they retire product is an issue with me. What's bad is I tell myself I don't need something and then down the road I decide I want it and end up tracking it down and spending more than I would have if I would have bought it when it first came out. I blame Pinterest for some of that (ha) because I often see things I like made with older product.

I am moving my scrapbook stuff into my front room so I can have my scrapbook area. I have been a kitchen table scrapbooker so I have product stored here, there, and everywhere and now that I am putting it all in one spot it's an embarrassment of riches. My daughter said I could open my own scrapbook store (mind your own business kid...hahaa) and I really don't have more room so I need to try to freeze. But the FOMO is for real.

I think I have reached the point where enough is enough.

I haven't scrapped/crafted in months and months until very recently, so I hadn't been shopping, looking at online stores, etc. The last scrap order I made was last summer, July I think. I just recently put it away (then pulled it back out to use it, ha)!

With moving my scrap space out of the basement and touching all of my supplies, and actually wanting to downsize my stash rather than grow it, I have decided to just be happy and use the abundance that I have. I am thankful for the choices I have and the bargains I've stumbled on, and do try to routinely pull things out to pass along to the preschool when I know I won't use it.

Tuesday Morning has helped me fill in gaps and build up choices in themes I use quite a bit (summer and fall, lookin at you). When we moved 9 years ago, all of my paper fit in 1.5 of the Michaels cubes. Then I discovered crafty items at Tuesday morning. My collection now takes up 7 cubes (with embellishments mixed in). That is some serious growth!

I did in the past week look at a few new collections, and while I can appreciate their beauty, I didn't feel any want, and thought of how the themes were similar to something in my stash from 10 years ago.

I used to LIVE for the new releases, looking at the new stuff coming out, whittling my list to pick and choose a few papers and pack of embellishments to fit in my budget, and I always wanted MORE. I think part of that was discovering there were far more choices than what Hobby Lobby and Michaels had to offer, and being almost obsessed with the hobby.

I'm thankful to be at a place where I am satisfied with what I have, and I am just as happy using paper from when I first started as a new piece of paper.

Such a timely thread, as I have been pondering this in the last two weeks. Fun to read all the responses and perspectives!

ETA: I didn't answer how to resist the siren call. For me, it hasn't been intentional, I've just been very busy and allocating my sparse free time to a few other hobbies....so when scrapping/card making wasn't top of mind, I didn't shop or open store emails at all. When I looked at a few Simple Stories collections recently, it was a test to see how I would feel looking at something new. Would I want it, would it lead me to shop, or want to shop? The collective answer was NO. So...I think going forward I will keep my head in the sand, not look at new collections, not visit online stores, comb through my stash often so I see the really beautiful and fun things I do have, so I can remain satisfied with my collection.

I guess it's kind of like me staying out of the fancy bakery...I don't want or miss that stuff until it's right there in front of me, calling out with it's buttery goodness. So, if I don't go, I don't even think about it, therefore don't want or miss it.

And yes, me and moderation don't get along. I'm an all or nothing personality, in every area of my life. 😆

My stash is insane. Twenty years of buying too much. And what did I do yesterday? Placed a $180 ACOT order.

I started scrapping in my living room and now my living room is trashed. One of my goals is to get that under control this week.

You can actually break my scrapbook hobby into parts:

Looking at new releases
Buying the supplies
Organizing (kind of) the supplies
Looking at my old photos
The actual scrapping
Looking through my old pages
Showing other people my pages

Looking at and buying supplies is part of my hobby. I've spent an insane amount on it over the years but my dad's hobby was cars, so my money trickles out on $1.10 paper sheets and his goes out thousands of dollars at a time.

So my answer is that I'll never have enough. I'll have to slow down when I retire 6 years from now because I'll make less money, but I'll have more time for the scrapping part.

So well said!
My stash would definitely increase, if I had more room.
This is 100% me.
I did grow up in the U.S., but the youngest child of a big family. Not rich by any means. Also, a family of people who sewed, did needlepoint, and a lot of other crafty things. I have kept the habit of keeping the smallest things that could be used for another project. I also think waaayyy too much before purchasing craft items. I know they will be used, just not sure WHEN.

I'm pretty certain you'd have no problem getting some Peas to crop with you!

Enough for me happened a very long time ago, at the point where I no longer have any idea what I own.  My organization became practically nonexistent.

But I continue to buy, especially from people selling old product, at conventions, and at the occasional remaining LSS.  I really want to support these folks still plugging away in this hobby.  It is my hobby and I love it, so having so much and too much is a huge investment in money, time, space, happiness.

To me the point that is actually enough has been met and exceeded, but I will continue to support my hobby because I love it.  And it's only paper, to put it simply.  When I go it can go if I haven't used it all!

I moved about eight years ago, and, when I did, I pared back my paper stash a lot -- I had a bunch of paper that was from the 90s and before I knew what I liked.  Since then, I haven't purchased patterned paper at all, except some small paper pads that I use for PL.  I've also stopped buying rubber stamps (which I used to collect), embellishments, washi paper, etc. 

My weaknesses definitely are photopolymer stamps and dies.  I do still follow the releases for brands I like, and, eg, put in an order from Lawn Fawn a few days ago.  I also buy white cardstock and adhesive, because I run through those.

I don't know what is enough.  I'm sure I have enough and I try not to buy anything that will require expanding my storage.  While some of my younger kids do use my yarn and fabric, no one else seems to have picked up anything papercraft-related, so I can't justify buying supplies on the "maybe the kids will be interested" theory .

I subbed at Studio Calico for several years and, between a stash of those kits and a lot of patterned paper I already had, yes, I still have a lot!  But I also have changed how I scrapbook -- I used to use patterned paper as background, and, now, it's usually as an accent.  I really think I could never buy patterned paper again and would have plenty.