This blog site focuses on cards and projects utilizing materials and tools from various scrapbooking and paper craft companies.
If you are interested in cards and projects made with rubber stamps from various companies, please check out my other blog site "Stampin' Inspirations".


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Tuesday, October 09, 2007

My Cardstock Scrap Pile - It's Bad!!

Hey Everyone!! The picture to the right is my "cardstock" scrap pile. Let's hear it. . .(gasp) Horrid!! I told you so. . . betcha didn't believe that it was this bad. Keep in mind, the picture does not include my scrap designer papers or embellishment piles. That's a whole other story. . .

"How the heck did you managed to accumulate so much scraps?", you ask. It's called "I'm too lazy to go through the scrap pile so I cut up new cardstock all the time syndrome". I've had this sickness for about 3 years now so the pile is 3 years worth of accumulation.

I initially had placed the scraps in folders but they kept getting bigger and started to overflow so I started to put them in large zip lock backs and it worked much better because it contained the little scraps better than the file folders. I'm slowly but surely working my way through this and my goal is to completely or somewhat eliminate this pile by the end of the year. Wish me luck folks.


I was feeling sorry for myself yesterday because of my tutorial website issue. I really invested a lot of time on those tutorials and the thought that I had to start over REALLY made me feel bad.

But, on a bright note. . .I was able to establish a new domain and I just got a confirmation that it's now active. It'll take a few days to change all the links to reflect the new domain. I changed the domain to "cardinspired" and I own the name for a whole year! Yay!



It's actually a blessing in disguise because it'll be a great opportunity to clean up my sidebar and reduce the amount of links to the "category". Originally, I created the website to promote Stampin' Up because I'm a demonstrator but because I didn't read their "policy" manual thoroughly when I started the website, I didn't realize that I couldn't promote it as a "Stampin Up" product website. Whatever. . .okay, this manual is like endless amount of pages of restrictions. When I finally realized that I could not use the name "Stampin Up" in my domain, I already invested a lot of time on tutorials to close down the website.

I know. . .it's my fault for not reading the manual COMPLETELY but I think SU benefits from my tutorials to some degree. I'm sure someone was inspired to buy a stamp set or product from them when they saw what they could do with their product. Yah know what I mean. Not that my tutorials are "that" inspiring but I'm sure one or two people were a little inspired.

The truth is SU wants their demonstrators to use their website which they charge demonstrators $11.95 to use but you are limited to using only Stampin Up products when using the paid website. Okay. . .my view is that if I'm going to pay $11.95 a month, I want to create my website in any fashion I want as long as I promote their products in some form. SU already restricts how you sell and where you can sell your cards, how to use their stamps, how to promote their products. . .it's endless restrictions. Anyway. . so, I get a letter from Stampin Up asking me to remove my website so I complied but this time, the website will no longer focus on Stampin Up. . .it'll be a website with any and every company that I come across. Yay! It's much easier anyway to promote other products. I'm still going to keep my Stampin Inspirations blog site because heck, I'm still a demonstrator and I've invested a lot of time on that site so there's no point in "chopping my nose off to spite my face". I'm not dissing Stampin Up. . .I actually love their products, I just don't like the restrictions.

I feel happier now because I feel less restricted on what I can do with that website. It's like I've been handed "creative freedom". It's so liberating. I will need time to work on the website and change it a bit to reflect the new focus but in the meantime, I will link the existing tutorials to my blogs.




Card Details:


Stamp sets: TAC, Fiskar Sentiments
Ink: Prismacolor Markers, SU Real Red
Paper: SU Real Red, Black
Accessories: Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Grosgrain Dot Ribbon, Marvy Corner Punch, JoAnn Brads







Just another card using the same stamp set. I colored the image using Prismacolor Markers then applied Crystal Effects to give it a shiny 3D effect.






Card Details:
Stamp Set: TAC , Fiskar Sentiments
Ink: Prismacolor Markers
Paper: Provocraft Holiday Stack, Dark Blue (unknown), SU Old Olive
Accessories: American Craft Element Ribbons, SU Crystal Effects, SU Crafters Tool Kit (paper piercer)

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Maria! I am also a SU demo and I find the restriction RIDICULOUS. I don't even actively try to sell it anymore because it gave me such headache. I love your blog, I use your sketches A LOT:)

pescbrico said...

Thanks for doing all that work for us! Wow, changing all your link and stuff! Thanks a lot for sharing all that with us! Have a great happy day from so on!

Deb said...

Such beautiful cards and I don't think your scrap piles are bad, at least you colour coordinate, mine are all mixed up, they look much worse! good for you trying to use it up!

Andrea, said...

Beautiful cards, those flowers are really pretty. I love how you colour co ordinate your scraps, mine are all thrown in a drawer together, must try and get more organised

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on turning a negative into a positive. I love your work and look forward to your tutorials being back up.
A massive THANKYOU for all your work.

2 Worlds said...

Maria what are talking about1 or 2 people inspired by ur tutorials, I've been a lot inspired and want make some of them myself.
You are very talented.

Risa said...

I enjoyed reading your comment Maria! I know that I have told you before...but I am really inspired by your sketches and your cards are always beautiful to me.
Malieta:)

Risa said...

Isn't it something how we accumulate all the paper that we do? I am coping after you and trying to use as much scrap paper as I can. I don't have as much as you do, but I truly have enough of it!!!!
Malieta:)

Gabby said...

Maria...I suffer from the same syndrome you suffer from. I don't even like to think of my scrap pile until I go to throw more in! YIKES! It's sick I know...lol. Anyways, I so feel you on the SU restrictions! Sometimes I'm even scared to post cards I've made on my blog because I feel I may say or do something wrong! I love SU, but c'mon...all those restrictions make me feel like I was back in school...no chewing gum in class, you need a pass to the restroom, go see the dean because ______! It's NUTS! Oh well....what can we do? Hugs!

Jan Scholl said...

I am not so nearly organized as you. I have three bins-one plain, one patterned and one what the heck is this for. No color coordination. just messy bins.

as for SU, I had similar problems with another stamp company and decided I would only buy and not sell. I have been bugged for several years to sell SU and almost caved. Besides, there is way too much other stuff out there to buy and play with. I am so glad us bloggers have this site to visit everyday. A beautiful flower in cyberspace!

Beth Norman-Roberts said...

Wow, I'm glad you showed me your scrap pile. It really is bad, isn't it? LOL. What a great idea putting similar colours together in a ziploc. That is what I need to do because my file folder is getting way too large. I am truly inspired by your tutorials and by your sketches. In fact, one of my giraffe cards I just made was inspired by one of your sketches. I feel awful for you with respect to SU. You are going through so much trouble, and I am so sorry for that. I say once you buy a stamp, the company shouldn't have restrictions. If they are so scared of what will happen with the images, then they shouldn't be in the business. When one purchases collage/vintage clips, there isn't restrictions. Totally ridiculous. That said, I still purchase, and love, SU.