NOPE! NO STAMPING OR QUILTING YET.

Sometimes it just seems that life gets in the way of creative endeavors. I haven't been able to do any crafting in several days now and that does not make me a happy person. I can get real cranky if I go to long not letting my mind and hands get invloved with making something. BUT I do have something to share. And its something cute, and exciting and it resulted from a challenge that turned into a real learning experience.

Say hi to Eric! Isn't he a cutie. And look what he's holding.


He drew my name! I just love that smile and those eyes peeking over the paper. So why is he holding my name?

During May a group of us FLYBaby stampers on SCS stepped up to a challenge issued by Eric's Mom. The challenge was to not spend on crafting items for the whole month. We were take the month of May and use what we already had and enjoy using it. All of us who took the challenge admitted that we each had plenty of stuff to use. We were not putting ourselves in the position of not being able to stamp and create cards or scrapbook layouts or in my case quilt. In fact at least for me I know I have so much that at times I am unable to make a decision on what to use next. At the end of May each participant had her name put into a hat and Eric drew a name out. That person was declared winner for the month. That's how he got his picture taken with my name. I found that incredibly exciting.

More exciting than seeing Eric with my name though was what I learned during May. I learned that I do not need to purchase everything I see that I like to enjoy making things. I learned that I forget I wanted to purchase a stamp set when I first see it if I wait a day, or week or month to get it. And that this forgetting is much better on my budget than purchasing it right away, receiving it , placing it on a shelf and then forgetting it. It is also much better on my clutter problems. There have been more than a few items I have seen in new set releases since May 1 that I would have loved to get during the excitement of the release. But because of the challenge I couldn't now it's June and I am free to purchase them, but you know what? I haven't had a project I could not complete because I didn't have them and the need to have them just doesn't seem to be there any longer. They will still all be available if and when I project comes up that they are the perfect set for. And frankly I doubt that with any of those sets that will happen soon if at all. I have over ***** stamp sets. (The number is not shown here 1) because I don't really know how many I have and 2) I'd probably be very embarrassed to tell you if I did know.) With all those sets I can make beautiful cards for years I'm sure.

Now don't get me wrong. I will not go years before I purchase another stamp set or piece of fabric. I fact I am sure before June is out I will purchase at least one new one. But I think think the urge to purchase everything I fall in love with as soon as I see it has been broken. I think impulse buys will be made less often. This is what I am really excited about. I hope that this lesson sticks and I can become a responsible crafter. A crafter with good stewardship of what she already has been blessed with. I think this will leave me much freer to expand and explore my creativity out side the trap of consumerism.

Thank you Eric for drawing my name and thank you Christi for this wonderful learning challenge.

As for getting back to stamping or sewing....probably not tomorrow yet, but I hope for Wednesday to have a few free hours. Wish me luck!