February started off with a bang this month for me. I enjoyed an all day crop with friends from
Get It Scrapped. It was great to hang out with old friends and to acquaint myself with new ones a bit more. We enjoyed a little vicarious shopping which consists of sharing each others screens and talking about what some of the ladies were purchasing. We're a blend of digital and paper scrapbookers, but hey, shopping is shopping. It's fun to ooohhh and aaahhh over a friend's new goodies.
Having the crop on the first meant that we were able to share our excitement about reveal day. Various kit clubs and stores almost always have new items to share. There may or may not have been some enabling.
Doris and I shared the February reveal for
JBS Mercantile's February Kits and
Flea Market Finds. We also dished over the latest
Freckled Fawn kit release.
I had a
gift certificate burning a hole in my pocket. I have been saving it for
this month's Flea Market release in the hopes of finding some cool storage options. I also added a few little bits and pieces of ephemera which I plan to use for some very specific photos.
A few months back, I had spied some of these metal drawers in the flea market. I try not to buy storage containers unless I know where I plan to put them and how I intend to use them. By the time I figured that out, the drawers were gone. I snapped
one of these drawers up when I saw them return to the flea market yesterday. Currently, I have a spot on my desk with a cardboard box holding monthly PL supplies. This will look a bit more interesting.
I got some of these
vintage ice cream spoons. I recently came across several photos of my son enjoying ice cream when he was younger. These will be perfect!
I have been collecting coffee themed items for a very specific layout. I did manage to snag these, however, it looks like they are already sold out this morning. The items in the flea market are often available in limited quantities, which means that you have to move pretty fast.
I picked up a couple of these
1917 red cross pins. This particular symbol had been recurring in many recent pattern paper lines. I love flair and the idea that I can add a bit of vintage flair is very appealing.
Quick Tips for Buying Vintage Items
- If it's storage, have an idea of how and where you will use it. Be realistic about your space. I really wanted a
Vintage RIT dye display, for example. However, I have no clear space to place it. I had to be realistic about the fact that my scrap space is very tiny and I don't have a work surface to place it upon. I am already packed in like a sardine. If I could have gotten it, I might have used it to store ink pads.
-Buy ephemera with a purpose. Ask yourself how it will fit into your stash of supplies. Some items, such as ledger paper, can easily be adapted for any layout. This is also true of vintage buttons or crocheted doilies.Others are very specific.
Will you use the ephemera in a literal sense or is there something symbolic within it that can translate to your stories? Is it composed of colors you work with often?
I often keep a little wish list of specific vintage items I am looking for. Some items such as buttons, old jewelry and doilies stay on the list. My goal is to acquire supplies I will use, not to acquire items I will be hoarding.
Speaking of goals and using supplies, I have set quite a few goals for myself this year. One of which is to use my stamps and 6x6 paper pads more often. I would also like to use my Silhouette Portrait more. In some cases, it will simply be a matter of keeping those supplies at the ready. In other cases, a class might help push me forward.
Classes this Month
I will be continuing along with some
Project Life themed classes that began in January. However, being that I am a craft class junkie, a few more popped up on my radar. Each month,I am also trying to include an older class that I may not have completed or that I thought it might be nice to review.
Though this class started on January 27th, I am just sitting down to work through it right now. Get ready to see more die cuts on my layouts!
You can find out more about this class
here is you would like to join me.
I am on my 2nd day of LOAD214. So far, so good. My second layout is almost done for the day. Of course, I am only two days in. Let's see if I can make it through all 28 days.
Ok, so I know I said I wasn't signing up for any more classes. However, this one I found really appealing. About 16 years ago, I taught myself calligraphy so I could address all of my wedding invitations. When I saw this class, it brought those memories back up and also invited me to try a little something new. I figure that learning to add my own brush script to layouts will be an investment as I then won't have to purchase paper with brush scrip on it. We shall see.
It's been a long time since I went over this class. I think it might be cool to go back through it. Every time I review page design, I feel a little stronger about my skills and I find I continue to make supply choices with more confidence. If you'd like to join me in reviewing layout design starters, you will need to hurry. This class retires on February 5th and will no longer be available. It's 50% off right now though!
Click here to visit Get It Scrapped.
February might be a short month, but it looks to be full of many wonderful things. How is your month shaping up for you?
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