*Blog? Why Should I Blog?*

Not quite sure why I'm starting a Blog. I read several on a regular basis, all stamping/card making/paper crafting related. I find such inspiration in these other blogs and I'm not sure that anything I can share will ever compare. But you never know, perhaps having a Blog that others will see and (hopefully) read will help me find more creativity and more inspiration in the world around me.

I am a stamper. I love paper, ink, wood mounted stamps, embellishments, ribbons.... I love to collect all the beautiful things but then have trouble finding the creativity to put it all to good use. Sometimes I think I worry too much about making it perfect. I think I need to just head to my space and play.

Play. What a wonderful but scary word. To play in papercrafting means to experiment. Means to take chances. Means I have to put myself out there and hope I don't mess it up. But so what if I mess it up? What's the worst that can happen? I use some of my stuff, don't like the results... it's not like I've ruined someone's life. But I fear that failure.

So, instead of playing, I like to CASE... copy and steal everything. I see a card I like and I interpret it and make it my own. I use a colour combination, a layout, an exact card that someone else has done before.

Don't get me wrong... I'd prefer to come up with my own creations. I just have so much trouble doing it. Using others ideas is so much easier. When I go to my stamping space and challenge myself to come up with something on my own, no matter how much I wanted to stamp I find myself frozen and unable to come up with an idea.

It wasn't always this way.... I used to play and play and play. I think part of the problem is that I try very hard to use stamps and papers and inks and accessories from only Stampin' Up! since I signed up to be a Demonstrator for them in February of 2005. I can't use another company's stuff on items I use in my Demonstrations. For whatever reason, it's like I've forgotten I'm a stamper first and a Demonstrator second. It's not like I have a booming business. I make a little money, enough to support my habit. I haven't seen an increase in my business by always using SU stuff.

So maybe it's time to let myself play with all the other stuff I have on my shelves and in my drawers. Sure, I can still use the SU stuff... but I can use an embellishment from another company with my SU stamps. Or whatever turns me on at the moment. If I need to create something for my business, then I use only SU stuff... but when I'm stamping for family and friends, I should just use what makes my heart happy, the way I used to.

I did create something just for me this past week. I started working in the Lunchroom at the school my kids go to earlier this month. I need to take attendance daily and I've been checking off kids' names on my knee each day. So I went to Staples and bought myself a clipboard and I decided to decorate it so that there was never any question if it was mine or not.

I used some SU ribbon on it.... and papers from a scrap stack I got from Michaels. I also finally used some metal brads I purchased more than two years ago (although I removed the brad backs and used adhesive on my clipboard). Unfortunately you can't see the brads on it... there is one on the front clip and one on each of the top corners of the clipboard. I really love how it turned out and can't wait to take it to work on Monday!

While I was waiting for the Modge Podge to dry between coats, I also CASEd a card that I saw in the gallery on Splitcoast Stampers. I loved the layout and the colours used on it. It just totally caught my eye. Here's my version of the card created by notimetostamp

So, that's my first blog entry.... hopefully I am creative enough to post here on a regular basis... and hopefully I can come up with some things that make others feel inspired!