Scrap Your Stash Prep

Prep work is always a good thing - it helps you make the most of your project time.  Whether you pre-chop veggies in the morning for dinner at night, pick up the living room before you vacuum (instead of shoving and vacuuming around the clutter. . .not that I do that) or doing some picking and pulling of items before you sit down to crop, or subscribe to Apron Strings kits ;D.

In this case, prep-work also has the added bonus of going through your stash looking for items.  You see what you have, you rediscover where you've tucked it away (as well as noting other items you may not need right now, but maybe in a layout or two) and you're inspired just looking at all your goodies.  To make it extra beneficial, if you come across items that are more "what the. . .?"  than, "I've been looking for this!"  toss it, either literally or set up a give-away box and put items in it - there are lots of ways to get rid of your "no-longer-you" scrapbook items.  Having done this myself, actually it continues to be a work in progress with my own stash, I can tell you culling the heard, so to speak, is as invigorating as actually using it.

So, as a little prep-work for the first week in Scrap Your Stash take a few minutes to pull together the following "packs."

1. Two sheets cardstock, coordinating stripe paper, length of ribbon, 6 buttons, non-alphabet stickers
2. One sheet cardstock, coordinating paper with dots and a floral print, chipboard, 2 tags and 6-8 brads
3. Three coordinating patterned papers, journaling cards, alphabet, 3 - 5 flowers
4. Three sheets cardstock, 1 or 2 sheets coordinating themed patterned paper (like hearts, or trucks, or Christmas trees), one set of rub-ons, 6-10 buttons, chipboard or corrugated shapes
5. Two different, but coordinating colors of cardstock, 2 sheets coordinating patterned paper, stick pin, paper clip, 2 lengths of different ribbon or baker's twine, pre-printed diecut or frame

Okay, so pull those items; keep them in their "groups" and we'll go from there on Monday.

Happy Sunday!