Stash Busting 2016 - I WILL use my mountains of craftstash before buying more!

greentiger

Well done, nimbo! I need to get cracking - but the football's on and I have to watch!

Nikadi

May I join in? I knit and crochet and my stash is ridiculous. I am currently living with friends temporarily so a lot of it has gone to my parents and my husband's Mum's, but I have all 80+ balls of Debbie Bliss Rialto DK with me and all of my Stylecraft Special DK stuffed into 7 sections of a kallax at our friends house!

My only caveat is that I have a few projects that will require buying yarn, they're pre-planned projects and have a deadline, so I haven't got time to complete x-amount of projects first! Two are crochet blankets for the children I care for and I will need 14 balls of SSDK for each of those and they are to be completed by September when I leave my job to relocate/go on maternity. I will also be making a knit blanket for my baby due in November and I think that will require 4 balls of white SSDK, I should have the rainbow colours needed to complete that blanket from the blanket I am currently working on! (Another blanket for the children I care for! There are three rainbow blankets in varying shades in total!)

So, I aim to finish 14 projects by the end of the year. 14 because I'm already challenging myself to complete 28 projects before my 28th birthday in May next year, and as I'll have a baby to care for in a few months I think that's a decent goal! But 14 will get me through to Christmas I think when I'd like to treat myself to some naice yarn, as up until March I only ever bought myself acrylic, I managed to get a load of merino for half price which I bought for baby things and in May I bought myself some nice yarn to make myself a jumper, a shawl and something else that I can't remember!

I love all of the cards, I wish I could do cards and scrapbooking and things like it but my attempts always look like a child made them! But I enjoy doing it when I do!

greentiger

Hello and welcome, Nikadi, pleased to meet you. Don't worry about having to buy stuff , we all do it -well, I do! And sometimes you need to buy some stuff so that you can use up what you've already got!

Well, it's just one card from me today. I dug out my stamps and stuff, which I haven't used in ages - I forgot how much I enjoyed it!

elephant by Bobbie Doctor, on Flickr

mrsnicewriting

:rotfl::rotfl:hi to all
can I join in too please?
Know that we're half way through year, but NEED to de stash as find that it's taking over the house and OH not best pleased!
First half of year not possible to join in as no time for anything due to family health issues, that are hopefully sorted out now.
Now that I finally have time to start using and sorting, need you all as inspiration and motivation.
Will be optimistic and try to get all family & friends birthday and anniversary cards done in good time (as normally last minute efforts), would also like Christmas cards done by end of November (say this every year and has yet to happen lol)!.
Mainly do papercraft, cards scrapbooking etc, do dabble in knitting and crochet occassionaly but although not sewn anything for years doesn't seem to have stopped me buying material!
I have loved seeing all your makes and it would seem that paper wise we all have similar stuff!.
mainly though just a way through the boxes would be great, have sent a large box of paper, cards and other oddments to the local after school club, which they loved and have been supplying the people at work's little children with craft boxes, to inspire them, so have sort of made a start.
Hope that by the end of the year, I might have sorted the mess into doable piles and at least have used up some of my enormous stash.

Nikadi

I wouild prefer not to buy stuff but I don't have a choice for these projects, as soon as they are done though I can work on stashbusting, I want to make as much as possible for my baby before it arrives! And a few things for me!

Love the elephant!

mrsnice I need motivation too, I always get sucked into pinterest when looking for motivation but it doesn't do a great job of actually motivating me! :rotfl:

nimbo

The elephant does rock.

Good luck on all the baby knitting. I have managed a scarf - but that sadly is where my skills end. My partners aunt is a knitting ninja and one day I will ask her to teach me - I do t think there is any thing she can't knit.

I have destashed. Three massive bags of stuff to my mothers that I packed ages ago. As well as a massive stash of leather hides. So 20 to add to my total. I did look for some quick inspiration on Pinterest last night. I got a little lost and made nothing. Haha

I **think** I want to make myself a Filofax style planner. I have one that the rings are dying in - and it isn't leather. I tried to order one online as I need it for work - arrived not leather and very small rings - so I have complained and they refunded me. It's not big enough for work.

I have a huge stash of leather and you can buy the larger sized rings on Amazon - am I mad to condider this? The leather planner folders are nearly £100 which seems crazy money to me.

I'm torn.

170 / 500 so far.

greentiger

Hello, mrsnicewriting. I'm looking forward to seein what you and Nikadi get up to,

nimbo, if you have the materials and the skills then go for it. You'll get just what you want. And here am I wondering whether to make a fabric one! I can't make up my mind about what I want to have in it (pockets, pen spaces and .....).

nimbo

I have made up another load of dot Grid paper for my Filofax. In bright yellow. I have discovered that having a bright to do list makes it easier to spot in all of the junk on my desk. Haha

I'm counting this as 4 as I have made the equivalent of 4 pads. Each would have cost £5. So a fair bit saved. I get through it really quickly. Probably filed by the fact it's basically free other than time. I may at some point need to buy a new single hole punch. The one I have is a little rickety - but considering I got it free with a magazine years ago it's managed well.

For the home made Filofax - I don't have the rings. They would be £14.99. I would like to think I have the skills. And the means to decorate it. GT if you have the skills then do it. I have a home made travellers notebook that I love. But for work I need a diary and the Filofax inserts work for me - I'm pretty sure I can make it work. Or I hope I do anyway. Haha.

I'm seriously considering it. I have a week off soon and it would be a nice project.

174 / 500 so far.

I'm not on target to get them all finished this year. But I'm cracking on.

Good luck to all - and happy making.

greentiger

I don't count tools as stash, nimbo - they're a means of getting rid of stash!

Not on target, nimbo! Pfft! You're much, much closer than me, lol. If I get a quarter of the way to my target, I'll be delighted because stuff will be GONE, or transformed into something worthwhile.

nimbo

I have made a paper pattern for my home made filofax - using up the end of a roll of wrapping paper...

I have plans - the ringed planner will be made of thik leather - I'm going to add rivets in the shape of a star to the front. There will be an elastic in the middle to hold it closed. The lining will be made from some black dotty fabric that had been an aborted tea dress... It will have pockets and all sorts...

one to add to the total- with the pattern - and hopefully more once my week off hits... I have ordered the rings and they will hopefully arrive before we leave for holiday...

175 / 500