In my cups? Those are various pens/pencils/extra fine tip multi colored permanent markers, etc.
Or the ones in the drawer still in packages? Those ones are just from the $1 aisle at Target! I actually got them at 75% off! LOL When I give card sets as gifts, I always include a pen in the back of the set, just to "finish off" the gift! I figured for $.25 each, I could keep them on hand and have them right ready to go with a card set!

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You have SO MANY stamps, and alot of ribbon and other embellishments, it looks like. That's got to cost alot of money. I have a FEW stamps, and have collected ribbon, etc. (some from the thrift store, even) but I'm wondering how much it's going to cost for me to get started. (I guess I'd better start referring to the Scrapbooking Threads!! I'm sure this has been asked before...)

But how much $ do you think you've got invested just in supplies???
Do you buy them when they're on sale??

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A LOT of my stamps are from the DOLLAR STORE! I also have TRADED for a lot of them in the barter section of the board. (Right, Martha?!?!) It is VERY rare for me to pay more than a few dollars AT MOST for them. Stamping is HARD for me, and I probably only use a quarter of what I have there.
Ribbon is the same way. I have swapped for a lot, and I also buy it at Big Lots a lot. I buy it in bulk, and then split the cost with friends who scrap.
I couldn't give you a total price on what I have, but I started out very little and grew. Doing swaps on here with something that someone needs of YOURS is the best advice I can give to get started with "odd stuff". Martha (abbysmommy) has a ton listed in the trade area right now....and she is an excellent person to trade with! And, don't think you have to trade scrapbook stuff. Ladies trade scrap stuff for clothes, household goods, coupons, etc, too!! By doing it this way, too, you get a little of this and that, and you learn to work with it. Some stuff I have gotten and discovered I LOVE and go buy. Some I have gotten and totally didn't like using! It was a good thing I had NOT gone and bought that full price!! Just be open to any way to get it...and save the oddest things that you even have a NOTION you might use one day! LOL

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Oh, now I remember that our Dollar Tree has alot of scrapbooking
stuff, and stamps as well. I'll have to check out those sections again
the next time I go. And I suppose I'd better get going on the bartering
boards since I've been approved and haven't traded anything so far!!
I'm going to need advice on where to START with scrapbooking once I start,
because I have literally 5 YEARS worth of stuff of my DD's that I've saved to
scrapbook some day. I have no clue where to start.

And I see what you mean about how I could trade "other stuff" for scrap
stuff. I guess I need to sit down and post what I've got to barter with one
of these days.

Oh, and I LOVE your new pic by the way!! I've been thinking about posting
one of myself, but I'm SKEERD! I'll have to put on some makeup,
take my own pic, and then post one

for all the advice, Jennifer!!

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Whoever said "Ain't nothin' in life for free"
had obviously never visited
The MommySavers Samples & Freebies Forum!!



Come on over...to the "FREE side"!!
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AWESOME!! I so need to reorganize my stuff too. Since cleaning it out and posting stuff for trade, I have stuff EVERYWHERE. I also have a 3 drawer rolling cart that I need to clean out the bottom of. It has miscellaneous school supplies in it...I need to find somewhere to put those so I can dedicate the entire rolling cart to MY stuff. Dh is going to make me a ribbon rack and I'm going to try and find one of those small drawer organizers to put my stamp pads in (I'll have to ask Susie {bonna9182} what size hers are again!). Another awesome organizer is the tool turnabout from Pampered Chef. I rearranged my kitchen and was no longer using mine so I began using it for pens, scissors, rulers, etc.

Some day...hopefully not so very far away...I will have a room or at least a whole corner of a room dedicated to my scrapbooking and cardmaking stuff...so I can be all organized and have all of my stuff in ONE place!!

I love it

You have inspired me to tackle my mess.... I mean desk

This looks great. I really like your new avatar.

Also, on your Cricut..you, milady, will always find other reasons to spend your money on all but yourself. You have been waiting, and you really want it. As far as dh...he can find something else to get you - I'm sure you can find something.

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Make someone's heart smile today.

This only inspires me to clean my own mess. I love the fact that you know exactly where everything is. Great job !

Wow that is awesome Jennifer!! I love it!!

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I've grown certain that the root of all fear is that we've been forced to deny who we are. ~ Frances Moore Lappe

Luvmysoldier~ you can always join one of our swaps as well. They work a bit differently than bartering. Ember just hosted a gingham ribbon swap. I do believe there were 7 of us. We were all assigned a different color and bought seven yards of that color, kept one for ourself, then sent the other 6 to Ember. She then distributed all the various ribbon to each of us. So I ended up with 7 different colors of gingham ribbon for the cost of only one.

If you have a Hobby Lobby or JoAnn Fabric store, watch them for sales and always, always, always check their websites for coupons. I just bought my SS's "big" gift with a 40% coupon from Hobby Lobby's website. And Target's Dollar Spot usually has some scrap supplies as well. I bought a couple of really cute stamps from there awhile back.

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