Week 1: Just use it!

Happy New Year everyone! Does anyone else have the feeling that 2009 is going to be a GREAT year??? I actually woke up 'feeling' different this morning... almost like the weight of last year is lifting... I think we're going to have an exciting year ahead! I've created my cover for this album and I'll share it with you very soon... but first let's jump straight into the first prompt!

Week 1: Just use it!

Are you a hoarder? Do you save things for 'something special'? Do you buy things because you 'might' use them? If so then this prompt is going to be ideal for you!

My grandmother would have to have been one of the world's biggest hoarders! She kept EVERYTHING!!! She lived in a fairly big house but every single space had stuff in it... some of it was definitely treasure... but a lot of it was junk!

When I was little we always went to Granny's house for Christmas and all the grown ups would sit at the table drinking their wine from regular glasses because they weren't allowed to use the crystal glasses because they 'might' break them. She was saving them for 'something special'.

I remember looking in her china cabinets... yes she had more than one! She had so many glasses... and they were all gorgeous! But guess what... she NEVER used them!!! When she moved out of her house to go into the rest home, my mum and her brothers packed up the glasses and divided them up between them because Granny had no where to put them. So the glasses that were given to her never actually gave her any pleasure at all which seems really sad to me. And then I realised that the 'apple didn't fall too far from the tree' as the saying goes!Here's the journaling:

Do you buy lovely things (like paper) and save it for 'something special' only to find that you are still saving it years later?

I was sorting some things out in my craft room yesterday and I 'found' some gorgeous flax paper that I bought a long time ago! In fact the shop I bought it from has been closed for 3 years! So... I cut it! I used it! AND I loved it! I decided that 'something special' would be my cover for this album. And you know what?? That paper is special because I used it!

A few years ago my sister and I went to a craft fair and bought some 'special treats'... pesto, curry sauce etc. Within a couple of weeks she'd eaten hers and mine was still unopened! And... it's still in my cupboard! The BEST BEFORE DECEMBER 06 sticker mocks me! So now I have to throw it out! At least my sister got to enjoy hers!!!

So... I've come up with somthing that will work for me. Instead of asking myself if I want/need.... I'm going to ask "Will I USE it? Because curry sauce doesn't taste good if you're pouring it down the sink... and paper isn't 'special' until you've done something with it!

My new 'Will I USE it' has already worked for me too! I was in a friends shop yesterday and I saw some gorgeous Tim Holtz products... I LOVED them straight away and I wanted them... I even thought I needed them and then I asked myself... 'Will I USE them'? The answer was 'maybe one day'... so I left them there! It was a very empowering moment for me!!!

Now for the cover... I'm dying to show it to you because I really LOVE it!!!

It's made from thick chipboard which I covered with my 'saved' flax paper... (I've got one piece left which I think I'm going to use for the inside front cover)... The letters are from the 'Thickers' range. I stamped onto the letters with a crackle stamp and embossing ink and then I embossed them with gold.

The 'OPEN' door knob is from 7 gypsies... I bought a wee kit about 5 years ago and it had the door knob in it.... waiting for 'something special'... and the heart and wings are made from Grungeboard... I've had that for a year and hardly used it because I didn't want to 'waste' it!

I inked the wings with white versa mark and then embossed them with polysparkle... very pretty effect! The heart I inked with some Distress Ink and the swirl is actually a pattern on the grungeboard.

Down the bottom of the cover I put a photo of me 'wearing' a crown which Miss Krystal thought was a bit weird... but it's actually to remind myself that this is MY life... and I need to do what's right for ME! The crown is also Grungeboard and I embossed it with gold but it looked to 'perfect' so I added some more gold and then over heated it a bit so that it's got a tarnished look to it... that's to remind myself that I'm not perfect... I'm allowed to make mistakes!

And finally the charms on the side... I had a huge stash of bits and pieces that I've been 'saving' so I got them out and started working with them... the metal discs came from the same kit as the door knob.. I stamped words (inspire, dream, think, hope, love & create) onto them with Staz On ink... added some jump rings and then the chain which I bought ages ago in another kit. Then I added the beads and the key (from other kits) and finally the little Chinese good luck coins. I love how they 'tinkle' when I pick up my book.

I've taken this weeks prompt quite literally... I've actually USED lots of bits and pieces from my stash for my album cover and now I have 'something special' to show for it!

So the challenge is out there... what have you got that you're not using? Is it something that you need?... or is it something that is really just cluttering up your life? I've still got lots of things I need to use... but I've made a start!

I'll be back on Sunday with the next prompt so until then have a wonderful start to the New Year :)