How My Sister Gets Crafting Items

Well, I have been reading about how so many crafters have been reducing their stash lately.  My favorite way of reducing my hoarded embellishments and other crafting items is to gift some to my sister on her birthday or at Christmas.  This year I made her a mini album and included a Making Memories Precision Paper Trimmer (I got it on sale for $8 a while back) with flowers and other embellishments she can use to decorate the mini.  I am not going to post pictures until I see her to give her the album.

I am attempting to clean up my craft room and make room for a second hand computer my husband picked up for me.  He bought it used and is now in the process of updating it for me.

Crafting runs in my family.  My Grandmother used to make the best quilts when she was alive.  I miss her so much.  I learned to sew while sitting in my Mom's lap as she made outfits and costumes for my sister and me when we were little.  My Mom is the best with a sewing machine.  She can whip stuff up faster than I would even be able to come up with the how to.  I am more of a paper and yarn crafter.  I love scrapbooking and paper crafting most, but I also like to do crochet and cross stitch and plastic canvas.  My sister always seemed to miss the crafting gene.  Over the past couple of years (with me gifting her scrapbooking items) she has started paper crafting a little.  A few years ago, her supervisor left their workplace.  At her going away party my sister wanted to give her a scrapbook.  She went out and bought a bunch of items and then remembered the packages from me.  Then she went back to the store and returned most of what she purchased.  That was when she found out what her presents were worth at retail prices.  I very rarely pay retail prices for anything I buy for my crafting.  I then had to come clean and tell her that her presents were the items from grab bags and such that weren't my style.  Luckily her style is so different from mine.  I love to purchase items in lots.  I mostly buy the ones where they show what you are getting.  That way I can tell if it is worth it to me.  I keep what I want and put the rest back for the next occasion for my sister.  Yes, she is lucky to have a craft hoarder like me for a sister.  lol  I need to go through some more stuff this evening to finish off her present.  Hopefully I will catch up with her this weekend.  Her gift is late (her B-day was June 29th) but at least there will be extra goodies in the box that wouldn't have been in it on her B-day.