Scrapbooker or Hoarder?

This blog will essentially be tutorials, ideas, suggestions and examples for scrapbooking and cardmaking, but while I get revved up to do that, I’ve been putting a lot of effort into buying stuff. Yes, lots and lots of stuff. Stuff that I collect for future use and think it will look great on a scrapbook page, eventually. Never mind the never ending stash of papers, embellishments and tools from years passed. I need more stuff. I figure the more stuff I have, the more creative I’ll be.

With my limited space that I call my “scrap area” in my bed room nestled in my little 2 bedroom apartment, it’s becoming something of a train wreck. My closet is ¾ cloths, with the other ¼ of the closet stacked with Rubbermaid storage containers that neatly contains my 12x12 colored cardstock (in rainbow order of course), my designer patterned papers stacks of various sizes as well as all my stamps, ink pads, paper punches, paints and adhesives along with various embellishments. One would think that those two big Rubbermaid storage containers would be enough. I also have a dozen other storage solutions that contain brads, eyelets, fibers, ribbon, metal embellishments, butterflies, acrylic frament pieces, rub ons, flowers, stickers, chipboard, alcohol inks, Stickles (my ever beloved glitter glue that you can buy in practically every color), die cutting fonts and shapes for my quickutz die cutting machine, Cricut cartridges and a Cricut die cutting machine, a Zyron design runner that allows you to bring the printer to the project, 3 other containers that contain even MORE patterned papers and of course the one thing you MUST have for scrapbooking, photos. And up until last night-this collection of stuff had no rhyme or reason to it. I spent hours last night cleaning and organizing. This has been a work in progress for several weeks. I ended up giving my 8 years old daughter who is also a scrapbooker a load of stuff. And what does she tell me? “Mom, I already have a lot of stuff to use. Why do I need more?”. Pfft. She doesn’t get it. And of course while I’m clearing the clutter, I’m thinking of more “stuff” to buy. What is this? I spend more time shopping and looking and thinking of stuff than using the stuff. And then I began to wonder, is my love of scrapbooking the real reason for all of this, or do I have a hoarding issue? Hmmmm. Considering this issue is only with scrapbooking supplies, and I've SEEN that show "Hoarders" (OMG, have YOU?!?) I think it’s safe to say that scrapbooking is really what it's all about. I have been collecting this stuff for over 10 years now, so I’m bound to have a few things, but I think I may be very very close to crossing that line. Or am I? I’m pretty sure I need more Stickles. I have a long ways to go before I have all the sparkly colors.

Side note, what's with the word "stuff"?  It sounds strange.

My bedroom turned scraproom...