I know just how you feel. I was even watching Bargain Hunt today and saw a bezelled locket they were auctioning, and I thought 'Is that Ametrine? Argghhh I need some Ametrine I haven’t got any!"
I’m a hopeless case really, the slightest little thing sends me off, and like others I have stacks already.
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My downfall (or excuse if I’m honest) is postage costs. I mainly order online and often can’t get everything I need for a project from one site. I end up using three or four. But I refuse to pay more in postage than the cost of the things I am ordering so I have to buy a few more beads from each place to bring the price up. And then those beads lend themselves to another project idea. But of course I need to buy a few other items for that. And of course I need to go to yet another website or two for those and then to justify the postage for these additional orders … you get the idea.
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Your post made me laugh. I have just sorted all of my wool,crochet hooks, felting things into small boxes for immediate usage, medium for not so immediate etc. I’ve been doing that quite a lot trying to find the ‘just right’ system. Always seems to be something in the wrong place.
It’s very late and I was just reading through the discussion pages here as I only really came today. Joined a while back but decided to use etsy instead. It’s very crowded and I’ve only had one real sale since I opened in November. Feeling a little disheartened if I’m honest now. I did believe in the ‘build it and they will come’ idea but it’s so not true. Then I tried to pimp the hell outta my shop to the point where I was getting annoyed seeing my own things on my Twitter feed. I’m over here now because I was looking for something a little more intimate than etsy. Anyway, I am rambling but the forums here do seem nice and Hope this is the place for me now. Nite nite 
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Oh gosh I’m glad I’m not the only one struggling not to buy more goodies. I was sorting out my various stashes of wool, fabric and buttons over the Christmas holidays and convinced myself I didn’t need any more until I’d used some up… but then along came the sales… needless to say two lovely big parcels arrived yesterday full of wool and buttons…
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I make mosaics!!
I think everyone is guilty of hoarding, whether its craft stuff or general stuff - my husband wont throw any paperwork away, he has old job descriptions from jobs he never even went for, all over the place!!
I tend to go on spending sprees (I’m a binge buyer!), feel guilty about spending so much in one session, but then work really hard to use it all up and sell at least half of it before I buy again, that way I’m not buying more than I need to and I know I am selling it as well as buying it.
It then results in me being good with the finances, I am strict not to dip into my personal bank account for stuff I just gotta get, if its not in my business account I cant afford it so I gotta sell more stuff until I can.
However we all buy stuff that just isn’t right for our particular craft, so I do have a stash of beads I bought for jewellery, which I am now slowly using up in my mosaics and I will also use some in my new craft I started yesterday. And then the rest I am going to set up a supplies category on my shop. I don’t like clutter!
I agree! And don’t de-stash either. On so many occasions I have found that I already have the perfect partner to the new beads I have bought in my stash. If you de-stash you might end up looking for something you no longer have!
Love Sam x
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Never, ever destash I totally agree. I’ve bought strands of beads which when the’ve turned up I’ve looked at and been disappointed with but due to an inability to destash/ get my act together to list them they have gone in the box in the bottom of a draw and low and behold a few months later someone has come along going ‘I need something to go with this…’ (shows me item of clothing) and the disappointing strand has been perfect.
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I never de stash as I always find a use for things in the end might be months or in one case years later by hay hoy lol
My name is Eileen and I’m addicted to fabric, yarns, beads, threads, paper, paint, vintage embroidery and vintage crochet 
Oh and some has arrived this morning and I’ve more to come and I’m watching more on the bay of E as my friend likes to call it 
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lmao @PaulsJewels aw bless you! We are all the same though I wouldn’t worry about it! You should see my stash! Ikea cabinets and drawers and general organisation is my saving grace, as everything is out of sight!
I try to do this periodically with my papers but usually get distracted by pieces I’ve forgotten I had
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I just laughed at the heading…as if… ha ha ha
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Hahaha but in your defense the more you buy the bigger choice you have to work with 
x
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Oh, me too! I can’t resist a lovely piece of gorgeous paper! And, of course, I always buy two sheets, in case someone else asks for it on a different book. I have a plan-chest full of paper. Sigh…
Recently I had a big tidy up of my studio, as there was no room in it for me (!). I set aside a pile of empty cardboard boxes, so I could donate unwanted/ un-needed items. So far, half a box is ready to donate. Sigh…
So, I hope you know you are definitely not alone!
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I’m really naughty when it comes to Vintage fabrics and ephemera. I think ‘ooh I could use that for my Art’… but then feel it’s too nice to use because I only have one and I can’t replace it. I have loads of Vintage bits and bobs, wall paper, fabric, postcards etc, but can’t bare to cut them up unless I have duplicates. But I still buy more
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I got too many scraps of beads and buttons and when I try to use them up, I’m either short of amounts or I don’t have the right shades of colours.
Will it be a good idea to put them in a small gift bag and send them as a bonus free gift when you successfully sold an item?
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Hi all, this thread has made me feel so much better about my arty/crafty addiction! I just love colourful, sparkly, iridescent bits and pieces. I have loads of bits that I thought would come in handy one day.
Every day is like a magical mystery tour in my home because I keep putting things in (at the time!) logical places to use later, but when the time comes to use these things, of course I can’t find them and have to buy more. That’s usually when I find the original items.
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@IridescentSnail i would only give them as free gift if your selling supplies, otherwise i would keep saving until you have enough in one color theme or try do a multicolor product to use them up.
I can even find a use for odd bits of ribbon or beads. Just been photographing a little blue fused dish and I need accessories to give the photos live so off I went to my little mixed bead pot…
Oh and while I was up there the nice man from UPs brought my supply of flux and as I was paying delivery anyway I bought some glass as well so I got the total price up so I got free delivery … makes perfect sense to me but I do have rather a lot of glass at the moment… off I go to cut some
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HI,
My name is Rosemary and I am a fabric addict. I deciced I must not buy any more fabric untill I have use up what I have. Been up to the City{Norwich} and yes came home with more fabic well it was half price in the sales.
I have loads fo things that I have collected over the years doing diffrent crafts so thought I had better de-clutter. I do farmers markets and craft fairs so one month I just took my bits and pieces and sold alot. I am looking at doing indoor table tops sales this year with just these bits and see if I can de-clutter more.
My knitting machine which has been set up in my room for years and not used has been packed away and will be looking to sell it along with yarn and patterns. Putting that away has given me more space and I have been able to put up my ironing board which is getting used.
Well must go and do more sewing and prehaps sort out more things to sell.
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