Sunday, October 19, 2008

Quezztion of the Week - October 19, 2008

There are lots of posts on saving money by using materials not neccessarily marketed for scrapbooking and by reusing scraps but Do you ever think "GREEN" about this hobby?
Do you make an effort to use your scraps and materials you find in everyday life? Do you pass materials on so someone else can use them? Do you purchase used instead of new?

3 comments:

Gelidy Gelato said...

I'm glad you asked this question Lisa.
Couple things come to mind. When I come across great materials in everyday life (like glossy paper, ribbon, buttons) I try to think of ways to incorporate them into my pages. Sure it saves money but better yet it keeps it out of the landfill.

I also look around the house for organizational items that I might used for scrapbooking.

And when I come across a tool I want I look for it on E-bay and buy it used. I usually get it for a fraction of the cost along with some other great things thrown in. This is how I got my Creative Memory cutting system, corner punches, paper crimper, and a glass mat. $40 at the LSS gets you some stickers, paper, an ink pad, and maybe some ribbon. A $40 lot on E-bay gets you about $300+ worth of stuff.

Janet said...

Good question! Now that I think about it... I don't really think green when making my own purchases (besides how much $$$ I am spending and how I can cut costs there). However, I do try to be economical and "recycle" my old scrapping supplies and scraps. I share with friends (trade box of sorts) and donate leftovers to a scrapping program at our hospital for parents whose infants are in the NICU.

SharonDB said...

Great question! First off, I'm not a hoarder of supplies. Sure I love cool new stuff every now & then but buying isn't as big of a side hobby to me as it is for some; not only does that feel wasteful but I just don't have the room for too much stuff w/ just an armoire, no scrap room!

I do try to find everyday things to use in scrapping - greeting cards, wrapping paper, etc.

I try to buy off Ebay when I can (great prices on Quickutz squeeze tool alphas... probably because everyone has fancier cutters now, ha!).

I support recycled papers like Ellie Pooh paper (um, Google it to know what it is, it's perfectly sanitary in paper state AND gorgeous!) & have wishlisted Piggy Tales' recycled paper lines.

I do save my scraps & sometimes donate the larger ones to a children's hospital or the big scraps bin at one of my crops. I have to admit that I discard the smallest scraps that some people might be able to use - I just don't have the room to store them. But inspired by this QOW, maybe I'll make a habit of saving those up now & just donating more frequently. I had thought about getting into papermaking to use those smaller scraps but it just seemed like another possibly addictive hobby & I don't know if I have time for that, LOL! But maybe I will check it out, never say never. :)