So far I have used a few of my swap items on cards and the recipes I received in Dec in a swap I gave to my DIL for Christmas. I made a front and back cover and put all of them in plastic pages and then I gave them to her with a mixer. My son gave me an expensive Kitchen Aid mixer a few years ago when he burned mine up making pizza dough before he got married and since I no longer cook or bake, I gave her that mixer. I figured it was a really nice mixer going to waste on my counter and I knew they didn't have one, so why not.

The altered keys I received, I'm not sure what I will do with except keep them and look at them as they are so pretty.

I tend not to swap unless it is something that I will put to use in some way or to see if it is something I think I might like to get. We sometimes have swaps on here where we trade things we won't use and that includes cuts.

That is something to keep in mind. Further down the RAK/SWAP thread there is a place to send out to swap grab bags with other ladies. You get whatever they send you and in return you send someone else whatever you don't want. It is a great way to purge some things from your craft room and to get some great things in return. I have gotten some great things at just the right time when I needed a little thing to store things in and once I got a bag of ribbons pieces that has been a great find. Just my take on your question. HTH

I use them as well, some examples:


re-gift (recipes went to DD)
re-purpose (Chunky Charms used as stocking charms)
decorate (Banner hung over window & Fall frame has Fall Family pic in it on a tabletop)

Somethings I just have a shelf for "pretties". This shelf is just for things that touch my heart and are things that I just love to look at when I'm working. Sometimes I put things aside and use them later for inspiration for another project that I'm working on.

I've gotten a lot of cuts from the Monthly Cut RAK that I've used on other projects. If I get something that I can't used immediately, I file it away for later. I know right where things are because I've got a very good system now.

I never/ever throw anything away. I'm not really a big Halloween fan so when I got a Chunky Charm that was Halloween themed I gave it to a friend of my DS that loves spooky/Halloween stuff! She loved it!

I got a frame that I knew DD would love put it out on a table by the front door and the next time she came over she saw it and said...ooooh I love that...I said ok, you can have it.

My Maggie Swap stuff I keep for myself. But most of my other swaps that I do now I join for the specific purpose of re-gifting or re-purposing the items that we're swapping. The only thing that I have no purpose for but just love doing them is my altered tickets. I'm addicted to them. I don't do scrapbooking so I have no idea what to use them for. Thought about using them on some cards but I just hate the thought of cutting them apart. I was thinking that I might make some sort of banner/sign/wall hanging with them for each season that I've participated in that swap. But haven't actually done it yet!

I play Bunco once a month but we took a break for the holidays. I've put lots of things aside to give as Bunco gifts once we resume playing next month.

I've built up my card stash and I've also built up my stash of things to use on cards. I've built up a huge stash of tags that I intended to use on gifts. Some things I love so much that I can't imagine parting with. I received one particularly beautiful tag and framed it and hung it in my craft room just to look at it because it's so pretty! Hope this helps

~Rebecca

Edited by user Saturday, January 05, 2013 8:13:25 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I too use my items...anywhere I can. If it's paper or such,....I try incooperating it into my cards/layouts. IF it's something altered and from the heart...it goes on the SPECIAL shelf. I love the items I've been given over the years and each hold fond memories. I cherish those. BUT for some odd reason I will not use it...I pass it along to someone that just might.

HUGs
rhonda

PS..Rebecca...those tickets are wonderful apart..and work great on cards....hint hint

Robin....I have a metal dress form that I sat on my counter and placed the charms on it...

My adult daughter was over this weekend, she is a hairdresser. I made a comment to her that I have papers and other craft items that I love so much that I really hate to use them, and asked if she could relate to that (she only has a small supply of scrapbook stuff). She laughed, and said "I do that all the time with my beauty supplies!". OMG too funny.


I display my swap items or use them in my scrapbooking. Sometimes I do swaps that are holiday related so those items get brought out at the holiday. I got 24 ATC cards that are Xmas related and I'll be putting them in my scrapbook or making cards with them for next year.

I like the idea of putting the charms on the scrapbooking bag.

One idea is that when my scrapbook group gets together I will sometimes offer up extras of things I have a surplus of, or some cuts I have made, or you could offer up swap items.

Maureen