When we moved in November, I went through a lot of our stuff and got rid of a ton.  However, I also discovered a lot of art materials that hadn't seen the light of day in far too long.  So I decided that in 2014 I will be using all of these hoarded materials as the predominate supply for the year.  I don't want to keep this stuff!  I bought it to use it and play with it.  Not to hoard it in a drawer for the perfect use! 

With this in mind, as well as the fact that we are supposed to be saving money and paying off our current debts, I am allowing myself a $15.00/month budget for all art related supplies.  This includes everything from pencils to paper, stickers to diecuts, journals to watercolors.  Anything that I use in the multitude of art projects counts towards that budget.  The only exceptions (because of course there have to be a couple) are glue (of whatever kind for the project) and page protectors for my Project Life album.  Both of these things would break the budget, unfortunately and leave me with nothing to add some sparkle.  However, I only spend about $20.00/month on these two things and it's not every month, because I only buy when they are half price at Hobby Lobby.

The flip side of this project is the destashing.  We started the moving process very organized with everything perfectly labeled and packed in a logical way.  But towards the end of the move, everything was just getting tossed into boxes and labeled very generally.  So I have about 15 boxes (that I know of) that are labeled art stuff.  Wow.  Thanks.  lol.  So every month I will be unpacking these boxes and using whatever is in them (to the best of my ability).  I'm not allowed to dig through another box until the previous one is completely used up.  So I may have to get creative with how I use things.  For example, I have collected a lot of collage and magazine images that I like to use in my art journal, but they have to merge with project life so that I can get to something new.  Plus, I do not currently have any paint or gesso - so I would have to think up a different way to use the collage bits than doing paint overs.  It will definitely be interesting to see how it all pans out. 

Every month (or when the box gets used up) I will be showcasing to you what is in the box and any brain storms I have for how I can use these items for my various and current craft projects.  So lets get this project rolling shall we?

Here is my desk prior to the unboxing.  Note the lack of drawers.


Top right: A pair of scissors, a pen (that doesn't work and has been thrown out), a small package of primacolor pencils, an old address book, a large container of pink glitter and the box for my sprint phone that I need to take care of.


The top left side of the desk contains my Christmas cards (that I didn't send out - oops), my 5 x7 photo of Atty with Santa, and a pack of stickers that my mother found and gave me.

I started with the top drawer, which contained:

• collage and magazine tear outs
• use as collage pieces in art journal
• use as journaling prompts
• eat in kitchen ad - prompt about bedroom closet and/or the kitchen photo and journal
• shoe ad - prompt about my shoe addiction with photos of my current styles
• use as moodboards
• whimsy animal doodle tag (that I did about a year ago) - use in project life
• photograph of broken dishes lady - use as a divider in my planner
• mandalas that I made about a year ago - use as decorative elements in project life or art journal
• a checkbook register
• text scraps from a book of some kind

• the book Eldest (which got wet at some point and made into journal fodder)
• paint chips - use in art journal for collage, journal for When Frogs Sing, or in Project Life

• four sheets of "texture" used in drafting - which I already decided will go into my journal for When Frogs Sing for doodle patterns/crosshatching as a reference

• the newspaper from the week my daughter was born - I thought I had one from the day she was born, but I found this one instead.  I will keep this for memorabilia for her album currently, but if I find the paper from the day she was born this one will go to recycle. :)

• art projects, paintings, and collages from 2013 - these will probably go into page protectors or get three hole punched and put into my 2013 project life, since I didn't keep a "real" art journal last year and did a lot of single sheets

• spray painted paintings - I have done these for several years.  Last year I taught Jamie how to do them as well.  More than likely these will get framed and used for decorations.
• My name - this is just marker on some tracing paper
• Poetry and writings - mostly from high school - I may just stick them into page protectors and put them in my high school album or I could use them for art journaling

• memorabilia -
• a copy of my birth certificate
• certificate from my driver's ed class - use to create a layout for high school album
• cards from friends and family - use to create a layout or repurpose for project life/art journal

• Memorabilia
• ticket stubs from college plays - use to create a layout about our play outings (we tried to go to almost all plays, since we were friends with the theatre students) 
• a photo/newspaper clipping of my mom and dad - use in a layout
• a letter from my mom while I was in college - use in a layout
• the paper on the left is a list of photography ideas (I'm assuming for a project/assignment) and some doodles - revisit these ideas and note in my journal which may apply to my less strict photographs that I'm allowed to do now that I'm not working towards my degree

• a scrapbooking page kit all about family - use for a scrapbooking page or in project life
• patterned paper strips - use in art journal for collage or in project life
• a stamped tag - use in art journal or project life
• paper scraps - use in art journal or project life
• muslin baggie (white) - use in project life
• inked tissue paper - use in art journal

• two sharpie markers - one blue and one is a peachy skintoney kinda color - use in planner, art journal, and project life
• a sketching pencil (4H) - use in art journal
• a small baggie of twine and green and yellow buttons - use in art journal or project life
• a small baggie of various bits and pieces (buttons, ribbon, flowers, leaves) - use in art journal or project life
• a small string of really pretty fiber (gold with some bits of green and brown) - use in art journal or project l

So.  That is everything that was in one drawer.  Impressive, eh?  I'm quite the crammer.  lol.  I intend to create some project life cards using these items, some kits based on items in the scrapbooking industry that I like (counterfeit kits), as well as collages in my journal for backgrounds and such.  The one catch is that everything must be used or organized before I can move on to the next drawer. 

If you scrapbook, art journal, or do mixed media or any other paper crafting, I'd love for you to join me on this stashbusting adventure.  Gather your stash and see just how much you can get rid of by the end of the year.  Don't scrapbook?  Think broader.  What hobbies have you bought supplies or materials for that you haven't used yet?  This challenge could even work in the kitchen!  Challenge yourself to use every single thing in your kitchen this year.  That stand mixer that you bought several years ago to make cookies?  Use it!  The 365 pieces of Tupperware that you own shoved in a cabinet?  Use it!  Then anything that you haven't used (or decided you hated after using) - get rid of it!  Tell me what you all think, and I would definitely love to hear about your own projects!