Challenge #5 - last addition 03/25/08

Well, we've been at it for a full month now - anyone making any headway in their stash yet? I have to admit, it's been a lot of fun playing with some of my older, forgotten products. Reaching back to the days when I first became a supply addict (does this count as a 12-step program?) and remembering why I love paper crafting!

One of my first addictions, personally, was punches. Oh but not just any punch, I had to have all the oddball shapes and specialty punches! Admit it, you have some too! The moose (hello, I've never seen a moose - I live in Central Illinois. We have cows), the baby buggy, the frog...you get the picture. I remember pre-ordering constantly to make sure I had the brand new ones when they first hit. There was a really good online store that I just can't remember the name of but she always had every punch under the sun and always had the new ones first. I was in awe, lol! And remember swapping punches? You'd stay up all night punching a thousand of those darned frogs (to get some use out of the punch, lol) and make up 20 little baggies, send them in and get 20 little baggies of various other punchies you'd never find a use for...yea. I recently came across my punchie collection and gave my son a BOX full of them - he's in heaven, lol! That's where this picture came from - I just grabbed a handful. I have a house full of extra kids and really wish I'd done this post last night when there wasn't so much commotion!



So this week let's pull some of those out. Some, like me, may need to "borrow" them back from their kids, but let's use those specialty shape punches. No fair using your squares and circles and flowers that are still commonly used (unless you're going to create...drumroll, please...punchart! Remember that?). Pull out your earliest punches and have some fun! Let's see who can use the funkiest old punches! Sharks and snails, anyone?

Deb N has created an adorable card using the tulip punch from EK - I'm pretty sure that was in the original set of Paper Shapers so this little cutie is super old! And Deb has managed to make it look so fresh and fun that I might have to go steal mine back from my kiddo...

Stef made this gorgeous wreath card with a Martha Stewart punch. Which I now must have. Darn it, Stef! I have the old fern punch though, which is close. It was actually originally sold through the Martha Stewart website, if I remember correctly! Years before she got into the scrapbook arena.

Aimeslee has two more ATC's for us this week...look! The frog I mentioned, lol! I am really starting to fall in love with ATC's now too - cute little creative expressions about basically a blurb of life! I REALLY have to try these! But first I need to go hunt down some lilac bushes to see if they're in bloom here yet - those are my favorite!!