Paper Castle

Well, after yesterdays post about the hutch, I just feel like doing something a little more mindless. 

My studio was a huge mess and I set about tidying the aftermath.  Of course, I can never just tidy, I have to try to organize too and put away things that I’ve picked up at my local Dollarma dollar store.  I kind of think I shouldn’t be allowed to go in there any more because I’m really good at buying stuff that I probably won’t use.

So, what sorts of things am I spending money on and what was I thinking when I bought it?  I sincerely hope I’m not the only one who does this.  I know it’s not a good habit, but I can justify it by calling it Affordable Retail Therapy and I get all warm and fuzzy.

Here are just a few of my many silly purchases and what I was thinking when I bought them. 

I will often try to make my own miniature floral arrangements and am always frustrated that I never seem to have any green stuff that I can pad with.  I did purchase the MS Frond punch yesterday but it’s really small.  So when I saw this at the Dollarama, I decided that I could use it and there’s so much of it for a mere $1 that it would last a very long time because I only need to use a little bit at a time.  It’s all soft and pliable and I talked myself into it.  It wasn’t that hard to do really.

Let’s see what else I have . . .

I have lots of $1 jewellery pieces.  I always think that I might use them as hardware on a project.  I envision beautiful cabinets with lovely hardware.  Now if any if you followed the progress of my hutch, you’ll know how well this works out!  It doesn’t!  But I buy them anyway. LOL

When I saw these I had visions of dressers, and vanities and hutches with real mirrors!  Three for $2.  How could I possibly go wrong right?  I now have to go and buy me a glass cutter so I can cut them to the size I will need on a project.  I wonder how much that’ll cost?  But it’s a must have right? Moderately Affordable Retail Therapy.  Oh, and the best part is they’re self adhesive!! That adhesive has to be worth and additional couple of bucks right?  So that means I REALLY got a good deal!

Oh! Oh! Oh!  This is my most recent find!  I’m always on the lookout for props for my projects to become either permanent parts of a project or used for staging.  So I always take a walk through the office/school aisle and the toys aisle.  After all, you never know what kind of awesome miniature things you’ll find. I found these spectacular erasers.  They all teeny tiny and oh so cute that I just had to have them.  Of course Zoe thinks they’re pretty neat too, especially the donuts if you tie a ribbon on it and she can carry it all over the hut.

Wouldn’t these look fantastic in some kind of project? Oh, and the best part? They come in a reusable container!  Perfect for little things right? and therefore and even better value. I’m beginning to think I’m brilliant now.

Now these things I just love!  They’re hair stick thingies but when I saw them I thought they’d make great embellishments on gift boxes.  I bought one of each! They’re all sparkly and everything.

Here’s proof that this was a good investment.

Now this one is really stupid, and I only bought it today.  It’s really a helium balloon weight.  I don’t get why the Dollarama even sells them since they don’t sell helium balloons but I’m a gamer.  My first thought was that I know that these things cost around $8 at the party store.  Well, hold me back!  I can have one of my very own for a buck!  I’m all over it like a fat kid on a Smartie I tell ya!  But!  I have to justify the purchase.  After about 5 seconds of thought, I decided it’d be perfect as a backdrop for birthday cards! It’s so pretty huh? More brilliance!

Check out the eyes on these!  Don’t look for too long or you’ll get creeped out.  After a while they start to look like Hitchcock birds. I started buying these last winter.  I decided they’d make perfect additions to some kind of box.  Birds are cute after all, even if they have weird eyes.

Lookit this!  More proof that I made a wise purchase.

Another great aisle in the Dollarma is the candles and knick knack aisle.  I’m drawn to the mini candles.  they come in so many different shapes and colours that I just want to buy them all!  They’re the perfect size to complement my projects and seem to add that last bit of polish.  Therefore, I must buy more every time I go to the store.  At least I use these!

Clearly, another wise purchase! They turned out to be the perfect things for this stupid wicker basket that mirami made me make

There was a time I thought I might make something that’s little girl’ish and so I bought these.  They’re kind of ugly, but it was all they had.  I haven’t used any yet.  I pull them out for every project to see if there’s a way to include one, but there never is.  I’m hopeful though.  I got like 8 of them for $1.  Another great purchase huh?

I never make cards with summer themes, or beaches or things like that, but when I saw these, I thought I might someday. They’re actually pretty big and would be great as props.  So far I don’t think I’ve used them so I’m kind of thinking of putting them out somewhere just as a decoration.  Multi purpose!  Smart again!

Do you remember when these were all the rage?  We all ran out and bought up as many as we could find?  And they came in so many pretty colours?  But . . . who uses them anymore?  I have bazillions of them!  I got tired of them taking up valuable storage space for other more useful things, so I took myself down to the Dollarama and bought me a lovely glass container to put them in.  Oh what fun I had dumping them all in there and mixing them up.  They now sit on a shelf looking all pretty and once in a while I’ll add it to a photo as a prop. I love the multi colour.  It reminds me of my childhood days gazing at the gumball machines in the store.

The last item I have to show you today, lo and behold did NOT come from a Dollar store.  I might have spent real money for this one.  Maybe around the $14 mark.  The minute I saw it I knew I had to have it.  I instantly drew to mind all the beautiful Spellbinder die ornaments that Becca Feeken makes and I recalled that she hung them on something like this to photograph them.  So . . . on the off chance that I ever make some kind of dangly thing, this would be perfect!  That was last winter.  It doesn’t look like it’s been used yet does it. But someday I will use it!  Oh yes I will!

Do I have a problem?  My husband says I do.  So, can this be just our little secret?  I don’t think he’d be so happy if he knew I really don’t use most of this stuff.  Someone please tell me I’m not the only one who buys stupid stuff.  I need to know I’m not alone.

I can at least say that it’s organized, and I know where most of it is. That’s got to count for something right?

We won’t talk about the other stuff that’s in the drawer or the fact that there’s another one just like it.  Let’s just all agree that it’s all worthwhile and that I need it!

I hope you have enjoyed something a bit on the lighter side.  I’m still unwinding from my last project and not quite ready for a new one.

Sometimes it’s just more fun to be mindless.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by.

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