Scrapbooks, Crafts, and Cards, Oh My!

Hey Everyone! It's finally here and I am so HAPPY, F.R.I.D.A.Y!!! Now I have a chance to stay up late, catch up on shows with the hubby, and craft to my heart's content. I recently got a few new stamp sets that I've been dying to try out but haven't had the time. So I will take the opportunity this weekend to do just that and I will post the results of my labor. Which brings me to this point in regards to crafting of any type, COST. We all know that crafting can be a pretty costly affair. A few weeks ago, I went to a local craft store and was shocked at the prices for some popular items. I went in with a gift card for $25 and walked out with a small bag filled with 7 small things. The first thing hubby said was, " That's all you got?". To which I replied, "Yup, this was all my gift card could afford me" and I walked out feeling robbed, sort of. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has felt this way after a craft run. The one solution I can offer is the WEB. Ebay has become my new best friend when it comes to buying crafting supplies that I either need or want. I have purchased everything from the new stamp sets I got, to cricut cartridges, premade cards and embellishments. Buying online I feel is the way to go if you want a better deal and make your money go farther. I will do a comparison of two of the stamp sets I bought online to the craft store retail price:

                                                                                     Online                                 Store
Martha Stewart Stamp Around the Page                   $5.00 w/                             $14.99 +
Floral Stamp set                                                       free ship                                  tax

Inkadinkado Garden Flowers Stamp set                   $5.00 w/                              $11.99+
                                                                                  free ship                                 tax

          I think its pretty self explanatory that in the end I saved a ton buying online. And let's be honest stamp sets whether they are the clear acrylic or wood mounted are pricey. They start upwards from $5.99 - $29.99. And those numbers can vary from store to store. Now I will say that I haven't purchased any paper stacks from Ebay but Jo-ann's always has good deals on theirs. They even have checkout coupon codes that you can use on your order to save even more money. A few months back, I purchased 2 DCWV paper stacks (180 sheets per stack) for $9.99 each. I thought I hit the cardstock lottery when I found that deal! The best part is once you order from them, they send you sales flyers with coupons that you can use online or in-store. I think that's pretty awesome! If you really want to get into crafting but are turned off by the cost, just try comparing prices from different sites online and find the one that works with your budget in mind.

Wow, I think I surprised myself a little there, I'm no Warren Buffet, but if there is a deal to be had, I'm there. Before I forget, Here is another christmas card I made.

 

I will post the tools I used to make this Ornamnet Card this weekend. But in the meantime, send me your comments, I would really love to hear from you and feel free to post any holiday projects that you have been working on. Well I will end this post here and wish everyoine a Happy T.G.I.F and a crafty weekend! Peace!