Being Addicted to Beads leads to a build up of bead paraphernalia.
I'm talking cloth bags, boxes, paper bags, plastic baggies, catalogues, ribbons, bookmarks, keyrings, sweets (no I'm joking these all get eaten - usually before the bead is even unpacked), padded envelopes, polishing cloths, bubble wrap, booklets, tissue paper and the list just goes on... if you can use something for marketing it's probably been used by a bead company.
Some of this paraphernalia is useful, especially the polishing cloths! I use my keyrings as they have detachable plastic coins you can use for shopping trolleys and gym lockers and bookmarks get used, in er, books,
I've been known to recycle the baggies, cloth bags and ribbons when sending beads to friends to make the package look prettier. I actually love the sense of ritual in getting a nice bead in the post or from the shop... but I've also been known to fly out the shop in a rush just clutching the actual bead.
I won't show you the full range of what I have... as despite trying to cut down on it, the sheer amount of it is a bit like counting your beads... I don't do it!
Some of this paraphernalia is useful, especially the polishing cloths! I use my keyrings as they have detachable plastic coins you can use for shopping trolleys and gym lockers and bookmarks get used, in er, books,
I've been known to recycle the baggies, cloth bags and ribbons when sending beads to friends to make the package look prettier. I actually love the sense of ritual in getting a nice bead in the post or from the shop... but I've also been known to fly out the shop in a rush just clutching the actual bead.
I won't show you the full range of what I have... as despite trying to cut down on it, the sheer amount of it is a bit like counting your beads... I don't do it!
What kinds of paraphernalia do you have in your house?
Or are you clutter free?!
I will never ever be able to claim I am clutter free! ;P Apart from loads of computers and other gadgets, I'm a crocheter, and I have a thing for picking up wool that I think I 'could' use in a project, so the paraphernalia in my house tends to be far too much wool and an overload of crochet hooks. :D
ReplyDeleteSophie
Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles
FB3X
Wittegen Press
One of my general "things I'd like to do this year" is get on top of my clutter, bead and other related... I'm slowly trying to move things out of the house at a rate faster than anything coming in.
DeleteI'm not sure I'd ever reach clutter free but I'd certainly like to be less cluttered!!
Mars xx
Your post reminded me that I still have the candies from my Faerybeads purchase. I need to find them before I forget about them again. I forgot about a package of TB jelly beans once for a few months and then they were a little stale when I remembered them.
ReplyDeleteI have far too many of the little bags though. For a while I was trying to keep just one of each kind, but then I started storing them in more than one place and it got a bit out of hand :\
I use up all of my polishing clothes though - mostly on the beads that I make.
Other than bead bits, I'm pretty good about not hanging onto things.
I found some TB orange chocolates in a padded enveloppe a while back - was obviously so excited about the bead I'd forgotten about them... which is rare as they usually get eaten before I've even unpacked the bead!! Luckily chocolate doesn't go off that quickly :D
DeleteMy bags are on my decluttering list... but can't face tackling that one just yet!
Mars xx
I have, the last few years, become less of a hoarder, and do a trip to the charity shop once a week with at least one bag of 'stuff'!
ReplyDeleteWith my scrapbooking it had got to a ridiculous level and I found that purchases in the early years of finding the craft were never used as my tastes evolved and set. So one giant bag to a friend who makes memory books for all her foster children, a couple of bags to my daughter's school, a couple to the school I was a governor at - and then a whole load sold at a car boot sale! On a plus at least everything I have now I use :) x
Impressed by the once a week charity shop trip, we have a few bags ready to go but haven't taken them yet but at least they are still packed and read to go!
DeleteInteresting what you say about early purchases in the early years of crafting, I definitely have a few of those in bead form - I have sold and passed some on but kept others as sometimes there is just that perfect bead for *that* project that comes from way back.
As I make and break my bracelets quite a lot I have still hung on to quite a few, plus I like looking at them, a bit like a dragon protecting it's treasure!
Mars xx
I like the baggies, I usually re-use them. The larger ones can double as dice bags... :D
ReplyDelete@TarkabarkaHolgy from
Multicolored Diary - Epics from A to Z
MopDog - 26 Ways to Die in Medieval Hungary
The small clear plastic sealable ones (no pics of these but like miniture sandwich bags) I might have found a new use for, apparently you can use them like icing bags to pipe glue into small places and it keeps the glue from setting whilst your working. I haven't tried it yet but I wanted to finish my last session of beads so I can core them in one go.
DeleteMars xx
I wish we were clutter free. I like to travel light and do not hesitate to give something to Goodwill if it sits and collects dust.
ReplyDeleteYep being clutter free is definitely something I aspire to, I am slowly tackling it one draw/shelf/cupboard at a time, got a few bags to go to charity... just need to take them!!
DeleteMars xx
What a brilliant tip about the shopping trolleys!!!
ReplyDeleteUsing it does take the logo off but I was never bothered about that, I've managed to pick up another one so I can always keep one for "best" - not sure how that helps with the decluttering though ;)
DeleteI always find myself without a £1 coin for lockers and trollies so it does come in very handy!
Mars xx