Well I have to say I love to scrapbook and have many a "toy" for the purpose of creating that special page.  Currently my favorite toy is my Sizzix machine.  Although there is a new machine on the market that I have my eye on, it is way out of my budget for the time being.  Perhaps after I have sold some more pre-made pages and albums it will be my next large purchase. 

I have now taken to searching for unusual items to incorporate on my pages.  Always making the most of hubby's trips to the hardware store or other male dominated locations I keep my eyes out for small metal tags, washers, clips or odds and ends that could possibly be used.  Found some tiny thin washers for only pennies a piece and they have worked out great.  Can put larger brads through them or tie ribbon or other fibres.  They are great to use behind items to give depth to a page. 

Found some great coloured paperclips at the surplus store, along with thin plastic placemats that can be cut to make tags and accent pieces.  Some poker chips and small playing cards, plastic bingo markers the kind that come in pack of 100 or more for a dollar are great to give some POP to your lettering.

The Dollar stores have become a great place to find items too.  Buttons, beads and charms are quickly finding there way into my ever growing collection of items. 

Of course the problem does come up if you want everything to be completely archival safe.  Keeping embellishments away from contact with your photos is important.  Although anything and everything can be incorporated onto a page, my trusty PH testing pen gets a good work out on anything questionable.  I do still find myself buying multiple packages of cardstock, paper and stickers when they go on sale at my craft store as there are just some things that you want only the best on your layout. 

With so many choices and big brand names to choose from it is easy to spend way too much money on this "hobby".  Okay maybe Addiction is a better word for it, probably a 12 X 12 step program out there to "cure" me but for now I am loving making great pages for my family and those who also enjoy my work on EBAY. 

So every other night or so I pull out all the supplies, clean off all the flat surfaces in the house and just get creative.  Pull out all the embellishments, die cut machine, paper cutters, stampers, rubber stamps, punches, pens, pencils, chalks, glues, multiple pairs of scissors, paper, cardstock, specialty papers, more and more paper and cardstock.  (I must have enough now to do 100 albums and still have leftovers.)  Get out the tubs of buttons, beads, ribbon and fibres, along with all the other goodies I have and just have FUN. 

With the kids in bed and my cup of tea off to the side, (don't want to mess up my scrapbooking goodies) I set to work on another 2 page layout.  Perhaps the "Pretty in Pink" pages that I had started to collect items and papers for, maybe the "Catching Butterflies" page with lovely shades of purples.  Or perhaps back to the smaller scale paper bag albums I have been working on. 

So much to do and so little scrapping time.  Well can't be scrapping and writing so off to scrap for a bit.  Got an idea for a soccer paper bag album I want to make for a friend.  

HAPPY SCRAPPING,  from ooaktreasures   : )