Let me demonstrate how much I can spend on craft supplies...

So for a couple years now my dear friend Rachel has been a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. It's been a lot of fun going over to her house every month or so or her even coming to my house to play with craft stuff. Over this time I've gotten a decent supply of SU supplies. I got a Big Shot on a good deal they had a while back for hostesses and now have a few stamp sets, Big Shot dies, punches, the envelope board etc etc. She seems to enjoy it so I had kind of considered becoming a demonstrator myself. Maybe it was the fact that she got to go to these fun catalog release things and I felt jealous. Maybe it's getting a discount on craft supplies or just earning money to use to buy what I'd like. Or that I've always wanted to host crafternoons and such. We used to have a "book club" (in apostrophes because we seldom got through a book together) that met every week or so and I really miss it.

I've always been a bit suspicious of direct sales but I think having friends selling things I wanted has helped me change my mind on that. If it's a product I want to buy that is well made I'd much rather support a friend if given the choice. Plus the buying whole process is more pleasant when it's folks you like to hang out with anyways. I did kind of used to hate it when I'd get invited to a party of some sort and was pretty sure I didn't want or need anything but wanted to go to support my friend and spend time with them. I'd usually try to find a little something to buy.

It also has helped to see that you can do this without pressuring or guilting friends, I like that a lot. Personally guilt has never been a great motivator for me anyways.

I think if I could have any job it would be working for myself in some kind of crafty endeavor. Perhaps this will be a stepping off point for me to get moving on that with a little help from an established brand. Maybe I'll learn more business skills and more about selling which I'm not sure has ever been my gift.

I know I won't be quitting my day job, so don't think not purchasing is going to deprive me of anything except perhaps more craft supplies which my partner and son would say I have enough of anyways.

 I hope to mostly have fun with it and if I can provide a quality product to people who want them anyways, why not? I assure you, I won't encourage you to blow your grocery money on craft supplies and will always give my honest opinion on which things I think are the best items to purchase. I won't pressure you to buy anything but may only ask you to bring a snack or drink to share or pay a materials fee cost.

So I hope it's a win-win for everyone involved.

Here is a link to my shop. They are having a great end of year close out sale right now.