I’m so glad you’re joining me for this episode, as I am sharing a big announcement, as well as talking about one of my favourite things … Rule of Three.
Last week I made a really big decision, which led to a big announcement this week … it’s time for me to close my shop. You can see my full announcement video on the home page, and most recent blog post (linked below). I will likely unpack this in a future podcast episode, but for now, I’m still processing it all, preparing for the first round of price reductions, and up to my eyeballs in orders. The last day to shop will be 31st August 2025, I start price reductions tomorrow, and the closer it gets to closing, the lower prices will go. I’ve added a wish list feature to the shop so I encourage you to create a list of all the things you want, check your stash, refine what you add to cart, and decide whether you grab it now, or risk missing out later. International folk can email or DM me with wish lists and I’ll be happy to send a postage quote. I am hopeful that every item in the shop will find itself a new, crafty home, because it would be such a waste to leave them languishing in a box in my garage, gathering dust. Closing the shop got me thinking a lot about how we use our products, inspiration, motivation and perfectionism. Then this morning the group chat for Homemade Cards for Seniors Australia collection points really got me thinking about giving our products longevity. And I know two big ways we can do that … Rule of Three, and destashing.
I know that I have mentioned Rule of Three before, especially in Episode 35 (Cost vs Value), but I’m going to talk about it again. If you’re unfamiliar with this concept, it’s a little game I like to play when I am looking for new ways to use craft supplies I already have, or purchasing new supplies. It works best for re-useable products, like stamps, dies and stencils, however it can work for consumable products like Simon Hurley Lunar Pastes, brads, foil, stickers, etc. It’s less useful for non-perishable supplies like yarn, embroidery thread or fabric, however that’s not to say that you can’t make a purchase without considering what you’re going to do with it. These days, I always think about different ways I can use the product … like three different people I would make a card for, three different colour schemes, three techniques or three occasions. Sometimes I struggle to think of many ways to use a set, but other times I come up with way more than three. Let’s see Rule of Three in action.
Let’s take this stamp set, for example … Tall Stems by Gina K Designs. When considering whether I will purchase this set for the shop, or for my personal stash, I play Rule of Three.
Three Techniques
1. Gold heat emboss the flowers and a simple sentiment on black cardstock.
2. Use a blending brush to tap a rainbow of colours across the stamps left to right, or ombre from dark to light, top to bottom.
3. Stamp flowers up high on the card and cut around the top of the design to create a shapely top edge.
Three Occasions
1. Mother’s Day
2. Sympathy
3. Encouragement
Three Colour schemes
1. Pastel pinks, blues and greens
2. Vintage – sepia and neutral tones
3. Wedgewood China Blue & white
I mentioned consumables, and gave the example of the gorgeous Simon Hurley Lunar Paste. Pastes, gels, paint, sprays and inks are a special kind of craft consumable, in that they are likely to dry up or evaporate at some point in time. When you make the purchase, it’s good to have a plan for it,and you know I like to say … use it often, use it all. That jar is going in the bin at some point, and as someone who has thrown away MANY half-full tubes and jars of paint, glitter gel and painting mediums, I can tell you that I feel SO GUILTY because I didn’t use it all. Just regret all round! So now, I make a plan. Let’s take this Lunar Paste for example, and play Rule of Three.
Techniques
1. Apply over a stencil
2. Water it down and paint with it
3. Apply over the top of raised embossing
4. Stamp with it
5. Finger painting
6. Apply to plain cardstock, then die-cut from it
7. Apply to a section of die-cut pieces for shimmer and shine
Just because I call it Rule of Three doesn’t mean you have to stop at three! Once inspiration starts flowing, keep on going! You can also do a quick Google search for ideas, or if you see a new idea for a product you already have, add it to the list!
I know that the more ideas I come up with, the more likely I am to use the set or product, and therefore, get more value from it. I also write these ideas down, because I have a shocking memory, and that is primarily what inspired me to create a Rule of Three notepad! I designed it a few years ago for one of my limited edition boxes, and I still have some available in the shop. One day I will probably get around to designing a printable version, but let’s get through the next couple of months first!
If you are attending a craft show, or hitting your local craft shop, take your notepad and play rule of three when considering purchases. Same goes for shopping online. I don’t know about you, but I see a product, I have a flood of ideas, and by the time I get home from the shop (or show), or my order arrives in the mail, I’ve forgotten why I ordered it. However, if I jot down all of those ideas, I can slip the ideas sheet into the back of the packet, and the ideas will be there next time I sit down to craft. If you want to get super technical about it, you could pop a little sticker on the top corner of the pack so that you know there is a Rule of Three ideas sheet in there. This is super helpful for those times you sit down to craft, but inspiration eludes you. Instead of wasting your crafting time scrolling Pinterest, you can grab a set where past-you made notes for future-you, and get crafting.
If you want to play this game on Advanced Mode, there is a space on the Rule of Three notepad where you can jot down how much you paid for the set, and then make a check-mark every time you use it. That will give you an idea of how much use you are really getting from your sets, and show you at a glance which ones you reach for the most. It’s all information … use it as you will. Lastly, I included a little arrow in the bottom right corner. If you write extra ideas or draw sketches on the back of the sheet, circle the arrow so that you know to flip the page for more inspiration.
When I was at Picture to Page Pakenham in May, we played Rule of Three with people who were trying to decide on a purchase. I got to see people embrace the concept in real time, and it helped them a lot when they were trying to make decisions.
Of course, Rule of Three is not just for new purchases … it is incredibly helpful when you’re going through your stash and trying to make a decision about what to keep, and what to destash (we talked about the Craft Stash in Episode 40). And I would like to remind you that one crafter’s destash is another crafter’s treasure! While it feels like there is this constant pressure to have the latest product, sometimes there is a little destash album on a random crafty Facebook group, or a shop that’s closing down (just saying … last day to shop is 31st August at dawnlewis.com.au), that’s full of gems, retired long ago. They are still full of life … and they might be just the thing you’ve always wanted, but never been able to find! I can give a personal example of this … Easter cards. I have never made Easter cards, therefore I have never owned any Easter-themed products. However, I am a collection point for Homemade Cards for Seniors Australia, and one of the card themes that we make and distribute to Aussie Seniors is Easter. Sure, I have some products that I can use that aren’t strictly Easter themed, but it essentially gave me permission to finally indulge in an Easter stamp set! If you find yourself in a similar situation, where you need something niche like that, but don’t necessarily want a huge 6” x 8” stamp set, go check out the sales, the bargain tables, the destash groups … and turn it into something that puts smiles on faces. And when you’re done with it, and moving on to something new, destash it so that it can continue to do good work.
Speaking of moving on to something new, that is what I am doing by closing my shop. As I step back from retail, I see myself leaning more into education and inspiration for crafters. I will have more time to write and record podcast episodes, create classes & courses, and make videos so I’m excited about that.
I hope that you have found some ideas and inspiration in this episode to give new life to your craft supplies. If you would like to learn more about Homemade Cards for Seniors Australia, there’s a link below, or you can click the ‘Cards for Seniors’ tab on the website.
Happy crafting, and I’ll see you next time
LINKS
Homemade Cards for Seniors Australia
Gina K Designs, Tall Stems stamp set