There’s a sort-of joke between crafters about how, really, it’s two hobbies: Collecting supplies, and Using them. I read or heard the other day of a craft STABLE: STash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy.

It’s very easy, especially when you’re just starting out along the Crafter’s Path, to get carried away, to feel like you need EVERYTHING. All of it. Every colour in every ink set. Every stamp, and matching die. Every stencil. Every pretty paper. Every ball of yarn or embroidery kit. To be fair, a lot of crafting companies don’t help, with new collections or colours or papers being released with, it seems, ever-increasing frequency. And the monthly magazines.

A bit like readers, and their libraries, with the pile of To Be Read books growing considerably faster than the books are read. Yes, I have problems with my books, spilling further out of their shelves every time I blink.

Crafting, though, seems to attract two personalities: the Magpie, who can’t resist any glittery sparkle which catches the eye; and the Dragon, who hoards every scrap of paper no matter how tiny. Rare, I suspect, is the crafter who doesn’t fall into one or other category. Pity the crafter who falls into both, and who also suffers the double-whammy of a small crafting space and therefore a lack of storage room. I read or heard recently something along the lines of: the best way to stay organised is to not have stuff to organise. Probably said by a minimalist with no hobbies. But I appreciate the sentiment: it would be much easier to keep my craft space organised if I didn’t have quite so much stuff.

Given both unlimited space and unlimited funds, and also the time to use the supplies, my natural inclination is to be a Magpie Dragon, especially with papercrafting supplies.

Which means that organising my small crafting space this summer is going to be – what shall we say? – fun.

Fortunately, my embroidery threads, kits and patterns are already comparatively compact and organised, filling only one Kallax cube, really. Ditto my yarn stash. If you don’t count my project bag, which I don’t. And my fabric stash only fills the (admittedly large) chest in the hall.

It’s the papercraft stuff which is really out of hand. Because, by themselves, they don’t seem to take up that much space. Altogether, however, is another story. Because papercrafting uses so many different tools and items, besides the patterned paper and cardstock itself. Ink pads (dyes and pigments), stamp sets, die sets, embossing folders, embellishments, glitter and sequins, adhesives, blending brushes, punches, ribbons, colouring pencils (watercolour and normal), pens (alcohol and water-based), stamping blocks and/or platforms, trimmers and scissors, washi tape. Honestly, the list seems endless.

And, going through my collection, even when I haven’t used something, I think But maybe I will. What if, once I’ve got rid of it, I suddenly discover a use or think of a project?

Chances are, if I haven’t yet, I won’t, but dare I take that risk? Would you?

Of course, I do know it’s not a matter of life or death to purge my supplies. I know it’s not the end of the world, and I can probably find whatever it is again (on eBay if not in the shops), but still.

I’m being as ruthless as possible, without just chucking the lot and starting again, which is sometimes what I feel like doing. It’s difficult: some things, though I haven’t used them, are just pretty. Maybe I will use them. Or I’ll just look at them.

I’m getting better at tossing the paper-scraps. I don’t need to keep every last piece: I have plenty of card, I won’t run out if I need a bit for a sentiment or to cut out an images.

And every time I get an email offering exciting deals of shiny new things, I think: do I already have something similar in the stash? Do I REALLY need it? Is it really a deal – if I wouldn’t buy it at full price, why would I just because it’s on offer?