I have been a hoarder of paper ever since I discovered scrapbooking, particularly paper collections. I just couldn't bear to cut into those gorgeous patterns for fear of messing them up. Despite knowing it was a complete waste to have them lying on the shelf in my scraproom, sealed in their original wrapping, I still couldn't take that first step to using them.
All that has changed though. I have chopped up all the sheets of the Crate Paper Portrait papers I was intending to use for an album of our wedding snaps but which I hadn't done anything about for over a year.
How have I managed this? I took an online class from Shimelle called Perfect Collection and I cannot recommend it enough if you need a virtual bravery pill to start using up those piles of beautiful papers you have.
It might seem a back-to-front way of approaching making layouts but it is effective. I've made all my foundation pages, put them in page protectors with the photos I'm planning on using and I'm now starting to make those pages up. And even better, it took no time at all, once I got into the groove.
If you've got the time, and the piles of paper, take the class.
Here's some of the pages I've completed and some that are works-in-progress: