Purchased standard supplies

I always have some purchased supplies on hand for any type of project. The basics, the stuff needed to create the basic product:

• glues – E6000, hot glue, wood glue, and others
• tape – masking tape, painters tape, duct tape, packing tape, scotch tape, and I’m sure there are others
• wood – tons of scraps and typically a couple 2″x4″s and some 1/4″ plywood
• screws, nuts, bolts, anchors, hinges – all that stuff, lots of it and more
• fabric – to me, fabric is like paint – you don’t get ready to do a painting and say, “Hmmm I think I’ll go buy some green, red, purple, fuchsia, and maybe…” No, you always have many colors available so you can paint anything. Well, that’s the way I am with fabric. I have many colors and patterns available all the time so when I want to sew I just grab what I need.
• sewing accessories: I always have the staples on hand, like thread, elastic, velcro, and zippers (I love making bags with zippers so I have a pretty nice stash of those)
• beads – pretty much like fabric, plus I see cool beads and just have to have them because I’m sure I’ll think of something to do with eventually (actually, the same goes for fabric).
• clay – I’m experimenting with clay. I try to always have some paper clay on hand and I’m trying to learn about any cheaper alternatives. So there’s clay around.

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Purchased accessories or embellishments

Now, these supplies come from all over. I get some of them at hobby stores or on Amazon, but the best stuff is from resale places like garage sales, charity stores, or the Restore. I love the Restore. The great thing about finding these in these places is I usually end up re-purposing these finds, which is creative, fun, and rewarding.

These are the types of things I might have in my staff:

• animal figurines
• artificial flowers, moss
• pieces of jewelry, knobs, handles

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And the truly repurposed elements

This category warms my heart. Some are easier to come by than others. Some take a lot more creativity to figure out how to re-purpose them.

• branches – I’m having so much fun with branches, large and small
• pinecones
• plastic – you never know when a piece of plastic might come in handy
• fabric – they may be from old clothes, towels, or sheets
• empty thread spools