The Great Stash Bash December Kit

 Hello, everyone! Happy Tuesday and Happy December 1st! I can't believe that it is already December and that 2021 is just around the corner. The new month means it is time for a new stash bash kit!

The Great Stash Bash 2020 is a challenge that my friend Lisa and I have been doing this year. We have made it our mission to try to use up as much stash as we can this year.

Here's how it works: 

 On the 1st of each month, we will post a challenge prompt and the stash kit we have created following that prompt. During the month we will try to use as much of our stash kit as possible on different projects. Then, on the last day of the month, we will do a recap post showing what stash we were able to bash! This will be a just-for-fun challenge so no monthly prize - but isn't the real prize using up our stash? You never know - if we still have a few unused stash items after a few months, then those items may just go into a giveaway. We hope you will join us in our quest to bash some stash in 2020. If you accept the challenge to play along - link up on either my blog or Lisa's blog (or both if you choose) so that we can see who is joining us each month! 

Since we are in December, let's have a little recap. I have not done nearly as much stash busting with my kits as I had thought - or had hoped - that I would! I seemed to do better with the "new" pieces in my kits than I did with the "old" - with the exception of my August kit. I actually managed to use the new papers and quite a few of my old papers - so much so that I was ready to stop working with it by the end of the month. 

January - May...well, I managed to make at least a couple of projects with each of these kits and at the end of the month I put everything back into my stash. From June until November - with the exception of August - I totally dropped the ball on using my kits, and the funny thing is those kits have some of my favorite papers in them! 

 Lisa and I decided to use December as a month to revisit those kits and see if we couldn't put them to use. We tend to pick out a total of 10 papers - 7 old and 3 new, 3 old embellishments, 1 new embellishment, and 5-7 scraps to work with, as well as one focus item. I have to say that I threw all of that out the window this month as I want to make a point to use as much of my past kits as possible. My December kit is a mega stash bash kit! 

Here's the graphic - not that it mattered for me!

Our focus stash item for December is chipboard! I don't have a ton of chipboard and what I have, well, I am not sure I will be able to incorporate into my layouts. I have some winter-themed chipboard, fall-themed chipboard, some summer-themed chipboard, and some old naked - or raw - chipboard. I may have luck with the summer-themed and naked chipboard, but anything else might be a challenge!

I did not snap a photo of my complete kit - it was so big - so I broke it all down into papers, then embellishments, then scraps, and finally some chipboard. Here are my papers:

I was a little surprised at how much the different kits coordinated together. I guess one take away from this challenge is I can tell the colors/patterns that I tend to gravitate to and use - mostly primary colors with basic prints!

Here is a break down of the papers:

These papers are what is left from my June kit. This is the kit that Lisa sent to me and I still love it! I did get a couple of projects made with the original kit, I have 5 full sheets left and then the black diagonal stripe and multi-color stripe are just partial pieces. I have ideas for projects - I just need to get them done!

Here is what is left of my July kit:

I used most of the new papers and all that is left is my "old" paper portion. This is one of my most favorite collections from Close To My Heart - Some Kinda Wonderful. I think that is my problem with not using this kit - I know once these papers are gone that they are gone for good - but it would be so much nicer to have them on a layout than collecting dust in a drawer, so I will use them up! The backside of a couple of the papers have pink on them and I am sure I will be using both sides of some of these papers.

Next are the papers from my September kit:

Once again, I used the new papers that I included in my September kit but the old papers were left. Another set of papers that I will be able to use both sides if I so choose.

Here is what is left of my October kit:

I don't even think that I used more than one paper from this kit, and the bad thing is, I have plans for layouts for most of it! I just ran out of time. Trying to finish a commissioned album these last couple of months has cut into me getting to scrap as much of my stuff as I would like. So, it's not that I don't like this kit, I just haven't had time to use it.

I am also keeping my November kit together since it is all Christmas 6x6 paper pads and I still have a need for a few cards and I hope to use some in my December Daily:

I pulled all of my embellishments together from these kits and here is a look at what I will be working with:

I have a few cut apart sheets:

The alphas:

The sticker sheets:

My scraps - which is quite a lot! There is an 8.5x11 page protector with scraps in it that I did not take out and scatter about:

The chipboard that I have pulled for this month (I had more than I thought!):

After pulling this chipboard, I have told myself that whatever naked - or raw - chipboard that doesn't get used this month, I think it is time for it to go. The pre-printed chipboard is just so much easier to use and I really can't remember the last time I even used raw chipboard in any way or form, so it is time for it to go! I will use what I can and get rid of the rest.

That is a pretty big stash kit to be working from! I do hope that by having all of these items mixed together that I will be able to mix and match and get the majority of this kit used up! As I said before, I have ideas for layouts or projects for a lot of these papers, I just need to make the time to get them done.

Now for the rules - Since this is a just for fun challenge the rules are not set in stone BUT we have them to help you focus on what really matters using your stash & to help spread the word of our fun challenge so others may join in!! You know you have at least one friend who needs to use her stash!! 

 Here are the rules: 

1. Follow the challenge prompt to create a kit to work with throughout the month. You may use other items, but please concentrate on using your kit. 

 2. Create new, not previously posted projects using your stash kit. 

3. If you have a blog - please include the challenge graphic and a link to our challenge in your posts. 

 4. You may link to social media if you don't have a blog. If you share on Instagram, please make sure to use - #lisaandlorisgreatstashbash2020 

Be sure to stop by Lisa's blog to see the kit that she has put together for this month. I don't think she is planning on going as big as I did, but we will see!

 I hope you are inspired to pull out some of your stash and play along with us. If you do play along with us - be sure to link up below. We would love to see your kits and your projects.

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