PHOTO UPDATES for Mechanical Library Date Stamp Art Journal Travel Map Documentation Camp Letters Home & Anniversary Scrapbook! The Destiny of Things, Story 556- 559

PHOTO UPDATES for Mechanical Library Date Stamp Art Journal Travel Map Documentation Camp Letters Homw & Anniversary Scrapbook!  The Destiny of Things, Story 556-559

Thank you Etsy buyers for sharing your stories and photos!  Much appreciated!  BEFORE:

As you can see below, Etsy buyers use this stamp much more creatively than I ever have!

Mechanical library date stamp, available here.

Photo via Hoarder Rehab

STORY 556:

I’m gonna use it to date my sketchbooks so I know when I start and finish them!

Very nice way to document one's art using a mechanical date stamp!  So many details to look at!  Lov the blue designs on both pages!  The date is stamped in the upper right hand corner.  I'd like to see the book of prompts!

Love the cute little animal at the bottom corner!

Photo via artistic Etsy buyer from Hoarder Rehab, thank you!

STORY 557:

I’ve been using your date stamp on our travel map -love it!!

Love it too, especially the colors!  Where did you find that brown map?

Thank you for another creative idea of how to document with this date stamp!

Photo via traveling Etsy buyer from JunkDrawerAndMore.

I love how the compass stamp marks the spot in black with the travel map date documentation is in red.  And I especially love how it all looks on the brown background of the map!  Wonderful idea!

STORY 558:
I bought this stamp for an anniversary scrapbook I’m creating! My partner is an avid book reader and for the table of contents in the scrapbook, I also bought library due date cards. I plan on stamping the dates of our dates onto the library card! I can’t wait to use it. Thank you!!

Another great idea for an anniversary scrapbook!  I'd love to see the table of contents from using a library due date card.  Perfect for any avid reader to document anything!

Since I can't see hers, here is one I found as an example of how to use a mechanical date stamp!

 This would also be fun for documenting your first baby or grandchildren.  Date of birth, teething date, first word, first steps, etc.  One would need a lot of library due date cards, if it went all the way to college!  Photo via internet.

STORY 559: 

Hi Kennedy! I just purchased a date stamp from your Etsy shop and just got it in the mail! I was happily surprised to see such a personal note inside that you hand wrote, one of the reasons I love buying from Etsy!! 

I purchased the stamp because in June I am going to be leaving for 8 weeks to work at a summer camp on the east coast as a camp counselor! The camp is very traditional and the preferred way of communication with family back home is with hand written letters! So I thought it would be fun to buy a few thing to spruce up my letters to my family and friends back home while I am away! I can’t wait to use the stamp! Thank you again and good luck on all of your future endeavors.

I hope our world will be back to normal by then, so she gets to use the stamp in June as a camp counselor!  As you see below, it's how I spruce up my little "thank you" note to Etsy buyers!  Along with a bunch of hoard samples from our shops!

Photo via Etsy buyer story 559, thank you!

Saying Goodbye:  This is one of my teaching hoard items that has turned into one of our "best sellers" on Etsy, so I call it a "rehoard" item.  I actually do have to hoard this item because it sells out quickly!

What I Learned:

1.  I am so thankful that Etsy buyers are friendly and thoughtful and will take the time not only to share their stories, but to send updated photos!  Photos from Etsy buyers are my all time favorite!  Pretty soon from all their support, I'll be able to write a book named, "100 & 1 Ways to Use a Date Stamp!" 

2.  Here are a couple more ideas from Etsy buyers long past:  So excited to use this for letters and cards to loved ones!!, for library themed parties, crafting, and glue book documentation.  Phew, I think I'm finally caught up on date stamp stories from Etsy buyers.  I think I have about 30 more other different stories to go!  Thank you Etsy buyers!

3.  When I was teaching I used to use that date stamp daily.  It makes a good and practical teacher gift too, since teacher document a lot!  Students need to write their name and date so many times a day that I used to pass this date stamp around with an ink pad to make it a little more fun and as a reminder, plus I think it looks good!

Now I use it at least 3x a week to stamp the date on all my little "thank you" packaging notes that go out to Etsy buyers with a little sample of hoard items, they can order at our shops.  It's a fun little package to open, especially for children and those who junk journal.  One Etsy buyer said his niece was more interested in the goody package than what he actually purchased!  Several Etsy shop owners have let me know they use it for thank you notes and invoices too!

When I was trying different alternatives to hoarding, I made a lot of washi tape art and would date stamp the day it was made.  Washi tape art didn't stick with me and yes!  I have hoards of washi tape to figure out how to use!  I'd like to start art journaling, however, right now I'd rather be stitching!

Thank you Etsy buyers for sharing all your stories and taking the time to take photos!  I just love them and keep them coming with photo updates!  Your inspiration keeps me motivated to keep on with my Hoarder Rehab!

It also reminds me to stop my retail therapy ways when I get stressed or drama happens in my life and to either blog, list more items on Etsy or to keep mending!  A stitch a day keeps the hoard away!

Thankfully many of my washi tape art pieces have gone on to "forever" homes, but I still have several and here is one that's still listed here.  This one wasn't, but many of my washi tape art were inspired by Gee's Bend strip quilters, here.  Photo via The Destiny of Things

I'm still adding new listings weekly to reach my goal of 185 listed items per shop.  Thankfully hoard keeps finding new "forever" homes!  Thank you Etsy buyers!  Sales are up or actually back to what they used to be from earlier last year, which is interesting.

This also may be interesting for some Etsy shop owners out there.  Since I have 5 different shops, I run a lot of different experiments.  One of my latest ones was to see which sells better, "free shipping" or not.  The "not" I call transparent shipping because everyone can see the shipping costs.   At one shop I have the date stamp listed as free shipping and at another shop I have it without free shipping and both are at the same price.  Guess which ones sells more?  The one with transparent shipping sells a whole lot more!  I tried with other of our best seller items too with the same results.  I could go on and on about all the experiments I've tried, lol, but that's another story!

I also changed one shop to almost all "free shipping" and sales were not as active, so now I'm in the process of changing it back to mostly transparent shipping, except for items over $35 due to Etsy's shipping guarantee policy.  As an Etsy shop owner, Etsy life is a whole lot easier with "free shipping."  Unless you have a return policy, not sure how that works....

My goal for our new shop, Mending Ways was 32, so now my new listing goal for that shop is 40 listings total!  I have at one new stitched pocket on a up-cycled top to finish listing. I have definetly been procrastinating on listing that one!  I have another batch of patches to take photos to list next week, a small cell phone bag I'm working on and some amulet ideas have been rolling around in my head for some time now! 

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed weekly: HoarderRehab with 185 items, The Destiny of Things- 180 items, VintageToGoEasy - 177 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 181 items.   And now, Mending Ways with 35 items!

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  All lookieloos are appreciated! 

 These patches were really fun to make while trying out some neon yellow thread that ended up looking a bit chartreuse against the ombre indigo backgrounds, available here.  

Photo via Mending Ways

What have you been hoarding lately?  I hope it's not TP and hand sanitizer! lol  I've been hoarding some beautiful time worn fabrics for more patches and hopefully larger textile art projects!

Related Stories:

1. 2020 New Year Mechanical Library Date Stamp Mixed Media Art Junk Journal Planner & More: The Destiny of Things, Story 550-553 

2. Last year's rubber date stamp inspiration:  2019 Date Stamp Journal Inspiration: The Destiny of Things, Story 532  

3. Inspiration, Ideas & Uses for 2018 Library Date Stamp: The Destiny of Things, Stories 518-524

4.  Wedding Crash Cards Mechanical Date Stamp: The Destiny of Things, Story 496 

5.  Date stamping your fresh eggs story, here 

6. Mechanical Date Stamper 2016 for Mixed Media Art & Mini Signs:  The Destiny of Things, Story 364 & 365 

7.  A kindergarten teacher saving time using this date stamper, here!  A "destiny as infinity" story!

8.  For scrapbooks, Mechanical Rubber Date Stamper:  The Destiny of Things, Story 19 

9.   Office Stamper by Night and Craft Stamp by Day:  The Destiny of Things, Story 199

10.  Christmas and New Year's rotary date stamp inspiration:  Christmas Cards Library Date Stamp Style: The Destiny of Things, Story 529 

"A stitch a day keeps the hoard away!"  Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!   Thank you for visiting my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!  

4 Leaf Clover Sashiko Mending Patches & St Patrick's Day Inspiration: Mending Ways, Story 12

4 Leaf Clover Sashiko Mending Patches & St Patrick's Day Inspiration:  Mending Ways, Story 12

This is my experiment of combining non traditional sashiko and St Patrick's Day!

Lazy daisy sashiko stitching is my usual fun way to stitch, but St Patrick's Day, I turned them into 4 leaf clovers.  I got the idea last June from a Street Mural I admire in Downtown Los Angeles, in a parking lot of Little Tokyo, which we call J-town or Japanese town.

Textile art patches, available here.  Photo via Mending Ways

I admit, my sashiko is very different than traditional sashiko, so I looked up the definition and I'm still within the sashiko boundaries!  Definition is from wikipedia:

Sashiko (Japanese: 刺し子, literally "little stabs" or "little pierce") is a form of decorative reinforcement stitching (or functional embroidery) from Japan that started out of practical need during the Edo era (1615-1868).

In the top two pieces, especially the first one, you can see how I experimented with random, yet repetitive four leaf clover sashiko.  The first two I used colors from the Ireland flag, green and/or orange.  And of course, the 4 leaf clover to add the luck o' the Irish!

I would love to make a whole piece with all connecting 4 leaf clover sashiko, but the kasuri indigo blue piece is so lovely with the hand woven white threads in it, I just couldn't bear to cover it up.

Textile art patches, available here.  Photo via Mending Ways

 This close up show how I attempted to connect different sized 4 leaf clover sashiko to make a random pattern.  I really like this and want to to stitch more!

By the second piece, I reminded myself that this was supposed to be a St Patrick's Day piece, so I added a little pinch proof green!

 I would say this is as far as I got for St Patrick's Day inspiration! 

Textile art patches, available here.  Photo via Mending Ways

It wasn't easy for me to keep the four leaf clovers all the same length!   All the patches are made free style without any patterns or anything.  I use to try using pencil to make even sashiko stitches, but it seems whatever I have planned gives way to the needle which insists on it's own journey!

I almost forgot, the street mural that gave me the idea to start lazy daisy and 4 leaf clover sashiko! You might have seen this before because I use it a lot for inspiration!

 Next time I go to J-town, I'll take a photo of the artist's name.  I originally was attracted to the sun because I think it would make the cutest patch and as I looked closer at all the details in this art, there is so much to try it and started with the easiest for me, the lazy daisy type stitching that can hold some other small scraps down onto a background.

How are you inspired this St Patrick's day?  Corn beef and cabbage soup does the trick for me, which my mom would make every St Paddy's day since childhood!  But creatively, it was very fun to try out these 4 leaf clover sashiko in green to celebrate the day when everyone is Irish! 

Happy St Patrick's Day!  How did you pinch proof yourself today?

Thank you for visiting my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!

Leather Wallet Textile Patch Storage Book: The Destiny of Things, Story 555

Leather Wallet Textile Patch Storage Book:  Mending Ways, Story 11

OH GOODNESS!!! An Etsy buyer has the most creative way to store mending patches!  Closed:

This is a loose stacked patch, meaning it's just tack stitched at each corner, so it can be easily taken a part and used for small patches and then embroidered over.
Photo via Etsy buyer

This looks like a regular lovely time worn vintage leather wallet, but wait, open it and look at all the compartments!  It's like an instant leather junk journal!  And I feel so overjoyed that this wallet is just for all my patches!  They all have a special place!

OPEN:

Want, want!  Where is the jealous button!

Photo via Etsy buyer

And what's inside?  Let's go take a looksee!

It holds many of my textile art patches she has ordered from me, over the years, similar evil eye protection heart ones, here, a tiny little book of Japanese boro scraps, here.

Photo via kind Etsy buyer

 This little wallet holds a lot!  She said it has 24 of my patches, plus several pieces of scrap fabrics I've wrapped her orders in or thought she might like to use one day.  We both love tattered, frayed and time worn cloth of any type!  Scrap photos below:

She's been working on patching a sweater from a photo we both happen to be inspired with, I can't find her patched sweater photo, but I could find the sweater that brings us both inspiration!

I sent her scraps, from the photo above this one, to patch up her sweater, like the one in the photo.  And I'm looking for a sweater in my hoard to patch up too!

Okay, so that's another story! 

 This Etsy buyer has generously supported me and my textile art patches through the years.  The top patch is one I personalized for her with her initial and she was one of the first to order one of my mandala patches!  More mandala patches, available here.

 Here is a scribble doodle patch peaking out and the tiny Japanese boro textile scrap book, here.

She requested a scribble doodle patch that had already sold, so I did my best to recreate it.

 It took me around 20 tries to make it look like the one she requested and oh what fun, it was with all of them!  But that's another story!  Scribble doodle patches, available here and here!

photo via Hoarder Rehab

Below is the latest patch she ordered and I think it's going on her screen collection!  She has this screen divider in her house and she has added a lot of different textile art collages and I think she has about 3-4 of my textile brooches on it already!  It's a very clever display because you can see both sides of all her textile art collages!  I have a photo somewhere!

 These are the latest patches she's ordered from my newer shop, Mending Ways.  There are a couple of blooming hearts still available here and lazy daisy sashiko katazome piece, you can barely see peeking out here. 

How do you store your textile art patches and other little scraps?  I've been trying to figure that out myself!  I need to see my scraps, otherwise, if it's in a cardboard box, it's "out of sight, out of mind" for me, so lately I've been trying different ways, but nothing as clever and fun as this wallet!

Right now I have a lot of my projects stored in either zip lock bags or old clear boxes from food containers and take out boxes.  I'll do a post on that one day!  Unless I find a more practical way to store them!

What I Learned:

1.  M has been one of my biggest supports of me and my textile art and now we've become friends!  She is such an inspiration and I need to get a move on posting all her stories of how she's been using my patches through the years!  Many thanks M for supporting my alternative to hoarding!

2.  Etsy buyers are one of my biggest inspirations of how many of my things are used.  Of course, I want to run out and buy a wallet like this one, but it looks like it would take a lot of time to find one like this and lately, I've been spending my patch money on more fabrics!  Crazy, right?  Like I don't have enough?  and then I end up using all the tiny pieces of scraps anyway!

Well, one day I do hope I can move on to larger textile art projects, but I'm slow moving in that arena!

3.  The time change is always a challenge for my insomnia, but this year, it only seemed to bother me for a couple of days and I'm back to normal.  My health is back on the mend from a slight set back from food allergies and I've been back stitching too!

 M ordered all these patches but patch #7 and that's the one I transformed by using more scraps and adding her initials.  So now all of these are in her wallet storage book or on her pocket pants!  Read and see the photo update of her pants using the textile art patches here!

Photo via Hoarder Rehab

Thank you so much M for honoring my request from a friend, who wanted to know what a wallet storage book for patches looked like!  She is going to be amazed with your creative idea and your patch collection!  And it was so fun to see for myself too!  I love how all my patches have a heartfelt space of their own and it's inspiring me to figure out how to organize all my boro scraps!

Thank you for always emailing with your latest projects, simple and complicated.  I enjoy everyone of them and I also love to see how you decorate your home with all your art projects!  Keep them coming!

Here are some patches like the one's of M's.  There are 4 available here.

Photo via Hoarder Rehab

I'm working daily to add new listings to reach my goal of 185-190 listed items per shop.  Thankfully hoard keeps finding new "forever" homes!  Thank you Etsy buyers! 

My goal for our new shop, Mending Ways was 24 listed items and then 32, so now my new listing goal for that shop is 40 listings total!  I have at one new stitched pocket on a up-cycled top to finish listing.  Plus 2 more batches of patches to list also.

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed weekly: HoarderRehab with 185 items, The Destiny of Things- 180 items, VintageToGoEasy - 177 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 181 items.   And now, Mending Ways with 35 items!   

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  All lookieloos are appreciated!

 Here are my latest listed patches, "Don't cry over spilled rice and making holes bigger."  Yes, some past and current drama in my life came up and I had to remind myself through stitching that I wouldn't even remember it after I finished these patches!  These patches have several layers, just like the memories of the past and a lot of spilled rice stab stitching sashiko with lots of room to add your own!  Available here

Photo via  Mending Ways

Related Stories:

1.  PHOTO UPDATE: My Textile Art Patch is Beautifully Slow Stitched to Mend a Dress! The Destiny of Things, Story 554

 2.  PHOTO UPDATE Mini Boro Textile Art Mending Patches on Pocket Pants Clothes Repair:  Mending Ways Story 9

3.  Stitching Repair Hot Pads:  Mending Ways Story 7

4.  All my Mending Ways Creative Outlets Hoarding Alternative stories, here.

What has inspired you lately?  I'd love to know and if possible send some pix! hoarderrehab@gmail.com 

 Here is one of man of my latest works in progress!  I'd love to see yours!

Thank you readers from all over the world who continue to support my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things by taking part with your visits!  

PHOTO UPDATE: My Textile Art Patch is Beautifully Slow Stitched to Mend a Dress! The Destiny of Things, Story 554

PHOTO UPDATE My Textile Art Patch is Beautifully Slow Stitched to Mend a Dress!  Mending Ways, Story 10

And it was stitched by a person who's never hand stitched before!  BEFORE:

Butterfly Kite  Patch on Purple Chrysanthemum Boro:  SOLD OUT!

More textile art patches and Mending Ways, here and Hoarder Rehab here.

Photo via Hoarder Rehab

This textile art patch with 6 more from Mending Ways and another 6 from Hoarder Rehab went all the way to Switzerland.  Your friend who has never hand stitched before did suchThank you M for supporting my alternative to hoarding!

M and I emailed a lot to each other, the experience was like finding a long lost friend.  The kind of friend you haven't seen in ages and you just pick up right where you left off.  So now I have a new friend in Switzerland!

Here is part of an email she sent me:

Thank you! ♥️ btw, a friend was mending for me yesterday. Too sick and my son ripped some pants... i had a hole in a dress, so she asked for a patch. She never stitched before and said, it was a revelation for her. She did good, right? 🙂

PS.  You INSPIRE us!!! My daughter now wants to try it too!

Did she do good?  She is not only a natural but an AMAZING stitcher!!!!  I love how stitching was a revelation to her!  Every patch I stitch is a revelation for me too.  Only a few come out how I imagine and the rest are such a delightful surprise!  

I would love to see the pants mended too!  Please and pretty please with sugar on top, send a photo of the mended patns!  Okay, I'm sure you want to see her slow stitch mending on the dress by now, so you can see her awesome beautiful first time patching!

So drum roll, please........ and WaLa!

My textile art patch is looking better than good on that dress!  "Superior," I say!  I totally get a Van Gogh Starry Night vibe from this beautiful perfectly imperfect mend!

photo from an Etsy buyer from Mending Ways

So I have a millions questions for M and her stitcher friend!  but I'll limit myself to three!  How long did it take her to stitch all that?  Was this free style stitching, meaning did she plan this or did it just come out this way? and how did it look after it came out of it's first wash?

Saying Goodbye:  I don't feel any anxiety or stress when one of my textile art patches find a new life and home, mostly likely because I know I can make another one, if I really wanted to.  And in the past I have gotten requests for a couple of patches, it's not always easy, but doable, however that's another story!

 1.  Both M and I have health issues that slow us down and often leave us fatigued, so it's nice to know that someone else out there has creatives outlet too and takes baby steps to start and finish projects!  And has friends to help inspire and mend, when M is too sick.  M loves to knit and I'd love to see some of her knitted projects, finished and/or works in progress.

2.  I hope M will have a full recovery and if not, at least be able to keep up with her creative projects and learn to cope in other fun inspiring ways.  M and her friend have definitely inspired me!  Most of my health issues are on the mend.  I haven't been blogging as much as I used to because I've been focusing more on my health, so now I hope I can get back to blogging because I have at least 20 stories back logged and several of them are from menders!

3.  What have I been doing for my health issues lately, instead of blogging?  I've been walking 1-3 times a day, usually when a friend calls me, I slip on my boots and chat with them while I walk.  I do yoga, breathing exercises and meditation twice daily.  I've also been sleeping a lot more and taking the correct vitamins for my adrenal fatigue.  I want to start sitting out in the sun more, now that it's getting warmer.

Sleeping in and napping has been my biggest challenge because I used to wake up at 3 am and be able to get so much more done, but now I wake up at 6 am and I seem to get a lot less done and am still tired a lot.  I also deal with insomnia, so it's difficult for me to nap wondering if I'll be able to get to sleep at night!  I know totally neurotic!  I've been working on that too!

 This was one of my first boro patches.  We didn't take a very good picture of this patch to show size, but it's about 4x4 inches.  

The butterfly kite is made from 2 pieces of hand stamped and hand torn ribbon trim from Homestead Treasures on Etsy.  It's difficult to see but I've used very tiny stitches in pink to hold the 2 pieces together and hold it on to the background fabric.  And the purple chrysanthemum fabric is some really thin boro, so if you are like me and like to watch your patches disintegrate and morph, so you can re patch, this type of patch is for you!  I have several patches made with this purple boro.

Actually, I take that back, I'll have to make some more using the purple boro, I think kawaii bunny rabbit #2 is the only one left now, here.  The kawaii cat ones have sold out.

Photo via Mending Ways

Thank you M from Mending Ways and Hoarder Rehab for sharing your mended dress and the delightful stitching of your friend!  She is a natural at mending!  Hope you continue to send me your stories and photos to post on here!  Thank you for your time, kindness and photo updates!  Keep them coming because even though I need to use my time more wisely to post more often, they keep me motivated and inspired to continue with my Hoarder Rehab!

I can't thank you enough M for all your emails, it's always nice to know we are not alone with our health issues and it's so inspiring and motivating to hear how others are using all kinds of creative outlets and projects to help get well!

You've also inspired me to try knitting or is it actually crocheting with my fingers!  I've found a YouTube tutorial on how to finger crochet a blanket in 1 hour and it actually looks like something I can do.  So many projects, so little time!

 I have 2 kawaii cat patches still available, the 2 with the purple misanthrope boro backgrounds have sold  and I've used all my peeking kawaii cat scraps, so I've been making them with the kawaii cute bunny rabbits.  The last 2 peeking kawaii cat patches are listed here.
Photo via Hoarder Rehab

I'm working almost daily to add new listings to reach my goal of 185-190 listed items per shop. I had reached my goal at all 4 shops!  Thankfully hoard keeps finding new "forever" homes!  Thank you Etsy buyers! 

My goal for our new shop, Mending Ways was 24 listed items and then 32, so now my new listing goal for that shop is 40 listings total!  I have at one new stitched pocket on a up-cycled top to finish up and list.  Plus 3 more batches of patches to list also.

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed weekly: HoarderRehab with 187 items, The Destiny of Things- 182 items, VintageToGoEasy - 179 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 180 items.   And now, Mending Ways with 31 items!   

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  Thanks for looking!  

These are my sidewalk muses using the purple chrysanthemum boro fabric, the beige pieces to make the snail bodies are also very thin boro fabrics, not sure how well these will hold up as utilitarian patches, they were made more in mind for totes and backpacks that don't get laundered much for for framing.  They were inspired by Misao Wada's book, who was a student of Ayako Miyawaki, but that's another story!  The top snail background is a rust dyed fabric by OfPrintThreadAndRust.   The bottom one is from my clothes from college.  The top snail is available here and the bottom one here.

More textile art patches and Mending Ways, here and Hoarder Rehab here.

Photo via Hoarder Rehab

Related Stories:

1.  PHOTO UPDATE Mini Boro Textile Art Mending Patches on Pocket Pants Clothes Repair:  Mending Ways Story 9

2.  Mini Boro Textile Art Mending Patches on Pocket Pants Clothes Repair:  Mending Ways Story 8

3.  Stitching Repair Hot Pads:  Mending Ways Story 7

4.  All my Mending Ways Creative Outlets Hoarding Alternative stories, here.

What has inspired you lately?  I'd love to know and if possible send some pix! hoarderrehab@gmail.com 

"Harmony.  It's not what's lasting or permanent.  It is about individual voices coming together for a moment.  And that moment lasts a length of a breath, or in my instance a transaction.  That's what I think about my time here."---Frank Underwood from House of Cards or in my case, I think it's "destiny, as well as harmony."

I love this quote so much because it relates to all the kind Etsy buyers I've met! 

Thank you readers from all over the world who continue to support my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things by taking part with your visits! 

2020 New Year Mechanical Library Date Stamp Mixed Media Art Junk Journal Planner & More: The Destiny of Things, Story 550-553

2020 New Year Mechanical Library Date Stamp Mixed Media Art Junk Journal Planner & More:  The Destiny of Things, Story 550-553

I've been trying to get this post together since the beginning of this month!  BEFORE:

NEW YEAR 2020-2028 retro library mechanical date stamp mixed media art vision boards junk journals calendar planner travel diary baby books.  At least 8 years of stamping fun, available here

Photo via VintageToGoEasy 

Incredible!  There are so many different ways that Etsy buyers have shared how to use this date stamp!  It's amazingly inspiring!  Let me count the ways.....  I'd say there are about 20 different ways and I hope I can remember them all!  Here is one with a photo update.... for her daily planner

AFTER:  I love how she stamped them on a separate piece of paper!

 Here is the note that came with: 

Absolutely lovely stamp! it came with a sweet note from the seller and a lil bag of shenanigans—including a small black ink pad (bless the lord, i did not have one). Thanks a million ;)

I need to start using a daily planner to get myself organized!  This has been great and well needed inspiration!  I've used a planner in previous years, but not so much last year and not at all this year, ho hum.  I won't resign myself to any more disorganization.  I am willing to get organized pronto!

Here is another story:

Finally have a minute to tell you what we are going to do with the stamp! My daughter has been given another after school program where she has a collection of "eye candy" books and she is using a big laundry basket filled with these books and she has been trying to get the children back into reading books so she lets them just grab and take them when they want them. The library uses a computer system to check out books (not a stamp) So she asked the kids if they would like to "Play Librarian" - we have many pockets and check out cards because we used to own a library and i had played this game with my kids... so we have put the cards and pockets in the books and they sign their names on the card and stamp it and put it in a card catalog drawer and then stamp the book and they LOVED the idea!!! Thanks for the starter stamp pad!!! ~L xoxo

Are kids and other students not reading books anymore?  Yikes!  I used this date stamp all the time when I was a teacher.  I used it for our class library too and had two librarian monitors for daily check outs.  I also had one at my desk for redundant paperwork, like field trip slips, referral slips, etc.  I also had one at home for correcting papers, especially going over homework when students forgot the date.  I also had one to pass around during SSR for their reading logs and SSW, Sustained Silent Writing during the beginning of the year, so students could get used to writing their name and date on each page.  Yes, I had plenty of these stamps handy!  I also had a couple saved as time saver teacher solutions and/or gifts to colleagues!

NEW YEAR 2020-2028 retro library mechanical date stamp mixed media art vision boards junk journals calendar planner travel diary baby books.  I love how the day date is first with the month in the middle and lastly the full numerical year, available here

Photo via VintageToGoEasy 

I've would love to use mine in mixed media art and used to use it to date the backs of some of my washi tape art.  I found this mixed media art display on the internet some where a couple of years ago, if anyone knows the artist please let me know, so I can link it to them or give them credit.

 Very inspiring to me!  I hope I can organized in time to make something like this for St. Patrick's day!  I love the box in a box!

Here is another note I received:

Can't wait to use this on my Polaroid photos! Cheers from Atlanta

 I would sure love to see his Polaroid photos with the date stamped on them!

 NEW YEAR 2020-2028 retro library mechanical date stamp mixed media art vision boards junk journals calendar planner travel diary baby books.  It's small, perhaps even considered travel sized and I like how one side of the handle is flat, so it's easy to stamp right side up, available here

Photo via VintageToGoEasy 

And another!

Thank you for all the little stickers & trinkets!! I adore. I am using this stamp to send letters to my aunt who lives in Germany. I live in Tx. She is the only family on my biological dads side I talk to! I keep up with her regularly and now I want to in a more permanent way! :-) thanks for your help!  

I am so happy to have helped someone stay in touch with their Aunt!  What a fun way to keep in touch!  Inspiring for happy mail, pen pals, thank you notes and any snail mail!  Thank you!

Saying Goodbye:   I'm on my second date stamp, my other one lasted 10 years!  My latest one I've had since 2012 and will the year will end 2023.  I use mine to stamp all my "thank you" notes on Etsy orders that go out every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  I'm not the only one, other Etsy sellers have let me know that's how they use theirs too!

What I Learned:

1.  Etsy buyers are so creative!  Let me count the ways.... an Etsy buyer uses hers by day at her office job to stamp out going bills and by night with her crafting.

2.  Another used hers for "crash" invites when her wedding invites arrived with the wrong date on them.  Of course, many have used them for "save the date" weddings and other celebrations, like build a library baby showers, bookworm birthday parties and book club and library parties.

3.  All kinds of journal entries from junk journals, travel journals, glue books and bullet journals.

4.  On the more unusual side, one Etsy buyer uses them to date the eggs on her farm!

One of my favorite ideas from an Etsy buyer on JunkDrawerAndMore

5.  Others have used them for teaching and their reading logs, crafting and library themed card making!

Hope you have gotten as inspired as I am now!  But I really need to get organized again because my hoard of textiles and other craft supplies have taken over my life without me!  And I've been very challenged lately with finding stuff, even some items listed in the shops!  Yikes!

Thank you all Etsy buyers who have and continue to send me your stories to post on here!  Thank you for your time, kindness and photo updates!  Keep them coming because even though I need to use my time more wisely to post more often, they keep me motivated and inspired to continue with my Hoarder Rehab!

I also love this journal idea I found on the internet, but my rubber stamp collection is now way out of control, so out of control that I have several boxes of stamps and I know where they are, but I can't seem to find the stamps I have in mind to use!  More motivation to get organized again!

I'm still working almost daily to add new listings to reach my goal of 185-190 listed items per shop. I had reached my goal at all 4 shops!  Thankfully hoard keeps finding new "forever" homes!  Thank you Etsy buyers! 

My goal for our new shop, Mending Ways was 24 listed items and then 32, so now my new listing goal for that shop is 40 listings total!  I have at one new stitched pocket on a up-cycled top to finish up and list next week. 

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed weekly: HoarderRehab with 184 items, The Destiny of Things- 186 items, VintageToGoEasy - 183 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 182 items.   And now, Mending Ways with 33 items!   

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  Thanks for looking!  

I really like this simple neutral toned journal look and would like to try doing this daily.  Must get organized first, stuff is piling up, getting lost and getting in the way of my life!  True hoarder code:  if it's getting in the way of your life, it's time to fix it!  Next post I'll share how I am going to fix it!

Related Stories:

1.  Last year's rubber date stamp inspiration:  2019 Date Stamp Journal Inspiration: The Destiny of Things, Story 532

2.  Christmas and New Year's rotary date stamp inspiration:  Christmas Cards Library Date Stamp Style: The Destiny of Things, Story 529

3. Inspiration, Ideas & Uses for 2018 Library Date Stamp: The Destiny of Things, Stories 518-524

4.  Wedding Crash Cards Mechanical Date Stamp: The Destiny of Things, Story 496 

5.  Date stamping your fresh eggs story, here 

6. Mechanical Date Stamper 2016 for Mixed Media Art & Mini Signs:  The Destiny of Things, Story 364 & 365 

7.  A kindergarten teacher saving time using this date stamper, here!  A "destiny as infinity" story!

8.  For scrapbooks, Mechanical Rubber Date Stamper:  The Destiny of Things, Story 19 

9.   Office Stamper by Night and Craft Stamp by Day:  The Destiny of Things, Story 199 

 

The outward freedom that we shall attain will only be in exact proportion to the inward freedom to which we have grown at a given moment.  And if this is a correct view of freedom, our chief energy must be concentrated on achieving reform from within.  ---Mahatma Gandhi

Happy New Year 2020 everyone!   How are you doing with your New Year's Resolutions?  I've written my list and it's one hoard of a list this year!  Thank you readers from all over the world who continue to support my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!