Minimalist Scrapbooking

I have decided to replace Scrapweb with Minimalist Scrapbooking. I can share the links of my favorite posts from the week via facebook and Twitter. It seems redundant to do it here, too. This will save me time because I will immediately share whatever new inspiring thing is floating around the web instead of having to review and select a few starred posts each week.
Minimalist Scrapbooking is replacing Scrapweb. I mentioned Minimalist Scrapbooking on Monday. So what is Minimalist Scrapbooking.
Minimalist Scrapbooking could be considered is a method of scrapbooking that takes into account the fact that most of us are not very organized with our scrapbook supplies and have more scrapbooks supplies than possible memories to actually pair those supplies with. Ok, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. Here is a glimpse of my scrap area:

And another angle:

I am going to use these supplies. I am not going to buy any new scrapbooking supplies for as long as I can. My only “rules” are that I can buy adhesive, page protectors, basic color cardstock (black, white, and kraft), and prints of my photographs. I can not buy embellishments, ribbon, patterned paper, and so on. The goal is to use what I already have (sometimes referred to as “use your stash”).
I do not plan to write a bunch of posts about using your stash. There are plenty of people already doing this. Instead, I will chronicle my progress with using my supplies. How many pages can I complete before I must buy new supplies? How do I overcome challenges like not having the perfect color combination of paper? How did I manage to utilize hopelessly outdated supplies?
Why am I doing this? Well, I have a lot of supplies and they cost money. Each time I buy new supplies, they end up in a pile of some sort in the area in which I scrapbook. I have to re-organize just to scrapbook. This is madness! I also have supplies that I hold onto just in case I might use them. Well, this is a great way to see if I might use those supplies. I have a basket devoted to my cast-offs. Most of my cast-offs will end up as my daughter’s art supplies. The rest will either be sold at a rummage sale, donated, or otherwise given away. I want to save some money. I am going on vacation in a few weeks. I would like to increase the amount we can save towards our retirement. I would like to increase the money in our emergency savings account. I want to prove to myself that I can scrapbook without spending a great deal of money. I know this is true, but I need to live it for awhile. When I started scrapbooking, I actually took my photos to my LSS to match colors. I could fit all my supplies in one basket. Of course, now I live much further from anything resembling a scrapbook store and matching colors online is a bit more challenging. Regardless, I need to use my stash.
Minimalist scrapbooking should not be confused with simple scrapbooking or a minimalist scrapbooker. These terms are not all mutually exclusive. Minimalist scrapbooking entails using what you have and only buying the basic things you need when you actually need them. Some of the pages I will create while completing this challenge (or lifestyle readjustment) may contain a lot of product. Some may not. Minimalist scrapbooking simply means that you are making an effort to use your supplies rather than buying new supplies. New supplies have a tendency of getting in the way of scrapbooking. It is time to take back your scrapbooking. Will you join me?