SweetMissDaisy Designs

Red Orange Yellow...

Laverne and Shirley, learning their colors. *hahaha!*

New Room Tour... (Video)

I put together a video to share my office / craft room in our new house. Fun!

If you want to see more about my stamp storage, check out the post and video I made about that ... the stamp storage video was filmed at our previous house, but I use the same storage for my stamps now.

If you're having trouble viewing the video here on my blog, you can also find it on my YouTube channel.

Ribbon Carousel Holiday Blog Hop

The Ribbon Carousel "Crewmates" are doing a blog hop this weekend to celebrate all of the Ribbon Carousels being used around the world. Ribbon Carousels keep ribbon, twine, washi tapes and spooled items tidy. The hop will take you around to various Crewmates blogs to show you beautiful and creative ways designers use their Ribbon Carousels. As you might have guessed, today's my day to share!

On my carousel, I have chosen to store the various colors of Divine Twine I have. The carousel can hold 16 rolls of twine, with even a bit of room at the top of each stack for some smaller spools of ribbon, or even a few rolls of washi tape.


Would you like to win your very own Ribbon Carousel?
Here is what you need to do: Visit the Designer’s blogs that are participating in each day of the blog hop (links below) and comment on their posts as you go. One of the Crewmate’s Holiday blogs (from each hop day) will be randomly chosen as the ‘it’ blog and a winner will be picked using a random number generator from the comments left on that Crewmate’s Holiday Blog Hop post.

You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more Crewmate Blogs you comment on, the better your chances are of winning your very own Ribbon Carousel! The Blog Hop will be open until 11:59 PM Eastern Time Monday, November 25th with the winners being announced Tuesday morning on the Ribbon Carousel Blog.

Already have a Ribbon Carousel? Share a photo of YOUR Ribbon Carousel on our FaceBook page OR email it to [email protected], and we’ll share it for you!  You’ll be in special drawing  for your choice of a Ribbon Carousel or 4 packages of spools!


For those that want a Ribbon Carousel NOW, mark your calendars! The lowest sale price of the YEAR on the Ribbon Carousels and Spools begins Wednesday, November 27 – Cyber-Monday, December 2!  No coupon code needed! Just go to the Ribbon Carousel store and enjoy some happy shopping!

 

Twine and Hemp Cord

A friend recently asked what kind of twine I use on my projects, so I pulled some of my favorites out of my stash to show you, and her. Sometimes it's just better to SEE, right!? I don't like "wimpy" when it comes to string and twine (or coffee! Ha!) ... and these have become some of my go-to's.

If I had to choose one absolute favorite, it would be the chocolate brown Natural Polished Brown Hemp cord (the one on the right, above). I use it on almost every holiday craft I make. It's masculine and country, and just perfect, in my opinion. The 100yd roll can be found in the beading section of Walmart (I've never seen it elsewhere), and usually priced at $4.99. I always have at least 1 spare roll in my stash.

I also really like the Elements Hemp Jewelry Cord (the one on the left, above). Not as rich of a color, but certainly country and rustic in all the right ways!

I keep the roll I'm currently using in a glass jar. I punch a hole in the canning lid and thread the cord through the hole, so I don't have to open the jar every time I want a piece for my project. The jar keeps the cord clean, tidy, and well, cute!

I also LOVE the Creative Impressions Twine Expressions. These are rolls of 500yds, so much larger than your average rolls of twine. The twine is wispy and frayed, and great for when I want a lighter embellishment. I love using this twine in several wraps around my project for a bit more "bulk". It also is available in other colors ... navy, dark green, and burgundy.

Similar to the brown hemp cords mentioned above, these rolls of Hemptique are a personal favorite as well. It comes in two different weights (10lb and 20lb). It threads easily through buttons, and maintains body -- it doesn't go all wimpy. I just recently purchased the 20lb black and grey rolls at Hobby Lobby and haven't had a chance to use them yet. But the 10lb natural white roll I've had in my stash for a good long while, and enjoy using it on my projects.

Hemptique cord also comes in other colors, too! I found these rolls at Home Goods last year for a couple of dollars.... of course, they had to be added to my stash!

I also really love using colored baker's twine on my projects. These are two of the rolls I own, in orange & white and a pretty turquoise blue & white. The brand of these are Divine Twine. I ordered these rolls from The Cat's Pajamas. I have pink & white and yellow & white that I use a lot in the spring, but most often I think I use the roll of black & white. And I use red & white to embellish orders from my Etsy shop.

So, those are a few of my favorites -- now, what are yours!? *grin*

The Challenge Chicks: Spring Cleaning!

If you're a stamper and you like challenges, or you're new to the idea of challenges and want to give participating a whirl, I invite you to participate with The Challenge Chicks! We're a small group of friends and stampers hosting monthly challenges. Won't you join us?!

Our challenge for April 2013 is being shared today!

This month's challenge is hosted by Kelly: Spring Cleaning!
Gather up supplies from your stash -- OLD supplies! And put them to use!

For my project I chose to use a couple of old, favorite, Stampin' Up stamps. The main image is from the 1999 set called Seasonal Shelves, and the chickenwire background image was also released in 1999. The little country friend stamp I included in the photo is an old PSX stamp. I came across it while I was looking for things I wanted to use for this project, and I decided to pull it out and keep it handy so I could use it on envelopes.

These aren't the OLDEST images in my collection, but they are a couple of my favorite. I love so many of the country themed images Stampin' Up used to carry. For me, they're timeless.

I also used an OLD paper mat stack I've had in my stash for AGES! I'm fairly certain I bought this in 2006. I love the earthy colors, and they were perfect for my country themed card.

In the spirit of the Spring Cleaning theme, I also spent a bit of time tidying up a few of my storage drawers. My sticker drawers got a good straightening up...

...as did my 6x6 paper storage drawers.

Now, get yourself a good dose of Spring Cleaning fun and check out the rest of The Challenge Chicks projects:

Diane Zechman
Lydia Fiedler
Jeanne Streiff
Kelli Hull
Kelly Schirmer
Vicki Gee
Anna Wight (that's me!)

And finally, you'll find this month's challenge gallery on SplitCoastStampers using keyword CHXAPR13 . We invite you to play along! Upload your project to your SplitCoastStampers gallery, add the keyword above, and your project will be automatically added to the gallery. Or join us on Facebook!

We look forward to seeing your projects!

 

Supplies
Stamp: Seasonal Shelves and Chicken Wire, Stampin' Up! (1999)
Ink: Memento Black, Antique Linen & Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Paper: Neenah, DCWV Mat Stack
ShinHan Touch Twin markers: BR107, BR103, BR102, BR104, BR100, CG7, R2, R3, YR21, Y36, YR31, WG.5, WG3, 120, PB144, BG179, B68, PB76, Y42, PB75, Y34
Other: Tracing Wheel, May Arts twine

Silence Those Drawers!

If you're a stamper or scrapbooker, you probably own (or are at least familiar with) white storage cubes similar to these. And if you own these kinds of storage cubes, you're probably also familiar with the horrible SQUEAKING the drawers sometimes make.

The squeaking drawer is usually the bottom drawer of the unit. In a three-drawer unit, the top two drawers have a nice plastic rail they slide on when you open and close the drawer. But the bottom drawer slides against painted wood, and that is what causes the squeak.

Because I can't stand that squeaking noise, and because I bet you can't stand it either, I thought I would share my quick, easy, and inexpensive way to silence those drawers!

First, remove the treasures you keep in your squeaky drawer. Take the now empty drawer completely out of the storage unit, and turn it upside down on your table.

Add a layer of 1/4" dry adhesive (like score tape or redline tape) to the back corners of the drawer's base, along the left and right sides of the drawer. I added about 5 inches of adhesive to each side of this drawer. I've found that you don't need to cover the entire length of the drawer sides - just a few inches will do.

Cut a strip of felt (inexpensive sheet felt will do) about 3/8" wide and press it onto the adhesive. Put your drawer back into the storage unit, and admire how quietly your drawer now slides.

Rainy Saturday

It has rained all day. In fact, it's 11:30pm and it's STILL raining! We LOVE it!! We sooooo needed this rain. But that just means that it's time for me to knock the dust off, and dead bugs out of my muck boots and prepare for a muddy week of farm chores. Seriously, it gets mega-slick here after a rain. It's disgusting, actually.

So, what did I do on this delightful rainy Saturday?

I cleaned up my craft table! Now I can actually see my table and have more than my usual 6 inches of workspace available! It was a serious mess!

And I stamped! Yay! The image and sentiment are from my Whipper Snapper cling set called Beautiful Day.

I think Alan and I are going to a gun show tomorrow ... and who knows, maybe we'll come home with a new pistol....  *grin*

Hope you are having a super weekend!

After-Christmas Clean up

It's amazing how much stuff gets pulled out for holiday crafting. It was time to clean it all up, so I can get on with new projects! Here is my table pre-clean up. Stacks of ribbons, boxes of bells, a plate full of stamps, rolls of twine and string, scraps and glitter everyWHERE!

And here is the table after everything got put away. Much better! Now I have room to start new projects, and photograph some others. Yay!

A Gift from Alan...

Check out the cool birthday gift I received from Alan! It arrived yesterday, and even though I don't celebrate my birthday until the 7th, he let me open the box early. What a fella! *grin* This is an old traveling paint salesman's sample storage box. It has hinges in the center so it folds up like a brief case, with a nice brass handle up top for carrying. There is a label on the bottom "Miller Brothers Tunnelton W. Va  ACME Quality Paint Enamel Stains Varnishes.

Open, it measures about 2.5' x 5', and the compartments are about 3.5" deep. I have it sitting on top of my hosier cabinet.

There are little hand written labels slipped in at the top of each of the compartments. It would seem that the case had been re-purposed by it's previous owner as a display case of sorts, as the names all reference various cities. The compartments are currently configured as 2x2, but the great thing is that they're changeable!

The little dividers slide out with ease, allowing the compartments to be made as little as 1"x2", or 2" x as tall as necessary. The dividers slide into the case at a very slight angle to keep things from rolling out.

Wow....  I think it's just so neat!! Thank you, Alan ... I LOVE it!!

What would YOU store in such a display!?

Stamp Storage (Video)

When I posted the video of my workspace area, I had a request to share how I store and organize my stamps. Soooo, here you go!

If you have trouble viewing this video here on the blog, you can check it out here on my YouTube Channel.

The large containers I use for my Stampin' Up sets are  Stampendous THICKER Stuftainers. They are organized by line art style, and theme. I also use the Stampendous THIN Stuftainers for images I have on cling mount (which isn't all that many).

I keep my Whipper Snapper cling mount sets (which are in their original product CD cases) stored in CD storage boxes, organized by theme. I bought the CD storage cases at Target several years ago on clearance. I'd love to have 1 more!

I keep clear sets and unmounted red rubber stamps in standard white 3-ring binders, organized by manufacturer. Because I am (or was) a designer for various companies, it's important for me to keep some company stamps all together (example: High Hopes, Crafty Secrets, Whipper Snapper Designs).

In the binders I use various sized page protector sleeves. The 2-pocket 5x7 sleeves,9-pocket baseball card sleeves, and the 3-pocket long sleeves are ULTRA-Pro products used for safely storing sports memorabilia. (Links below.) The full-sized sleeves are a heavy duty Avery sleeve. I use heavy duty clear 3M write-on transparency sheets to adhere the unmounted red rubber stamps using Alene's Tack It Over glue, and inexpensive white cardstock for stability in the pockets.

All of these items can be found on Amazon at the following links:

Stampendous Thicker Storage Solutions (5 containers)

Aleene's Tack-It Over & Over Glue

Ultra Pro 9-Pocket Trading Card Pages

Ultra Pro 2-Pocket Pages

Ultra Pro 4-Pocket Pages

Avery Diamond Clear Heavyweight Sheet Protectors

3M - Transparency Sheets (WRITE-ON)

 

Hope this is helpful!

Happy Sunday!!

Workspace (Video)

Alright guys and gals, I've got a video to share with you. Nancy (hi Nancy!) emailed me first thing this morning and asked if I could show more of what I store around my workspace, and any additional info I cared to share. Instead of taking 30 still-photos, I thought I'd brave a short video! Hope this helps you, Nancy!

Honestly, I could have talked for an hour. Haaha! I rushed it into 11 minutes for you, and just hit some highlights.

Also, here is some info worth noting:

Copic Retail Display: I don't have a link for you; I actually ordered mine from a wholesaler. However, if you are in desperate need of one for yourself and cannot find one, I could potentially order one for you. Shipping is going to be heafty, so only serious inquiries, please. Also, I say potentially because it's not an item that is always "in stock", so your patience level must be high. If you want to try and find one online (expect the price to be high!), search for Empty Copic Sketch/Various Ink Retail Display. You might get lucky.

Colored Pencil Storage: This is a display unit I purchased (if I remember correctly) at a used retail fixture display store in Portland, Oregon years ago. I believe it was a point-of-purchase display rack that would have been used at a register counter for selling pens or pencils, or possibly even bookmarks, or small reader glasses. Turns out that it works perfect for my pencils! You might try searching eBay for Acrylic display and see what you find... I know I've seen similar items listed, but nothing exactly like the unit I have. Bummer too, because I'd love a second one!

Wooden Ink Pad Storage: Wall Unit Plus by http://www.SUINK.net

Martin Universal Design Mijello Airtight Leak-Proof Palettes: Find them on Amazon.

 

What else would you like to know? *grin*

PS: If you have trouble viewing the video here on my blog, you can check it out here on my YouTube Channel.

New Goody!

I ordered a new goody for my desk! Can you pick it out? Click on the photo for a LARGER view...

Not sure what it could be?

All that clutter got you mystified?!

Let me help you out...

I ordered a retail display rack for my markers! I had them stored in different containers previously, but due to their different sizes (some are round, some oval, and some square) and the way that the containers I was using were constructed, I wasn't able to keep the pens in the order I wanted them in.

The way this rack is built, it allows me to mix and match all the various sized pens I have, and keep them in the organized color order that I want! The other items in my area are all sorted by color too, so "order" is kind of an important part of my workflow.

I keep other markers in small drawer units at the back of my workspace, and of course my colored pencils are always front and center within easy reach. I organize most things by ROYGBIV (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, followed by Neutrals). It works for me.

Oh, and see that cutie of a card there in the front?

I made this for a co-worker this evening. She is a dog trainer in her spare time and she asked me to draw up a graphic for her for her puppy training classes. I turned the original drawing into this little display piece for her desk.

On the back of the piece I created a make-shift easel so it can easily stand on display. For ease of mailing, the lower section of the easel has a little tab that tucks up into the shallow pocket I created at the base of the display.

Am I the first person to dream up such an idea? I hardly think so... but I'm the first one in THIS craft room who has, and that's sayin' something! *grin*

Anyone else craving Fruit Loops?

A Rainbow of Organized SPARKLES!

I was in the middle of a crafty project and decided to take a few minutes to organize my selection of small Martha Stewart glitter tubes. These tubes are 3/4" wide, and about 2.5" long. I keep them in a small drawer unit next to my desk, which has drawers just deep enough for the glitter tubes to stand on end. Prior to being organized, they were getting a little out of control in the drawer, tipping this way and that way, and shifting around every time I opened and shut the drawer. Out of CONTROL, I tell you!

I guess you could call what I made a divided tray. I used several sheets of medium weight cardstock scored at 1", 3", 5", 6", and 8".  I accordion folded the cardstock along the score lines to create 1" horizontal surfaces divided by 2" vertical walls.

My new drawer tray works like a charm! No more tipping glitter tubes! And there was still room at the back of the drawer for the larger containers of glitter! Dazzling!

The After-Christmas Mess!

Time for a little tidying up, wouldn't you say?

Organizing... and dusting.

I've been organizing things in my craft area over the past few weeks, and thought I would share a bit of the fun! If you're not "crafty", I'm sure this post will be of little interest for you. I'm working on a farm update post so all you un-crafty, non-stamper readers have something to look forward to! *grin*

 Bit by Bit...

My crafting area is all about function, not so much about being "pretty". I love drawers and having lots of places to put things, which is good because I've gathered a LOT of things over the years! I literally have a WALL-o-SUPPLIES in front of me when I'm sitting at my work table. And I love it this way! My table is nice and wide, provides me with lots of work area, and is sturdy enough to support all of these things.

One of the first things I did when I started the reorganizing project was sort through my "miscellaneous" stamps in the drawers I have above my table. There are specific drawers now for things like snowmen, and chickens, and I also divided up sentiments by theme. There is a Christmas drawer, birthday drawer, etc. Sometimes it just makes sense to keep stamps organized by company; I do this for Rosie's Roadshow, A Muse, and most of my wood mounted Whipper Snapper stamps. Some wood mounted Whipper Snapper stamps are stored in other drawers, like chicken and snowman, where appropriate.

I use old Stampin' Up stamp cases to keep the smaller sentiments contained within the larger drawers. The cases keep the small stamps lined up and facing upwards, so I can easily see what each case contains. One of the things I did during the "reorg" was pull sentiments out of Stampin' Up sets, and put them in with my other sentiment stamps. So now, if I want a birthday sentiment, I go to the birthday drawer and all of the sentiments I own that are birthday related are there for me to choose from. Previously, when the sentiments were stored with their original Stampin Up set case, they just weren't being seen (or used).

I went through all of the little drawers I have on my desk, making sure things were in the right drawer, and that the drawers were in the best order. Glitters, watercolor pots, sparkly powders, and flocks are on one side, pens, pencils, and various drawing tools are in the next row, miscelaneous doo-dads, tags, office supplies are in the next row, and buttons, brads, charms, and other embellishments are in the next row. The large white wooden drawers are used for 12x12 paper, tools, prima flowers, 6x6 paper, and various envelopes and pre-scored card bases.

I used to keep all of my Stampin' Up ink pads grouped by their assigned color family (brights, earth tones, subtles, etc), but decided I would rather have them grouped by ROYGBIV, which is how I sort all things color related (glitters, pencils, buttons, etc). I find this method of sorting much more logical, and it's easier for me to find what I'm looking for. I took all of the ink pads out of the spinner, dusted them off (yoyo yellow was crazy dusty!), and put them back into the spinner in ROYGBIV order. A spinning rainbow of color!

The ink pad colors that don't fit in the spinner flow over to the wooden storage rack next to the wall. Pinks, purples, and the neutral colors fit there perfectly, along with the selection of pigment ink pads I own. The wooden ink storage that's sitting on my desk is from Storage Units, Ink. It's wonderful quality, and is in like new condition even though I've been using it for about 6 years. I only wish that I had opted to order the version that only has the ink pad slots and the re-inker holes. I don't store markers in the unit (which is what the smaller drilled holes are for), so that is a bit of waste of space on my storage unit. I do like having the re-inkers next to the ink pads, though -- that's a great option! (The little white capped bottles stuck into the storage unit, and on top of the storage spinner, are the ink refills for the ink pads.)

The wooden rack mounted on the wall houses other inks (Ranger Distress, VersaMagic, StazOn, etc). It is a curio cabinet I got years ago from my Aunt Judy. Thanks Judy! Bet you didn't think it would still be used after all of these years! It's mounted on the wall sideways...it's light weight, doesn't take up a bunch of space, and the shelves are the perfect size! And it's a cute spot for me to display a few of my stamps, too! Above that is an old Coca-Cola bottle case, storing little bottles of buttons. These will soon be replaced with small stamps and doo-dads set on display, as the Coca-Cola shelf is a bit high to reach to often for supplies. Everything got a good dusting, and straightening up.

Next, I settled on a new way of organizing the markers I use most frequently. These storage cases are meant to stand upright on the surface of the table, but they were taking up too much space, and it was difficult to see the colors. I decided to turn the cases on their sides at a slight angle and stack them. Not only did this solve the issue of not being able to see the colors well, but also takes up a LOT less space! I used two small foam adhesive dots to adhere each case to the one below, so if I choose to change the way they are set up, it will be as simple as removing two foam dots from each case. I used an old cutting rail (a 1/2" piece of teflon from my 12" Fiskars rotary paper cutter) as the prop under the cases. A piece of sticky strip tape holds the teflon strip in place. Perfect!

Another thing I did to the markers was add a cardstock dot, along with the color number, to the tops of the smaller markers. Since my markers are two different sizes, I wanted to be able to quickly know which colors fell into a series, and keeping them in numerical order also makes it quicker to find the colors I want to use since they'll always be in the same spot. I used a standard office supply paper punch to make the circles, a fine tip marker to write the color numbers, and small zot glue dots to hold the cardstock circles in place. Easy as can be, and I'm quite happy!

The largest organization project I took on was regrouping my Stampin Up wood mounted sets. A lot of people have chosen to unmount their wood mounted stamps to save space, but I don't want to do that. I LIKE stamping with wood blocks, and I like seeing the image art stickers on the blocks. So instead of unmounting all of my stamps, I chose to move them into larger storage containers, and combine sets with similar line art style and theme. I chose to use Thicker Stuftainers from Stampendous, which are the perfect depth for wood mounted stamps.

Here you can see stamps from several sets all mixed into one box ... but really, all of the images could be used with each other, due to their similar art style.

I also used Thin and Thick Stampendous Stuftainers to store some of my cling mount images. The Thin and Thick containers are the same size as the Thicker containers, just thinner, so they line up nicely with the newly combined sets. I keep stamps that are just bare rubber in three-ring binders, by company and by theme. At the far left, you can see I still have a few sets in their original containers from Stampin Up.

It's obvious that people who choose to completely unmount their stamps are able to save a great deal more space than the option I chose, but I'm pleased as punch with my newly organized shelves, and I love how inspired I am to use more of my stamps! They're so much easier to get to!

And what's left over? Loads of empty Stampin Up cases (most with lables). Need any? $1 each plus shipping. *grin*

I also tidied up the ribbon rack that hangs on the door that opens up to the water heater area. This rack used to be an over-the-door towel rack. No more towels... it has been "ribbon central" for several years, and it works great! Hello, my pretties!

So... now I want to hear from you! How do you organize, any tricks up your sleeves, and I wanna see photos! *grin*

Thanks for being You!

 
If you didn't check out the SplitCoastStampers Whipper Snapper Featured Designer gallery, or the blogs of this month's featured designers, you might want to! Great inspiration for any stamper, not just Whipper Snapper fans!

Here's another card I made using the flower image and a sentiment from Think Happy Thoughts. I kept this card clean and simple, and used clear fresh colors.

 
I also added lots of sparkly glitter to the flower vase, for LOTS of shimmer and shine!

I received a few questions recently that I thought I would take time to answer with photos. Sometimes, it's just easier that way! Click on the photos to see them larger...

On this post, Michele wanted to know what I did to the center of the girl's flowers...

 
They are quite simple, actually! I colored them with markers, adding a bit more shading to the left side, and then added a touch of glitter to the right side for sparkle. I like to use a Zig 2 Way Glue pen (I've had the same glue pen for YEARS!) to apply a bit of adhesive, and then add an ultra fine translucent glitter. It allows the color on the paper to show through the glitter, giving the kind of sparkle I really like!

I was also recently asked by Bev on this post to share info on how I photograph my cards. I keep this process simple, because it works for me. Being someone who loves photography, you might think that I would use my BIG camera, a photo tent, fancy lights, and maybe even a tripod. I have those things for other photography, but for the sake of time and space, I choose to do things very simply for my paper craft projects. The photos aren't perfect, but it's what works for me.

 
I use two (sometimes three) lamps on my work space. I set the card on either a coordinating sheet of 12x12 paper, or a 12x12 piece of white chipboard. Depending on how distracting (cluttered) my desk is, I sometimes prop up a second piece of white chipboard behind the project as well. But, not always.

In the photo above, you can see the lamps on either side of the photo. Usually there are three lamps on my table, but one is currently over baby chickens and ducks. *grin* I use a 100 watt Reveal bulb in each lamp, and set my point-and-shoot camera (Canon G9) to the "indoor" setting.

See...nothing fancy! Hope that's helpful, Bev!

More Tidying Up

I couldn't take the mess on my table any longer ... time to tidy up! Yay! I can actually SEE my table! Everything is in it's place. Now, how long can I keep it this way? Good question...

I made these photos a bit larger than my usual photo size, and you can see them large if you want to click on them.

99% of my work time in this space is at night, so I've got to have lots of task lights on my desk. I like little lamps that I can move around and position just right over whatever I'm working on. It's also good to have a spare lamp on hand in case we have a baby chick that is in need of some extra warmth. I've been known to share my table with a baby chick on occasion.

 
As you can see, I love little drawer storage bins. They work so perfectly for so many things...and I have a LOT of things! As an illustrator/stamper/painter, I have all KINDS of marking/drawing/coloring implements. They all fit nicely in small organized drawers.

Every time I post a "clean" photo of my desk, I get asked about the container I use to house my colored pencils on my desk. Sorry, this is not an item you will find in retail shops -- not for sale, anyway. It is a display rack I picked up many years ago, but I don't know what it was specifically designed for. Maybe as a point-of-purchase display case for pens? Anyway, I wish I had two! It's PERFECT.

Tidying up my space always makes me happy... See the brown basket on top of the wooden 6-drawer unit? Cards from fellow stampers. Treasures, each and every one!

Stacks.

 
I've been doing a little tidying up, going through things and setting aside things that would be best loved by someone new. Basically, I've been creating stacks. Stacks of stamps. Stacks of fabric. Stacks of things to sell. Stacks of things to use. Lots and lots of stacks.

Don't forget, there are 40+ Stampin' Up sets currently posted eBay auctions, and they end today! Get 'um while they're cheap!

 
In addition to making stacks, I refreshed my mental list of ideas and got things ready for projects. I was inspired to store my fabric like this on my shelves by my Aunt Patty. Her craft room is her bit of heaven, right here on earth...

 
My next organization project: MY DESK! Good grief, what a MESS!

 
I also went through my inspiration library and gathered up lots of magazines and books that I haven't looked at in about a year. They should go to new homes, so they are listed on eBay as well. 

After creating all of these new stacks, I am inspired to get to work on new projects! ...and that means new messes, and new stacks! *grin*

*chirp chirp chirp*

I think it's time to dust off the old supplies, and get serious about stamping again. Can you hear the crickets chirping? See the tumbleweeds roll on by? Yeah? Me too.

However, it's not like I haven't been busy! I've been in illustration mode for some time now, and that always takes priority over crafting. Too bad I can't share with you yet!

Soon, dearies, soon!!

PS: Miss R, the buttons in the jar were an ebay purchase..... (just the buttons, not the jar) *wink*

I can see my table!

I had to do a little cleaning up in my room and in the process decided to replace some of my storage items with new drawer units for my work table. I picked these white drawers up at Target, and Alan and I put them together last night. They went together really easily with just a cordless screwdriver and all the provided hardware. I'm really happy with the storage they provide, and the extra sturdiness they provide too, so I can safely create a shelf above them for more "stuff".  I like having the things I use most often right at my fingertips, so the storage area in the center of the table is where I keep all of my tools, markers, sparkles, embellishments, etc. I keep my loose stamps in the drawers above, and in larger drawer units under the table. Pretty handy! Now if only I could keep it so tidy!

I got some fun mail from my Mom today! She mailed me some cocoa and a box of Red Rose tea (our favorite!). Lots of places in Texas are supposed to carry it according to their web site's store locater, but I have only seen 1 box in any of the markets I shop at (which I bought!)... and have never seen another box since.

Mom also sent a fabric charm bundle from the new Moda series "Hearts Aflutter". Fabric charm bundles are so great! They are a bundle of neatly cut 5" squares with one 5" square of each fabric in a series. You can see each piece of fabric in the series here: Moda Hearts Aflutter

Maybe I'll get some Valentine coasters made ... hmm... perhaps for a Valentine blog candy! I'll put it on the list of things to do! Stay tuned!

I went shopping...

I finally got to go shopping yesterday. It's the first time in 3 weeks that I've been able to leave the house for something other than a quick trip to the post office or grocery store. And boy did I have FUN! Look what I picked up for myself!!

I've finished one project - a small gift bag. Once I figured out why my thread tension was all wacky (thanks Mom!) sewing with my new machine was a breeze!

I've got all kinds of projects in mind... here's hoping I can find the time to get them done. Or at least started. Ha!

Hope you had a great weekend!

I blame my Mom...

My Mom is a quilter. A very good quilter. And she's also a collector; a collector of fabric, and pretty things. So, I blame my love (ok, ok...obsession) for pretty things on my Mom. Thanks Mom!

Like my Mom loves fabric, I love ribbon. Since I moved, I've had a GIANT box on the floor of my room which is where ALL of my ribbon has been kept. Until today.

Today, Alan helped me with a new ribbon rack. We modified a towel hanger we weren't using (it is meant to hang on the back of a door). We made it so it is wider than it's supposed to be, and can hold MORE MORE MORE spools of ribbon.

But, it doesn't hold it all. So, I've tucked smaller pieces of ribbon away in several pretty jars and boxes, and have my organza, patterned grosgrain, lace, rick rack and fancy fibers stored on the door rack.

Being a visual person, it's helpful for me to have things out where I can see them, or I forget I have them and they never get used.

I also seem to have a love for buttons. I recently added this jar to my shelves just for buttons. Here I keep my "every day" type of button. I still keep my antique and spotted/sparkly DoodleBug buttons in different storage jars, but for a pretty mix of colors and
textures, this jar works great for storing my more ordinary buttons.

Thanks, Mom, for the need to have and use and collect pretty things.

It is a blessing... right?

Love my Shelves!

I wrote earlier about some new shelves I put up in my room, and finally got enough stuff put away that I felt it was OK to share a photo of them. This is three closet shelf units that I bought at Target and assembled for more storage in my room. I have other shelves and drawers in other parts of the room that provide even more storage for supplies, stamps, ink, etc. These shelves I wanted not only for a place to put my books, but also a place to display some of my fun things like ribbon jars, photos, trinkets, and even some cards I've recieved from friends. So far, these shelves have worked out great! I'm sure they'll get rearranged several more times until I figure out what works best, but for now, they're just fine!

Now, the next area to tackle is the workspace. Wow...what a mess. There's got to be a better way! :)

My dear friend Manetta, help me! Now that I've unpacked it, I don't know where to put it! :)

More ribbon storage!

It's been a while since I went to one of my favorite local shops, so yesterday afternoon I popped in for a visit on my lunch break. They sell cute shabby cupboards and furnature, along with great gifts - both antique and new.

I found this jar at the shop and thought it would be perfect for all my ribbon odds and ends. I have a lot of ribbon that's 20" or shorter and still usable, but it was taking over the drawer where I keep longer lengths of ribbon. I think this gallon sized jar will be perfect! Not to mention beautiful on my shelf!

I'm going to make a jar tag for it eventually (to remind me that it's where I keep my scrap ribbon - HA!), but that project will have to wait. Too many other things to do first. Have you seen the sunflower tags on the canisters in the new Stampin' Up! catalog!? SOO cute!! The sunflower set is on my wish list for sure!

Anyway, this was the deal of the week. This 1+ gallon jar, only $3.00! Mine, mine...all mine!!

Hmm... by the looks of it, maybe I need another one!

Twisted Storage

I'm up in Washington State visiting family for the week with scattered access to the web, so I haven't had many updates to the blog this week. Don't give up on me! =)

I thought I would continue on with the storage theme for another post or two. But this time for brads, eyelets, buttons and all things itty bitty and essential! I *love* my stacks of twist-together containers. I've seen these at various craft and hobby supply stores, as well as in some sporting-good stores in the fishing section.

They're available in at least two sizes, possibly more.

I find them just perfect for storing all those itty bittys that get lost once the retail packaging is opened. I store these containers in my clear-drawered storage units (see previous post for more info). They lay perfectly in the drawers allowing me to see each container section.

Delightful!

Look at all these great colors!

*sigh...*

1001 Ways to Store Them...

...But, which method of storage works for me? In addition to open faced shelves, I find myself drawn to 9x11, 12x12, and even larger sized clear-faced drawer units. I find that they hold just the right amount of stuff to keep me from having to dig too deep for things. Having clear fronts I quickly know which drawer to go to for whatever it is I'm looking for. While these drawers are nice, they don't make for a very "pretty" room. Even though I really WANT to have a beautiful space that's fit for publication, I'm not sure it's all that realistic. But even so, my search for the ideal "pretty" space and storage solution continues.

Stampin' Up! stamp sets come in clear storage containers which I find perfect for not only Stampin' Up! sets, but other individually purchased stamps as well. I keep most of my smaller individual stamps in these clear containers. I find that using the clear containers lets me store similar stamps together in one place, and I find that I use them a lot more when I can just pull out a container of sentiments, for example, and browse for the one I want to use. I also store these containers in my drawers, or on shelves with other stamp sets if they're specific to a holiday or occasion. Christmas, Easter, etc are all stored together.

I keep individual larger stamps that aren't all that practical stored in the clear storage boxes in a larger drawer unit, stored on edge so I can read the stamp label. It works perfectly for keeping the stamps clean, protected, and right where I know where they are!

I also try to keep similar stamps together. Whether it's a drawer for a specific company, or a drawer for a particular style of stamp. For me, organization is key. I have to be able to find something, or the idea will quickly evaporate out of my head!!

Poof! Gone. Just like that!

Some of my stamps are kept out on display on shelves in my room. Usually stamps I get from friends or new stamps get put up on the shelf until I reorganize the space. If I find myself stumped on how to use a stamp, I'll set it up on the shelf to keep it in mind, and act as a reminder to USE it!

While all of these storage ideas work, most of them aren't "pretty". So, I've ordered two books. One is "Where Women Create" and the other is "Organizing Your Craft Space". I hope they give me some ideas on how to beautify my space. Thanks to my friend at Hop Art Studio for the recommendation!