Week 17 - Punches

I have very FEW punches.  In fact, whilst I was in my clean-up the scrap area mood back when this all started, I put a bunch of HONKING huge punches in my give-away box...and they are still there.  The original post is HERE.

The orignal poster has, as always, a bunch of links for ideas on how to store punches.  She reminds us that they are really heavy, so something sturdy is best.  She also mentions that if you have them cateloged so that they are easy to find within your system, then you don't really need them out and displayed.  I have mine in a photo box (or 2?) from Michaels. There is 1 punch that didn't fit, so its sitting on top of the photo box.

She provides a link to a punch organization cataloging system (downloadable) which looks very handy.

SO - off you go...organize your punches!

Week 16 - Paint, Glitter & Stickles

SO...this should be another easy one for me.  The original post (which you can see  HERE) says...if you don't have a lot of these items, you can put them in a pretty container and you are done.

I have NO paint whatsoever.  I have a couple sets of MS glitter plus a few larger jars of MS glitter & I have it organized in a box with a handle. 

For Stickles - I also don't have a lot - some of them are in a small baby-slipper container that has a handle and zipper.  Others are upside down in a "stickle" container - which is like this photo - except I didn't get the box or the lid...and I'm not sure I like it because it takes up WAY more room than the stickles did in the 1st place. 

The original blog, as usual, has a bunch of links to storage ideas.  I did, however, find at the scraprack that they had a product that seems to be something that would be better suited to my situation....but since I have so few stickles...and I already wasted $ on that 1st idea, I think I'll hold off on getting this one.  I don't use stickles...I love how they look on people's projects, but when I use it, it always looks lame - is there a trick that everyone knows except me?

Week 15 - Ink, Ink Pads and Embossing

Hmmm - didn't we do this one already - or rather...I already did this one...ha ha.  The original post is HERE.

HA HA HA - at the beginning of her post she says we are 1/2 way done cleaning our room - and we should take a step back and look at all the progress we made.  SO...I step back, trip over the piles and see that I haven't accomplished too much....boo hiss!  I guess I can access my paper, copics, ink and photos way easier - so visually, nothing is accomplished, but accessibility, there IS actually accomplishment - I'll hold onto that! ;)

She includes a lot of links for lots of ideas on how to store inks and ink pads.  I don't have a lot and the few that I have are cheap ones from Michael's and they are stored in a clear iris box 12x12 box.  I do, however, have some Stampin Up ink spots that I have put in a carrying box along with my Tim Holtz Distress ink pads and my cat eye spots (I think that's what they are called).  I like to have these kind of supplies in something that can be carried (its basically the larger sections of the bead-boxes that I'm using for my copics) because its easier if I need it for a crop (and easier to put away in this tiny space of mine).  This is one of the ink containers - the other one just has my Stampin Up spots in it and I didn't take a photo of it.

My embossing powders are also in clear iris 12x12 box - I don't have very many and they are, again, cheap from Michael's.  I don't use them hardly at all (like, never)...so its one area where I may have to purge...since its taking up space (as little space as its taking up, its still space).

Week 14 - Crop Supplies

The original blogger talks about how to organize your scrap stuff when you attend a lot of crops - but she doesn't go into a lot of detail, although she does provide a few links.  The entire post is HERE.

She mentions that it would be a good idea that if you had a 'caddy' for your tools - that you could have it on your desk when at home an then just carry it out to your crop ... and all your tools are available in the same device.  This is great because you don't have to pack/unpack your tools...and end up at the crop without an important one (like I did once...I forgot my paper trimmer...which is odd, because I have THREE!).  If I ever get a proper scrapping room, I think I'll invest in one of those...but as it exists now, I don't have table top space for something like that.

Another key is to NOT bring your entire stash with you.  Plan what you are going to work on and only bring that.  I've been doing this awhile - I pre-plan/design pages to work on...then make all the cricut cuts I need, run small cuts through the xyron and place them all, with the relevant photos and papers I'd like to use and put them in a protective sleeve/tote.  I try to make more then I think I can get through, just in case some of the layouts aren't flowing well, then I'll still have something to work on.  

I think a LOT of people need this advice - it never fails that I see people (and I mean PEOPLE - not just 1 person) at crops with several HUGE storage bins of supplies and it truly looks like enough quantity that she would be able to have EVERYTHING that I have in my stash in those bins.  They maybe pull out  a couple of things out of each bin...and then have to haul it back to their vehicles.  I mean, really, do you need ALL your stamps, ALL your ink, ALL your paper, ALL your embellishments, ALL, ALL, ALL...?  If I'm cropping at a scrapbook store, sometimes I only bring my tools and photos...and purchase paper while I'm there!

Anyhow, I don't "GO" to a lot of crops myself ... anymore.  I used to go to crops every month or so (and they were DOOZIES - we'd start at 5pm and end at 5 am - after already being at work that day from 8am - 4:30pm), but now I'm lucky if I get to go 2 times a year.  It is a HUGE TREAT to get to attend a crop - time away from the crushing routine that is my life.   I mainly have my scrappy friends over to our house.  Having said that, I still "pack" for a crop.  The only time I work on my scrapbook is when I'm with my scrappy friends - so I really leave all my supplies in the bags that I haul down the stairs to our table (or to the car).  I guess, other than having pre-planned pages ready to work on, I'm ready to crop at a moment's notice (ha ha).

Week 13 - Stamps

Here's a big one for some people - I, again, don't have a lot of these since I'm not much of a stamper.  The original post on this...HERE.

I did/do have a few Stampin Up packages, but I've since unmounted all of them (well, maybe most of them, its been awhile) and have them stored in a 3" binder.  BUT, in January, I changed my storage to 2 pretty useful box which is easier to reach.  The binder was up too high for me to reach, so I never bothered to, so now that they are accessible, I hope that I'll actually use them with my scrapbook pages.

She suggests to pull out ALL your stamps and see what you have - maybe some duplicates, maybe some that you now hate and can donate etc.  She lists a bunch of questions that you can answer that might lead you toward the storage method that will work best for your stamping personality.   All the questions seemed like they would help, but since my stamping personality is non-existent, I didn't bother with it.

She does talk about converting all your stamps to cling method - which is what I decided a couple of years ago.  I won't even buy a wood stamp any more.  She includes a TON of links to show storage ideas for each "type" of stamp (foam, wood, acrylic).  

What I do like is that she catelogues all her stamps so she knows what she has...I would LOVE to do this, but I worry that I would tire of the process and not complete it (kinda like I did with the unmounting stamp process).  One day, when I have my perfect (or at least larger) scrapbook area) I will do that!  I promise!