Organizational Tips and Tricks

Do you have a craft room? Craft space? Craft closet? New ways to organize our supplies are always cropping up and today I am sharing some of my favorite supply organization tips and tricks over on the Bazzill Basics blog!



I can't WAIT for you to see it over there! You won't be able to leave comments on the Bazzill Blog, but it will be posted on the Bazzill Facebook Page sometime today, so feel free to leave comments there and also SHARE with your friends!  

Because LISTS!

Lists. I love 'em. Really, I truly do. They make things so much easier. And the pure JOY one gets from checking items off a long to-do list is just FABULOUS! Fabulous, I tell you. For reals, though. Sooo...when Joscie came up with the idea for these AMAZEBALLS stamps, I was one hundred percent on board.

Umm... yeah. So, here's the deal. There are two versions of this amazing stamp available at Bossy Joscie. The one shown above, where you can add any name or description you like in the box... like say.... Santa's nice list, My to-do list, Honey-do list, etc.... OR, she has a personalized one available that I needed. NEEDED, I  tell you!



Are you seeing that? Do you SEE how perfectly that fits on a sticky note? Yup. That was on purpose. You can stamp this fabulous list onto a sticky note AND, not only do you have a super cute, ready to go list, BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! Yes, my friends, you also get to check off the first item on your list right away because... you did it! You started a new list! Congratulations! I am telling you, folks, this was some pretty genius design work on this one. For reals.

Also, if you haven't checked out Bossy Joscie, you simply must. MUST, I tell you! There you will find a wide selection of gorgeous custom stamp options and flair, both custom and ready to ship!

Wanting to buy an awesome list stamp for Christmas? There are a few of the non-personalized ones in stock and ready to ship. If you would like a personalized one, Joscie will happily print out a card showing the awesome stamp that is in progress so you can stuff that stocking with a fun surprise! Head on over to check it out. Seriously, though. You know you want to.

Have a Happy!

I'm HOOKED on 3M Hooks! {A Fun Contest, Too!}

Recently I was offered the opportunity to try out a few of 3M Command Brand's latest products. I was excited at the opportunity, as we already use 3M Command products in our home and I LOVE how well they work! They sent me a box with several different products in them and I want to share how I used some of those in my studio... and in my home!

First of all, you have seen my cards. While yes, I have a Clean and Simple style, that somehow does not lend to being clean WHILE I work. HA! Nope. Not even a little bit. Due to my amazing ability to make a mess, I often wear an apron while I am creating. I have several that I keep hung in my studio on a couple of awesome 3M Command hooks. They easily hold 3 or so aprons each and they look great, too! I love that I don't have to worry about them falling off the wall, but when we move (we are apartment people...I always have to keep the next move in mind) they will come off cleanly without a trace of damage to the wall. LOVE THAT! For reals, though.


As you can see, I also keep my photo box backdrops hanging on one and somehow my CK Convention thingy (yup...totally the technical term) landed there, too. They can totally handle the weight and I LOVE THAT!!!!


The next place you will find 3M Command hooks in my studio I am super excited about! I just recently put these up with the new hooks that came in the package and I couldn't be happier with this fun way to display my cards! I tied some twine to each hook and now I can easily switch out which cards hang and always have some of my recent favorites on display! I so love that! I think it might be fun to do this with the Clear Window Hooks, too (so they are more subtle) and cover an entire wall with cards displayed this way. You could also totally use this method for photos by simply mounting photos on folded card fronts! LOVE. IT.


Isn't that just fun? I totally have the wall vision now. I'm going to have to do it. Oooooh, how I love a great idea!!!!


Okay, so... this last one isn't in my studio, but I HAD to share it because it makes me way happier than any little plastic hook ever should, but, alas, this girl LOVES a quality solution to a problem! The shower. Yup. 3M totally has a new line of bath products and that means that they have developed hooks that can handle the wetness and humidity of the bathroom...even IN the shower itself!


YAY!!! Prior to this we were using a suction cup style thing to hold up shower essentials. I hated that thing, but it was what was available. Why did I hate it? Oh, you know... because it would randomly come CRASHING DOWN FROM THE WALL somewhere between 2 and 3am. I have no idea why it never fell during an actual shower or even when nobody was home... but it was REALLY good at scaring the crud out of us in the middle of the night. HA! The 3M command hooks can not ONLY be trusted to stay put and not come crashing down, but they look WAY nicer than that did, too. I also feel like they are a cleaner way to store my essentials in the shower. I love that they have brought out this line. Genius, I tell you! GENIUS!


Aren't they just great?! I certainly think so! I also want to share a SUPER FUN contest they Command is currently running! This is perfect for any DIY kind of folks and the prize is totally awesome! It's the Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper Contest! Yup! They are looking for people who can wrap with the best of 'em!

Entering is as easy as creating a 3-minute video with your best gift wrapping tips. You could be chosen as a finalist and flown to New York City for an all-expenses paid trip to compete for $10,000 on December 6! And, if you submit one of the first 50 valid entries, you will automatically win a package of new colored and patterned Scotch Expressions Tapes, which are perfect for papercrafting and personalization.

Enter, get more information and catch a glimpse of the 2012 contest here: http://www.MostGiftedWrapper.com/CFE

TOTALLY awesome, right? Totally.

Be sure to check out Command Brand Products from 3M (and the Scotch stuff, too... hello... WASHI TAPE!)! Here's where you can find them:

Command Brand Website
On Facebook
On Twitter

Have a Happy!


*I was provided with products to review for this post, however, I was not compensated in any other manner.  All ideas, opinions, and statements are my own.

My New Studio - WOYWW

Well, it's Wednesday and that means it's time to show off our workspaces with Julia over at the Stamping Ground!  My studio isn't quite finished yet, but I still want to show you the space.  It's a work in progress, it will be for a few more weeks, I'm guessing, but I suppose all of our spaces are in a way.  So...here goes!

I suppose I should start by saying that my studio isn't one of those glorious magazine spread types of places. My studio is about function with a bit of form.  It's about inspiration and usability, I am not an interior decorator.  I am a compulsive crafter.  My space speaks to both.  Just say'n.


This is the view from behind my desk. There are a few feet of space behind me at this point, and LOTS of space in front. You can see in the far left corner, the stairs. That is the entrance to the loft. The wall on the left is a half wall so I can see the living/dining area below.


This is the view from in front of the small bookcase. You can see the desk, as well as the pile of broken down boxes that I need to take to recycling. LOL! You can also see the half wall fairly well in this shot. As for that wire with clips...originally it wasn't to have the clips, it was to hold my spools of ribbon. Well, as it turns out, that isn't going to work. SO... I'd love your thoughts...should I store clear stamp packages on there or stickers? Both seem like good hanging candidates. What are your thoughts?


Here is the big Expedit from IKEA. And here is where some of you who have seen my studio in the past have let out a gasp. No. It is no longer sorted by color. Yes. That makes me a little sad. However, as AWESOME as that looked (and it did look totally awesome) I was finding it to be less practical in the long run. I'm moving toward a system where supplies are sorted by type/manufacturer. I can't do it solely on manu, because I'm not that loyal, but I feel like this might be more practical than color. We shall see. If it drives me crazy, I'll resort it all! HA!


This is my photo station. I have the lights tucked under the table along with my large tripod and some other camera equipment. I have been photographing without the lights, as the daylight lamp right next to the station seems to be working well, but I may add the lights and I know I will need them for some things no matter what. You all see bags and boxes of my cards there. I am preparing to open an Etsy shop soon with my cards, so hopefully many of those will be listed and even more hopefully SELL! LOL!


This is a horrible photo, but one of my favorite things in my studio. The small 2x2 Expedit is new and holds my albums along with my Children's Lit collection. I LOVE my children's books and I'm so happy to have them in a place where I see them everday and can easily get at them to read them!


Oh, look! Yet another Expedit! HAHA! Yes, we have a ton of these things in our house. They are QUITE useful and I like the way they look. Just say'n. I keep my computer on this one along with my Grand Calibur. In the cubes you find vintage books for crafting, photo boxes, paint supplies, and my punches. In the bins I have fabric and random supplies and tools. Oh...and my domos and my squirrel and Pedro and my new doll are all featured here, as well. They make me happy. For reals.


And finally, a new thing I've done with my glitter and spray inks! I love it! It makes me smile huge!!! I have the IKEA Lack table set (Oh...yup...more IKEA..I have four of those in my studio. just say'n.) with a three tiered glass stand covered with glitter and spray inks and reinkers! YAY!!!! So fun!!!

So...there you have it! That's my new studio! I plan to enjoy it for a year or two before I have to pack it up to move again! HAHAHA!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Wednesday! Be sure to check out the Simon Says Stamp Blog hop post above this one! There are Simon Says Stamp Gift Certificates to be won!!!

Jingle Out!

Piles of Paper, Stacks of Cans, and a bunch of Tulips

Okay...here you go:

BEFORE:




Yup! That was my paper scraps! A tad bit out of control, one might say. If one was being judgemental and all. But I know you wouldn't do that to me! Your all such nice folks! No judging around here! But, alas, sometimese the truth is simply that...the truth. And one must deal with the truth by finally sitting one's rear down with the giant bin of insanity known as the paper scrap "file." HA! I actually thought it was 'filed!' LOL! Now THAT is funny stuff...anyway...I digress...as I was saying...One must sit down on one's rear with the insanity that is the paper scrap sorting system and actually, oh, I don't know...SORT IT!!!

The thing is, as you can obviously see by the afore noted photographs, this is not an area in which I would like to invest copious time whenever I am crafting. THUS...the simplest system possible is what I was looking for. So....

AFTER:



I grabbed some 13x13ish plastic bags and sorted my paper into patterns and solids and then I sorted each of those into two sizes - big and small. I realize that those are rather ambiguous size descriptions, but basically, I didn't want the tiny stuff getting lost in the almost full sheets and I didn't want the almost full sheets getting bent and wrinkled by the small pieces at the bottom, so that is my system. I had to use more than one bag for a couple categories...patterns in small and big, but I really like how easy it is for me to put scraps away after I create and also how easy they are to look through when I want to use them. Even when I had that afore mentioned disaster I was using scraps almost every time I sat down to work, so now it is faster and easier and I LOVE THAT!!!!

Okay...on to the stacks of cans. It's a good thing I title my posts first, otherwise I would forget what I was supposed to be posting before I ever got there! HA!



This is the beginning of what is to become an installation art piece in our kitchen. I love it! LOL! It's against a small partial wall right next to our sink. The stack is growing and it looks WAY too cool! I want to glue them together to make it an actual installation piece! Seriously! No...really...it's cool...trust me on this one. It will be fun to see it grow to cover the wall!

HERE!



These are just to brighten your day and remind you that it is FRIDAY!!!! My Mommy and Daddy gave me these for my birthday last week. They are all gone now, but that's what I love about photographs! They last forever!