It's all about the tools....and how you use them!

Today, I have been diligently working on some Thanksgiving cards.  I saw this super-cute idea while I was at a Stampin' Up party at Deb's, and had to see if I could scrap-lift it!  :o)

As I busily began cutting, punching, scoring, assembling, etc., the tools I was using really started to add up, and I felt like they needed their own post.  It's hard to pick ONE favorite tool, but I would have to say that definitely my MOST USED tool is my guillotine-style paper cutter.  I gave up the notion that one of the "travel" paper cutters would be my best friend a long time ago, especially since I work in a school, and use the guillotine-style ones all the time.  I LOVE them!!!  My husband bought me mine for my birthday,about 9 years ago, and it's heavy-duty and going strong (yes, he looked at me like I was crazy then, and asked if I didn't want something prettier.  LOL)!

Another favorite tool of mine is the Martha Stewart Score Board.  This handy tool allows you to score cards, projects, envelopes, etc. (pretty much anything you want to make), with ease! 

Today, I happened to be using the Stampin' Up Owl and Butterfly punches, along with two other EK Success border punches, a Stampin' Up ink pad with sponge (to add soft brown to the project), the Xyron sticker-maker (adhesive), reverse tweezers, regular wet and dry adhesives, and a white uni-ball pen to add accents.

Because I knew that I was making around 20 of these cards, I rummaged the kitchen, and found my neat square divided tray, so that I could punch, assemble and organize everything instead of having a mess on my table and searching for pieces later.  I would really recommend some kind of tray or divided storage when working on mass-production projects to keep everything where it needs to be. 
Hope you enjoy your tools as much as I do!  Crafting really IS all about the cool tools, even though they rarely get the spotlight. I can't wait to share what all these fun pieces turned into!  :o)  ~Hoppy Crafting!!!

Twine Crazy!

Left ring: Twinery twine   Right ring: SU, Boxer, Pink Paislee-House of Three twine

I must admit, the twine craze has hit me, and, over the past few months, I've gone a little "twine crazy"!  I love the look on my cards and layouts, and twine is SO versatile, you can use it almost anywhere!  Through the March Shop Hop, Expos, and just browsing, I have come up with quite an assortment of twine.  I also recently ordered the "sampler" from The Twinery (www.thetwinery.com), and split it with a friend. 
My biggest concern with the twine, was how to organize and store it, so that it could be used efficiently.  I got out my embroidery floss, and found some of my flat bobbins and started winding!  I quickly ran out, and had to run to my local JoAnn's Fabric, where I discovered they had a package of 28 bobbins with a 2 1/2" metal ring.  PERFECT!  I could hang the assortment from on of the old shower hooks I have on my metal shelving!  I bought a package for just under $2, and finished my organization!  Now my twine is all accessible and visible so that I can coordinate with any project!  Anyone need some twine?  Lol!  ~Hoppy Crafting!

Cricut Invasion

I admit, I'm a Cricut-a-holic.  I need to go to Cricut-anonymous.....maybe PC should create a cart for that....  Any-who, I do not store my carts, overlays, and booklets in the nice little cases they come in.  Why?  Because I own over 100 carts, and it would take an insane amount of space on my shelves to store all the boxes!  So, when I moved craft rooms, I had to decide what I was going to do with all the case.  I briefly contemplated getting rid of them (VERY BRIEFLY!!!), but just couldn't bring myself to do it.  I was annoyed that they were taking up storage space in boxes, and decided to display them in my new room.  I bought some floating shelves and now I'm surrounded by a shrine of Cricut cart boxes every time I walk into my craft cave.  ~Hoppy Crafting!

Embellishments!

Finally, for the first time since I bought my embellishment center (over two years ago!), I hung it up in the new room.  What do you think?  The Making Memories Embellishment Center holds some of my quick and easy "go to" flowers, specialty brads, etc.  The rest are stored on another shelf.  Notice how I just couldn't resist labeling all the flower jars and SORTING my flowers by color family?  That's just the obsessive organizer in me!  :o)  ~Hoppy Crafting!

Key Lime

One more step into craft world domination is almost complete!  JUST KIDDING!!! Hahaha!  Really though, today I spray painted my old brown shelf that I use for my punches (one that my mom had for years and passed down to me).  Of course, I chose the Key Lime color because green is my favorite color AND because it coordinates SO well with the new Surfer Blue.  I still need to give it another coat, but I can't wait for it to be dry and hanging in the new craft space!  ~Hoppy Crafting!

Sneak Peek

Ignore the white and the pinkish/lilac paints.....focus on the beautiful Surfer blue.  This is the NEW COLOR of my NEW CRAFT CAVE!!!  While my awesome mom was visiting, we totally took over a different bedroom in the house, and converted it to my new scrap room.  This was one of the last rooms that my husband and I had never painted since purchasing our home a few years ago.  This room was a young teen's room, and, just like about every other room in our house, had a wonderfully hideous paper border across the middle of the walls.  First went the creepy cherubs from the bathroom, then the Victorian inspired mess in the living/dining rooms, etc.  I had removed the "lovely" purple/pink/green floral border from this bedroom soon after we moved in, but never got to painting it.  It has been our "junk" room.  (Those of you without kids or an extra space in your homes know what I'm talking about.)  Well, this junk room is now a gorgeous dream-esque scrap space.  The only thing that could make it better is by making it larger (say 3x the current size?)! LOL! 

***Also, please ignore our BEAUTIFUL attire while painting/moving things.  I raided my husband's old ratty shirts he uses for "dirty" work.  He he he!   ~Hoppy Crafting! 

Ribbon, Ribbon, and More Ribbon!!!

Ribbon.  How can one word create so much anxiety?  When it's out of control, that's how!  I love ribbon (along with most anything else craft, of course!), but my stash has grown somewhat scary!  I have the traditional grosgrains, satins, ric-rac, sheers, wide, narrow, etc....you name it, I probably have something that could accommodate a crafting need!  Up to this point, I have stored ribbon on dowel rods, curtain rods, stacked, and in clear drawers.  I have been debating on the "best" system to implement for my style, and have found something that I think will be the "it" item to help with the ribbon chaos!  What is it?  It's the Ribbon Organizer and Dispenser from Best Craft Organizer (http://www.bestcraftorganizer.com/). 
I found these lovely storage dispensers at the recent Scrapbook Expo I attended.  Of course, before the expo, I had done a little homework by visiting their website, and by the time I reached the expo, I was 95% sure that I was going to purchase some! 
After much winding and rearranging (and it's still not perfect!), I have been able to... (hold onto your seats!)  ...fit 90 SPOOLS of RIBBON in two trays with 12 dispensers!!! Isn't that amazing???  These trays measure about 10" by 6", so really, for the amount of space all those spools took up, prior to winding, this is A-MA-ZING!!!  I am SO incredibly happy with this purchase!  The best part?  All the dispensers are see-through, so I know where each color and type of ribbon are, in a glance! 
How much did it all cost?  The "starter kit", which includes 2 trays and the spooler (11 storage dispensers, total), cost me $25 at the expo.  I also bought two additional trays of dispensers (12), for $20, since I knew that I had ALOT of ribbon, and because I was also skeptical when they told me that the starter kit would hold at least 60 spools of ribbon (it really does, and then some if your ribbon is skinny).  I have filled the first two trays, and am working on the third, so I'm glad my estimation is proving accurate!  If you have any questions, check out their website (above), or feel free to comment!  ~Hoppy Crafting!

<----The ribbon dispenser & spooler, with and extra spooler disc at the bottom. 

Paper Organization, Continued

After feeling much better about organizing all my scraps and cleaning them out, I decided that my 8 1/2 x 11" paper needed organizing, too.  I have had them on the shelf in these magazine holders from Ikea, but not sorted by color.  Again, I had my tables covered with the color piles and got my labels out.  I am much happier about having them organized and much easier to find!  ~Hoppy Scrapping!

Scrap Organization

Okay peeps, I have been working on my craft space and doing some "summer-time cleaning".  I am fortunate enough to have taken over an entire bedroom...though I have been tempted to knock the wall out to the adjoining room and have a scrap palace.  Haha!  My husband does not really share my desire in this.... 
My reorganization actually started in January, but, being a teacher and having such little time during the school year to devote to home projects, I have worked on it a little at a time.  I am beginning to enjoy my room again, and get alot of things where they will be functional.  One mess that I have been avoiding, is the paper scrap pile.  I tried drawers in a rolling cart once, but that takes up SO much space.  I finally broke down and got a box of file jackets.  They are like pockets for files, so nothing falls out the sides. (In retrospect, it would have been nice to have the "legal size" jackets, but I really don't have a spot to store that size.)
I started by labeling each jacket with a color, then using a marker to add a corresponding dot of color to each.  I put them in alphabetical order, and also added files for vellum, mulberry paper, cards, cut shapes, letters, metallic papers, patterns, and homemade paper.  Then came the FUN...sorting all the scraps! 
When I think of 'organization', it depends on my mood, but it can either be a four-letter word, or the highlight of my day.  Today, I really felt like I got something accomplished and my scrap room will be better for it.  What did I discover from sorting all my scraps by color?  I found a LOT of 'scraps,' that in reality, I will never use again...and purged them!  I tend to save, save, save...just in case.  It was good for me to see how many piece I had saved, are really worthless.  Take stock of your scraps too...if you're at all like me, you'll see what I mean.  ~Hoppy Scapping!