Stamp Room Organization - A Muse-ified

If you haven't seen my studio, here are pictures of it from a while back.


Well, I did this back in the beginning of March and I really haven't finished but apparently, this is as good as it will get for a while. I've reorganized my studio to be more A Muse friendly. I had SU! stuff at all of my fingertips and not the A Muse stuff so much. Since I'm doing A Muse stuff more these days, I thought I should make it more accessible!



A Muse Stamps:
3 drawer organizers from Target. Perfect size for the stamps.



A Muse Ribbon:
The little holders on top of my stamp containers. They are from the Container Store and called Stack n Store, I think. I've seen them at Bed, Bath and Beyond, too.





Copic Organization: I "treated" myself and got the wire stand. I didn't think I wanted it but it's one of my favorite things. Sits right in front of my workspace.





Note card and Pretty Little Papers Organization:
3 CD black wire holders from Target. Dividers made by hand :)


Twinkle Storage:
$0.99 basket from the travel section at Target


Colorbox Cat Eye Storage:
In an empty SU! box (ok, 2 of them)




Marvy Punch Storage:
All of my Marvy Punches are in a drawer in my desk (my SU! ones are in another drawer). But I have these standing on end in a sock drawer divider from the Container Store. The Giga punches are a bit big and bend the dividers but it works well enough to not tip the punches over when I get one out.





Non A Muse Ribbon:
A ribbon holder I got off the internet two years ago for $39... holds 1 million spools... ok, not really - has 9 dowels and holds A LOT



Scraps:
I keep all of my scraps of A Muse notes in this basket right by my workspace. I reach in there first to get whatever I'm looking for. The basket seems to work well for this purpose. Most times I don't even have to go to the main stash except for the card layer!

Quick Tools:
Scissors, Quik Sticks, Handheld punches, brushes, etc. are stored within reach in a Pampered Chef's Tool Caddy thing. I love this thing.


As for stickles and glitter and such, those are on my spice racks right in front of my workspace above the Copics.

All of my SU! stuff is on my other table ... and that's the part that's not done from the reorg!

I've been working on some other organizational stuff that I'll post soon. But that's it for now...

Thanks for hanging with me on this really long post!

Techniques get organized!

So, I've been an SU! demo for 2 years this past July. This month, I am celebrating (in my head), 2 years of technique hostess clubs. This is one of the main reasons I became a demonstrator. I just wanted to learn new techniques all the time and I figured if I learned it, I should share it. Well, my hostess clubs are set up a bit differently than some, I suppose. We do 3 cards AND three a-little-bit-bigger-than-ATC-size (ATC=artist trading card) card that have the technique written out on them. So, 2 years, 3 techniques each month (and for maybe 1/2 of that time, I had 2 sometimes 3 clubs going), later, I have a TON of technique cards and their matching cards. Well, I am embarrassed to say that my AR Engineering background failed me on organization of all of this. I think it's because I try to never repeat the same card or technique for anyone. And then people would quit for a while (after their term was over) and then rejoin... Needless to say, I'm getting organized now with Excel.

But, not only did I not have all this in Excel, I didn't have a good display system. I used the 4x6 photo albums for these clubs. I had one per club so I'd know what they had done, etc. And I didn't have the cards with the techniques (that is the whole point, isn't it? to send the cards and keep the "how to"?). Well, as I was preparing to go to the various stores to see if I could get a teaching gig with them, I decided I wanted a better presentation to show that I have taught stuff.

I ended up at Archivers one night (just to get out of the house!) and I bought this 12x12 album that has 4x6 pockets in. Here's my end result.... I'm pretty excited about this - first, having it all in one place (and I found the cards to match) and second, just admiring what we've done in the past two years. Here's a quick look at it. Each 12x12 side holds 3 technique cards and the 3 matching cards.

Anyway... another step to getting organized. I think.

Organizational tip #2

For the longest time, I have been debating on what to put right in front of my workspace on the wall. I, like you I'm sure, want everything at my fingertips. Well, I can't have EVERYTHING there so what are the things I need most?

I went to the Container Store a couple of times since visiting Jenn. Jenn had these fabulous ribbon holder things from there that I had to have. More on that later. But while at CS, I searched high and low (literally) for some kind of system, shelving, bins, something for this small but very useful space. I was thinking about putting my Marvy punches up there but they would take up so much space. My SU! punches are in a drawer right next to my workspace and I use them all the time. I won't move them. My Marvy ones are in a drawer but not a convenient one. I don't use them all the time though.

Well, after 2 or 3 trips, I ended up with this. It's 3 separate spice racks. I love them so far. It adds color and holds a lot of little stuff I want right there. All of my stickles, EP, glitters, flock, Crystal Effects, etc. are in there right now. Adds color and LOTS of little stuff at my fingertips! The shelves are acrylic so you can see right through them and the stuff kinda looks like it's floating.

My outlet is actually under/behind my workspace and in the beginning would bend down and crawl under the space to plug in my heat gun. And then do the reverse to unplug it. I never keep it plugged in with munchkins running about! Anyway, the light bulb FINALLY went on one day... I tell you sometimes I'm so amazed it takes SO long to think of things... and I mounted a strip right there in front of me. DUH!

The clear acrylic tray (also from the CS) is a silverware holder and I use it for trash. That would be one of the most useful things on my desk!

Another I found that I can do with those spice racks is hold the card for a display while I'm working on the rest. I typically do 3 cards for my hostess clubs so when I finish one, I can hold it up there and work on the others. Here's what I mean...

Sorry, I haven't posted in a while. I have been working on stuff, I promise. I have the 3 cards from the technique clubs this week that I'll post soon. I had 2 clubs and they for the first time did the same techniques so I didn't want to spoil the "surprise" for the 2nd group. Now, those are done and I can post them. Also, there is a quick picture of the baby shower invitation, I ended up going with for my SIL's shower. I'll show more about that soon, too.

Happy Weekend!

Organizational tip #1 for ribbon...

I, apparently, will never get done with this "reorg" so I thought I'd share some of the little tips I'm doing to organize my desktop (organizing the whole room back in March took less time than just my desktop!).

So this tip is not my idea... stole, er, I mean borrowed it from Jenn. First, I am a ribbon snob. I like all my ribbon to be on spools. But those really pretty SU! ribbon samplers that come on the cardboard are so pretty that I had to have them, too. Problem is they sit in a drawer and never get used because honestly, I forget they are there. So, Jenn has these glass jars from Target that she keeps on her shelf. She has a jar for different color families. I really like the idea because it adds color to the room. But I don't have that much cut ribbon (see aforementioned "ribbon snob") nor do I have that much space. So, I was at Hobby Lobby this week and I got these glass jars... regularly priced at $2.33 but I got them 50% off (which was the sale last week but neither I nor the cashier knew that so she gave me the sale price! I found this out when I went back yesterday to get one more jar - at full price of $2.33!). They are a little over 5" tall and they did have taller ones but I don't have the space.

Here's what it looks like by itself. It is a glass jar with a silver/chrome screw on lid. Very simple.

Maybe you can get them on sale ;)

Simple Cuttlebug creations

I had a class last night (thanks Vicki!) where I met a funny, really nice lady named Monica. We share in the stamping passion. She recently acquired a Cuttlebug (see provocraft.com if you have no idea what I'm talking about). I was sharing some of my Cuttlebug creations with her. She asked if I would take pictures of them and send them to her. I said sure! But then I thought the rest of you addicts might want to see them. ;). I made a bunch of these back in January to have on hand for the "Help, I need a card quick" scenario. I even put a bunch together and gave them as a gift (Colin Cowie ... see previous posts about him)! I used the tagger's dozen set from the Winter Mini and the SU! tag punches. I love that we now have that inner punch so it's so easy to make tags now! SUPER COOL! Anyway, it was so nice to meet you, Monica.

Alas.... the big reveal.

Wow. Talk about a LONG project.

July 1, 2005 - submitted paperwork to Stampin' Up to be a demonstrator
Late on July 1, 2005 - took pregnancy test.... positive YIPPEE! :)

*fast forward

November 2005 - talk to a cabinet maker and designed the cabinets and desk area in game room

January 2006 - we decided to enclose our game room to be my stamp room; hired great builder guy to enclose the room.

January 2006 - MOVE all the C Rap (that's how we say it in our house; pronounced see-rap) to the baby's room; all of the stuff took up the whole room, I even put stuff in the crib. Did I mention that I was 527 months pregnant at this point?

Late February 2006 - cabinets and desk get installed

Late February 2006 - move the bleepity bleep stuff back gameroom, which will now be officially named the stamp room

Early March 2006 - baby boy# 2 joins us

Did you notice that no one unpacked the boxes?
There were boxes and bags all around the room, on every floor space, next to every wall, on top of every flat surface. Sad. Really.

*fast forward

Late February 2007 - yes 2007! - Realize that NOTHING has moved, unpacked, etc in A YEAR!!! Very sad.

Early March 2007 - Target runs every night for 3 nights to get the cube systems... built them every night after the boys were in bed.

*delay for birthdays, spring break, classes, LIFE

*fast forward

Last Tuesday Night - decided to tackle this a bit more
Last Wednesday Night... you get the idea

Last Night!!!! - done. EXCEPT for the decorating of the walls... pictures and such. That will just take some time.

So, here it is. I absolutely love it.

This wall on the left is what is behind the door as you walk in. The large white cabinet in the corner is my embroidery sewing machine. I can pull it out and open it up when I need to sew (still burned out from my embroidery business a few years ago... that's yet another story).



This (below) is the left wall as your standing in the doorway. My wall color is purple - kind of amethyst/lavendar/lilac-y. I couldn't find all purple stuff everywhere I went, so I decided to add pink to the mix. Very girly for my almost all-boy house!



I used to be such a scrapbooker before I became a cardmaker/stamper. And now, I'm really behind on it. The thing about scrapbooking, I feel, is that it just needs to be ready to work on. The hardest part is dragging it all out. I can never muster up the energy to get started. So, we had this extra table (that keeps bouncing from room to room in our house) and it's a nice table (Container Store - part of the Scandia furniture - we've had it forever!), so it's in there. AND nothing should be on it but an open scrapbook waiting for a page to be done. Any of you moms out there know that you can do anything in 10 minute increments... so why not a page. :) (oh and those frames on that stool are a current project that I'm working on... they weren't supposed to be in the picture.). The bay windows overlook our greenbelt. How pleasant!



And finally, the right wall is where the built-in cabinets are and my STAMP workspace.



And to those of you that have seen it in person before TODAY - I am truly embarrassed that you saw my SEE RAP laying all over the place. Come back. Now I'm proud. :)

I actually feel very creative in there. Well, maybe not creative. Maybe inspired. If only, I can keep the toys from creeping in now!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to you and yours. We have had some VERY STRANGE weather here for Easter. It was just in the 70s and 80s early this week then yesterday we had SLEET! WHAT? Hello? Very odd. Our egg hunting happened indoors! I hope your Easter was memorable!

Friday night, I had my first of what hopes to be a monthly meeting with my downlines. We made one card with a cool technique, I showed them some tricks and tips for using some of SU!'s products, and we talked a little about the business. Mainly we talked and visited and oh, ate.

The colors I picked for the card we did came straight from a challenge over on Splitcoast. It's on the demo forum. To participate in the challenge, you must make a card with current SU! stuff, pick one of two layouts, and one of three color combos. I picked the color combo that was most spring-like and the layout that fit the technique I wanted to use. I ended up doing the card twice, same colors and layout, just different order of the colors. So, tell me which one you like! The color combo that I had to use is Gable Green, Pixie Pink, and Lavender Lace. I used black for the technique. The challenge says you can use any neutral.

The technique is called Pastel Embossing. I had never tried it before but I think I like it. It makes the image pop off the page. Here are my 2 cards. I showed my husband both of them and he picked the gable green one. After staring at them for a while, I like that one the best.

Flock

And no I don't mean the "of Seagulls" kind. Aside: My husband is very musically inclined. My oldest son is too. He practically came out moving to music. Anyway, I am not musically inclined, whatsoever. So, when I get a song in my head, I only get like 3 words of the song and maybe a "la la la" or something. And now, after SO many years of knowing me, my very talented husband can tell me what song it is that's in my head from the 3 words and la la la. I have never been one to remember names of bands, let alone song titles. Sad. Really. One day, I had this song in my head and again only the first 5 words. I'm driving the 4 year-old to school and tell him about it. He SINGS the first part of the song. WHAT? How does he know that? It wasn't even a kid song. PFFT. Yea, so you should be impressed that I "even" know that there is a band name Flock of Seagulls.

What I do mean is that SU! used to sell this stuff called flock. It came in Whisper White and some brown color. I think this was at least 3 years ago, way before I became a demonstrator. So, of course I HAD to have some (I'm a proud graduate of the Jenn Balcer school of hoarders!). I have the white. And until this week, it had never been opened. I remember buying it and wanting to try it on bunnies or something like that. Well, here it is DAYS before Easter. I LOVE the stuff. I wish we sold it. I even googled for it and it comes in all sorts of colors. But really, I need to use what I have first. So, what is it? It's like shavings of fabric or something. It's fuzzy. It makes the bunny fuzzy. Think of those cards you've bought at the store that have some texture to the image (maybe a flower or bunny or teddy bear, etc.). All you have to do is use glue (2 way glue or heat and stick) and sprinkle it on, then smoosh it for good measure.

I had to try it out and I liked it so much that I made 20 Easter cards. Why only make one?
I also used my new Reverse Dots (for my very strange polka dot addiction that's going on right now) Background from Cornish Heritage Farms. I really need to get them out in the mail today if I hope to get them there before Sunday!

I did 5 different colors - all soft subtles:

Pretty In Pink,



Barely Banana,



Bashful Blue,




Almost Amethyst,


and Certainly Celery.



I used the Bunny Hugs set from the Spring Mini.

I'm not a pink person.

Plain and simple. Not. a. pink. person. Or a turquoise person. I'm talking about not wearing these colors. Ever. I think I used to wear them but not so much. Anyway, that not wearing those colors thing, of course, has bled over into the world of stamping. And well, Jenn, my fabulous upline, is a Turquoise (and pink) person. So, through her own way, she has opened my eyes to the possibility that these colors won't actually bite me. I still proclaim that I'm a purple, green, blue person. (Translate as Amethyst (or Tanzanite), Emerald, and Sapphire!!!)

So, back to stamping. It's my friend, Michelle, birthday today. And by now, you all know that when I stamp, I stamp a bunch of things at once and keep a stash going. If I didn't, I would never have a card to send because I can never just sit down 5 minutes before going somewhere and make a card. I know people that do this. Or then there are those people that plan ahead and make the ONE unique card for someone days in advance of needing it. I'm not one of those people. But Michelle has been stamping with me from the very beginning. And although she hasn't been stamping much lately (because she has a sweet infant at home), she still needed to get a card that wasn't part of the stash (she probably has the same stash at her house!).

Now, Michelle, she is a PINK person. And she wears it well. And many of her cards are some form of the pink family (hey, she likes Turquoise too... I'm beginning to see a pattern here). Michelle likes SPARKLE! So, what better stamp set than Totally Cool. I put dazzling diamonds glitter everywhere and added a little bling to the sparkle-y purse. The card is Pink Passion with a layer of Basic Black. The black is dry embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder.

Anyway, Michelle, Happy Birthday. May it sparkle as much as you do.

A tisket, a tasket, ... an Easter Basket?

How about 18 of them?

I realized today around 11am that all the stuff I had for the kids at my son's preschool for Easter would have to go to school tomorrow instead of Thursday. The Easter festivities for his class got bumped up a day earlier due to some scheduling conflicts with some other kids. Anyway, at 11am today... OH MY! So, many thoughts went through my head including the scrap the whole idea one. But persistence prevails yet again. I made one quick template basket to see how hard it was. Then I wheeled and cut for 18. Then tonight I put them all together. Quite easy actually. The hardest part (and this is not a lie!) is getting the bleeping Easter grass in the basket. SHEESH. That's stuff is wild!

My friend, Amy, picked up the cute "Fun Dough" at the $ spot at Target a while back for me. It fits just perfectly!

The Easter baskets are made with Barely Banana cardstock and I used the Bunny Hugs set and the Petals Jumbo Wheel.

Whew. Glad that project is done. NOTHING like the last minute. And there is no reason I couldn't have made these 2 weeks ago!

Special Occassion Card Buffet Class

My first card buffet class was last Thursday (the same day as the Grandma shower!). I think it went pretty well. Here's how it worked... for $10, everyone came and made 5 cards. Then after those 5, if they wanted any more, it was a $1 per card. There were 12 designs to pick from. That is what I call overkill... It was supposed to be, maybe 8 designs. But I got so wrapped up in making the designs up that I kept on going! And I kept on coming up with new occasions that I needed a card for. In the end I was still 4 occasions short of my full list but that's okay. I'll save those for another time. These were non-birthday and non-thank you cards. The idea behind the buffet is that not everyone needs a bunch of baby cards or get well, etc. but they might want more than one wedding card, etc. They got to decide how many and which ones. Much different than a stamp-a-stack. Also, I'm proud to say these are all my designs and I didn't CASE any of them from anywhere. That must be a record for me! Anyway, in no particular order (but the Pregnancy and the Get Well are my favorites!):



1) Sympathy - Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, WW, Fine Lace, Close as a Memory







2) General Congrats - Really Rust, Creamy Caramel, Naturals Ivory, Matey Jumbo Wheel, Amazing to Zany







3) Get Well - Summer Sun, Basic Black, WW, Print Pattern, Farm Fever









4) Wedding - Real Red, Basic Black, WW, Happily Ever After










5) Happy Anniversary - Real Red, Creamy Caramel, AYC3, Loving Hearts







6) Girl Baby - Pretty in Pink, Barely Banana, WW, Baby Talk










7) Boy Baby - Bashful Blue, Barely Banana, WW, Baby Talk









8) Pregnancy - Petals Designer Paper, Swell News





9) General Baby (like for a shower) - Certainly Celery, Apricot Appeal, I'm Here, Mini Mates, Handprint wheel









10) Thinking of you - Orchid Opulence, Rose Red, Doodle This





11) Welcome to the Neighborhood/New Home - Cool Carribean, Marigold Morning, WW, Right at Home, Eclectic Backgrounds











12) Hang in there - Pixie Pink, Close to Cocoa, Barely Banana, Ruff Day











So, what do you think? I cut enough card stock for 10 of each. So, now I have to make up the rest and add it to my stash! YAY! I so needed some of these cards. Almost all of the color combos came from the handy, dandy SU! Color Wheel. I love that tool. I think I'm color challenged without it!