Cool Finds/Organization Ideas

I know many of you enjoy my photos of stuff I find and lots have asked about my organization (my husband would say *what organization*? ...but what does he know, LOL!) So anyway, I thought I'd show you some of my fun finds from the antique stores we visited last weekend. Last year I started collecting aprons and these darling, vintage clothespin dresses. They usually come on an old hanger and were used to keep clothespins at the clothesline. I can remember hanging up clothes before school while waiting for the bus when I was a little girl.....and standing on a stool because I couldn't reach the clothesline! My mom started us out early with chores to say the least. Anyway, this little pink dress in the middle was my treasure find of the weekend. I love to scope the antique stores and this is the first item I always look for. Then I found this old drawer that was holding tags and stuff. I dumped all the stuff out and snatched up the drawer, knowing that would work well for stamping supply storage. I now have all my clear stamping blocks, cleaner and scrub pads in one spot. Also items like scissors, adhesives..the basics that I use almost every time I stamp.
My good friend Lisa Zappy is the QUEEN of vintage. I know she collects vintage, shabby chic pillow cases. So I purchased these in her honor. I'll use them when the girls have slumber parties or when we have company. So pretty...springy..and fresh smelling now that I laundered them.
Now on to some organization stuff (I like that word, stuff). I am a huge Papertrey Ink fan (like many of you, I'm sure) and my collection of the new inks, papers and ribbon began last month. Since the collection comes out in two color schemes at a time, I thought it would be easy to start organizing it.....and keeping it organized. So I began by making file folders for the card stock. I printed my own labels and cut them out of card stock, then punched a circle of the card stock color and adhered it to the label.

I love Palette Hybrid inks so I was very happy to see that Nichole chose this brand to use with her inks. I punched a card stock circle and adhered it to the top of the ink pad lid so I could get a good visual of the color I'm reaching for.
I also punched a 1/4" circle of card stock and adhered it to the side of the lid so that I could see all the colors when my ink pads are stacked up. Does anyone know if the inks should be stored upside down? Oh, and did you know that the lid snaps onto the bottom of the ink pad and acts like a handle? Nichole shared that tip on her blog. Cool! My ribbon is lined up side by side in a wire shelf that hangs off of some wire shelving units.
When I purchase new ink pads, I always try to buy a refill inker too. It just saves time and shipping costs to do it when making the original purchase. You never know when an ink pad may be a little dry either, so it's a good thing to have the re-inker available right from the start. To color code my ink refill bottles, I stamped a circle of the ink color onto an address label, punched it out and adhered it to the bottle by the color name. I think I'll go make more labels for those delicious new colors that will be coming to my house soon! Dang that Nichole, she's SOOOOOO good!
And here's something that came to me in a light bulb moment! I have seen many versions of the Clip It Up storage that crafters have been coming up with and so I decided to try my own. I was *this* close to purchasing a Clip It Up unit to hold some acrylic stamp sets, stickers, embellishments, etc....but then it came to me. I have these Pottery Barn shelving units that have these bars (actually towel bars) at the bottom. They were pretty much unused until now. Look at all of the storage I have now! I went to Walmart and bought these ring clips and binder clips. For each hanger, I used one ring clip and one binder clip. I put 3-4 packages of acrylic stamps (like my Hanna Stamps and Crafty Secrets stamps) on each little hanger. Then I clip the ring clip around the metal bar. Easy peasy and wayyyyyyy cool! You could easily do this with towel bars(hey, take over the bathroom!) to make one for your craft room. I just love it when an idea comes to life......and actually works!! Woohoo!!
This is another storage unit I love..the Stampin' Up! spinner storage unit that houses my eyelets and brads. No more digging in drawers for the little containers. I simply stack them up and move the spinner to my work surface when I need it. Looooooove it!

Okay, that's it for today. My Sears man is here fixing the incline of our new treadmill AND we just got a new load of gravel for the drive. If you live in the country and despise muddy roads like I do, you KNOW how much a new load of gravel is appreciated!!! I better get these fellas on their way. Later, my friends!

Hanna Fit For LIfe Journal

Hi everyone, did you think I fell off the earth? Our girls and boys highschool made it to the state basketball playoffs so we took off for a few days. My DH needed a break from work and the girls got to play and swim with lots of their little friends at the hotel. I even got to junkin' at some antique stores because my DH is such a gem. We're all a little tired today though with the time change and all.

Lots of new and exciting things to come from Ellen's store, be sure to check out her blog post HERE to learn about the exciting world of Inchies. She's also starting an informative newsletter that you will for sure want to sign up for. Scroll down to the bottom of her blog to sign up.

Thanks for all the great comments on my Spring Inspiration Station. Send me your links so I can check yours out!! I'll have lots of fun posts this month using some of those great, Springy supplies so stay tuned.

The penguin stamps that you see on my bulletin board are from Imaginesce. They have matching lines of patterned paper and clear stamps. I found mine at my local scrapbook store. The little stamps are just a buck too!

On to today's creation, my Fit For Life journal. This Friday at Hanna Stamps, there will be 5 new stamp set releases. My project today uses the fun set called Getting Physical. My husband and I have once again started a weight loss journey. We're exercising and counting calories and are working hard together to get fit again. So I knew I wanted to make a journal of some sorts to log my daily calories and exercise. And you all know how much I love to make journals, right?

I thought I would show you my selection process for starting a project. It usually starts with patterned paper and a stamped image. I color my image with Copic markers to match my patterned paper. I used the exercising Hanna from the Getting Physical set, Making Memories Noteworthy patterned paper and chipboard, Papertrey solid cardstock, and various ribbons(Papertrey, May Arts) for this journal. I cut my paper to the size of my journal, layed out all my chipboard pieces and ribbon and just fiddled with color combinations and the layout til I was satisfied with my choices.
Here's my finished journal. I used lined notecards (5 x 7, I believe) and my Bind It All to create the journal. Zoom in to the see the shiny chipboard accents, they are so sparkly! I love the button accents too, especially for the dots on the two letters *i*. I keep this journal on the counter in my kitchen and fill it out every day, religiously. Thirteen pounds gone so far, woohoo!!
Here's the inside of the journal, I can fit 2-3 days worth of journaling on each page. It's about an inch think so it should last me a good long while.
So there you have it, peeps. Do you know someone who is exercising, dieting, etc? I think a journal like this would be soooo appreciated! I can't wait for you to see the entire set of images from this Getting Physical set, it's so cute. Well, I'm off to catch up on my blog hopping and then I'm going to enjoy a day in my pajama pants!! Later gators.

Spring '08 Inspiration Station

Well here it is, my SPRING INSPIRATION STATION!! I know you've all been patiently waiting for this post so thanks for hanging in there. This took a lot of doing this time because there was a lot that inspired me..... plus my blog would NOT cooperate, ug!! I wanted to group my photos all together in small sections but I couldn't get it done. Sooooo, lots of big photos but I'll try to keep the wording short.

Spring is one of my favorite seasons because there is such a sense of renewal....everything seems fresh and new. And it means that summer is right around the corner, my favorite season of all.

INSPIRATION STATION:
This is my shelf and bulletin board where I keep all my goodies in once place. Here's a close up of my colorful ribbons. I keep a lot of ribbon on clothespins and secure them with pins.
Here's my plate from Anthropology that holds on the fun doo dads.
And I threw this photo in just for fun. I have started a collection of these vintage clothespin holders. They're little dresses and I just LOVE them. I need more!! The pink one holds my clip type clothespins that I use to clip papers together (see first photo) and the blue one holds the old fashioned type of clothespins that I use for ribbons.

PAPER COLLECTIONS:
Here's some of my favorite collections this Spring. This first collection is from Making Memories Garden Party Collection. It's my favorite off all my goodies this Spring. You'll be seeing lots with it! This next photo is a collection of Easter themed papers that I pulled from my paper stash.
Here's some vibrant papers from Bo Bunny. I love all the yellow I'm seeing this season, especially when paired with red. This is some new paper from Pink Paislee, a new company I believe. Love the fun birds and the graph paper, and of course the polka dots. This paper is more for summer but I couldn't resist it at my last trip to my LSS. It's from Imaginesce.
MAGAZINE INSPIRATION

This Spring I'm getting a lot of ideas from Pottery Barn catalogs. Check out these adorable Easter baskets with their fun colors.

Here's more baskets with yummy, fun colors. I'll take one of each!!

And this table setting is simply adorable. I also did up my Spring centerpiece on my dining room table....I'll have to show that to you another day.

And the polka dots, gotta love the POLKA DOTS! They show up every year in some fashion and here they are big and bold! Have you seen Nichole's polka dot stamp set, it's a must have!!

Here's more polka dots, this time in pink and green. My girls would LOVE to have this room!! Heck, so would I!!

And how about all the bright, vibrant colors? I see lots of color schemes that are sticking to the true primary and secondary colors. I would love to have a porch setting with these colors!

This is my backyard......okay not really, but I wish!! Love the organic patterns I'm seeing on bedding, furniture and in the paper industry.
Okay, that's surely enough. If this stuff doesn't get me inspired this Spring, nothing will! I hope you all go forth and pull together your own inspiration station now. I loved seeing photos of your goodies last time so be sure to come back with your photo links. What is inspiring you this Spring? What projects do you want to tackle? Can't wait to hear from you!!!

Lockhart Postage Stamp Layout

When I created these cards, the layout of the main stamped image in the upper right hand corner of the card reminded me of a postage stamp. So in my Idea Sketch Book I named this layout Postage Stamp Layouts. I label my layouts often so that I can refer back to them by name.....and also so other stampers can reference them that way too. This has been a horrible year for colds and flu around our neck of the woods. It seems everyone you know has been sick and it just lingers on forever it seems. So my stash of Get Well cards has been depleted several times. So when making a new batch of get well cards, I reached for Karen Lockhart's Tissue Box and Slippers stamp images. When you go to the link, be sure to check out all of Karen's get well images and sentiments. She has created some very unique stamps for the occasion. All images are colored in with Copic markers and die cut with Spellbinder's Classic Square and Scallop Square die templates. The smaller sizes of the Spellbinder's square dies give the perfect hint of postage stamps. So the smaller size you use, the more it resembles a postage stamp.

For this first card, I used Papertrey Aqua Mist cardstock for the base card and October Afternoon patterned paper. I can't wait for the new October Afternoon line to come out, it's adorable...but hard to find!! Ribbon is from Michael's. Sentiment from Papertrey Ink.
This next card uses the same Tissue Box image, Papertrey Ink sentiment and ribbon, and K and Company patterned paper and Papertrey Ink Aqua Mist cardstock. I think I'll take a stash of this design to my teacher friends. I get a lot of sub days in for sick teachers this time of year.
And this layout is called the *Requires Extra Postage Layout*. See below how I used TWO scallop squares? That reminded me of when you have to put two stamps on your envelope, LOL!! It's a fun way to keep the main image on the top layer and the sentiment on the bottom layer. FUN!!! Cardstock is SU! Groovy Guava, ribbon and sentiment from Papertrey Ink, Slippers Lockhart stamp image, and Cosmo Cricket patterned paper. For some added detail, I drew a plaid design on the slippers with my Copic markers.
So there you have it, another fun sketch to add to your Idea Book.

Q and A session......

I love the dry embossed look on cards, but I would like to have a machine (like a Wizard, I guess) to do it with. What machine do you recommend for dry embossing large areas quickly.
The Wizard is a die cutting machine that works with almost all dies out there on the market. It is made by Spellbinder's, the same company that makes the great Nestabilities Die Templates. The Nestabilities enable you to cut and then emboss the cut shape with a second turn through the Wizard. You can also run other items through the Wizard with ease for other embossing....such as string, ribbons, rubber bands, paper clips and even pop bottle tops. The Wizard is made of all steel parts and is extremely durable. No broken plates,etc.

If you're talking about other dry embossing like with the metal templates you can purchase, you can try running those through a die cutting machine also. I have also done straight lines lately wher I emboss or de-emboss. This is achieved by simply using my bone folder and the groove in my paper trimmer.

Many of you have emailed me with such kind words about my blog. Thank you for always visiting my site and passing my blog address along to others. I so appreciate the feedback!! I thought I would paste some questions here and give responses so that you all can benefit. Hope this helps!

Wondering if you have found a replacement for cool caribbean and positvely pink ink? These are Stampin' Up! Classic Ink pad colors. For Cool Caribbean I use SU! Soft Sky now and have become fond of Nichole's new Palette ink colors at Papertrey Ink. Aqua Mist is a very close match to Soft Sky. As for the Positively Pink, I don't have a new color to refer you to. However, I do mostly use Palette Hybrid Inks and Versamagic Chalk inks these days.

What do you think would be a good basic starter set for nestabilities. Okay, this is a hard question for me because I use ALL of the shapes and sizes and there's more new shapes coming soon! Of all the shapes I probably use the circles and squares the most. I highly suggest getting the Classic Shapes along with Scallop Shapes so that you can layer them up. Then move on to the next shape. For example if you like the circles, I highly suggest purchasing the entire collection as you can see HERE. This way you'll have all the dies to layer with one another...and you won't end up wondering which size set you have. Ellen is the EXPERT at helping with the Nestabilities so feel free to email her over at her blog, she's SOOOOOO helpful with all your questions.

My favorite has been the inspiration station that you made......are you building one for easter??? Ohhh yes, I'm taking photos today as soon as I get it all set up. It will be my Spring Inspiration Station and I can't wait to dig into those goodies!! I'll be showing you projects all month long with products from my Inspiration Station.

Thank you for sharing your talent and family with all of us!.......Lori fromTexas Thanks Lori, I truly feel that the best things in life start and end with the family and friends. That's why so many of my posts involve little gifts for teachers, friends and family! I hope you're getting some good ideas along the way too!

Just getting into reading blogs and these markers seem to be the thing. What makes them different from SU pens? Ohh, my beloved Copic markers. Yes, I love them so and they are a very popular tool in the market right now. I do believe that they are THE BEST marker available for my needs right now. Start HERE at Ellen's blog and settle in for some nice reading. She gives a ton of information from what paper she uses, what inks she uses,etc. In short, Copic markers are fasy drying, double ended markers available in 322 colors. They are refillable, permanent, non-toxic and dry acid free. You can get new tips if they ever wear out. So one marker of that particular color is all you'll ever need. The price point is higher than SU! markers but the quality is the best you will find and you'll never have to purchase a second marker of that color. Ellen offers the Sketch style which has a chisel tip and a brush tip. This is my favorite type of marker because I use the brush tip for coloring and blending. The chisel tips fits into an airbrush system that gives fantastic results. Do I think the markers are worth the money? A thousand times YES! Aren't they pricey? Yes, but you definitely get what you pay for with Copics. You neeeeeeeeed these markers! LOL

I've been seriously considering investing in a set of Copic markers but I want to ask you about the paper you use Again, Ellen's blog is a great resource if you go back through her Copic posts. The paper and ink that you choose to use for your Copic creations will make all the difference. Do your research before you buy. For paper I use Ellen's Classic Neenah Cardstock or Nichole's Stamper's Select White from Papertrey Ink. Ellen's paper is a bit thinner than the Stamper's Select white, depending on what you prefer. For ink, I prefer Palette's Black Noir or Burnt Umber ink pads.

Where did you get the purses from the Easter chick post? You guys like those, huh? Those are stationery boxes available at Papertrey Ink(scroll down the the creatively clear boxes). Nichole shows you how to make them HERE. That girl is SO clever and creative. I switched up the handles for mine to save on the amount of twill used at my Card Club.

Judy in Indiana said...
Beth says I have to ask you if Nicole is really her BFF. I have a suspicion she loves her from afar like I do. So, tell the truth now....That Bethie. She is just jealous because I got a hand written note from Nichole on my packing slip and she didn't. And it was in blue ink, Bethie's favorite color. For the sake of not making MY BFF Becky Higgins upset, I will let Beth have Nichole for her BFF. That Bethie's a nice gal and all but you gotta watch that girl sometimes. Snort!!!

Okay, that was wayyyyy too much writing without any fun photos so I'm going to stop now!! I feel the need to go sit in my stamp room now. See ya soon!! Don't miss my earlier post today, there's actually photos of fun stuff!

Rubber Soul and Card Sketches

For today's creations, I drew inspiration from my beloved (and well sought after by Bethie) Idea Sketch Book. I used a fun set from Rubber Soul called Springtime Mom. It's a great clear set for spring like and Mother's Day cards. Patterened paper is from Bo Bunny, Twinkle Stickers are from AMuse (available at Ellen's store) I love all the yellow I'm seeing this season. Not the bright yellows but this lovely buttercup yellow. And polka dots too, what more could you ask for? This sketch great for dividing up images and sentiments, and you get to use an additional strip of patterned paper too. The three flowers could also be substituted with 3 buttons or other embellishments. The Bloom sentiment is from Papertrey Ink. I placed three red twinkle stickers on the curly parts of the word bloom.
This is my faux ribbon card. Simply use two strips of patterned paper and snip the ends to resembleribbons. I added some real red satin ribbon too. I love this stamp, doesn't every mom deserve a day off?
This layout also allows for two patterned papers. I love the little morslet of polka dot paper. (Yes, *morslet* is a word in my vocabulary!) The yellow ribbon hides the *seam* of the patterned paper and the main image. Love that! More red sequin stickers finish off the card.
And this is a smaller version of my Clam Shell Cards. This size is more suitable for a little gift tag or small thank you note. The Wizard cuts easily through two layers of cardstock. Spellbinder's circle dies used for all the layers.
Hope you enjoy today's cards. They are bright and cheery......and hey, it's supposed to be 65 degrees on Sunday!!! Do I see glimpses of Spring?? I sure hope so.

Coming soon to a blog near you: Spring Inspiration Station (I know, I know....you can't wait!) and a Theme Shopping idea to get you thinkin' about how and what you shop for. So come back soon. Have a great weekend! I have a sick kiddo at home today.....patiently waiting with a stack of games by her side. So off I go to play Barbie Uno!!

February Card Club Samples

These are the projects the girls did at last weekend's Card Club. All stamps and cardstock from Stampin' Up!

This first one was a general greeting card. The sentiments could be changed out for any occasion. This was the favorite project by far....a little Nichole plastic purse and matching notecard. I switched up the handle from what Nichole did so I could save on the twill. One of the gals made six of these sets to use as place settings for Easter dinner. Another gal made five sets to give out to coworkers for Easter. My Jordy loves these so now we have to plan one of our *special dinners* around this theme. Tip: If you use a Copic marker down the center of the twill tape (May Arts), it stiffens it so it will stand up better and not flop over on it's side.
The girls really liked this card too even though many have never sent St. Patrick's Day cards before. I suggested that they could send it to friends and family with March birthdays. I think the patterned paper I selected kind of toned down the card a bit. My favorite part is the polka dots stamped on that little blue strip.
Hope you enjoy!!!

Hanna Biker Chick

Here's my Hanna biker chick card. This set was just released....it's called Route 66. I think this card will be perfect for one of Josey's teachers. She rides her motorcycle to school when the weather is nice. I colored the image in with Copics then airbrushed a bunch of dust and dirt...Hanna's peeling out! Is that what you do with motorcycles...peel out? LOL!