Shelving before:
Add some of this:
to these:
and add some of this:
to these:
And the end result is this:
Before:
After:
What do you think? Did you like the more colorful version better, or the new version?
And in case you are feeling bad about yourself after seeing the neat, pretty pictures, let me leave you with this:
(my next project...coming soon!)
I am doing a little experiment on these alpha shelves/drawers:
to see if I can make them work a little better in the room. Lately, I have been neutralizing the decor in here-moving away from the pink/green color scheme to a more natural/white/green color scheme.
As with all experiments, when you're in the middle of it, things can look a little bit uncertain. HA.
Also, I have been slowly adding to and rearranging the blog. Most recently, I added a link/widget/badge thingie to the right for my Flickr ( over there ----> ) and figured out how to make my picture larger.
Any other requests or ideas for changing things up? This whole blogging thing has been a learning curve for sure!
When I hung the new shelves, I also added some embellishment storage underneath them.
They're the same Bygel rails I used for the layout wall (seen in this post). They're inexpensive, easy to hang, and sturdy. What's not to love?
Here's a closer look:
Embellishments are grouped by type and hung on large embroidery floss rings found at the craft store.
(bling)
(flowers and centers)
(journaling spots)
On my last trip to the Container Store, I spotted these small plastic bags (99 cents/10 bags). They're perfect for containing items that have difficult original packaging that's not condusive to this type of storage.
(Maya pins)
This is not the neatest way to store your embellishments, as it's a bit visually cluttered. However, I have to be able to see what I have in order to use it. So far, it's been working out great! I have been using some items that were tucked away for quite some time.
How do you store your embellishments? Have you found one way that works for you, or do you have a variety of solutions?
One of the first changes I made to this room after we moved in was to hang these shelves. At the time, I only had the shelves, an old desk from college, and a folding utility table in the space. I have had fun changing the space little by little as I see what works and keeps me creating.
Recently, I decided it was time to tweak the storage in the space to get some items up off of the floor. Also, I wanted to minimize the amount of furniture in the room in general to make it feel more spacious.
A couple of weeks ago hubby and I headed over to Home Depot to purchase some more shelving for the space. I wanted to keep the simple look of the white shelves, but these were getting too crowded and cluttered-looking. My needs had changed in the four years since we had moved into this home.
This Rubbermaid shelving is fairly inexpensive and very easy to install.
Here is a picture of the entire wall of shelving after I hung the three new shelves on the right.
It is certainly a work in progress, but I really do love how spacious it feels in the room without much on the floor around my huge worktable (aka The Scrapmaster 5,000).
Also, I added more chocolate eyelet bins. I love that a few of them are empty right now so I have plenty of freedom to rearrange the items on the shelves as I see what is working and what needs tweaking.
I tried to organize the items on the shelves into the task for which they are used.
(die cutting machine and dies)
(less frequently used tools on the top right)
(stamp binder, inks, and border punches right behind where I sit)
I am so very happy with how this project turned out! What do you think?
Have you thought about taking your storage vertical in order to make your creative area more efficient/spacious? How would you describe your current storage?
Next up: I will share some different ways I wrangle embellishments.
I hope you enjoyed seeing how I took it vertical in my space. Thanks for stopping by!
I have a confession
One reason I began writing this blog was to motivate me to continue organizing my home. Since the scrapbook space is where I spend most of my free time while at home, I decided it would be the best place to begin.
I figured that writing about the process would help for the following reasons:
a) motivate me not to quit when everything looked hopelessly messy
b) help me keep the projects moving along at a reasonable pace
c) force me to be more intentional and thoughtful about the changes I wanted to make (i.e. plan better)
So, thank you for reading this series! You are helping me and I hope as I stumble my way through this disaster (you think I'm kidding? HA!), you are inspired in some small way.
Ok, onto the before shots...
The space that contains all things crafty in my home is the middle-sized bedroom. I have not measured it recently, but it is pretty generously-sized. However, as my scrapbooking storage changed over time, much of the floor space was being taken up by the furniture footprints, making the space feel smaller and smaller.
My solution? GO VERTICAL!
Here are some before shots of the space:
(existing shevling)
(new items to be incorporated)
This wallspace was always empty, but there used to be two bookshelves using up the floorspace. We have a fireplace downstairs that is begging for some flanking floor to ceiling bookcases (I am an English teacher, after all-so we have just a couple books, HA) so those college-era bookcases will find a new home with someone else very soon.
Here's a closer look:
(some of these items are for future projects...)
I can't wait to show you some "after" photos tomorrow. This project turned out better than I even imagined it!
Question for today: Is your storage on the wall or in furniture that sits on the floor? Is it working for you?
I am adjusting once again to the full load of my teaching schedule now. Whew, it has been a busy few days! Also, I have been adjusting some things in my scrapbooking space. There have been a couple of small changes and one or two big ones, too!
Today I want to share a small change I have made recently. I picked up these boxes at IKEA a couple of weeks ago. They are the Kassett DVD storage boxes. Like most products that IKEA sells, they are a great value at $4.99 for two boxes.
Here's a before picture of my Expedit:
It's not that the DVDs looked all that bad, it's just that they had outgrown the space. They were getting stacked up on the top and they would topple over and fall behind the unit. It was clearly not working. And, let's face it-how many problems in life can be solved for five bucks? haha
First, I separated the DVDs into two different categories: chick flicks and action movies. Then, on a hunch, I tried out the EK Label punch and it fit perfectly in the slot! Woohoo for happy accidents. :)
Here's a look at the finished product:
It looks a little bit prettier, and it's much more functional now, too.
What simple changes could you make for under five bucks?
Up tomorrow: a little peak into my scrappy weekend.
One of my absolute favorite areas of my scrap space is the layout wall. It is a large section of one wall that is covered with bars on which I hang my most recent layouts. I can fit 12 single pages on the wall at one time.
I first got the idea to make this wall from seeing a scrapbook room that had hung a drapery rod above their doorway for the same purpose. (I cannot find a link of it now, but if I come across it again, I will be sure to give credit!)
I chose to modify the original idea a bit to accomodate more pages. I found these kitchen rails at IKEA back in 2007, and decided to incorporate them into the space for various purposes. The awesome thing about them is how versatile and inexpensive they are at only 2.99 per rail.
What I love most about this wall is that as I sit at my table to scrapbook, I can be inspired by my recent pages. Looking at my own creations makes me want to keep scrapooking. Not only do I enjoy the paper and embellishment part of each layout, but the story and the photos as well.
For example, here's a look at how the layout wall looked in the beginning of December.
Typically I leave the layouts on the wall for anywhere from 2 weeks to a month. It depends on how often I am able to spend time creating layouts to put up there. Lately, I have found it convenient to display an entire kit's worth of layouts up there at once.
And with November and some December layouts:
When the whole wall is full, I take down the previous month's worth of layouts and put them into my albums.
The most current album is sitting right out on the Scrapmaster 5,000 so it is easy to put the layouts away.
And so the layout wall looks empty as the new kit layouts are displayed little by little.
I just love to watch it evolve! This is what it looks like right now:
I am working on a big organizing project right now in this room-I can't wait to share more details as the new layout unfolds!
Question of the day: Do you display your layouts, or put them straight into your albums? If you do display them, what method do you use to do so?
I enjoyed reading your comments and checking out the links you provided in the comments of yesterday's post! A few of you were interested in learning about taming those embellishments, so I will plan to write about that soon.
Today I wanted to share the third and final post about kit storage. That is, how I arrange and store a kit's contents while it's on my desk being used up.
Typically, I only work with one kit at a time until it is completed, so that helps me crank out the pages and keep the organization time to a minimum since I am not shuffling supplies in and out of their containers. I know this approach does not work for everyone. However, I hope seeing my methods will help spark some ideas for developing a system that works for you.
Once I take a kit out of the kit basket, I separate it into two parts:
1. papers
2. embellishments/alphabets
I arrange the papers on this inexpensive metal filing rack I found at TJMaxx a while back (under $5).
(you can also see that I keep the tool tote on a kitchen spinner for quick access to the most-used items.)
Next, I snag one of the little brown "eyelet totes" to store the current embellishments. The source for these totes is explained in this previous post about punch storage.
Those little baggies you see in the front are some I had in my giftwrapping bin. They turned out to be perfect for containing the small bits of embellishments. Here's a closer look at those:
This month there is one for ribbons, one for the Making Memories butterflies, and one for the other embellishments. These baggies are reused from month to month.
Every month I choose four or five embellishments from my scrapbooking supplies to go in the current kit embellishment bin. It helps me to stretch my those supplies to the maximum number of layouts. Also, since I mostly scrapbook with Studio Calico kits these days, this is one way for me to show some love for my other supplies.
In the back of the embellishment bin is where I stash those little bits of paper scraps. After I am done making full-sized pages and projects with these supplies, I will use the scraps in this bag for cards. Then, whatever is left will get tossed. This helps me to keep scraps from piling up over time. Then, of course, I reuse this little cellophane bag for the next batch of scraps.
To help keep all of those scraps, alphas, and other embellishments from warping, I recently added this chipboard piece to the back of the bin. So far, it works like a charm!
Finally, here is the view from my seat at the Scrapmaster 5,000! Don't you just love my "vintage" TV, circa 1997? Ah, all this writing about scrapbooking makes me want to head on up there and get to it!
Did you find any helpful ideas in the final installment of kit organization today? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Happy Wednesday to all! We're still snowed in here in Atlanta. Well, really it's more like iced in. I learned that our city only owns 8 salt trucks. Apparently, we're going to be inside for a while! Here's a picture from Monday, when the snow was still pretty and had not yet become the mess that it is now:
(at least I saved my one and only plant from an untimely demise. HA!)
Since I have plenty of time on my hands, let's revisit the topic of kit storage, shall we? If you missed the first installment of my kit storage process, you can go here to get caught up first:
Storage Solutions: Kits (Part 1)
Once my kits are placed into those large ziploc bags, they need a dedicated place in my space to reside until they can receive the attention they deserve. Now, some ladies who had been reading this series began to comment that I was "so organized" and other such hilarious statements. I assure you-I am just figuring it out as I go along, like any other normal person. In fact, I would consider myself one of the messiest people on the planet! As proof, let me share with you a photo of the "kit storage" area of my space before it was tamed:
(from the front)
(and from the top)
There were two main problems here:
1. kits piling up
2. bags I take to crops had no home
I knew I needed to get all of those supplies and the cropping totes off of the floor. Enter IKEA. Oh, how I love IKEA for her inexpensive storage!
The table I decided on is actually a small coffee table from the "Lack" series ($20).
I also needed a container that would hold the actual kits. I looked all over the place for something functional, durable, and neutral in color. Target, TJMaxx, Marshalls, Micheals, and others all failed me. HA. So I hopped on over to The Container Store and ended up finding the medium size of this basket from the Elfa storage line.
After finding these two components, I was able to come up with this arrangement:
On the bottom shelf I have stashed the printer and two baskets of ribbon. The pink/white baskets are from Target a while back. The bags to the left are for taking to crops. This has worked very well because I can unpack the cropping totes straight into that mesh basket, so they are ready for the next scrappy getaway.
Here's a look into that kit basket.
Ah, Yearbook.
That's it for part 2 of my kit storage. I wanted to share one last installment with you before moving on to the next storage solution idea, though. That is: how do I store the current kit I am working with while it's on my desk? So, come back tomorrow to check out the final entry about the kits-Storage Solutions: Kits (Part 3).
I have two parting questions for my readers today:
1. What type of container do you use to store your kits?
2. What other scrapbooking storage ideas are you interested in reading about?
Oh, how I adore that fabulous scrapbooking kit that arrives conveniently on my front porch every month. I wait with bated breath for that bit of happiness in a box!
I have been ordering from a monthly scrapbooking kit club (Studio Calico) since July of 2009. That's 18 months of kits. (wow, how does the time go by that quickly?) Most months, my goal is to completely transform those yummy scrapbooking goodies into my pages, cards, and projects before the next month's kit arrives. Sometimes I am successful at that goal, and other times...well, not so much. So, I needed a method and a bit of space to store those kits that were making a mess in my space.
So, for today's Kit Storage (Part 1), I will share how my kit is organized from the time it hits the front porch steps until it is ready for use in a project. This is what my front porch looks like right now. Crazy, huh?
So, when that fabulous Studio Calico box arrives, first I wait until I have some quality time to unpack it. I have a little rule-I won't unpack my box until I have time to organize and enjoy its contents.
Here's what my box o' goodies looked like this month:
Fiskars Cloud punches, how I have waited for you! I already loved you before I ever even met you!
*ahem*
So, I take everything out of the box first and set it aside as my new misting/mess-making box for that month. Then, I get to the task of integrating the items into my current systems of scrapbooking storage.
First, I began by removing all of the packaging from the punches. Man, those things are like Fort Knox! Or a small child's toy packaging, haha.
Then, I punch the images from a piece of kraft cardstock and cut out a white tag so that I can include them on my punch reference ring.
Rockin' the Silent Setter! HA.
Cloud Punches go into the appropriate "shape punches" bin and I'm ready to use them at a moment's notice now.
Next, I open the "shop items" bag.
This month I got a couple packs of rubons and alphas (I promise I will show you how I store both of these items later in the series). I also purchased some extra little star pins (into the Metropolitan kit they go) and some stamps. Since I knew I had some stamps coming my way this month, I made extra room in my new stamp binder one night during my scrapbooking time. In they go!
Next, I open the main kit itself:
Finally, I open any add-on kits I have picked up that month. In January, I purchased the add on patterned paper and Studio Calico paper.
mmmmm, paper.
Then, I smell everything. No, really-I do.
Once I have lovingly gazed at, thumbed through, and smelled everything to my heart's content, I put everything in a big Hefty Bag. I can usually find these at SuperTarget or SuperWalmart. They are the 2.5 gallon size-perfect for 12 x 12 paper and embellishments!
I label the bag with the month and names of the kit(s) and put them away until I am ready to bust into it.
I hope you enjoyed the first installment of my kit storage!
Next up in the storage solutions series is how I store these large bags until they are ready to be used either at home or at a crop.
How do you store your kits? Do you organize everything as it comes in, keep it in the box, or somewhere in between?
When I first began scrapbooking, way back in 1997 when the 12 inch trimmer had yet to be mass produced and stencils were the new "it" item of scrapbooking, I used to scrapbook all 8.5 x 11 sized pages. Luckily, after my hiatus from the hobby, many improvements to the album choices had been made. At the time, I had one plain black, leather album that was a huge three ring binder. It was not pretty on the eyes, let me tell you.
When I got back into scrapbooking in 2004, the 12 x 12 size had become the standard fare for supplies, trimmers, and luckily, albums. Since then, I have been using Pulp Brand Scrapbook Albums. I love Pulp albums because they have the quality of a handmade item, and they are wrapped in a variety of colorful canvas patterns. One thing did not changed from my initial foray into scrapbooking, however-I still use a three-ring binder style album. It's an excellent choice for people like me, who have committment issues.
Here is a link to the Per Annum website, where you can peruse the plethora of colors available in the 3 ring binder style album: all those pretty colors!
As my collection of scrapbook pages grew from the one 8.5 x 11 album I had managed to scrape together in those early days into a catalogue of our daily lives in photos, my scrapbooking albums began to overtake the space. Layouts would pile up in and out of their page protectors and sometimes, they would get damaged before going to their final home (GASP!). When my husband and I moved into our first house, I decided it was time to remedy the album storage problem. Luckily, we live in a large city with an IKEA nearby, so I decided to keep it simple (and cheap!) and go with the 2 x 4 Expedit to hold my albums.
The great thing about the 2 x 4 Expedit (69.99) in my opinion is that not only will it hold a huge amount of supplies or keepsakes, it will also provide a surface for your room. A third benefit that led me to choose the smaller sized option is that by keeping a low profile of large pieces that sit on the floor, my standard-sized bedroom would not feel closed in or overwhelmed by the furniture.
Unlike many scrapbookers, I store my layouts chronologically. I am a pretty type-A person, so I tend to reference events in my mind by date. I love looking back at my older albums and reminiscing about those early school days. There are some pretty funny scrapbook pages in there from the late 90's era of scrapbooking!
Although I store my layouts chronologically, I jump all over the place in terms of when I actually scrapbook an event, special photo, memory, or reflection. Often, I will go back and forth between years when choosing photos. I think this is why the 3-ring albums work best for me-I can just toss my new layout into whatever album it belongs in, and not worry about undoing an entire album. Because of my tendencies toward perfectionism, post bound albums and strap hinge albums make me feel like I have to complete an entire album's worth of layouts before I can store them in the album itself. That's just too much pressure!
Once I put together the Expedit and got all of my albums into it, I noticed that I was still searching through album after album to put a layout away, so I decided to add these little tags. Notice, I used the same tags on the albums as I used on the punch bins from this post. Having a handful of tags sitting at the ready really makes labeling everything a breeze!
Since I tend to have multiple albums for each year, I also label the back of the tags with the months that are covered in each album. I don't stress about this too much if it changes, since it's on the back of the tags-I just cross out the months and adjust as needed when my album grows.
Finally, I have one cube of the Expedit that holds a few empty albums. I have found that having a few empty albums helps to prevent layouts from piling up. Also, since I love a good sale, I can purchase albums as they go on sale and not at the last minute when I am desperate to put those errant layouts somewhere.
I don't make many mini albums other than for gifts, but I do have a metal basket that holds the couple that I have made over the years. Sometimes, I find myself in a nostalgic mood, and I will sit in front of this shelf, looking through this collection of memories. It's so great to have them all in one place!
Hopefully you have enjoyed this "all about albums" post. Now I am curious-how do you store your layouts? Do all of your albums come from the same place, or do you have a variety of styles and colors? Please share your album advice in the comments.
Be sure to check back in tomorrow for a feature of one of my new favorite ETSY stores!
After organizing my punches into baskets, I realized I still did not know what punches I had on hand, so I proceeded to make the following reference ring:
Here are the simple steps you will need to take to make this reference ring:
Step #1: Grab two different colors of cardstock from your scrabook stash. I chose white swiss dot (Bazzill) and Kraft (Hobby Lobby brand) because I am trying to keep my storage items as neutral as possible.
Step #2: Using one bin's worth of punches at a time, punch out each shape or border in one of the colors of cardstock.
***this is my "circle punches" bin, but it has been apparently been invaded by a square. I can just imagine my circle punches crying out "interloper" to that lonely little square punch!
The circles are double-sided with kraft and swiss dot to make them a bit sturdier.***
Step #3: Cut the second color of cardstock (white) into strips large enough to accomodate the punched shapes. To keep it more uniform, I cut some standard strip sizes and adhered each similar shape to the same sized strip of white. So, some shapes do not have the same border of white around them, but that doesn't bother me too much. :)
Step #4: Label each of the punches with its name. This is key, because it helps you to avoid buying punches you already have.
Step #5: Punch a hole at the top of each strip of cardstock and place them on a ring. You could use a crop-a-dile or office supply hole puncher. I chose to use an old school eyelet setter, HA!
I hope you have enjoyed the second installment of my punch organization! It is so much easier to find what I am looking for and know what I own now, it was definitely worth the time it took to put this reference ring together.
Are you inspired to organize your punches now? Do you already have a great punch organization system? If your punches are neat and orderly, will you link up a picture of your system?
Thanks for stopping by! Check in tomorrow for the fourth installment of my storage solution series-all about albums.
Today I will share my solution for those punches that have become all the rage in 2010. I would consider myself a moderate-level punch owner in that I own enough punches to need a storage solution. However, the easiest way to tame your punches is to make sure you only buy the ones that you know you will use over and over again. Furthermore, if I buy a punch and find that I don't use it within a couple of months, I try to trade it with a friend or give it to someone who will use it.
Ok, onto my punch storage:
First, I purchased some of these "eyelet totes" from Bed, Bath, and Beyond over time. I would consider myself somewhat of a frugal person when it comes to things like this, so I use coupons whenever possible. The small bins are 5.99 each, so I buy them three at a time with a $5 off $15 coupon, which means every third bin is $.99 + tax. It is important to purchase the smallest, sturdiest bin you can find for punches. They are so heavy that piling too many into one container will inevitably cause a bin failure or a back failure (bin failures are less costly, but still undesireable). If you have a Bed, Bath, and Beyond near you, you can find these bins in various neutral colors and even a few brighter colors. Here are some links for you to check out in their online store:
Neutral Eyelet Totes ("flax" is their name for it)
I have three shelves that are hung up behind my scrapbooking table. I can reach the punch bins from my chair without pulling them off of the shelf. If I am feeling extra motivated, I can pop up out of my chair to look into a bin and grab the punch I want to use. Or, if I know I am going to be using a variety of circles on my current project, for example, I might pull down a whole bin and place it on my desk for the duration of the task.
Each tote has a label on it, and punches are grouped according to type (or type and brand). I use the same labels on many different items of organization in my scrapbook room in order to keep the decor looking a bit more cohesive. I made a huge stack of labels all in one sitting from a few sheets of kraft cardstock and the frame stamp from Studio Calico's Cotillion Kit (2009-retired). Now, it's easy for me to change things up by simply grabbing a label from that stack.
Here is an example of what the inside of a bin looks like. I really tend to like the EK brand punches since they are extremely versatile and they store so well.
I hope you have enjoyed reading about my punch organization today! Let me know if this post has inspired you to save your back by organizing your punches. Also, please let me know if you have any questions that I have not covered above.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Punch organization, where I will explain how I keep track of which punches I have in my stash.
AND....last, but not least, leave a comment about your punch storage (or lack thereof) in order to receive some punch-inspired ribbon from me! I will draw a winner on Tuesday. :)
ETA: Jennifer, commenter #2, won the ribbon giveaway. Congratulations, Jennifer! Make sure you email me at themustardseedblog@gmail.com to claim your yummy ribbon!
I have received a number of questions recently about my storage choices for the scrapbook room, so I thought it would be helpful to address them here. The first item on the list is stamp storage. Recently, I was inspired to organize my stamps for the following reasons:
1. to be sure about what I have already purchased
2. so I will use them more
3. for ease of cleanup
*disclaimer* this is not my original idea. I made some adjustments, but basically I copied Reyanna Klein's system that she shared on her blog. Go here to check out her adorable video!
First, I began by going to the local Container Store and purchasing various sizes of their "photo storage pages" ($1.99/10). I purchased one pack each of the following sizes: 3.5 x 5, 5 x 7, 8 x 10, and negative sleeves (remember negatives? HA.)
I also grabbed some off-white cardstock from my stash that comes with my page protectors. There were two reasons for this. First, they're not too thick that they will take up too much space in the sleeve. Secondly, I chose them because I know I will always have some on hand (10 pages come with every set of page protectors).
Let's get to the project now, shall we?
I ended up with the following six sections in my binder:
Section 1: alphas, numbers, sentiments
I made a tabbed divider for each section using various scrapbook paper from my stash.
Section 2: dates, journaling, frames
The circular tabs are from Creative Cafe and the woodgrain letters are these from Studio Calico.
Section 3: images
For this section, I picked up a pack of the baseball card holders from the office supply store.
Section 4: borders
Section 5: backgrounds
Section 6: room to grow :)
Finally, when I had all of the interior pages done, I purchased a cute album from Target ($10 with a giftcard) to hold all of my newly organized stamps.
If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read through this! Please let me know what you think in the comment section. I will draw a winner on Monday to receive two of each type of page protector that will facilitate the organization of your stamps.
