Monday's Are For Sharing

These are the layout's I created over the last week. Ok, the first layout took me ALL week to do. Life sooo gets in the way of my crafting time.

This first one I created for one of Shimelle's Monday challenges (it was like 2 weeks ago though) and combined it with my absolute favorite monthly challenge, the 2 peas refugees Stash Challenge. Yeah, baby, use that stash!  And, this time we used eyelets on our page!!!  Talk about using stash!!!  Awesomeness.

Paper pads (several brands, 6x6), use at least 2 different alphas (2 different thicker sets upper and lower and used my computer for the ampersand.  I finally pulled out that laminator I bought 2 years ago for foiling), eyelets (used 3 plus a grommlet that I bought many moons ago and never used), embossing (heat), something you’ve been saving for the perfect project (I don't tend to save things, so I didn't have anything here),  stickers (various, but some dear lizzy that I liked, but wondered if I'd ever be able to use).  I even handstitched which I'm normally to lazy to do, but I so love the look of it.

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This next one, I was able to whip out on Saturday evening. True to my own self, I mixed some challenges.  I started with the Tori Bissell Scrap your Scraps Challenge. She has a new facebook group just for using your stash or you can watch her youtube video. Then I used the 2peas refugee Monthly Bonus Challenge that Karen hosts. This month was a tic-tac-toe board. I chose the top row:  washi, 3 buttons (I used clothes pins instead) and chipboard. And as I was working on it, I pulled out and used vellum, so I can make this work for Shimelle's last Monday challenge. woo hoo!

Here is the inspiration piece that Tori uses.

What struck me was the layers and layers of papers with only the tops being adhered down. I love the texture that is there.  And this is mine. I tried to mimic the look by only adhering the tops of the papers so they have some depth.

You can see the depth better from this angle.

Craft Room Organization - Scraps

I used to have a huge wicker basket that anything left over from a project, including cut out stickers and notions that I thought I'd use but didn't would go into. Actually it's probably still in a box somewhere from the move.  I loved this system because you would come across an atypical color combination and like it. Definitely one I wouldn't have originally thought of.  I disliked it because it was a pain to sort through and it became super full super quick.

 Over on the Scrap Your Scraps Facebook group, Tori Bissell asked for us to share how we store our scraps.  This is one drawer of a Recollections 2-drawer cube system.

As you can see from the above photo, there are several pieces sticking up that are easily the height or larger than the drawer height of 7".  I try to put anything I believe large enough to be put as a block on a page back into the original paper storage section, and go even smaller if it's a paper pad.  However, have I mentioned before, that I'm a lazy scrapbooker? Well, my laziness extends into cleaning. So I only succeed about 80% of the time. The other 20% even those larger pieces are going to go into the scrap bin. They are sorted by colors with a 2 sections for neutrals that get lumped together. I have vellum and mixed colors where one doesn't strike me as predominate. And the very front is card bases that I've made and not used yet or the inserts for A2 cards.

Why I love my current system? I love that I've switched to only saving the very small items here. I love that I'm storing the larger items with like items as I use them more. I like that I store all of my paper pad scraps with my paper pads. I use them way more.  Constraints & Limits on the drawer space: This works so much better to know that I only have so much space for my scraps.When it starts to get to full I either need to make some cards or some scrap your scraps layouts.

I also have this octagon storage tin which is where I put those notions I've been too lazy to put away or things that I really want to try to use.  Bonus, it has a hummingbird, my favorite, on the lid.  The photo doesn't do it justice. It's so pretty, really.  This use to be on my craft desk or next to it. Now due to the set up, it actually sets behind me on these sewing drawers.  If I had all the money to create my special crafting nook, it would be shabby chic with lots of olden wooden furniture and tins and luggage and lace and old quilts and..... sorry, I got distracted.

That's how I handle my scraps.

So guess what? This drawer is pretty full!  This week, I will be challenging myself to use these scraps and one of Tori Bissell's Scrap Your Scrap video/challenges.  Play along if you'd like. You have until the end of April to link up. If you like to use your scraps or need inspiration, I highly suggest the facebook group linked above.

An InLinkz Link-up

Craft Room Organization - Mixed Media Center

I hope yesterday's memes made you smile. I think each Wednesday I will share some of my favorites. If for no other reason that when I went to my pinterest board in search of yesterday's pins, I laughed my hiney off. And it could use a whole lot more.


I know, I know. Usually you get an overall view of the craft area first.  Well, I'm not going to do that. I'm not doing it do be difficult, I just covered the surface of my desk area with important papers through the last month, my craft desk in a project, and my stamp desk in leftovers from Calvinball (hey, it only ended 7 days ago, don't judge!). ha.

Before we go any further I have to issue this disclaimer.
**We purchases an old farm house on 40 acres. The house needs to be completed rehabbed. We started with a roof, plumbing, electric and then the master bedroom. Since moving in, we just had a contractor come in and level the house (creating very large cracks in the finished master bedroom and in the kitchen, which I'd already painted because that was the very last room we'd touch) and re-do the other 2 upstairs bedrooms and the hall with foam insulation, some more electric work and new drywall. We are putting the wood floors in ourselves. So my craft room is not a color I'd choose myself. Plus I only have part of the room (a 6.5' x 12' space). **

Disclaimer over** Onto our regularly schedule program. A tour of how I store my mixed media supplies.

If you come in the door to the craft room and look directly to the right, you'll see my craft desk and then a bookshelf that sits in the corner with the shelves open toward the desk. There are some things on this shelf that will definitely be staying put and some things that I do hope to move.  The brown arrow in the photo shows my books on the bottom shelf that I can tear things from.  The orange bag on the floor is foam stamps (mainly alphas) that I had taken to the art journaling class I taught last fall/winter and haven't figured out how/where there permanent home will be.

 My mixed media cart. I actually got 2 of these at Michael's for lower than the price of 1. I kept one at co-op with class supplies. It now resides in my basement until I teach again.  But this cart sets beside the bookshelf.
1. Basically the art supply mediums, good brushes, pippettes.
gesso (white, black, clear), texture paste, gel medium, good paintbrushes, pippettes, collage podge, lidded container of water for cleaning brushes, Daddy Van's Beeswax (sometimes good for making a page not sticky), Polymer medium. oh, and my bleach pen.
2. Tools
 rubbing alcohol, pallette knives, foam brushes and working brushes (these were the ones I took to class), texturizers (skewers, toothbrushes, etc. spray bottle of water, old key cards
3. ???? (Just sort of things that didn't fit elsewhere or that will move)
dylusional paints, course salt for texture/technique, travel bin with colored pencil, gel pens, ruler,
My brayers and wavy paper tool (corrugator) will go on pegboard once it's up, but are in here for now.
4. Spray Ink
I have more foam brushes and 1" paint brushes that were for class in here too. But I hope to move them as well.
5. Watercolor Plus other
watercolor pencils, watercolor crayons,  and watercolor tubes, plus calligraphy nibs and gelatos,
6. Acrylic Paint
This is all golden or liquitex better quality acrylics.

 This is my craft paints.  See the wall above the media cart and on the other side of the craft paint, I'm hoping to put a large pegboard there. (insert smiley face) I <3 pegboard.  I also store fabric dye here - like adironack inks, lindy stamp gang flat fabios, and my lumiere's by jacquard. Oh, and my india ink.

This is a rubbermaid 9cube organization unit. I have 2 that I put back to back. Then my hubs cut a top for it. I can stand on either side to create. This  is the mixed media side.

1. various sponges for applying paint. This has more room. and can definitely be used more effectively.
2. Texturizers - bubble wrap, corrugated cardboard, vinyl designed table cloth piece, toilet paper roll, and a couple of lids, dry wall tape,
3. collage material - patterns, adult coloring pages, magazines.
4. My in progress journals
5. Encaustic material
6. old used tissue paper from presents and such, great collage material
7. XYRON machine and extras
8. extra adhesives
9. Other mixed media pads and journals to use.

Do you art journal or paint?

If you're interested in what other bloggers are doing check out the 2peas refugee April blog challenge.  You can also join in there as well.

Chuckles For You

Here it is Wednesday. During my life in the working world, "hump day" was usually harder for me than Monday. Monday was a fresh start to the week. But by Wednesday, I was just waiting for Friday.  Now, I'm a SAHHSM, stay at home homeschooling mom, which means I don't even look forward to Friday anymore.  But when I get a bit fried, I love a bit of laughter.  Today, I'm going to share a couple of my favorite memes with you. I hope you get a chuckle.

 This is one of my all time favorites. I could actually see my husband saying something like this to me, because he is the witty one.

I just saw this one on Monday.  I don't know why the play on words strikes me as SO funny, but it does.

Have a happy day!

It's a Girl Thing

NOT!  It's not really a girl thing. I thought it just made a cute sentiment on this page about the brand new adventure of learning to ride the lawn mower.

I used an Amy Tan paper pad on this one. And the "It's a girl thing" is a Show-Off stencil that I used stencil paste mixed with paint on.

Happy Tuesday!

Why Do I have so many scissors?

We know that as crafters, we have a tendency to collect supplies. We often talk of our supply of washi, flair, die cuts, etc.  Of course, when we talk of those supplies, I've never run across anyone who has 20 of the same kind of washi.  So last night while I was crafting, my little basket to the left of my table caught my attention.

There are 8 pairs of regular long scissors in here, no decorative. PLUS, my Cutterbee's (I have 2 pair), pinking shears, my red rubber stamp scissor, a small pair of embroidery thread scissors, and a rotary cutter!!!  I think it might be time to thin out and store some of the regular ones somewhere else.

Then I got to thinking, this doesn't even include my fabric scissors or rotary cutters or my kitchens scissors.  I think I might need a scissor intervention.

Do you have anything similar? Is it just me?

Blogging Challenge

Many people participated in February's Layout A Day. March held the Get It Scrapped Calvinball challenge to keep the momentum going or for those like me, to jump on the bandwagon.  What will we do for April???  Well, Melissa over at the 2 Peas Refugee boards came up with a blogging challenge. We aim for 21 posts in the month of April for our poor neglected and afterthought blogs. The posts can really be about anything.

If you're interested in checking any of the blogs out, here is the current list of participants.


Melissa (Mom)

ojyma

Flibbertigibbet



impearia

ellewood

 serenek

Journeyfan

irisheyes

Dreamsofnyssa

awesomegabi

 mjmone

anniefb

darkchami

Eddie-n-Harley

 lowdertiff

thracian

justjac

 daynaholm

 chunka

 stefdesign

 There is already some great stuff posted.  I can't wait for the rest of the month.