Organization....

So, I must confess: I did something decidedly brave (foolish?) last night...I re-organized my craft bins. Not, however, in a way one might think of as organized! I separated out three bins which previously contained: 1)stickers, 2)embellishments, and 3)chipboard/vellum/etc. I decided, per the inspiration I gained from Shimelle Laine, to re-organize in a way that makes sense for my crafting process, so that I will get more out of my supplies. Here is what I came up with: 1)sticker/vellum bin, 2)journaling card/die cuts bin-note, there are some stickers here, as they fit into the journaling/labeling category,as well as homemade 2D embellishments which can be used as journaling/die cut pieces, and 3)3D embellishments, such as gems, mini clothespins, unique brads and charms, etc. I must say that it took a certain element of bravery to put together the journaling card/die cut bin. It meant taking all of the little die cuts out of the packages from which they came-the same packages which were hindering my use of them-however, once I poured the first one out and felt the liberation, I was on a roll. It feels so good to be able to sift through them, to see and touch each one. And, it sure feels like I have a lot more than I could have conceived of when they were all packaged up. I even pulled each tag from the journaling tag booklet I had. It is fantastic! I am excited to get back into the creation station and play after work!

Have a great Thursday! Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

So....something else to update you on...a confession! I am going to apply for the Hero Art Design Team!!! Wish me luck! :)

Just A Few Random Thoughts...

So, no pictures today...just some words. :) I am sitting here, looking around my desk at all the scrap shrapnel, thinking how amazing it is that I could make such a gigantic mess making one single card! Granted, it is not a simple card, but one with many components and layers, so the mess may be warranted, but how do I manage to get just about everything out and not notice? This MUST be a good thing, afterall, I spend my day surrounded by people, moving quickly, and constantly aware-often overstimulated and ready to hide. Could it be that this crafting is a form of meditation? Absolutely! I love that I can be peaceful, focused, and so in the moment without any interruptions...not even the urge to clean up...which says a lot since I usually clean up after myself, as I go, with any other daily task. So, sigh, I am content to look around, reflectively, and realize that the "mess" is actually a good, productive thing for me in the oourse of any given day. Secondly, I am wondering if anyone else ever looks at their well-loved supplies and thinks about the sheer extravagance of the items...yes, they are made of simple components-paper, glitter, ink, fabric, etc...but that is my point. Can you think of a simpler time when one would have thought, "How wasteful! I could make a dress from all those bits of fabric that she is so (carelessly) gluing onto paper!" At times like that I feel guilty as I am reminded that we take so much for granted, including the amount of resources we are so fortunate to have, and, perhaps, waste. So, as I glue each piece and choose the project, be it memorabilia or gift, I remind myself to be grateful-mindful of the many ways in which I am fortunate and spoiled-and, thus, my meditation continues...

Butterflies...

What is it about butterflies that I am absolutely enamored with? I must confess that I love them! I love the shape of their wings, the fun little antennas, and everything that they represent...freedom, strenght, beauty. It reminds me of a song by Martina McBride where she sings, "God bless the butterly. Give her the strength to fly. Never let her wings touch the ground..." Just a short thought today (with a tag I made years ago with my Grandmother's passing, which I hold close to my heart)...but I will have more butterflies for you later this week! :)

Another Favorite Storage Item: Cropper Hopper Paper Files

Good morning! I am writing my second confession of the week in honor of my craft room reorganization this past weekend! I have been a longtime user of the Cropper Hopper Paper Files, but wanted to share this product with you. It is fantastic!

I have all of my papers sorted and organized by color-patterned and solid-plus categories, such as boders, vellum, tags, nature, stickers, and so forth. It is the best. All of my paper files live in a Home Depot box that I modified to fit the files. Now I can "shop" for whatever papers or products I need with ease. What is your system? I would love to hear about it!

A Favorite Storage Item: Iris 12x12" Storage Cases

So, I must confess that I LOVE the Iris storage cases! They are fantastic!! I use them to store all sorts of things...stickers, embellishments, stamps, ink pads, punches, tools, paper...they are perfect! And, they are wonderful for traveling!! I even love their little 4x6" photo storage containers. The best part? They are safe for photos and very durable. Looking for the 12x12" containers? Costco is selling them 5 for $19. Awesome deal! If only I needed more! ;)

One of the fun things is that they come in so many different colors now. I like the glittery ones the best! Check them out!

Before I go for the day... I have to confess my new favorite shopping website! {www.scrapbuck.com} I have a package coming from them and can't wait to receive it. I will have to post pictures when I get it. I am so excited! For a more than reasonable price, I was able to stock up on letter stickers, border stickers, a few papers, and two stamp sets from Basic Grey that I have been dying to have, but did not want to spend the cash on when they first came out. Now, they are mine! :) You should jump on over and see what you can find...

I am falling in love with letters....

I have recently realized that I absolutely love letters! I love their shape...straight lines, curvy lines, loops, angles...all of it! I love chipboard letters. I love glittery letters. I love polk-a-dot letters. I love textured letters. I love patterned letters. I love letter stickers. And, I love handwritten letters, expecially those which are written by people who really know calligraphy or other techniques. Here is one of my favorites, Kristina Werner. She has such beautiful handwriting! I love to watch her handwrite the greetings on her cards. It is an art in itself! You can watch her blog here:

http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/?p=6990

Or, if you are patient enough to watch her make a card, you will get to see her in action, writing a gorgeous greeting here:

Puddles

I adore mud puddles. So many fond memories conjured up with the thought of the word...

Puddle jumping-giggling, running, and jumping only to feel the cool water soak into my shoes, seep up my bell bottom jeans, and create a spongy feeling under the balls of my feet, water rushing between my toes with every leap...

Dancing in the rain-celebrating the life giving, color bringing force and feeling it wash my very "being" clean...

Mountain biking-tires spinning as I race down a hill, mud flying up from the tread, delighting in the feeling of pure joy as I am covered with specks of wet dirt...

And last, but certainly not least, seeing through this looking glass, gaining another perspective as I view the most basic of things I so often view, from another angle and in another light.

Say the word puddle; see me grin like a child.

Paper

I have to confess that I love paper. No, not just love, LOVE. I love the way paper feels. I love how it smells. I love that every time I think I have found my favorite one, another appears, as if by magic, to draw my attention to its dancing colors. I love the patterns-the bright contrasts, the soft romantic ones, the distressed look-the way they can evoke an emotion or memory. I even love plain papers, in all their different shades and textures. (This probably explains why my collection is so large and ever so slowly growing!) But, most of all, my favorite part of going to a small craft store is the smell of the paper. It just seems to lend a certain scent that is both relaxing and refreshing. So, to all of the craft store owners out there, please don't mess it up with all those stinky bars or candles...just let the paper speak for itself! :)