It all works until it doesn't. . . Craft Room Storage/Organization

Perhaps if I did not spend so much time reorganizing and moving things around in the craft room I would get more projects done??? One can only hope....

DH recently had surgery and when he came home from the hospital I spent lots of time on the Chromebook looking at videos on YouTube from crafters and their craft rooms and how they organize things.... But the catch was I was not going to go out and buy all new furniture or new bins and start from scratch - happily I only added three drawer bins from Walmart to this new layout. 

Started by making a list of things that were working and things that were not. I already had certain "stations" in the craft room - IE  Jewelry making items together, solid card stocks together, any kits I have are all in one bin, inks are together, etc... but it was the odd things that were the problem -- glittered and plain craft foam sheets, my label maker in one place and refills/batteries in another, vellum here and there, and so it goes.... so as I saw storage ideas on videos that I thought could work for me I would write those down and then think what bins/cubbies I already have that I could use for storage, etc..

Began over at the Alex units - when I bought those I put in the drawers items I thought I would keep there and over time some of the items have ended up in a smaller storage area or the collection of a type of item would grow out of the size the drawer allowed and so it goes..  I moved my cubbies that I have had for many years over to put on top of the Alex drawer units and then I put the cubbies that are meant to hold card stocks or plastic bins on top - here is what that area looks like now:

I had the smaller bins by IRIS for many years so I just reorganized those and labeled them so I know what is inside. For now they are in the cubbies but I plan to move them around to alpha order by the label. Years ago when I got the Alex units I used the DYMO label maker to label the fronts of the drawers but over time the labels have yellowed. Since I would be moving things around anyways I went on Amazon and found clear adhesive label holders I could stick on the fronts of the Alex drawers and these label holders have a clear pocket so I can put my printed label inside this holder and easily change the labels out if I should have to move anything around. Here are photos to show these labels:

These photos are the drawers I have my punches in and some drawers will have two or three theme punches in there so it is nice the label holder is large enough to hold my labels. 

One crafter had shown storage she used for her paper pads - luckily I do not have too many of those but I liked her storage -- but not an easy task finding the bins. They are Mainstays - Walmart brand - and they are clear drawer bins that are for closet storage and are stackable and I was happy to be able to locate three of these bins but not at all the same store.....

I used one drawer for Halloween, one for Christmas, and one for Floral and I was happy the clear label holders I used on the Alex units also work on these clear bins:

Things are coming along -- am half way done with the new labels on the Alex units - have moved things around and right now have Post-It notes on the front of the drawers so I can label the drawers with their new contents. Have three empty drawers on my old cubbies I moved but already know what I am moving into them ... as DH heals I am able to spend more time in the craft room so soon enough things will be back to normal in this craft room. Happy with the new changes and from what little crafting I have been able to squeeze in putting things away is much easier now....  which is half the battle..... 

Sales and Shopping. . .

Spellbinders held their Warehouse Sale and I picked up a few things:

Invoice for my order:

Regular prices were approx $133.00 total but with their Warehouse Sale I only paid $50.00 so that was a good sale for me. They also had another sale and I picked up these three items:

Sad to see I-Crafter closing but I did buy some items for her closing sale:

 

Altho she is closing I-Crafter she said she will be working with Trinity Stamps so we will still get to enjoy her talents on their website.

Also -- ordered some things from Scrapbook.com at their sale and they enclosed this cute card in with the order:

Too cute and too true -- will keep that on the work table. I ordered two die sets from PrettyPinkPosh during their sale:

Two new releases from ScrapdivaDesigns.com:

Love the floral die that has all the flowers on one plate so with each pass through the machine you get lots of layers for the flowers.... easy to make lots of flowers with this plate.... Lots of new items to add to the craft room for projects ahead.... Happy to always be able to shop sale prices......

Spring Wreath

 A gal at work asked me to make her a Spring wreath for her door so here that is - used flowers from the Dollar Tree and my stash, with a wreath form from the stash to make this wreath. The birdhouse is from the Dollar Tree and I painted it white, sponged blue paint over that using plastic wrap. Once dried I sponged brown paint over that and I painted the roof peak brown as well. Happy she liked it as she has birdhouses on her tree in the front yard. 

(DH is home from surgery so I will craft and post when I can but I wanted to get a couple of projects posted on the blog -- )

Took a chance....

 Scrapbook.com recently had a sale and I shopped and found their exclusive tape holder for mint tape... I had a dispenser for my mint tape but the tape would not stick to the dispenser and it was a challenge to use it because I had to always search for the end of the tape to use it.... Here is the Scrapbook exclusive mint tape dispenser that was on sale for $8 something from their $18.00 price tag:

I waited awhile to put this in use to see if it really would work and it does -- the tape stays in place on the dispenser and is always ready for use:

The former dispenser now holds eyelash tape for die cutting and the yellow tape I always reach for:

The mint tape dispenser is weighted and where my other dispensers have the metal tear off piece the mint tape dispenser is plastic so happy that this new mint tape dispenser works as they say it does and even happier that it was on sale!

Anna Griffin Purse Card Die

 Last month I picked up the Anna Griffin Purse Card Die set at the Reconsidered Goods store in Greensboro -- this is a recycle store that is loaded with craft supplies and happy I went to shop there the day I did! This stamp set was priced for $2.00 and I brought it home -- 

Although I like the designs she has the Anna Griffin line of products is pricey and I did not own any of her die sets (I posted about all the die sets I bought at this stop to this store early in April). When I saw this die I knew I wanted to make it into a purse treat holder rather than use it for the card die set it was. Here is a photo of a couple of the purse treat holders I have made:

Here is a photo of the die set showing all the detailed dies in this set:

I die cut the side panels our of white card stock and then the prints I wanted to use. Used liquid glue to put those together. For my gold pieces I used gold poster board from the Dollar Tree and this has a brushed finish rather than a mirror finish that my gold card stock has. For the insert I used a piece of 3x11 white card stock and I scored it at 3 and 8 and then again at 1/2 on both long sides:

Used liquid glue to put the front and back purse panels on this. Added the gold die cut front pieces. Added a small flower to the one handle:

Pink purse in progress:

Fun treat holder for Mother's Day -- and a great find for $2.00 for an Anna Griffin die set!

Online orders arrived!

Ordered three die sets from the sale at PixiDust Designs. Too late for this Easter but fun projects ahead for next year:

Also for the Total Eclipse Divinity Designs had an Eclipse sale - you could get a large discount on one item using their sale code. So I ordered the Candy Carrier - CBD462 that I have wanted to order for awhile that holds Hershey Nugget candies but I hadn't ordered it yet. Here is a photo of that die set:

With the sale coupon code that took the price to $18.09 so I was a happy customer! Also I like their flat rate shipping:

Happy me they sent me a free die with my order:

Also odds and ends -- my last haul I posted was from the Reconsidered Goods store in Greensboro, NC and that is a used store filled with lots of craft items.... My PIC found this store and she and I have shopped it together and also at different times and each time you purchase items at the store they will stamp a customer rewards card and when you fill your card this equals $10.00 off your next purchase. When I made my last purchase from them - with all the Anna Griffin dies and other die sets I bought - I filled up my customer rewards card. The cashier explained to me that the store has discontinued these cards but they will honor the cards until they are filled up and redeemed. So besides leaving the store with all the great deals I found last time I also left with this $10.00 filled customer rewards card thinking I would come back sooner than later and redeem that. 

I did go back the end of last week but did not expect to find the great items I had found last time, just to redeem my $10.00 card. I was happy I did find a few more things:

This oval die set has the same packaging as the dies used to from PaperTreyInk and here are the dies in that set and that was $1.00:

There was one die set left of Anna Griffin's and I decided to pick it up for Christmas projects and that was marked $4.00:

Also picked up a wreath die for $1.00:

also a scallop border punch for $1.00:

A half embossing folder by Gemini for $1.00 and a Christmas Countdown embossing folder by Cuttlebug for 25 cents:

and happy me I found two unopened bags of sequin mixes for shaker projects:

Although this trip was not as great as the last time, finding all the Anna Griffin dies, I certainly did not leave disappointed as you can see I did find lots to use my $10.00 card on. I also found a glass jar to keep my fuse tool in, as well as a jar with a lid, to hold more ribbons....  I have shopped that store before and always find great items at great prices so I will go back -- each time you never know what you will find as it depends on what they have gotten in, but thinking the last trip was the best I have done there yet. Wish they were closer but even with the drive picking up Anna Griffin die sets for $2.00 ea and up was a good deal. This time they did not have many stamp sets or dies but they had a bookcase filled with baskets of stickers/embellishments which the two ladies sitting on the floor looking through these baskets seemed to be happy about -- so between never knowing what you will find there and their prices, it is a fun trip. 

Back to work next week, as vacation ends, so for now finishing putting everything away I have brought into the craft room on this vacation and enjoying that!

Go with the gut feeling .....

On vacation for a couple of weeks and I knew sometime during my break from work that I wanted to go to two recycle stores that I like to shop at.... one is in Greensboro and the other is in Durham.. not sure when I would end up going until . . . both stores are closed on Mondays so while I was working in the craft room this Monday I decided I wanted to go to these stores the next day -- so asked DH if he wanted to go along and he said he would so we headed out on Tuesday morning around 8AM to make the trip to Greensboro to the Reconsidered Goods store there.  My PIC (stamping Partner In Crime) had come across this store last year and she told me about it and I have been there a few times.

This store has craft items -- yarns, paints, fabrics, patterns, and they also have a stamping/scrapbooking section. DH dropped me off and he went to get gas for the car and he said he would come in when he was finished if he did not see me outside the store waiting for him.... I went in and got a cart and headed back to the stamping/scrapbooking section. Since I had last shopped there they have reorganized that section and are moving things around - there was a woman there moving things around while I was shopping. I checked the stamps and the steel ruled dies first and worked my way over to a shelf next to where she was working and at the bottom of this shelf were two large baskets that held thin metal dies and die sets. I pulled out one of the baskets and put it in my cart and looked through that and much to my surprise I found die sets from Anna Griffin. The first die set I found was her Gazebo die set:

I was shocked to find this die set there and esp with the $2.00 price tag..... I like the Anna Griffin dies she sells but they are too expensive for my craft room so I do not own any of her dies.... many of her dies are beautiful, very detailed, and I found Heartfelt Creations sold many die sets that were similar to hers with the ornate look or details and with shopping their booth at the stamp shows and show specials, I own a lot of their die sets. Also in one of these baskets was her Purse Card die set and that was $2.00 so I also brought that home:

I plan on making an insert for that Purse die set to make it into a treat holder and it is very detailed and is cute. Also picked up the Teacup Pop Up die set for $2.50. Also her Basket Pop Up die set that was $3.00. 

Her Teacup die set:

As I looked through that first basket I also found other dies and die sets at similar prices:

The above photos are dies/die sets I found in the two baskets at the bottom on the shelf. When I finished looking at those I went around the corner to where they had sorted card stocks in solids and prints hoping to find a print for one of the altered holiday clip boards I am working on.... Looked through the printed card stock and found three sheets I liked so those went in the cart.... I went back around to the area I had just shopped at and straight ahead on the floor was a large bin with different supplies in it. On the top was a drawer from a white cubbie and that had stencils and rulers and tools like that stacked in the drawer. Next to the drawer were larger items -- smaller trimmers and such. I finished looking at that and I stepped back to turn my cart around and I glanced at the bin to see what I could see that was under the white drawer at the top. 

I went back over and picked up the drawer and there was the stash........ lots of clear plastic envelopes and these were all Anna Griffin dies -- some were die sets alone in a plastic envelope, other envelopes had like die sets in them, etc. Here are some photos of the dies/die sets I brought home:

In the bin were envelopes with multiple die sets:

This envelope is labeled Pockets and there are Anna Griffin pocket dies, slimline pocket dies, corner pocket dies, as well as pocket dies from other companies -- Spellbinders, Heartfelt Creations, and other unmarked pocket dies:

Another envelope is labeled Flips/Fantastic Flips and this envelope has 8 die sets in it with the project sheets and that was marked $8.00:

and on the bottom.... there it was -- the thickest and heaviest envelope of them all -- and the most expensive at $13.00 -- ALL Halloween..... Happy me that I brought that home -- inside that envelope is the Anna Griffin Spiders & Specters die set, the Halloween Embellishment die set, Scaredy Cat die set, the Halloween cut and emboss folder set, (two different sets), and lots of other Halloween dies -- Echo Park, Spellbinders, Diamond Press... Also four stamp sets and loose die sets, etc:

This envelope was loaded:

The majority of these die sets are on the original packaging sheets and do not look used. Once I came home I looked up all the die sets on line to be sure I have all pieces and happily I do. I was happy to find these Anna Griffin dies at such cheap prices as I know her die sets are pricey. There were so many die sets to choose from at the store but I was careful to bring home dies I know I will use and not just buy any die set because the prices were so good.... 

DH came in the store and came over to find me and we walked through the rest of the store and then I checked out. They have a little rewards card at that store and they stamp it each time you buy things. I now have a full card so my next purchase I will get $10.00 off as a full card equals the discount the next time I shop.... 

We left there and headed home -- with DH driving I was able to go through all my new-to-my-craft room items so that was fun.  On our way home we veered off our route to stop in Durham to shop at the Scrap Exchange, another recycle store. This store has craft items but lots of other items as well. I usually shop over in the fabric/yarn section, jewelry/beads, and also the stamping area. This time I started in the stamping area and I found an oval stencil set from WaffleFlower and that was marked as 25 cents and I found a wooden stamp I liked for $1.00. Walked over to the plastic bins/storage area and there they were --- the clear refrigerator bins like I use in my craft room to store various items - 

Largest bin was $2 and the others were $1 or 75 cents each -- so for $6.50 I brought all these bins home, washed them, and they are ready for the craft room:

Happy I listened to my hunch that I needed to shop these two stores on Tuesday.. MORE than happy with all I brought home and will be busy cleaning up from all my Easter projects as well as getting my new-to-my-craft room items organized and put away for future projects! Esp happy that I have some Anna Griffin die sets in my stash and hope to get lots of use of those for projects and holiday projects ahead!