DIY Organizing Project Friday And Craft Room Update

Hi everyone I know it is Saturday and not Friday. I thought I would share with you the project I started yesterday and how my "playroom" is beginning to look. Along with some tips. Sorry this is a long post so grab yourself a cup sit back and relax.

I finished sorting through today a large storage container which I'm giving to a friend. I found stencils and all kinds of things. Still though have not found my Gelly Roll pens. Yesterday while sorting through the bin I found a lid to a cassette case. I had previously used the case for some of my ink pads but the lid never stayed on the case. Which explains why there was glue residue on the lid. from tape. I bought the case at a thrift store. I was looking at the lid which has a crack on the side and is scratched up and just before I tossed it the light bulb turned on. I saw an article where a frame was used to hold small containers.

I covered the edge of the lid with duct tape to cover the scratches and cracks. On the inside there was a gap after folding the tape over so I used electrical tape.

On the inside I used contact paper which I've had for seven years if not longer.  The small containers were bought at Dollar Tree a few years back but never used.( For some reason until recently I never could get around to organizing. Ten come in a package. The instructions say to use double sided tape to fasten the containers down. However I'm going to use either Velcro circles or squares. This way I can pull a container up  if I wish. Hopefully I'll find my Velcro circles as I sort through more containers and boxes. As I put things in the containers I'll label the tops.

This is the view of my "playroom" from the door. I will probably delegate the hanging shoe holder somewhere else after I find places for what is inside the pockets. It is not working for me.. I love that I can see a holder with some cards I've made as well as a shadow box  as I walk in. It puts a smile on my face and gets me in the mood to play. The painted wooden piece was done by my mom who is now gone. Although she didn't think so she was a very creative person. It reminds me that we are all creative. The armoire stores my computer and printer. (Alas some crafting things have gotten hidden in it. But that is another day's chore.) On one door hangs my apron and the other has cards people have sent me as well as postcards.

I have been clearing out the cubes and reorganizing them. (I only have two bottom ones left to go. :-) )The pink container on the far left was another thrift store find. It houses all my acrylic paints. My gelli plate sits on top of the drawer along with the brayer. Originally I used the drawer for cosmetics but since I don't wear a lot of makeup anymore it works for this. I was pleased to discover that it fits in the cube.

I have some unusual things in my craft room. That funny orange thing is actually a condiment dispenser I found on clearance. It is perfect for using with String gel. A cupcake decorator set is in the same cube as it works with gesso and some of the other mediums. A office folder holder is perfect for putting the pads of paper used for painting.A bowl which my late husband had a bouquet of flowers sent to me in now houses paint brushes and sea sponges. I put a favorite mug in the center of it for the bristle brushes.

I could not get my chair under the table with my Cameo in a cube so it on top and easy to move to have access to the things behind it. Originally I had my air brush in a cube with the markers but I decided to put in that cube a clear pocket holder with the essentials like tape runners, foam adhesive, scissors, etc. It kept falling off the side of my work desk and I had to get up to get them. Now they are close at hand. The air brush doesn't take up that much space on the desk and since it is getting used a lot I decided to not place it on a shelf across the room. The butterfly box was a gift and holds all the adapters for the air brush. Lol! I hope they don't come out with more as it holds five adapters with the sixth one on the machine.

As you can see I'm more and more going towards clear containers. I do have a photo box holding embossing folders and dies but since it is on top of the eBosser  I know what is in the box. In the past I loved using vintage and decorative containers but now I prefer to see at a glance what is what even if I don't have things labeled.

If you decide to go the clear container route you don't have to spend an arm and leg. I have found some of my containers at thrift stores. Just know your prices as I passed on some containers which Dollar Tree sells for a dollar and were marked more than that at the thrift store.. I discovered that most containers are cheaper in the regular household section of a store like WalMart or Target instead of in a craft section. Also don't forget to look in the office supply section. Remember you don't have to buy all of your containers or storage furniture at the same time. Not only is it easier on the budget to spread the expense over time but you may change some of your ideas. Also measure your space to make sure the container you have in mind will fit as well as what you plan to put in it. Nothing is more discouraging than to get home all ready to organize and realize something will not work.

Make a plan list what you use all the time those things should be within easy reach. For the things you don't use all the time they can be higher or lower. For example I don't use my blender and soap molds for paper making all the time so they are in the cube under my work table. Still accessible but not taking up prime space. Remember like in real estate location, location is the most important thing.

If your goal for this year is to get your craft area organized you don't have to do it all at once. It has surprised me how much I've gotten done in fifteen to thirty minutes. Also don't spend all your time organizing and not having fun crafting.  After all a little bit of chaos may actually inspire you to use things in a combination you might not have thought about before.

The most important tip I have for you today is to not take everything out at one time. If you have a piece of furniture with cubes like I do take it one cube at a time. One shelf at a time or one drawer at a time. If you are not going to put something back in the space and don't have a place for it yet than find a place to make a pile putting like things together. Nothing is more apt to deter you from organizing than to take everything out see the mess and get overwhelmed.

If you have stayed with me so far thank you for taking the time. Is an organized craft area important to you? Why or why not? What works for you having things visible or hidden?  I would love to hear any organizing tips you might have.

If there are tutorials, review of products, or other things you would like to read about here please leave me a comment. Thank you! Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again!

Quick Hydrangea Card

Hi everyone! Here we are almost at the weekend again. This year seems to already be flying by quickly. Today I have a quick card to share with you. It took longer for the water color paper to dry than to do the techniques and put the card together.

I must confess that I was given a nice set of Prismacolor colored pencils about fifteen years ago and many of them have not even been sharpened yet. :-( I've never had much confidence in my coloring ability but decided that it is time I take a deep breath and just do it. (My new mantra for the year is "just do it.") I have seen this technique done with water colors and a white color pencil used for the resist.. I decided to use Distress ink and color pencils which are non white. I wasn't sure if the Prismacolor ones would work but am happy to report that they do.

I started out by stamping my water color paper with a Hero Arts Hydrangea stamp.(product number  K5376 . It is still available on their website so I'm sure it is available.) I used Ranger Archival black ink because it is suppose to be waterproof but for some reason when I misted my paper some of the ink on the flower bled.Maybe the ink was not totally dry I don't know. Next time I'll heat set it first with my heat tool. I colored my image with a couple of different pinks and a couple of different greens. Then I took a cotton ball and using Concord Grape, Antique Linen, and Peeled Paint Distress ink rubbed the colors randomly with more of the green towards the bottom and more of the grape towards the top. I will be honest I never really work out ahead of time where I'm going to place color when using the different mediums.  However I did decide that I wanted  to use the Antique Linen around the top of the hydrangea to try to get it to look like the sun was shining..Then I took my mister and sprayed my water color paper letting the colors blend together. I couldn't believe when the paper dried how it turned out.To me it  looks like the sun  is shining through storm clouds.  I'm a loving how it turned out.

While my paper was drying I took a Spellbinder die and a piece of pattern card and cut and embossed my corner piece. I was using a scrap piece of the card and the first time it didn't cut through. :-(  I just bought this die  last week so it is my first time using it. I then remembered seeing on a video where a woman placed wax paper and then the card to cut intricate shapes. I wasn't thinking when I put my card stock down or I would have put the green down instead of up. My piece ended up being debossed instead of embossed as I wanted to use the green side and not the white. I used glue just on a few of the leaves to adhere the shape instead of the whole shape. then I went and curled some of the leaves up. I used my corner punch on only two corners of the stamped panel.  Then I edged it with Vintage Photo Distress ink. .I also rounded the corners on my card base.

I challenge you to try something that you may not feel comfortable doing. when it comes to crafting. It can really be freeing when it comes to your crafting journey and open up new adventures for you.

After doing this technique today I've decided that I need more colors of Distress Ink.  I only have six Distress Ink pads and more room in the container that houses the Distress Ink pads. ;-) Maybe I'll be lucky and they will be on sale or I will have a really good coupon like one for off all of your purchases.

Wishing you a fun crafty weekend as well as Happy Frugal crafting till we meet again!

Crayon Background Valentine

Greetings everyone! I though I would share with you a Valentine card I made today while the boys and I were holed up in the "playroom" while a workman was doing some repair work. I wanted to try out the crayon technique in Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking February 2014 issue. Unfortunately if you don't have rubbing alcohol Vodka doesn't work. On the other hand drinking it can be fun. ;-)

Normally I would not use black card for a card base for a Valentine card. However, I thought the black would make pop the other colors. The scallop panel was air brushed using Gold Medal Crayola glitter marker. The panel the heart is on  was done with crayons and alcohol blending solution on a scrap of watercolor paper. I stamped the heart on a scrap of card stock and used white embossing ink and Recollection Raspberry Pearl embossing powder. The white embossing ink gave the powder a softer pink color. Then I air brushed with glitter blue and silver.  I used a pink Glaze pen drawing just on the edge of the heart  over a gold paint pen after I cut it out. I love the metallic look it gave to the edge. The sentiment is one I printed on my label maker playing around with the different functions. I couldn't figure out how to add the apostrophe and didn't think to add the s for Valentine's. 

I will have to keep this coloring technique in mind. I really like how it looks.  It  really softens the look of crayons. Later on I want to see if it is possible to stamp directly on a background done this way. I think this technique would be great using metallic crayons. I'm going to see if I can find some somewhere.

Now that I know that alcohol blending solution will work with crayons I want to see if it will work with oil pastels as well as with color pencils. You know me I always like to experiment.

Tomorrow the workman will be back so I will be back in my "playroom" playing and doing more sorting through and organizing things. I'm hoping I'll find my Gelly Roll pens which have gone AWOL. I probably threw them in a box which I put in the closet when I was trying to get the room straightened up enough to pass inspection. :-( At least I know where the clear glitter ones are. :-)

Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again!