Organizing Sequins

I love using sequins.  So, it's no wonder I like to hoard them. Hahaha.

 

 

A Muse Studio carries fabulous sequins in various colors.  The Holiday Catalog is filled with new sequins including shaped sequins.  You can check them out here:

 

2015 Holiday Catalog PDF

 

Webstore - Sequins

 

          

 

     

 

 

This is how I am storing the sequins.

 

 

 

 

 

I used the 24 Box Storage System from Harbor Freights.

 

There are 24 small boxes that fit into a larger box in 2 layers. 

 

 

 

A bag of sequins fits perfectly into one of the small boxes.  I used my trusty label maker to identify the colors.

 

 

 

 

At $4.99 per box, I picked up a few of them to store other embellishments.  If you sign up for their mailers or subscribe via email, they send out notices on sales and 20% off coupons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Valentine Treat and Organizing Embellishments

Happy Friday the 13th!!! :)

 

 

For Valentine's Day treats, I made these adorable mice treat toppers. 

 

 

I used a couple hearts from the Spellbinders Classic Heart Nestabilities to make the body and ears.  The cardstock is A Muse Studio Blush and Stampin' Up Real Red.  I just folded the large heart in half to make the body.

 

 

The eyes and nose are from just a regular hole punch.  I colored the eyes with a Copic marker.  The whiskers were made using the handle part of a Memory Box bucket die.  And the face (where the whiskers would come out of) was stamped using A Muse Artstamps Heart Trio and Cherry Ink.  The sentiment is from Stampin' Up Teeny Tiny Wishes.



 

 

I slipped in the top part of the packaging of the Gilliam Candy Stick into the body and adhered it with glue dots.  You could use Dum Dum lollipops as treats, too.

 

 

 

 

 

I wanted to share how some of my embellishments are stored.  I bought this storage carousel at a garage sale a couple years ago.  It came with all of the containers.  They are exactly the same size as Stampin' Up embellishment containers.  The unit sits on a base that allows it to spin.

 

Unfortunately, when I bought the carousel it didn't come in the original box so I don't know who the maker is and if it's even available for purchase.  I would love to find another one for all of the embellishments that I'm hoarding....LOL!!!  I also have a couple of the Stampin' Up Stack & Store Caddy for my SU brads and buttons.

 

Available HERE

 

 

Have a great weekend and Happy Valentine's Day!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Organizing Bling (gems, pearls, rhinestones)

I don't know how, but I've accumulated so much bling!  I love, love, love bling!! :)

 

 

They were overflowing the box I stored them in, so I decided to take some time to organize them.

 

 

I found a couple of these photo storage boxes at a garage sale about 3 years ago.  At $5 each, I couldn't pass on buying them...but, I never figured out what to use it for....until now! :)

 

 

 

 

 I used the pockets to organize them by color.

 I adhered a "sample" bling on the spine of the pocket so that I can easily see what is in each pocket.

Amazingly, I am actually using more bling now that they are organized and I can easily pick out a color/style.




Blessings,







 

 

 



Reorganizing my die collection

I think I spend more time organizing my craft supplies than actually using them. LOL!!!

A couple years ago, I shared how I organized my dies (posted here) using binders and magnetic vent covers:

Well, I have come up with a different method for storing and organizing my die collection.  I'm still going to use the binder method for storing my Spellbinders dies.  I'm using the new storage method for various single, thin dies.

I started off by making my own plastic pockets.  I looked at buying the clear pockets, but 1) they didn't make them in the size I needed and 2) it got to be quite expensive for how many I needed.

How did I make my own clear pockets?   Answer....By using my Foodsaver and regular sized sheet protectors.  You can buy a box of 100 sheet protectors from Office Depot for less than $20.  I happened to buy mine at a garage sale for a couple bucks. ETA: I used the heavy weight sheet protectors.

 I started off by cutting off the hole punched edge.  I cut the sheet protectors to the size I wanted which gave me a set of 4 per sheet.  I used the Foodsaver to seal the edges.  They turned out like this:

I cut magnetic vent covers to fit into the pockets.  

I categorized the dies and placed them into a card rack.  I found this card rack at a local craft store's warehouse sale a couple weeks ago.  I thought it was a steal at $10.

What I like about this new storage system is that they are categorized by theme, the rack spins and I can just flip through them to find the die I need.  This is so much easier than going through binder after binder to find the right die.  Originally, I was storing them by company but it made more sense to store them by theme.  I printed labels with the names of the company and die and adhered them to the back of each set.

Many of you probably don't own a card rack or don't have the space for one.  Another option would be use plastic bins to store the die pockets:

    

Small plastic Bin                              Split Plastic Bin

Jennifer McGuire uses them for her die storage:

Read about Jennifer's Die Storage here

I'm off to finish reorganizing my dies.  It's amazing how many dies I have collected!!  Maybe with this new and improved storage system, I'll be inclined to use them. LOL!!

ETA: Here are the categories I used:
Winter (including Christmas)
Home
Floral
Nature (clouds, rain, etc)
Elements (flourishes, doilies, shapes, etc)
Cover Up
Animals
Butterflies (I seem to love collecting butterfly dies that I have to have it as a category!! LOL)
Bugs/Insects
Food
Holidays (Vday, Easter, Halloween, etc)
Celebrations (Birthday, graduation, etc)
Sea (shells, waves, seaweed, etc)
Other (cars, handbags, fire hydrant, hot air balloon, cityscapes....basically anything that doesn't fit the above categories)

Hope this helps with getting your dies organized. :)

Blessings,

MIA ... on a quest to find my mojo

I've been Missing In Action.....

I'm sure many of you have heard me say this....."where does the time go?!?!?!!".  With each passing year, I feel that time flies by faster and faster each  year.

Here we are, a week from Christmas.  Other than making calendars for gift-giving, I haven't had much time, energy or the motivation to be creative.  I think it's been over a month since I've posted anything here other than the "picture of the week".

Christmas is my favorite time of the year and normally, I am overflowing with Christmas spirit. 


The last couple months have been draining.  In November, I finally sat for my CFP Exam.  Most of my energy (mental and physical) for the last 3 weeks has been spent on trying to catch up at work after taking a couple weeks off to study for the exam. 


With all that behind me now, I've been trying to get re-organized at home and get my mojo back.  During this shopping season (BTW... this is the first year that I did NOT go out shopping on Black Friday...did all my shopping online this year), I added to my Copic collection.  I heard that prices will go up again in January, so I took advantage of a sale and now I'm about 30 shy of having a complete set of Copic markers.


To track my Copics, I created a spreadsheet.  I printed the spreadsheet to a 11 x 17 paper and colored the squares as I added to my collection.  Here's a sample of the chart:

I decided to come up with a different method of keeping an inventory of my Copics.  Everytime Copic added a new color, I would have to amend the spreadsheet.  With my new method, I won't have to do that.  What's my new method, you ask?

I created Copic cards using a business card template. 

Each color will have its own card, so all I need to do is print out a new card for any future colors that are introduced to their collection.  The big square is to color in.  There are 2 small boxes below the main box - one box (with "R") is to mark whether I own a refill for that color; the other box is to mark what type of marker I own ("C"iao, "S"ketch, "O"riginal).  I included a section on the card where I could add my favorite color combo for that color.  The cards look like this:  

The cards will go into a binder using business card binder pages that you can find at any office supply store:

I would love to find a business card wallet that held enough business cards to represent all the Copic colors, but I haven't found one yet that has enough slots and is reasonably priced. 

I'm hoping that this is a start to getting my mojo back.  After the holidays, I plan on starting next year's gifts.....a cardkeeper with various themed cards.  That should keep me busy all year, right?

Blessings,

Most Commonly Used Card Sizes

Need a guide for card sizes?  Me too.  Most of the cards I make are A2.  But, I have a stash of envelopes that are for various card sizes.  So, here's a chart that I created with the measurements for the most commonly used card sizes.

A1	3 ½ × 4 ⅞ 3.5” × 4.875”
A2	4 ¼ × 5 ½ 4.25” × 5.5”
A6	4 ½ × 6 ¼ 4.5” × 6.25”
A7	5” × 7”
Biz	3 ½ × 2 3.5” × 2
Square	5 ½ × 5 ½ 5.5” × 5.5”

 

 

 

 

ETA:  I figured it would be nice to have measurements for the corresponding layers.  Here you go:

 

Card Size	Card Measurements	Layers Measurements
A1	3 ½ × 4 ⅞ 3.5” × 4.875”	3 ¼ × 4 ⅝ 3.25” × 4.625”
A2	4 ¼ × 5 ½ 4.25” × 5.5”	4 × 5 ¼ 4” × 5.25”
A6	4 ½ × 6 ¼ 4.5” × 6.25”	4 ¼ × 6 4.25” × 6”
A7	5” × 7”	4 ¾ × 6 ¾ 4.75” × 6.75”
Biz	3 ½ × 2 3.5” × 2	3 ¼ × 1 ¾ 3.25” × 1.75”
Square	5 ½ × 5 ½ 5.5” × 5.5”	5 ¼ × 5 ¼ 5.25” × 5.25”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheerful Hello with punched circles & Organizing Daubers & Twine

Here's a fun card I made using a 1 inch circle punch.  I just love the color combination and the texture.

All supplies are A Muse Studio:

Sugar cardstock

Bermuda cardstock

Fern cardstock

Ocean cardstock

Say It With Style Stamp Set

Onyx Ink Pad

1 inch circle punch

Word Window Die Set

I started out by punching several circles.  Then, I marked my base for the card with lines spaced 1/2 the size of my circle.  (So, if you use the 1 1/2 inch circle punch, then you would want to space the lines 3/4 inches apart).  Next, I started adhering the circles as shown above.  Notice that you will have circles outside the edge of the card base.  When all the circles are adhered, turn the card around and trim the edges.  I stamped the "Hello" sentiment on Sugar cardstock and die cut using a die from the  Word Window die set.  Adhere (use foam adhesive if you want the add dimension).  

Hope you like the card. :)

Next, I wanted to show you how I have organized my daubers.  I LOVE being organized!!  

I labeled each of the daubers with the color name so that I wouldn't accidentally use a different color and ruin my dauber.  

I found these dauber cases at Scrapbook.com for $4.99.

The daubers are from A Muse Studio, item # TSPDBX3 - set of 3 for $3.50.

Finally, here is a twine dispenser using a mason jar.  I made a hole in the lid using a nail and hammer.  Then, I covered the lid with cardstock and threaded the twine through the hole. 

Getting started and staying organized: itrakmine.com

The anniversary date of A Muse | Studio is just around the corner (March 1, 2011)!!!!  Wow, I can't believe it's already been a year. 

For years and years, I have tried to keep organization as one of my top priorities in life.  If you are organized, you can actually get more done and it helps you live a more efficient life.....sounds boring, huh?  Being organized keeps you on top of things so that your time and money can be used for the more exciting things in life. 

One of my huge pet peeves when it comes to buying things, whether it's craft-related or not, is when I buy duplicates of things....just because I didn't "remember" that I already had it.  While I am still working on this....I have tried my best to keep a list of what I own, to avoid duplicate purchases.  Over the years, the list has become a book!!  As a crafter, think of all of the goodies you own.....stamps, dies, embossing folders, punches, tools, on and on and on!!!!  Do you know from memory what you own?  Well, as I get older I realize that my memory isn't as crisp as it used to be.  I find myself having to write things down more and more.

Why am I bringing up this subject?  I have found a new way of keeping an inventory of what I own!!!!  If only I had thought to keep an inventory when I FIRST started hoarding stamps and everything that goes with card making!!!!  The one thing that I have kept up with is what a|s products I own.  With the launch of a|s last year, it's been easy to keep up. 

Here is what I have found:  iTrackmine.com

Once I figured out the website, I was convinced that this would be my new method for keeping an inventory. I've only gotten started, so we'll see.... 

• you can create your own custom list
• you can keep everything you input as being "PRIVATE"
• you can put whatever information you want/need
• you can upload an image
• you can export a report showing you what you own (then you can sort it however you want....the only thing I wish it did was show the image in the CSV file)
• you can create a property loss report which can be helpful when negotiating with your insurance company if your insured property is lost, stolen, or damaged. 
• it's a little comforting to know that your inventory will still be available if your hard copy list or computer gets, let's say, burned in a house fire.
• you have access to your inventory as long as you have online access...with smartphones and Ipads now, who doesn't have access to the internet at any given time?
• you don't have to physically carry a list (or a book) with you...just your phone/Ipad with internet access

It's not the absolute perfect solution.  If only I were highly tech savvy, I'd create my own program....I consider myself about average or slightly below average when it comes to technology.  So, I have to rely on either what I can do or what's available out there.  We'll see if this indeed works out for me....only time will tell.

Other things to inventory:

• electronics with serial numbers (our house was broken into a few years back and luckily I had the receipts with the serial numbers for my laptop, ipod, etc.)
• movies
• books
• valuables
• even make-up (so many times I've gone to the store to get powder, lipstick, etc and can't remember the color)

Hope you find this useful in managing your life.

Blessings,


****************************************************************

Update:  Trying to input all of the data that I want is a time consuming and cumbersome job.  But, you only have to do it once.  Here are some things that I'm finding:
1)   When listing items into my collection, I am including a category in the title ahead of the name of of the item (for example a|s stamp, a|s die, tools, etc).    It makes it easier to keep them grouped on the main collection page for the purposes of adding to your custom lists.  Also, when sorting alphabetically by title, you have all "like" items together.
2)   I have been putting the item codes in the Personal ID box
3)   Like I said, it's not perfect and can be a bit frustrating, but once it's done, it's done....then I just need to keep up with adding new items.
4)   The best thing I like about it.....it's portable!!!  I can access it from anywhere!!

Swatches

A Muse | Studio consultants who attended the National Conference last month not only got previews of the items in the new 2012 catalog, but they received some fantastic goodies.  One of the things that caught my eye from pictures posted by those who attended were the swatch rings for different products. 


What's great about the swatches is that you don't have to haul everything to a workshop for you to show the attendees what these items look like in real life.  They can see and feel.  


So, I created my own swatches with items that I have in stock.  I'd love to order more items to finish my swatches with the glitter, flock, embossing powder, etc.  For now, here's what I put together:

I used a screw post to keep all the  different swatches together.  I know I have some rings, but they are nowhere to be found.  I had some left over screw posts from when I used to scrapbook....I knew I'd find some use for these some day. LOL!!

Here's a picture of the package of screw posts.  They come in different lengths.  These were a tad bit too long for my swatches, but still worked. 


Blessings,






ETA:  If you want a copy of the template, become a follower and post a comment with your email address.