Sunday, January 29, 2012

My Paper Studio Tour

I'm on to the third configuration of my paper crafting studio within the last two years.  I think I'm settled now.  You can see the pictures from configuration one here: First Studio Tour.

The second configuration was very short lived (about 3 months).  I made it in order to make room for a large 6 foot by 2.5 foot table I bought from a Scrapbook Store closing sale.


I broke up my two Ikea desks which were back to back in a large square shape in my first room layout.  I made an L-Shape and shoved one desk over by a window.  That was going to be my "guest seat" and mine was in the alley.

I was sitting on my pilates ball (since it doesn't get any other use!) but it kept rolling under my table when I got up, so that didn't make it to configuration three.  It was also a little bit tight in the alley, even though I am a small person.


I did really like how my white cubes fit just under the window though.  They did look nice there.  However, being right handed, sitting to the left of the room light was not good.  Since most of my crafting is at night with artificial light, my right hand cast a shadow on my work.  That wasn't very good for cutting.  (Besides, I missed sitting by the window!)

Enter: Configuration Three!
(Sorry for the slightly blurry picture.  I have a room video (silent, text only) that you can see better.

The table I snagged from the store closing fits perfectly along the back wall of my room: from the far wall to the closet door opening.  So, that's where I stuffed it.  You can see my corkboard under it.  That is what I use to pin my paper quilling.  Under the table is a wire cube configuration with my Accucut Grandemark dies in it.


Here, I have stepped in to the room.  The door I came in is on the right.  The closest (with the door removed) is in front of me and my Accucut Grandemark and large table is on the left.  My white cubes have migrated to the closet.


This is the view if I stand between the white cubes in my closet.  My Ikea desks are now in an L-Shape.  My guest can sit right there in the middle of the room and I sit beside the window.  The left wall is the "junk wall".  I've designed a ScrapNCube wall studio (on paper) for future purchase.  It will house all my papers and stamp stuff.  My paper is currently in the white cubes.  Once I transplant all the paper, most of the stuff along this wall will go in the cubes in the closet.  Also on my "upgrade" list is some seating.  I have had my chair since highschool.  I plan to get a storage ottoman or small storage bench instead.  That way, I can use the real estate under my butt for more storage!

A couple of storage ideas in my room: my stickles holder, copic storage and ribbon organization.


This is a 12 inch by 36 inch pine board I got at Home Depot.  I covered it with scrapbook paper (3 sheets).  My husband helped me pick out some conduit clamps and I picked the coat hangers.  I measured out and he assembled it all for me and mounted it to the wall.  I saw this idea from the Crafty Storage blog.



Here's a picture of the conduit clamps.  They had silver metal and this plastic grey.  I knew I had a paper to match the grey.  Home Depot sells them in packs of 5 and 20 (or 25).  (I was not big on painting the metal ones.)

My copic markers sit in these stacking kitchen drawer organizers that I got at Solutions (an organization store).  The black Kettle Creek purse (canvas and shaped like a mini duffle bag - yes, acquired in the 80's!!!) holds my Letraset markers.)  These are in the cubby by my left leg when I am sitting at my desk.


Lastly, my ribbon storage.  If there is a lot left on the spool, I leave it on the spool.  If there is not a tonne left, I take it off and hang it.  I don't like getting part-way through a project and running out of ribbon.  When the ribbon is hanging, I can tell how much I have left.


This is my homemade version of the Ribbon Ring.  (The real thing is way better looking than mine).  I stapled each ribbon to a cardstock tag.  If the ribbon is too long, I loop it and use a straight pin at the base of the cardstock through all the loops.  Each ribbon has its own cardstock tag and the tags are grouped by colour families and put on a jump ring by punching a hole in the cardstock.  Most groups are by colour but all my Christmas ones are their own group.


Now that you've seen the "still version", you can click to watch the video version on my Vimeo channel.  (Sorry for the camera shake.  I'm still new to videos!)

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Winter Joy with a Quilled Snowflake

Voila!  Here is the Joy Fold card I will be showing my creative crew at my next workshop benefiting the Southern Ontario Animal Rescue (SOAR).  A Joy Fold card is somewhat like a card within a card.  Sometimes it's just fun to have a different kind of fold.  It certainly makes your cards stand out more!

This card features a polar bear stamp by C.C. Designs and a die cut snowflake by Boss Kut.


I used a beautiful foil paper by SEI.  I'm not sure if it shows well in the photo.


I used a sentiment stamp from Little Paper Shop on the inside.  I really like this sentiment.  It's one of my winter favourites.  It reads: "Snowflakes are the flowers of winter."


With such a lovely sentiment, I decided I would try my hand at a paper quilled snowflake.  I've never tried one before.  The required symmetry has always put me off.  I know that I am not good at making uniform shapes with quilling.  I didn't plan it out.  I had an idea in my head and just went at it.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Playing with my new toy...

... an Accucut Grandemark die cutting machine.  I splurged on it and got a number of dies that I can use to make mini albums.  (Well, okay three of them are actually mini-album dies.)  This is my first experiment.  I made a coupon holder or receipt holder book.


I made a video of how it opens in a fan shape.  (Click the image to go to the video!  If you have choppy video, pause for a bit while some of the video loads ahead of time.  Then play smoothly.)

I used a tutorial I found on Club Scrap.  I really like Tricia Morris as a project instructor.  She is animated yet still very clear and easy to follow.

My next project will be the sample card for the first workshop of 2012 benefiting the Southern Ontario Animal Rescue. We are learning the "Joy Fold" card.  It's a bit like small card on a bigger one.  Well... you'll see when I post it!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

One UFO Down!

I did it!  In fact, I doubly did it!  I completed one UnFinished Object that has been on my to-do list for a couple of years.  I made a Holiday Card Keeper from a pocket page mini-album tutorial I found by

(This is the project sitting in the centre of my desk in my last post about UFOs.)



I actually modified the measurements of the tutorial.  The tutorial creates a pocket page that is 6 inches long by 5 inches wide and binds it in a landscape position.  I would do that for a mini-album to help stop dust from falling in the pockets.  However, for my card keeper, I wanted to bind it in a portrait orientation.  So, I made my pockets 5.5 inches wide by 6 inches tall to make room for the binding.  The pockets on the insides of the covers are 5.25 inches wide by 5.75 inches tall.

How did I double do it?  Not only did I finish this project, but I made a video to show it off.  My first video!!  I shot it with my point and shoot camera and I even added captions.  I'm so proud of me and my very bare bones basic video.  You can see the insides of my Holiday Card Keeper in this short video on my new Vimeo Channel!

>>>Watch Video<<<

I hope everyone is keeping crafty!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

UFOs - UnFinished Objects

I have four projects in the works right now.  I decided to take part in the friendly inspiration thread on Two Peas in a Bucket about UFOs or "UnFinished Objects".  Here, you can see my desk with three of my UFOs: a winter mini album, a holiday card keeper (see my 2012 resolutions) and the next shipment of my custom fairy card order.  (The fourth project is still my wedding album.)


The card keeper is in the middle.  I will post the finished project when it is done.  My problem is that I'm waiting on my new machine with new dies to finish this and my winter album.  (The winter album is under all the blue stuff in the top left corner).  I bought a snowflake die that would look smashing on these projects.  (I also bought chipboard in that order which I need to make the covers for my card keeper.)

The bits of my custom fairy card order is in the top right.  The last time I did an order like this, the planned papers and bits were scattered everywhere in my paper studio.  I re-arranged my studio in October to make room for the new machine.  I worked with that for about 2 months.  Then I decided to re-arrange again.  The light is in the centre of the room.  I realized I need to sit on the right side of the room so the light is to my left so that my right hand will not cast a shadow when I am writing or using scissors.


During my post-Holiday clean up, I found an unused Mimi paper keeper.  It came with my Mimi tote bag.  So, I piled up all the papers I have chosen for my custom order in to it and now it sits neatly on one corner of my desk (except for the bits I'm working on that are out).

I promise to do the room tour as soon as my newest tool arrives and is in place!  I know I've been promising for a while.  So long, in fact, that the last set up of my room that was never seen has already been redone!  I think I am happy now.  I just need that crowning jewel of my equipment arsenal.  (There's one piece of furniture I'm eyeballing too, but that is for another year.)

What UFOs are you working on?