The Challenges Continue!

My Vagabond in the studio

 Before I begin my post on the challenges, I have to point out that I am entering the "Where in the World is Your Vagabond?" photo submission, and I needed to put this photo on my blog!  So excuse me while I enter this promotion for the Vagabond.  I have had every Sizzix from the original one to the Sidekick to the BigKick, but this one takes the cake!  I love it, and its motor sure does save my cranking hand!

And now to the challenges...

Four Cards Inspired by Bed Bath & Beyond Flyer

The Tennessee Stampers Yahoo group  has been encouraged to participate in a weekly challenge.  The past two weekends' projects are a bit related, in that we produced two projects from the first challenge.  Last weekend our challenge was to find inspiration in the Bed Bath & Beyond flyer.  It was difficult to choose just one page, because there was so much inspiration in that flyer!  It is still sitting on my desk for more inspired projects.  I may never look at another ad without thinking that it could inspire a card or a scrapbook page.  Try it sometime when you are trying to find your muse!  

Inspiration Page

The front cover inspired me to create four cards.  As seen in the Inspiration Page photo on the right, the ad was for a coffee maker, and the menu showing available individual coffees were all lined up to the right of it.  The circular design of all the coffees lined up made me think of the Stampin' Up! "Circle Circus" set.

Close up of one of the Inspiration Cards

THE FIRST PROJECT--Bed Bath & Beyond Inspiration Challenge

Another Card

 

 Using different colors, similar to the ones in the ad, I stamped all the different designs from the stamp set and a button stamp from another set, punched them out with a 7/8 inch circle cutter, backed them with dark brown punched circles (1 1/4 inch),  and arranged in two rows down the side of the card on patterned background paper.  A ribbon backed the sentiment on the left side of the card.  The sentiment from a birthday stamp with a scalloped border was punched out of its border with a circle punch, backed by a brown punched scalloped circle, and mounted on the ribbon with pop dots.  

 THE SECOND PROJECT--Leftover Challenge

This weekend the challenge was to use some "leftovers" from a recent project and create something, using the leftovers.  We have called it the "Leftover Challenge."  I chose to use the stamped borders from the sentiment I had punched out last weekend.  It made a kind of stylized sunflower when a brown punched center from leftover brown scraps filled the opening left from last week's punched out sentiment.  On top of that, three leftover punched designs from "Circle Circus" became the center of the flower.  These were placed atop stems that were stamped onto a turquoise background from leftover scraps.  The grass at the bottom is made by using the Memory Box Fringe die, and it was die cut from green card stock that was in that scrap pile on my desk. The little sentiment is stamped on leftover scraps, punched with a small oval punch and tied with some brown and white butcher's twine. 

Leftover Challenge Card

A Challenge and the Green Tag Swap!

THREE GREEN TAGS

The challenge on the Tennessee Stampers' Yahoo Group was to jump start our muse by getting into the studio and creating something this weekend.  A card, an ATC, a tag, or anything that shows we are making art will do.  Knowing a green tag swap is soon due, I had a double goal this weekend.  The RangerInkLink Yahoo group is having a Green Tag Swap.  The theme for this swap is green, and we are to make three tags, using green Ranger products and recycle/reuse items.

I chose to use a sewing theme.  With Tim's applicator tool I began sponging some lighter green Distress inks, Shabby Shutters and a little Bundled Sage, to a #8 manilla tag, giving the tag some background color.  Next the lace from one of Tim's mask sets was aligned with the left side of the tag, and a darker green  from the Distress palette (Peeled Paint) was sponged over the mask and around the edges of the tag.  The mask was removed and a small amount of Pine Needles Distress ink darkened and enriched the color on the edges of the tag.  Next, Tim Holtz's dress pattern stamp by Stampers Anonymous was stamped over the entire tag in black.  

Tag Details

For several years now, I have saved interesting shopping tags, ribbons, and little envelopes that contained extra buttons from purchased garments.  I chose a piece of ribbon from my stash, attached it to the bottom area of the tag, and picked out a little button envelope for each tag, satisfying the recycle/reuse requirement for the project.  A little Distress inks in colors used on the tag were sponged onto the envelope, helped to unify it with the tag.  The butchers' twine attaching the envelope to the tag was stained with Distress stain to match, as was the satin ribbon adorning the reinforcement hole of the tag.

The piece of dress form attached on the right side of the tag was made by tinting Ranger's Sticky Back Canvas with Shabby Shutters Distress Stain.  To give it more depth, Pine Needles Distress Stain was dabbed from the applicator onto a non-stick craft sheet, picked up with the the Shabby Shutters Stain dabber and applied randomly over the canvas.  Next it was sprayed with Sour Apple Perfect Pearls Mist, and while it was still damp, Perfect Pearls Green Patina was brushed on with a soft fat brush, giving the canvas some spots of green shimmer.  After it was dried with a heat tool, the backing was removed from the adhesive side and applied to Tim Holtz's Grungepaper, burnishing it well with a bone folder.  The canvas-covered grungepaper was then die cut using the dress form area from Tim Holtz Alterations Sewing Room die, with the canvas side towards the cutting surface of the die.   The dress form was then adhered to the side of the tag, and the excess was trimmed along the tag's edge.

Pale green buttons were tinted using alcohol inks to match the tag and were attached to the tag with glue dots.  The larger button was tied with a piece of black hemp twine.  To finish the tag, the little button envelope was affixed to the left edge of the tag with glue dots, and two small green buttons inside the envelope finished the project.  

And this weekend, I met the Tennessee Stampers' Yahoo group challenge and finished a swap on the RangerInkLink yahoo group at the same time!  I rather like the green tag--it gets me in the mood for St. Patrick's Day, shopping for a new outfit (in green, perhaps?), and SPRING!  

Organize Ribbon and Punches!

RIBBON STORAGE

 RIBBON STORAGE IDEA

 

When scrapbooking and card-making turned to the ribbon for embellishment, my non-existent stash of ribbon grew overnight.  I was faced with a new storage challenge.  The fact that most ribbon spools have a hole in the center makes it easy to utilize common dowel rods from the home improvement store.  The walls of my art studio are old knotty pine paneling that has been painted, so it made it easy to take a big eyelet and/or a large hook, screw them into the wall, and hang the dowel between them.  The dowels have warped slightly from the weight over the years.  (A third hook in the center would stop that warping.)  This ribbon storage area is above the media storage units holding my packaged stamps--again, behind the door.  The yard-long dowels reach from the edge of the wall to the window facing.  The loose end of the ribbon is secured to the spool of ribbon with a short map pin.  

It is true that when running out of one type of ribbon in the middle of the rod, some spools have to be removed to get rid of the empty one. That gives me a chance to re-organize the ribbon left on the dowel and to add new acquisitions to it as well.  Note the small spools of actual scrapbooking ribbon to the right of the rod next to the bottom.  These are on a large ring, since those spools have holes that are too small to put on the dowels.  I am sure there are better methods out there, but this one works for me.  And it does add an awesome splash of color to the studio wall!

 

 PUNCH STORAGE IDEA

PUNCH STORAGE DOOR

Recently someone posted a great storage idea for punches using curtain rods inside a door.  That inspired me to share this storage method with you.  When organizing the studio seven years ago, these racks for storing spices inside a kitchen cabinet became fantastic storage for punches.  The punches in the top two racks are larger punches, and they can be stored two deep.  Oval punches are stored together, as are squares and rounds.  There are two different sized tag punches stored together, and other shapes that are related are together.  It is easy to find the punch needed by using this method.

When the new style of punches began coming out the past couple of years, I was excited, since they can be stored several deep, depending on their size.  The third rack from the top holds several of these punches, and the picture of the shape is stored up and forward facing, so it can easily be chosen from the rack.  Note the border punches stored beside them by inserting one 'wing' from the punch into the wire slat in the rack.  I have some of these newer punches stored in another rack a little lower, too.

There are four racks in each unit, and each unit is secured by four screws.  My door hold two units comfortably.  They are very sturdy, and my door is a hollow-core door.  Neither unit has ever gotten loose since its installation.

The bottom unit holds lots of the older style punches, and I have removed a bunch of old-style Christmas punches.  Those old punches are rarely used, so they will just sit in a cloth bag in the bottom of the closet until Christmas comes around.  It also gives my toddler granddaughters something to poke around in when they want to see all the stuff in my closet!  Here is a close-up view that shows the storage and the rack itself a little better. 

PUNCH STORAGE CLOSE-UP

Organize Your Thick Dies and Packaged Stamp Sets!

 A reader asked for more storage ideas, so here goes!  A few years ago I realized that I had a potential storage problem when it came to my larger dies--the thick ones that cut all kinds of materials.  So I began looking for something that would house them without taking up precious space in my already over-crowded studio.  I realized there was some unused space behind open doors.  Since I had already installed a nice bookcase with the door barely clearing it when open, I took some measurements and  went shopping.  I discovered narrow media storage cabinets at Wal-Mart in the electronics department.  They wound up being the perfect size for my purpose.  So I bought two and stacked them, anchoring them together and also to the wall behind them.  They are narrow enough for the door to remain open without obstructing the traffic flow through this walk-through room.  

The photo above shows the cabinets installed between the bookcase and an old painted Coke crate I have had for years (it also holds some dies and ink pad overflow).  The door is not shown, but is on the right, and it is closed. Note that the bookcase next to the media cabinets holds some of the Sizzix alphabets and Sizzlets in cases on the bottom shelf.  I am also storing my stamping wheels in this great media storage case.  The shelves are adjustable in inch increments, allowing for many storage combinations.  So the bottom of the cabinet houses the BigZ longer dies.  The Tim Holtz's Movers and Shapers dies are stored inside some of the dies that will hold them, as well as the empty tray, but these are stored horizontally.  The next step is to buy a metal storage board and mount it beneath the Coke crate for the magnetic dies.  See a close up of the stacked cabinets in the photo on the right.

Like most stamp artists, stamp storage has also become a nightmare for me.  I love Stampin' Up stamps in their nice storage containers, and the collection acquired from belonging to a monthly card club for years has outgrown the regular wood stamp storage cabinets. To free up more room for other brands of stamps, I decided to go back to Wal-Mart a couple of years later to see if the cabinets were still available.  They were, but they came in a different wood tone.  That was okay, since I have an eclectic studio.  So I bought two more to put side-by-side behind the door to the half bath and adjacent to my workspace area.  This has become a very convenient storage space for the cased stamps.  Now that these last two cabinets are full, buying unmounted Stampin' Up stamps is top priority.  Since they are marketed in DVD cases, they are going to be perfect in media storage.  Unfortunately, I can't find the same cases, and I am pretty much out of behind-the-door storage, so I am on the lookout for another style of media storage.  The next photo (above and left) shows the stamp storage in the cabinets.

So where can you find similar cabinets?  Check your  local Wal-Mart first, and then just go online for a ton of ideas.  I briefly Googled "media storage shelves", and lots of hits came up.  Garage sales, thrift stores, and other second hand stores might yield a bargain for those wishing to play sleuth.   

Coming next:  Punch storage and more!

Organize Your Thin Dies!

 I am so excited about my recent discovery of the 5 ½” x 8” mini view binders and Avery slash storage pockets at Staples.  I needed a better storage idea for the cool Spellbinder's Nestabilities, so I started with one binder, and now I am filling a second one.  I use one for the "rounded" shapes (round and ovals) and the other for “square” shapes, like rectangles, and for a few borders and other shapes as well.

Okay.  So here is what I do:  I have taken the set of Nestabilities out of its plastic packaging, which I was fighting every time I wanted to use a die…plus I eliminated that double-stick tape that was either too sticky, or it wouldn't hold the dies at all.  It was replaced by a piece of self-adhesive magnet, trimmed to fit the area on the back of the folder; it is available at most craft stores.  I also used some of the freebie magnets given out for advertising (some come on the phone book). Use strong redline tape to affix the magnet to the back of the folder that came with the set of Nestabilities, leaving the illustration on the front for identification, and the dies just fit beautifully all nested together on the magnet.  I then put this newly revised folder, with the set of dies hugging the magnet, into one of the slash pockets in this great little binder (click to see:  Staples Mini View Binder). The slash pockets hold these well and allow easy accessibility to the dies.  For information on the slash pockets, click here: Avery Slash Pockets

There is also a Velcro closure pocket in the Nestabilities binders holding the two pieces of rubber and the cardstock shim needed to emboss with the Vagabond (or other die cutting machines).  These little binders have a self-pocket in the front cover perfect to slide in a cheat sheet with the diagram of the correct "sandwich" needed for either the cutting "sandwich" or the embossing "sandwich."  These closed pockets are also available at Staples.

OTHER DIES FIT THIS STORAGE METHOD!

The Newest Binder Addition to my Bookshelf

This worked so well, that I have expanded this idea to my newest finds:  Memory Box DIES and her sister company, Poppystamp DIES!  Wow!  Do I love these little beauties!  I love how each one is packaged in its own little descriptive paper envelope , so they are protected and are easily identified.  They fit well into the slash pockets, too.  I am finding that I am running out of room for them (they are very popular in my studio now).  So I have begun putting similar ones back to back in the slash pockets, and when I turn the pocket page, the other side reveals its contents!  For example, I have paired the Grand Window and the Small Window in one, both sizes of Window Boxes in another, and flowers and vines to fit in the window boxes in another pocket. 

This method just makes my heart glad!