PAPER CRAFTING TOOLS - PART ONE

The Basics for Beginners

I did not follow the advice I'm about to give you. I still struggle not to over buy when all the new paper collections come out, there is a sale, a new tool looks too cool to pass up, or a new Close to My Heart catalog becomes available. 

You can really get started scrapbooking, card making, etc. with very few supplies. Some tools don't have to be top of the line, but other items you really should splurge on to get the best results possible. I hope my list will help you make some informed decisions, so that you don't waste money, or time.

There is nothing worse than working hard on a handmade card, and having the layers fall apart because your adhesive didn't stick. Also, cheap paper will let you down. I have some scrapbook layouts that I have to re-do because of cheap paper, and ineffective adhesive.

Adhesives

• A liquid adhesive with a great hold will allow you a little time to adjust the placement of your pictures, etc. My preferences are Tombow (available at craft stores), and Close to My Heart's  Liquid Glass.
•  You will want double-sided tape, or a tape gun. I use the Teresa Collins Xyron tape runner because I find it easy to load the refills, it gets the job done, it fits my hand, and it's pink. 
• Mini glue dots will help you adhere very small items without making a mess. I use Micro Glue Dots.

Paper

•  CTMH paper packs are great because they have  double-sided prints, and solid colored cardstock, that coordinates.
• CTMH Workshops on the Go are the same coordinating paper packs, along with a stamp set, an embelishment, and instruction booklet.
• Graphic 45 comes out with paper packs with a lovely vintage feel. The big box craft stores don't carry a lot of Graphic 45. Amazon has the best price I have found.
• Bo Bunny is another paper manufacturer that has great quality, and interesting themes. Again, try Amazon for the best price.
• I do not often buy pads of paper. This is because I usually only like about half the papers in the pack. I'm then stuck with papers I don't want to use. I learned this the hard way, of course.

Seaside Workshop on the Go

Scissors and Trimmers

• My all time favorite scissors are the Tim Holtz Ionic scissors. They are sharp, have a nice point, are comfortable to use, and the blades stay clean. They would be perfect if they came in pink.
• The slicer that I have, finally, settled on is the Sure Cut Deluxe Paper Trimmer. I tried lots of trimmers, but this one has a nice wide base, and the replacement blades are inexpensive. 

Scrapbooks

• You can purchase scrapbooks inexpensively at any craft store, but I would not recommend buying them. I have a few that are not in very good shape now.
• I now use Close to My Heart Scrapbooks. They come in D-Ring, and post bound.  
• I have seen some nicer scrapbooks, in the section of the craft stores near the Project Life supplies. I can not endorse them, as I have not tried them.
•  Remember, you will work hard to put together layouts to preserve your memories. You want them to be protected.

 

 

Misc.

• A bone folder is a nice item to have. You can see an example of one here. They help you make a nice crease on your cards.
•  I love my scoring boards. If you are a card maker, I think they are a must have. I have two, because one is for big projects, and one is more portable for travel. The large one I use is the Martha Stewart score board. The travel size I use is the Close to My Heart score board.
• Having a nice mat to put down on your table is a good idea. The Versamat is a nice choice. This will help protect your table. One side is cushioned for stamping, and the other is self-healing for cutting. The grids also come in handy when lining up projects.

 

These are just the basics. As you continue crafting, I'm sure you will want to add stamps, inks, ribbon, twine, buttons, markers, and all sorts of embelishments. The trick is to buy what you need for each project, and not just everything that is "too cute to pass up." 

 

I will continue this series with more items that you will want to explore as you become more crafty.

 

You also might want to stay tuned as I work on getting my craft room, and office space, in order. It is something I struggle with, besides wanting to buy all of the "too cute to pass up" items.

 

Let me know if you agree with my beginners list. 

 

    

GETTING READY FOR 2015

SMART Goals and a New Planner

I have been working on setting my goals for 2015, in an effort to be more productive in all areas of my life. I discovered SMART goals recently, and fell in love with the idea. The acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely.

Instead of simply saying "lose 40 pounds", my goal reads "I will lose 40 pounds by the end of 2015, in order to improve my overall health, and energy level."

Steps to reach goal:

1. Exercise 2 times per week, for a minimum of 30 minutes each, beginning January 1st. Increase the amount of exercise every quarter, reaching 5 days per week by year end.
2. Work up to eating 4 servings of fruits and vegetables by June 2015.
3. Make meat and sweets the smallest portion of my food consumption by April 2015.
4. Eat my biggest meal before 4 pm and eat nothing after 8 pm starting January 1st.

I have set all of my 2015 goals in this manner. The plan is to check in on all of my goals weekly, so that I am holding myself accountable.

The second part of getting my act together in 2015 is finding a planner that I can customize to fit my needs, and organizing my work space.

I have ordered my planner, but it hasn't arrived yet. I found it on Amazon, and it is a disc bound system.

LEVENGER JUNIOR SYSTEM

Because it has discs, instead of coils,  pages can be rearranged, removed, or added, as needed.  I will do a video, and post, on my planner as I set it up. 

The organizing has begun on my craft room/office. My husband was kind enough to break out some tools and help me hang  things over my desk.

You have to love a husband who will just help, without making a comment on your color choices. The idea behind this pegboard wall is to get as much off my desk as possible. It also needs to be pretty enough that I will want to look at it as I work. I have a few special gifts from friends that make me happy, and also a shortened version of my 2015 motto, which is "Strive for progress, not perfection." 

As I work on my goals, organize my workspace, and set up my planner, I will share here and on YouTube.

Please share your comments, or plans, for 2015 below.



A CRAFT ROOM OF MY OWN ~ PART 2

ALMOST DONE!

MORE HARD WORK

An area to share my love of crafting

Thanks to my mother (aka the slave driver), the furniture is all in the new room. I have plenty of room to have others over for crops, and workshops. 

I have a large L-shaped area now with machines on top and cubes under.

I can now have my laptop, Cricut, Cuttlebug, Bind-it-All, paper trimmers, and scoring boards on view, and easy to access. Underneath I have lots of storage. All of the current Close to My Heart paper collections, and coordinating cardstock,  have their own space. I have drawers that house my Close to My Heart business supplies all nice and organized. Can you tell where I will be doing most of my crafting? My VersaMat and scrap-a-ma-bob are ready, and my favorite tools are within arms reach.

Yes, I painted my desk pink, and added a chalkboard section

I love that there is room for a desk. The blue painters tape was used to decide where the big pieces of furniture would fit. The plastic drawers house all of my embossing folders, and Cuttlebug supplies. I also have a drawer for adhesives: dots, foam tape, liquid adhesives, and tape gun refills. Another drawer has heat embossing supplies, and the third drawer holds all of the accessories for my Bind-it-All. The slots above the cube drawers hold chipboard, and ready made covers for mini albums. 

Sections to separate all of the new CTMH goodies

 I have room for each CTMH cardstock collection; Basics, Enchantment, Adventure, and Whimsy. As you can see I still need the Adventure collection. Underneath is Chalk it Up, Scaredy Cat, a space for Pathfinding, and Yuletide paper collections. I have other cubes for the rest of the new paper collections, and a couple of open slots for the collections that will come out in December. The rolling cart will be used for projects that I am currently working on.  My goal is to break the bad habit of having whatever I am working on covering my work area.

Love having room for a bookcase also!

I have ribbons, and buttons, on display in jars on the top shelf. Seasonal ribbon, and boxes full of Tim Holtz distressing supplies are on the second shelf. The third shelf has all of my reference magazines, and books, including the new Annual Inspirations idea book. You can see I have three of the small Close to My Heart storage containers. The small containers hold my sponge daubers, pigment inks, and acrylic stamp blocks. On the bottom shelf I have the medium organizer with all of my Picture My Life supplies. The large container has all of my stamps. The pink stacking shelves hold my grandchildren's supplies, although they always feel free to use any supplies.

WHAT'S LEFT?

The walls are empty and that just won't do. I have pegboards, bulletin boards, art, and a calendar that needs to be hung. I also need to find new outlet covers, and switch plates. Hmmmm, should I paint them pink? Obviously, removing the painters tape from the floor needs to be done. I have one grey file cabinet that will get a coat of pink paint, and I think I may need a second one. I would like to organize my genealogy papers into the second file cabinet. 

THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I have to thank my husband and mother for all of the labor, and daughter Audrey for supplying some of the paint. Also, thanks to my friend Linda for the awesome padded folding chairs. 

Now, who wants to come over and play? 

A CRAFT ROOM OF MY OWN ~ Part 1

THE MAKING OF A CRAFT ROOM

 

CTMH has organizers in 3 sizes with various inserts

THE PLANNING STAGE

I have been  dreaming and planning my ultimate craft space for over a year. I am currently using a room that I just took over without any planning. I have a lot of mismatched items, the walls are still a lavender color I really don't like, and I don't even want to talk about the carpet. Now that I have been crafting awhile I have a pretty good idea of how I work. Here are some of the things I have done while waiting for a larger craft space:

1. I created a pinterest board and pinned everything and anything I thought I might like in my craft/office space. You can view my pinterest craft room and office space board here

2. I arranged and rearranged my current space as I crafted. I soon realized I needed my Cricut and printer near my desk, as I use both with my laptop. I do not like to move machines around as I work. I also discovered I need to view my supplies, so closed storage is not my favorite.

3. I decided that since pink and green were quickly becoming my accent colors, I would use grey and white for my walls and furniture.

4. I purchased some stackable storage cubes from Michael's, clear plastic storage bins from Close to My Heart , a label maker, and a book shelf.

    

   

   Michaels' Recollections cubes  come in lots of styles

THE HARD WORK STAGE

I have been unable to help with most of this stage, and greatly appreciate family members who have put in the work.

1. So far my only participation in this stage has been to scrub the baseboards.

2. My darling husband has removed the sliding closet doors. I'm hoping we can re-purpose them into a large work area. 

3. My daughter purchased a wall color called "Diving Dolphin" and the painting is almost finished (again the work was done by my husband.) 

4. The existing, fourteen year old, carpet has been removed by my darling husband.

5. My husband found some great tile in different shades of grey, and the installation is in progress by . . . guess who? 

6. I will be spray painting an old file cabinet pink, and painting my desk pink also.

7. The really hard part of this stage will be moving and organizing all of my existing supplies. I may even have to *gasp* purge some of my supplies. Thank goodness organizing other peoples' stuff is one of my mother's favorite projects.

 

 Stay tuned as the work progresses. I will be posting pictures as it all comes together. Do you have a craft space of your own? If so, what are your favorite features, or ones you wish you had? Comment below, any suggestions are greatly appreciated.