Organize with Style

I have already made a collage paper magazine holder.

 I also have 4 other tan holders. I need yet another one, so I thought I would make another paper one to even it out.
This time I wanted to do a solid design instead of a collage effect. I found scrapbook paper at Hobby Lobby that was the perfect theme for my bedroom and the color fit. I bought 3 pieces of the paper and that was more than enough. One sheet per side and another for the back and front sections. I picked up a bottle of Mod Podge paper so that it be more specific.

I also used my roller that I used in my coaster project to keep bubbles from forming. (You can also spray water on the paper before applying it to keep that from happening, just don't soak it with water or its very easy to tear.) Take the magazine holder and lay it down on the back of the paper so you can trace out the side.

Cut along the trace lines. Once its cut out put it back against the side to be sure it doesn't over lap any were. If you are happy with the cut out put a coat of Mod Podge on the side of the magazine holder and carefully place the paper as to not realign it again.  Use the roller (or whatever tool you have) to flat the paper out and remove any air bubbles you might have. Wait for the first applique to dry (15 minutes) before applying another coat over the paper. You will want to coat it at least 3 times, always letting it dry completely  before doing another coat.

Trace the back the same way you did the side whenever you are ready to move on. Apply the paper the same way, waiting for the Mod Podge to dry before applying another coat over the paper.

Repeat the same steps for the other side of the magazine holder. Once you are ready to do the front you the paper left over from doing the back. You will have to cut put two long strips for the right and left side of the description plate. Be sure to follow the pattern of the paper and how you have it placed on the other sides. Then cut out two sections for the top and bottom section around the description plate. Make sure to measure the spaces so that you don't have gaps around the description plate.

Once you have it coated to your satisfaction you can use the Mod Podge acrylic sealer to put that finished touch to your project. It protects your paper better than just leaving it alone.

Face Lift

I have few magazine holders that are separated into interests; such as scrap booking, jewelry, knitting, and so on. I needed another one because I needed to make one just for jewelry magazines. (got too many to share a holder with another interest) I hunted in Office Depot, Target, and Walmart but I wasn't able to find one in the same (or slightly close) color as the other ones. I found a clearance one at Office Depot and figured I could just give it a face lift... so to speak.

While wondering around in Michaels you should make it a point to check out the section they always have for $2 to $1 items. I found a package of scrap booking paper that I thought would work well for this project and they were for only a $1. (Score!) I already had the Mod Podge, so I picked up a spray bottle of clear coat protector. (which goes with Mod Podge)

I cut up a soda box container and used that to work on. The scrap booking paper was a little too big, so I choose to cut them up into randomly sized pieces. I thought this gave it a more vintage collage look. I pinked a solid color for the back of the mag holder. I brushed on MP first and then put the piece of paper down. I went over the paper again with more MP to better seal it down. I placed the pieces in random directions all over the mag holder. (just not inside) Once I felt the MP had dried I took it outside and sprayed it with clear coat sealer. I did that three times; letting it dry for a full day between sprays. (This allows for better coating)

It turned out just how I wanted and its still looking great.

Organized Craft Place

You ever have a "hissy fit", for lack of a better word, when you can't find something and you KNOW you have it? I used to have it all the time when I was scrapbooking. I could never find anything because I had (still have) sooo much stuff. Luckily enough I learned from my outbursts of anger and finally organized my craft place. Granted it took me moving away to finally do it, but I did it all the same! No need to quibble about why. =)

I wandered into Hobby Lobby one day, cause I do just about everyday, and I was in the scrapbooking supplies and BLAM right in front of me was an entire wall of storage ideas. I honestly think I wet myself. I felt a little overwhelmed thinking about what it would mean for me to get my supplies together. Then it started to come to me, just walking up and down that wall. I took some pictures with my phone and went home to think it over. Life squeezed in and took away a lot of my free time for about two weeks, but finally I had some down time! I went back and low and below stuff was on SALE. (The word everyone loves to hear!) This was not some pathetic 20% or 30%, but 50% off. I think I did a little jig right there in the store. I bought two 12x12 paper holders, two 8x11 paper holders, 4 storage boxes, couple of baskets, and about 23 plastic containers. I was ready to get organized. Plus I didn't even feel like my heart was going to jump out of chest for how much I spent because it was practically nothing. (OK not NOTHING, but better than it would have been if it was not on sale) Now I'm not saying everyone should go out and get it ALL right now. It worked for me because I had some cushion money.

As I sit here typing this I'm looking at my bookshelves and feeling so proud of how organized I am and have stay, because come on we ALL know we start out OK but fail miserably in such a short period of time. I have labels on everything, which I made, and everything is put away. (the picture of my desk is because I was waiting for the glue gun to cool off)

Check it out:

I have this bookshelf and another that flank my desk. This has all my paper, stickers, and scrapbook albums (new and finished ones).

Each of these plastic containers is labeled and holds stickers. I have 17 of them.

All my paper is sorted by color and labeled, which I made. Every time I buy a package of paper I ripe it apart and sort the paper by color. That way it doesn't pile up and I know what there is to use.

These are the plastic containers I use for stickers (and also for ribbon). They come in this large size for $1.99 and a small size for $1.29. They are very handy.

This is the other bookshelf. This holds my flowers emblessiments, photos, stamps, ink, ribbons, paints, paint brushes, and some books and magazines. My sewing machine in the item on the lower right side.

There are two bags on the ground to the left of the bookshelf. The tan one holds all my fabric pieces for my fabric flowers. (The bigger fabric amounts for sewing and quilting is in my closet) The black bag is full of all my cross stick supplies. All my thread is wound on dollies and numbered.

There is another bag off to the right that is not pictured that holds all my yarn, needles, and other knitting supplies. (Its fairly large)

I use the smaller containers for my ribbons. I have 6 small containers and one large one.

 These are all my stamps and stamp inks. I need a bigger basket, as I have more now.

 Flower emblessiments and eyelets. All in containers and sorted.

I haven't decorated this yet (I got it from a friend yesturday), but its on my list. Its holding my knitting, cross stick, and card books along with my scrapbooking magazines.

All my adhesives and pens are in one container. My lighted table is next to my container for my stencils and embossing supplies.

All my string, vellum, metal work, and other emblessiments are in this container. All my cards and envelopes are stacked with each other.

All my scrapbook albums. The finished ones are from the dark red one all the way to the right side. The new albums are from the dark red one all the way to the left. The binder next to the dark red ablum holds all my templates, cross stick patterns, patterns for sewing, knitting directions, and random craft directions.

My work desk is flanked on either side by the above bookshelves making it easy to just get the item I need.

The case on my desk is the supplies I use for my fabric flower pins. I'm waiting for the glue gun to cool down before I put it back in the bottom part of that container.



Everything in its place and easy to find. I have only thing that I have issues with is my large stickers. They are in a container on the lower left side of my desk. They are all in there because they are too large to go anywhere else. Those are not sorted, but at least I know where to go to find them. =)

Be inspired to be more organized, or at least some what!

Scapbook Quotes

I keep a book filled with quotes that I have collected or heard over the years. I use them in my cards and scrapbooks. Here are a few:

"Be pretty if you can, be witty if you must, but be gracious if it kills you"- atrributed to Elsie De Wolfe

"All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his." - Oscar Wilde

Father's Day
"It's only when you grow up and step back from him-or leave him for your own home-it's only then that you can meaure his greatness and fuly appreciate it." - Margaret Truman

"Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap on a rope." - Bill Cosby

"Your father, he never loses patience-never doubts or complains- but always hopes, and works and waits so cheerfully that one is ashamed to do otherwire before him." - Louisa May Alcott.

"The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get." - Tim Russert

Weddings
"There is no remedy for love, but to love more." - Henry David Thoreau

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." - Mignon McLaughlin

"There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage." - Martin Luther

"He is husband, she is wife. She fears not him, They fear not life." Robert Frost

Thank Yous
"I can no other answer make but thanks And Thanks." - William Shakespeare

"That best portion of a good man's life; His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love." - William Wordsworth

"People who give will never be poor." - Anne Frank

"Pleasantest of all ties is the tie of host and guest." - Aechylus

"Tis sweet to know there is an eye will mark our coming and look brighter when we come." - Lord Byron

Graduations
"There is nothing like a dream to create the future." - Victor Hugo

"Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith." - Steve Jobs

"The future holds great opportunities. It also holds pitfalls. The trick will be to avoid the pitfalls, seize the opportunities, and get back home by six o'clock." - Woody Allen

"We want men who will fix their eyes on the stars, but who will not forget that their feet must walk on the ground." - Theodore Roosevelt

"Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten." - B.F.Skinner

"There are two ways to spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." - Edith Wharton

K

Scissor holder

I had an old wood coat rack that I had no use for (as I already had one), so I decided to re-vamp it into a holder for my design craft scissors. It would be going into my room and so I wanted it to match the theme in my bedroom. Here are the steps I took. You can modify them based on the design you want.

Supplies:
wooden coat rack
stencil
paint for stencil and for remaining surface
sandpaper
clean cloth
paint tarp (to protect work surface)
paint brush
stencil brush
stencil adhesive (or other kind of adhesive)


I lightly sand the surface to clean and smooth the wood, because it was not painted at all. If painted sand thoroughly to remove paint. This may take several hours. Then I wiped down with a clean cloth to remove any dust.
Since I wanted to create an age look I chose to do the stenciling first. I sprayed the adhesive to my stencil to keep it in place. Then I positioned the stencil on my coat rack. I painted using a stencil brush in desired stencil frame. (best if done in repeative straigh down dabs) My stencil was a fur-de-lei. I let the paint dry for a few minutes before removing the stencil and repositioning again, as I wanted multiple stencils. Once I had finished all my stencils I let it sit for about 30 minutes to make sure the paint was fully dry. (see paint directions for specific time frames) This is what my project looked like at this point.

Since I wanted a more aged look I painted a fine coat of light gold metallic paint over the entire coat rack.

Once I had finished my one and only coat (again I wanted a real fine coat of paint) I let it sit for about an hour this time as more paint was used. After it had finished drying I took my sandpaper and started to rub the paint off in random locations, like the corners and along the knobs. This gave it a more worn and aged look. Once I had sanded it to my content I wiped it down again with my cloth.

Here is my finished project:

It comes in very handy. I have it positioned right above my desk and its holding about 11 scissors right now, with room for a few more.

Easy way to take an item that is not being used into something useful again. Much better than just giving it away to the A.R.C. store, which is what I was going to do with it at first.

K

Welcome

I love to do al kinds of craft projects. It started with scrapbooking and it moved into knitting, painting, accessory items, and other household things. I will be posting things I have done myself, as well as places that I got ideas from. I hope that you will all enjoy and try these projects.

I will also be adding thoughts and random things like quotes and sayings to use in cards (or anywhere).

Heres to your next project!

K