Just in case anyone has scrapper's block....

I found this cool site:

Pencil Lines


.... just an idea :)

Organization 101.... anyone else?

Okay, so I have unpacked and (mostly) put everything away... but I'm thinking I need a re-vamping of my organization options.... Since Karri is the only one that posted craft-room pics, I'm drawing from her (and her cute little tins ;) )

I found this article today in my email:

Get Organized: 10 Tips from the Editors
by Joannie McBride

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Need help keeping up with that supply stash? Here’s how CK editors stay organized:

1. Go through your scrapbook supplies every six months. By doing this you will find hidden or forgotten scrapbook treasures. Get rid of the stuff you will not use and give it to charity or those less fortunate. —Kim Blackinton, Editorial Project Coordinator

2. Organize your photos first. I find that half the time, I’m sorting through photos trying to decide what should go on a layout. Once I’ve printed my photos, it’s much easier to start a page if I’ve already sorted my photos by subject and then by which will go on a particular layout. —Maurianne Dunn, Associate Editor

3. Plan layouts ahead of time. If you’re like me, I enjoy the company of my friends when we scrapbook together, but I totally struggle with multi-tasking. It’s nearly impossible for me to choose papers or figure out where to position pictures while carrying on a conversation. So before any get-together, I plan my layouts ahead of time. This includes figuring out my overall design (with the help of sketches, of course), Photoshopping and printing my photos, choosing my supplies, and even printing out or writing my journaling. When I go to put a layout together, it’s nearly effortless. —Becky Higgins, Contributing Editor

4. Give new life to an old dresser. I have a ton of stamps (mostly wood-mounted) and wanted a nice way to keep them both organized and accessible. I use an old dresser and categorize each drawer: Alphabets, Flowers, Animals, Christmas, Other Holidays, etc. Within each drawer, the stamps are in clear plastic boxes—making it super easy to see what I have. —Lori Fairbanks, Associate Writer

5. Divide and conquer. I’ve found that removing embellishments from their packaging and storing items by supply type or color requires a LOT less space. —Jana Lillie, Editor-at-Large

6. Purge regularly. Go through your stash several times a year (perhaps schedule these times, like the first of every other month). If you haven’t reached for an item, do you really need it? Give your extras to a school, a church, a friend. Purging helps you keep only what you love and remember what you have. —Beth Opel, Senior Writer

7. Store your supplies in baskets or bins. Besides cleaning out my stash regularly, I keep most of my supplies sorted in baskets or stored in bins within my desk drawers or on my shelves. Every item has its place, but I don’t consider myself super-organized. Items I use most often, like my cardstock, papers, ribbon, pens and small embellishments, are out in plain sight because I need to be visually stimulated. —Joannie McBride, Assistant Editor

8. Put technology to work for you. As a hybrid scrapbooker, I found myself wishing my digital supplies were as neatly organized as my papers and elements. Now that I have ACDSee Photo Manager 10, my digital brushes, papers and elements (even my photos) are super-organized. I can search by color, designer or pattern and find the exact item I’m looking for. I couldn’t live without this awesome technology! —Lori Anderson, Senior Editor

9. Keep your pens in a box. I have a small plaid box with a latch, inherited from an old roommate, that works great for storing all of my pens and markers! I always know where to find them, and they don’t get lost or mixed in with other supplies. —Liesl Russell, Editorial Project Coordinator

10. Disguise how much you own if needed. Do it through clever positioning. A bookshelf behind my husband's easy chair includes storage bins in the bottom half. They’re BEHIND him and out of his everyday view. Another paper-storage container is actually presented as an end table with a pretty cloth on top. —Jana Lillie, Editor-at-Large
Appeared in: March 2009
http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/articles/10_organization_tips?utm_source=May10_2011_CKNF&utm_medium=eletter&utm_content=GetOrganizedContent&utm_campaign=May10_2011_CKNF

I <3 #10 :D

Retreat Layouts

Here are a good chunk of mine... some of them are still in need of a few things, but here they are :)

 

Designed by little minds

My 7 year old daughter designed this year's Mother's Day card for grandma, using my cricut cartridges! I couldn't do her original design, because I am limited by not having an Expression (wugh). But I was so proud of her for going through the different books and picking out the card, the extras, and the words!! I added pop dots :)

Post your layouts from the retreat!

Come on, ladies! Everyone's doing it! Share the memories!

Here are mine.

{Journaling! About Elliott's love affair w/ Chick Hicks}

 {Aidan's first trip to Noah's Ark. And my first LO with this many pics!}

 {The quote reads, "You don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes."}

My Crafty Space

Hi y'all. I am not from the South. I am from the North.  'Sconnie to be exact. I complain about it a lot, too.  But hey, its close to Chicago. So that's cool.

Anyway...

Its not much. Once upon a time, it was the 'sitting area' part of the master bedroom, which is my daughter's room. A former owner walled it off.  So now its just this small, awkward space. If the MBR were my room, it would be a fab.u.lous closet.

Anyway, right now its set up so I can sew.

What's on those shelves to the left?  This crap.

(whoops. dog bumped me)

Scrap stuff, yarn, some fabric.

I need to get this hope chest out of here, paint it, and get it into my daughter's room. I have a desk that will go here, instead. But for now, it sits here and holds my scrapbook magazines and supplies. (and all those photo frames on the floor? they came off the hallway walls. that's a whole new project) And my poor Cricut sits on a wobbly table.

 

I have this beauty holding my photos, rubons, letter stickers, random crap, and some yarn. I do think she's too pretty to sit in here, so I am planning on moving her out into the LR, I think, and painting/distressing her.

So that's my area.

How about y'all?

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Okay, mini-challenge again.... list your 5 favorite scrappy things!! 

Happy Star Wars Day!

May the 4th be with you!  hahahaha

Mini-challenge day!   Post a picture of your scrap-space!  I'm curious to see where y'all work when we're not at the 'doll house!

Fabulous Advice!!

I found this today and wanted to share:  (thanks to Tonya Gibbs @ http://www.psychomoms.com)

Finding Your Creative Mojo

This time of year after the rush of Christmas, I'm so overwhelmed, over stimulated, and sometimes find it difficult to focus. I'm inspired, but can't figure out where to start, or my room looks like a hurricane blew through it. I absolutely lose my creative mojo thanks to ADHD and clutter. I have all these awesome projects that I want to do, but can't focus enough to work on any one thing. So this is how I get my mojo back.

1. Participate in a challenge. A good old fashioned challenge will make you jump start those creative juices. Choose something simple like a tag, atc or charm swap. Most challenges come with specific requirements so they help you focus, and the act of doing something creative helps. This year I started Jan. 1 with Marion Smith's 31 days, 31 videos, 31 goals challenge. In this challenge you can do anything, doesn't have to be creative just set a daily goal, follow through with it, and video tape the process. Some are doing weight loss, cleaning, finishing old projects, and learning new techniques. You can follow my 31 Day Challenge on my YouTube channel.
   
   
2. Clean. When I say my space looked like a natural disaster, I'm not kidding. Look at my goal video on Day 1. You can't get creative mojo from the pile-it system. Cleaning also helps you rediscover hidden treasures. When I shop, I only buy things that strike an emotion in me. When I clean, I find those projects and the creativity begins to flow. Don't try to tackle the room all in one day, make small daily goals, and tackle only that day's goals. You will feel better when you are done, and you won't be overwhelmed. During this process, evaluate your workflow. Ask yourself, "is my work surface cluttered with things that can be put in tubs, does my furniture make sense for my space, is my lighting or wall paint color too harsh? Follow my organization process in the videos from Days 1 - 7.
   
   
3. Finish incomplete projects. I really like this one, because it is usually a no brainer process, and you feel like you have accomplished something in a short period of time.
   
   
4. Visit blogs and watch YouTube videos January and July the Craft and Hobby Association has their seasonal trade shows, and all your favorite scrappy companies are getting their latest and greatest collections together. So their sites are chopped full of yumminess. Local scrapbook stores are purging products to get ready for their new arrivals, so they generally have great projects on their sites. Scrappy people are just starting to get their winter collections and they are creating like mad. So their blogs and YouTube channels are hopping with great ideas.
   
   
5. Take a creative class or attend a crop Nothing gets the creative juices flowing like learning something new. If you have never stamped, take a stamping class. Never made a charm, visit a bead store and take a class. Never used dimensional art, GO FOR IT!. Just get out there. Classes at local scrapbook stores are generally expensive. But my experience is that they include loads of product, and it is usually a lot more than you need for the project. Plus the relationships you build with the instructor and other class mates are more valuable than the cost of the class. Crops are a great way to get ideas. I find that I never create anything at a crop I spend a lot of time socializing and laughing. But I walk away refreshed. 

I'd like to think that our yearly gathering would do alot to help - especially to satisfy #5 :)

Oozing Scrappy Goodness...

Hi y'all!

I'm Shanna, the Arkansas contingent.  This blog is primarily to provide us the accountability we want to get our scrapping done, but ALSO to provide a challenge each month to help us to continue to grow as scrappers.

Each month we will have at least one challenge.

We're going to start our blog with those who brought us into the world - our MOMS!!!  Mother's Day is this coming Sunday, so let's show our moms how much we love them or how happy it makes us to be one! .... one caveat - MOM has to be in the picture!  Scrap a layout of you and your mom, with you and your kids - just make sure MOM is in the picture!!

Our second challenge will be to use something you bought on our stop at scrapping Mecca - otherwise known as Archivers ;)


Can't wait to see the fabulousness begin to pour in!