Ribbon and Twine Storage-A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place #3

     Welcome, crafters!  For years my ribbon and twine drawer was an absolute pain.  I used to throw everything in one drawer, which is obviously a recipe for a giant organizational disaster.  The tangled mess was a strong deterrent, and as a result I almost never incorporated any fabric elements in to my projects

The most photogenic section of the prior ribbon horror 

     This seems like a distant, phantasmal past, considering how often I use bakers twine now.  When I reorganized my room, I poured over all the different options for storing ribbon.  After an excessive amount of pinteresting, the right solution hit me square in the face.
     In addition to paper crafting, I am an avid friendship bracelet maker.  I experienced the same tangling problems for years with my embroidery floss until I discovered my current system.  I found these little plastic (cards?) at Michaels that work absolutely perfectly.

The cards are super cheap and are sold in large bulk

I store my spare cards in a former Gerber baby food container

     After years of having this system, it finally occurred to me that I could incorporate it in to my paper crafting storage.  For all my bakers twine, I am able to use the notches to keep everything secure.  For thicker ribbon, I simply break out my sewing push pins to keep everything in place.

A few different types of ribbon, all compatible with this system

     I keep all of the wrapped ribbon in a clear box with dividers, which helps me keep everything color coded.

I find these Creative World boxes so versatile in craft organization

     All of my larger wrapping ribbon is kept in my craft closet in color coded bins.

Not nearly as cute, but still very functional

     I hope that some of these ideas help you organize your own ribbon stash!  Accessible storage makes little bow or banner such an easy and fun way to add a little extra pizzazz to your projects.  Good luck organizing, I'll see you soon friends!

Clear and Cling Stamp Storage-A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place #2

     Oh, stamps!  You are truly my addiction.  Some girls love shoes, some girls love purses, I love you.  For years I struggled with how to organize you, but struggle no more! A solution has been found.
     Stamps are one of the most versatile tools a crafter has.  Their lore is so vast that they encompass a hobby all their own.  The traditional rubber stamps are easy enough to store, (I love the look of mine so much that they are displayed on a wall unit), but their clear and cling counterparts prove to be a greater organizational challenge.  My first semi-attempt at organizing them led to a catch-all stamp drawer.  The problems with this system are immediately apparent; I could never find anything.  I knew exactly what stamp I wanted to use, yet it took a ridiculous amount of time for me to sort through and locate it.  Next, I moved on to a stamp binder.  As beautiful as a stamp binder seems in theory, the reality for me was lackluster.  I do like everything to be (problematically) precise, and with the binder I could never make the stamps stand or lay how I wanted them to.  Finally, after a recent craft room overhaul, I have enacted a system that works for me.

My cubby wall unit

     All my clear and cling stamps hang in a cubby to the right of my work station.  As you can see, many of the cubby holes are empty, which means plenty of room to expand my collection *insert maniacal evil laugh here*.  Within each cubby, my stamps are held in clear cd cases by set.

My first full drawer:) 

     The cd cases are wonderful because they allow me to hold a stamp above my project to check prospective size.  Because I can never turn down a chance to use a label maker, each case receives a title and is then alphabetized.

Labels make me too happy

     Originally, each stamp set received its own case, though now I have taken to mixing some of the smaller, similarly themed sets together.  For me, it just makes more sense.  I can never resist the bin at Michaels with $.50 clear stamps sets that come with three or four images, so its pretty necessary that I combine those.
     Using this system, cling stamps can sometimes be a challenge.  Because they are often thicker than their clear counterparts, in many cases it is impossible to close the case.  My current solution to this hiccup is to separate the two sides of the cd case and use them independently, and so far it is working magnificently.

A few of my cling stamps

     As the holiday season rolls around, I am sure my collection will continue to grow.  I can't resist when two of my favorite things, holidays and stamps, are combined to adorable and heartwarming success.  Thanks for sticking with me friends, and happy crafting!

Swatching System-A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place #1

     Hi friends!  I feel like I'd be lying to you if I omitted my intense love of organization in crafting.  After a long day of creating, there is nothing better than being able to return everything to its neatly defined space.  Okay, so maybe not after every creative day, but no matter.  The fact is that I feel much better creating when there is at least some method to the madness.  So in the spirit of orderliness, here is the first entry in to the organizational series, 'A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place'.

My Copic, ink, and embossing swatches

     One organizing method that has proved to be exceptionally useful, as well as aesthetically pleasing, is my current swatching system.  After many experiences with stamping a finishing sentiment with the 'perfect' color of ink, only to find out the hue was not at all what I expected or remembered, I realized that I needed a form of reference.  After trying many different swatching methods, I decided upon my current system.

My swatches hanging behind my workspace

     I keep my ink, embossing, and Copic reference colors hanging all together.

My Copic color chart

     The Copic color chart was easy enough to find, and I made haste printing it off of a google search (and yes, I do take immense pleasure in coloring each new square as I grow my Copic stash).  The Copics were easy enough, though the other swatches proved to be a bit more challenging.
   

A close up of my ink swatches

Coin collecting sheets, available super cheap at hobby stores

      I decided upon using coin collecting sheets with white cardstock inserts.  I chose a stamp that showcased the most of each color and then set to work cataloging my supplies.

For both inks and powders I add information about finishes and types (pigment, dye, pearl, opaque)

     This is an ideal system works fabulously for me. Now, I can pull each sample and compare them to my project (and generally toy relentlessly over the options).  I love the color it gives to my workspace, as beautiful organization is my favorite type of fun!
     Thanks for stopping by, I can't wait to share more organizational goodies with you.