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Post by joblackford on Apr 25, 2024 0:10:00 GMT
Did a half Sheetload and shared on that thread, but also sharing here because I was quite proud of myself for thinking to alter the terrible b-side of this patterned paper. I stamped this time but might ink or stencil next time. April share by jo.blackford, on Flickr
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Post by joblackford on Apr 25, 2024 0:08:15 GMT
I tried out the Sheetload with a sheet of paper I bought a lot of. The only issue I have is that I haven't found any matching papers to coordinate and the b-side is completely useless... white paper with hand drawn eyes? ugh. So I tried stamping the b-side with some coordinating inks to make it more usable. Not a resounding success but also not a complete failure. Might've been better off using a brightly colored matting layer. I might try stenciling over the b-side the next time I want to use it. April share by jo.blackford, on Flickr April share by jo.blackford, on Flickr
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Post by joblackford on Apr 24, 2024 23:59:53 GMT
Well, I have a huge project in front of me. My mother is a snowbird and she will be coming home in the next couple weeks. Before she comes home, she asked me if I could do her a huge favor and tidy up her craft area since she left it a little messy when she left. I went over there on my lunch today and OMG. "A little messy?" It's like mini-hoarders in there. I asked her what she wanted to keep, ect and facetimed with her and she said it was just so overwhleming she did not know where to start, and that she trusted me to keep the good stuff, get rid of the rest and make it so she could find things. What we do for our parents... Guess I know what I will be working on this weekend! Oh wow! That's going to be rough. But if you can get the obvious trash and easy stuff out of there (at the very least) you will have done her a great service. Good luck
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Post by joblackford on Apr 24, 2024 18:02:50 GMT
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Post by joblackford on Apr 24, 2024 17:10:47 GMT
If people pay you through PayPal you can easily print discounted labels through ShipStation. Probably very similar prices to PirateShip - I think USPS offers the same commercial/discount prices to most of the different platforms. I always use ShipStation because I had it set up after taking PayPal payments for some things. I just use my digital kitchen scale to weigh things. Finally figured out that if the box is bigger and covering the read-out area I can put something like a mug on the scale and zero it, then put the box on top to get the weight. Flat rate boxes and envelopes are great for some things, especially heavy stuff like magnet sheets with dies, but check out all the free shipping supplies the USPS offers - you can get different shapes and sizes delivered to your house for nothing, although you pay in the end because they’re only for Priority. I have a stash of reusable boxes and envelopes for mailing all the things (I’m selling random stuff for some relatives, not crafty stuff). Just checked out ShipStation and PirateShip and a few others that popped up in my search. How much per month do you pay for ShipStation? I know that you've been shipping purchases as you destash for your family. How does it work for stamps/dies and maybe 12 x 12 paper pads?
I'm not paying a fee to use ShipStation, just buying postage through them at discounted/commercial rates when I have something to mail out. I think I had to create an account through PayPal to use it, and another to use UPS through them but no extra fees. 12x12 is always tricky because so few boxes fit that without bending and it's heavy! I save the mailers that scrapbook dot com uses but they wouldn't ship flat rate - they would be calculated priority shipping based on weight and destination. I think some people have found a way to fit 12x12 into the large flat rate box on a diagonal (??) I think a lot of people destashing (esp DT members) fill a large flat rate box so they don't have to worry about weight or distance mailed when they're quoting a price.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 24, 2024 17:04:09 GMT
Good Wedensday morning. I have a day in town planned. A quick stop at the bank to pick up something for the accountant, a vehicle service, photo printing, a couple of hours at the LSS scrapping, supper with justjac , then an Escape Room with our book club. Sounds like alot but there are breaks all along the way, and the only pressure is that I have not yet finished this month's BOOK! Guess what I will be doing while I wait for my vehicle and eat lunch and... Have a great day, Ladies! Hope it's a good book! Have fun We have rain coming back tomorrow so I'm keen to go out today too. Wish me luck thrifting a slouchy cardigan for around the house.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 24, 2024 1:37:06 GMT
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Post by joblackford on Apr 23, 2024 16:59:59 GMT
I need to relabel my plastic envelopes where I keep cardstock and patterned paper, especially since I no longer have business inventory vs personal use separated. It will help with the new cardstock color groupings I created yesterday too.
I realized I don’t really look at the file tab labels on the top because of how they’re stored on a cart, and often the branding strip hides the top label anyway. I liked the side labels the CM/3 bears lady in the summit used but I don’t want to buy anything, so I’m going to DIY my own. I don’t even think they need to stick out. Just adding a label down the side edge is probably enough.
The patterned paper probably doesn’t need labels at all. I only have a few envelopes with specific papers or collections and I just look at the clear front and see if it’s cats, girls, fall leaves or sky paper. One of the huge advantages of having very little stuff… even if I have to look at all 6 envelopes it only takes a second!
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Post by joblackford on Apr 23, 2024 16:45:17 GMT
Hope you feel more like yourself soon grammadee! Did you have a good time? I’ve got a load of laundry on, waiting to go hang it in the sun before I maybe head out to Target. I’m sitting in a sunny chair trying out a new-to-me iPad we retrieved from MIL’s house. SIL got it for her just before the pandemic/cognitive decline really took hold so it’s been sitting unused since 2020. I have my other MIL’s giant iPad too. I was I looking at trading it in for a smaller one and hubby said why not trade in both? But I might just keep this small one and use the trade in money for a keyboard cover for this one. The typing on the touchscreen is making me a little crazy 😣 Realized I have some finished cards amongst the unfinished ones on my desk so I snapped photos and I’m off to share now.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 23, 2024 1:08:13 GMT
I don’t have a large collection but prefer magnet sheets in plastic pockets or original packaging sliced open. I like seeing them laid out flat and evenly distributed inside their pockets.
But I know at least one person on the boards (can’t remember who) who says that they really don’t need to be on magnet sheets at all - they can be stored in envelopes or containers loose and no harm will come to them. The magnet sheets add a ton of weight, and even more so if they’re attached to a board. Mary Polanco showed some of hers stored loose in plastic bins that attach to a wall bracket. I think they were mostly border or coverplate dies. I think even Jennifer McGuire has moved away from magnet sheets for some of her dies.
Maybe some of your dies could be stored loose in plastic containers in your drawers? Without the magnet sheets they might not be too heavy.
The mounted magnet sheet frame idea makes a lot of sense if you have wall space over a die cutting station. Probably the easiest way to store nesting shapes, words/sentiments, and most used dies.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 23, 2024 0:56:07 GMT
I agree with the others. If you can find what you’re looking for, ideally in the first place you go looking for it, it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else, or be consistent. There may be a logic to inconsistent storage that makes sense to you, and for some crafters the serendipity that comes from a little bit of “mess” or macro sorting can be part of the creative process.
I know I have some things stored apart from where they would “ideally” go just because the size/shape/quantity makes it more sensible to store apart. I started to type something about why I store my scrapbk dot com A2 cardstock in a different way than my regular cardstock but the more I wrote the more I started questioning myself… so I just moved them all into my regular cs envelopes. Lol. We’ll see if that helps me use them or not. I still have Dbug cardstock in separate envelopes by collection though, rather than color categories.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 22, 2024 17:15:01 GMT
Sorry if this is a silly question, but where are we keeping track of the points? Or at what point do we come back and say "I earned X amount of points"? Thanks! I keep track on a page of my planner/the printed challenge list and then move the totals into the points thread at the end of each month. I write down my make + share points for each project as I go but I usually only look through the challenge list at the end of the month and check off which ones I did in one go. That way I'm not reading a 5 page list more often than I need to. (I haven't even printed this Q's list yet!) I keep a post it note near my desk to tally crafting hours. The team leader will collect all the points at the end of the quarter or look for them in the points thread.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 21, 2024 22:27:31 GMT
While I was watching videos I was thinking about Dana K White’s container concept, and how she always says things need to fit “usably and get-to-ably” and I realized that my stamps and dies are too full. I moved a few dies onto taller magnet sheets so they’re mostly all in the same size pockets now, which reduced some of the bulk and makes it easier to flip through. I have some frustrating sentiment stamps that are just too small and WHY does every stamp company make their products a different size? Argh! I might consolidate some small sentiment stamps onto one sheet to fit into a standard sized pocket. But I also pulled out several sets that I realize I don’t need to keep any more. A few I was keeping for one stamp but maybe I don’t need that stamp at all. Just that, taking out about 6 sets, has made a huge difference in the flippability of my collection. I really try not to over-organize when I know I can’t handle/use/enjoy a ton of supplies. If I only have a 5-10 of each category I don’t need to label or color code or catalog. I also pulled out a 6” stack of packaging/paper pad backs I was keeping for die cutting shims or IDK what, and suddenly my drawer has so much space! Literal trash. A good reminder of how many paper pads I’ve used up but also, as Dana says, there is ALWAYS trash.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 21, 2024 22:11:20 GMT
Thanks everyone for the ideas - I found a bead storage container at Michaels today and will give that a fair trial Anyone get any great ideas today? Not sure about great ideas but I liked SEEing how the scrapbook.com trays are used - I couldn't quite visualise how they would help me but watching (and I can't remember who it was) demonstate with them, NOW I get it. I think I'll find something around the house to use for now and see if I actually find it useful In general what I tend to get from the organising summits is a desire to purge and tweak my scrappy area a bit to make it more efficient. Like wordfish , I really like the small space videos even though I have a craft room - that's possibly because the actual scrapbook space in my craft room is fairly small - a 3x3 Kallax with Recollections cubes on top, a Raskog type cart, and a desk with 2 Alex drawer units. Yes, I agree that it’s more about motivation and my own ideas sparking for me… Jess Crafts was the one showing the trays. Kristie Marcotte is also a scrapbook dot com DT member and uses them in all her videos for them too. KM also has the Spellbinders version iirc and uses those for her Spellbinders videos. I think they have lids that also function as extra trays. An alternative version is a stacking puzzle sorting system, or maybe you can justify getting the crafty version if you want to use them for puzzles For a while Target also had a version in their makeup/bathroom dept. Jennifer McGuire has also shown some different options like divided appetizer trays for when she’s mass producing tons of layered die cuts. I’ve used the lids from the boxes my envelopes ship in but they don’t stack and they’re not such a good size. Def wait for a sale if getting the scrapbk dot com brand! I like the idea but as Jess asked, where am I going to put them when I’m not using them? And can I be sure that I won’t leave projects in them and need to buy more so I have some free for the next project…? I’m really trying not to buy plastic things.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 21, 2024 19:33:48 GMT
I’m done with the summit, I think. I watched a couple this morning, looked at the supply lists for a couple and realized they weren’t of any use to me, and turned off one more video because I don’t have enough stencils to be bothered listening to extended musings about collecting and storing them. I don’t think I want to “embrace the mess” either, since my craft space is visible from every room of the house and both doors… so yeah, nothing too great, but at least it was free.
Anyone get any great ideas today?
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Post by joblackford on Apr 21, 2024 19:30:06 GMT
Ok ladies, I had to go back to Joann’s for something. I took a look at the papers again that were thinner. I found three. Paper 24 from Blooming Wild, the butterfly paper/blue dots paper from Vicki Boutin, and a green plaid/darker green leaf paper from crate Paper Gingham Garden. This is totally just a guess but maybe those are the papers from their respective collections that sold well, sold out of the regular weight, and are going to be permanently carried as thin open stock papers in the future. I wonder if anyone has those same papers bought from a Designer Destinations earlier or in a different region that are still the thicker paper. I’m way too invested in this mystery, lol.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 21, 2024 18:09:42 GMT
Ryann you could trim the scraps to 3x4” and use the extra 0.5” strip to decorate inside the card. There’s a sheetload with two 3x4 panels placed askew from each other that is one of my easy favorites - April 2020. I’m back to watching the organizing summit today and planning to glue down some of those cards I’ve drafted.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 21, 2024 18:05:01 GMT
Also - how does everyone store sequins? The little baggies they come in are fine until they are opened and then they are a mess. I loved the bloom flower container Laura shared on her video but I need something more compact - hopefully that'll fit in an Alex drawer. I don't have a ton but I would like them better contained. I use tiny jam jars that I (force my family to) bring home from hotel stays- these exact ones: www.bonnemaman.us/made-for-you.htmlThey are the perfect size and fit beautifully in a top Alex drawer. I keep them inside a box so I can pull all of them out at once if needed. The lid of the jar makes a perfect tray to work from as well… Plus the jam is divine! If they’re the same tiny jam jars I’m thinking of Linda you could get a Bonne Maman jam advent calendar and be set with room to grow! I got one from Amazon a couple of years back and then gave away all 24 tiny jars in January. They have just enough jam inside for a couple of English muffins.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 21, 2024 2:06:32 GMT
I spent another day working through my Doodlebug scraps while listening to organizing summit videos. I should’ve taken a proper before photo but I have seriously emptied out the container! I didn’t have the energy to commit to gluing everything down today but I used some scraps where I had a lot (relatively) of one pattern and cut them with a quilt die. I was able to make 3 little patchwork star cards that turned out pretty well. Bonus points for using a die I’ve been neglecting. I think I have at least a dozen more cards that need a little trimming and gluing and then some kind of focal point to finish them off. Some of these scraps were so small (but so cute!) and went back to 2017-18!! Basically since I started using Dbug. I’m making a dent in my old die cuts too and hope to get even more on to these cards by the time they’re done. I aspire to be as productive as you are with scraps. I love making my own envelopes using patterned paper, but it has dramatically increased the amount of scraps I have. Each leftover piece is 3.5x12, so I have to mat it a couple times to get the 3.5" piece wide enough to fit across a card front. When I do the 2peas card swaps, I end up with 25ish pieces of leftover envelope paper. It adds up so quickly. Way faster than I can use them. Ugh, that’s an annoying size of scrap! We’ll have to find you some card sketches that use 3.5” pieces.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 21, 2024 2:03:05 GMT
Thank you joblackford - I think I have somewhere in the 10-15 range ...I'll have a look for bead storage. It looks like Amazon has a lot of options 🙄 of course. That’s where Jennifer McGuire’s blog sent me. But your local craft shop might have better options that don’t have 40 little containers inside!
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Post by joblackford on Apr 21, 2024 1:30:03 GMT
Also - how does everyone store sequins? The little baggies they come in are fine until they are opened and then they are a mess. I loved the bloom flower container Laura shared on her video but I need something more compact - hopefully that'll fit in an Alex drawer. I don't have a ton but I would like them better contained. I most often see people using little rectangular containers that may come in a bigger container - I think they’re possibly bead storage containers. Hopefully someone can link to something good. If you only keep a dozen or so varieties this one might work www.scrapbook.com/store/sbc-storage-3849.html although the circle inside square design is a bit of a waste of space.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 21, 2024 1:19:20 GMT
Someone up thread mentioned color coding dies. What was that tip? Ardyth uses a marker to draw a strip of color along the tops of her dies (along the cardstock backer sheet) to label them as sentiments, Xmas/nativity, floral, etc. I think she has 6 categories and some image sets don’t have any category. She stores by manufacturer so she can go to her Honey Bee section and look for the red for Xmas or the grey for sentiment sets. I’ll link a video she did a few years back if I can find it. stamp and die storage at 6:24
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Post by joblackford on Apr 21, 2024 1:15:23 GMT
I spent another day working through my Doodlebug scraps while listening to organizing summit videos. I should’ve taken a proper before photo but I have seriously emptied out the container!
I didn’t have the energy to commit to gluing everything down today but I used some scraps where I had a lot (relatively) of one pattern and cut them with a quilt die. I was able to make 3 little patchwork star cards that turned out pretty well. Bonus points for using a die I’ve been neglecting. I think I have at least a dozen more cards that need a little trimming and gluing and then some kind of focal point to finish them off.
Some of these scraps were so small (but so cute!) and went back to 2017-18!! Basically since I started using Dbug. I’m making a dent in my old die cuts too and hope to get even more on to these cards by the time they’re done.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 20, 2024 23:15:47 GMT
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Post by joblackford on Apr 20, 2024 16:14:35 GMT
I watched one of the scrap room owners videos. She was making great progress cleaning up her desk and organizing stuff. She said she subscribed to Felicity Jane from 2015/16? And then also club scrap and one other kit club. It really made me think of when I subscribed to Felicity Jane. I think I did 2 years and it kept coming and I couldn’t use it quick enough. I cancelled years ago and still have so much stuff to use. And it’s starting to become the items I don’t go to as often. I should try to make an effort to use it up. I am a minimalist (not in scrapbooking but I try) and I can still see how in my case it became overwhelming to get a kit each month. I did a year of Club Scrap in 2001ish and still have some papers and alpha stickers in my stash I did 4 Echo Park kits when they first started (2019ish) and I'm still working on two of them (a spring and a summer) - I did finally finish up the fall and Christmas ones. Kits aren't for me - too much stuff and I don't tend to scrap multiple layouts in a row with one (except Christmas) kit or collection so...they take for ever to use. Lol - watching one of the videos as we speak Saw the first one last night - couldn’t believe the FJ boxes. I have never subscribed to a monthly kit, but I can imagine they would come more than I can/could scrap, which would explain some of the surplus of items But good on her for getting it sorted with outside help I think kits can work really well for people who don't have a big stash and really don't buy anything else. I have seen a couple of crafters who used them because they didn't have much access to scrappy stuff in their countries and who crafted pretty intensively. But if the kit doesn't perfectly suit your style or you don't enjoy using it as your main stash for the month it seems really easy for it to just pile up in a corner. And it seems like you need a really good process for leftovers, and a certain immunity to FOMO so you can quit when you realize it's too much.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 20, 2024 16:04:19 GMT
Yup, I noticed that too. Looked like her kid’s mat lived behind the plant too. I think she also mentioned that she has a lot of stuff in storage until she has a proper craft space. And she owns a shop, so obvs she has easy access to new things and can probably “store things at the store” more than most of us affordably can. But working with kits and being ruthless about “finishing” kits/collections and purging the leftovers is a good tip. Not to mention having a dedicated “donate” bin in the space all the time. Ah, this makes sense. I was kind of half watching and then saw the big mat and was like, "no way!" and didn't finish the video. There's something that just drives me batty when someone says they organize for a small space and then it turns out to be that they have waaaayyy more storage than that lol. I probably shouldn't have smack talked her right away, lol. Very good idea about a permanent donate bin! I know what you mean... I only gave half my attention to the video after a little while because of course a shop owner and designer doesn't need to hold onto things - they're assured of a steady restock of new and interesting items. And I didn't really connect with her vibe. I'm about to start on day 2. There are a couple of people I like who I'm looking forward to. I'm unreasonably bothered that Justine has an obvious typo in her own presentation title (as in every email she sends out). I'm making some progress on drafting cards with my stash of Dbug scraps so I'll keep doing that this afternoon use it or lose it!!
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Post by joblackford on Apr 20, 2024 2:12:35 GMT
Well, I watched the first couple videos, (bumped that speed up to 1.25 for one of them lol) and I am sorry, but I don't believe the one crafter with her tiny little cupboard. She tells us that is her whole crafting space, (in what appears to be a large, well appointed home) and then produces a big pink mat for her dining room table. Well, you didn't store that in the cupboard! I think she has a craft closet of shame somewhere in that house lol. Edited to add context, commenting on the get organized summit. papercraftersgetorganized.com/schedule-page/I'm watching this one now. She actually does say that she stores the big pink mat between the back of the cupboard and the wall.... Yup, I noticed that too. Looked like her kid’s mat lived behind the plant too. I think she also mentioned that she has a lot of stuff in storage until she has a proper craft space. And she owns a shop, so obvs she has easy access to new things and can probably “store things at the store” more than most of us affordably can. But working with kits and being ruthless about “finishing” kits/collections and purging the leftovers is a good tip. Not to mention having a dedicated “donate” bin in the space all the time.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 20, 2024 0:19:32 GMT
I can totally appreciate all of the work these presenters put into these presentations. Maybe I just watch a lot of organizational videos (and these specific crafters), so I didn't see more than a handful of new ideas. Color coding the top of dies for easier access was new to me. Also one presenter put her ephemera in a packet like holder that was interesting, but would probably take me a year to make enough for my stash. I did find 30- 5 x 7 clear boxes at the second hand craft store to help with some ephemera storage. They were $1 for all 30. I found 30 4 x 6 ones last year. I hope I find some more ideas in tomorrow's videos. Knowing how well you have your space organized and that you've been a crafter for some time, I wouldn't expect there will be too many new ideas you haven't heard in this summit. You could probably teach some of the presenters a thing or two!
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Post by joblackford on Apr 20, 2024 0:13:16 GMT
Plus she had her die cutting machine on a turntable, I saw it in one other video today too. Why has this never occurred to me or why haven’t I noticed that in a video before?!?! That's one of Ardyth's smartest ideas. She also has grip mats on turntables so she can turn the cards and stencils she's working with as she ink blends to keep them facing the best way for her dominant hand. She has some pretty good ideas and her videos are to the point and informative. She has a craftroom tours/hacks playlist hereI don't usually bother with the lives. They're available forever on the channel so no hurry to watch.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 19, 2024 21:29:13 GMT
Somebody figured out how to limit Mim Jenkinson's caffeine or maybe got her a speaking coach. There are a few folks teaching or advertising in every summit who need vocal coaching, less (or more!) caffeine, ADHD meds, a stable desk, a class in editing... but I figure I can't complain since I usually need most or all of that help too 😬 But it does make me appreciate certain other videomakers who are very good at what they do.
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