My Little Piece of Heaven!

My Craft Room is finally complete (& if you believe that one I have a bridge for sale)!  I'm very lucky our home has four bedrooms so I was able to convert one into my craft room. It started out as a craft corner/bedroom about 5 years ago.  I have to say the bed made a great place to layout paper & all sorts of supplies.  But pretty soon the bed would be loaded & I couldn't find anything.  I'm going to try & stay organized...put things away when I'm done with them (did I mention I have a bridge for sale?)!

I started out in this corner.  On the left is a set of rolling drawers which holds stamps, adhesives &  embellishments; the ArtBins on top contains ribbon.  I found the L-shaped computer desk at a 2nd hand store which was a perfect fit.  My cutter & score board are on the pull out keyboard drawer for easy access.  I started out with 1 ink pad holder from Stamp-n-Storage & it's grown to 4. My Cricut is easy to access with all the cartridges above.  The little 4 drawer unit on the right is from MIchael's holds finished cards & those that have been given to me by my stamping friends (I think it would work for Bigz dies too). On top of the drawers are 2 spice racks that pull out with little jars for brads, eyelets, etc.  There are stickle holders on top of that.   The shelving above holds Copics, daubers, sprays, etc.  Underneath the desk are two file cabinets which contain 8 1/2 X 11 card stock in hanging files.  

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Stage 2 was a few years later when I added this corner (minus the table in the middle). Everything came from Ikea & it fits like a glove from window to window. The table on the left holds another Cricut (which I've never used...it was an impluse buy from QVC) & my Big Shot. I strung jute on the valances & hang cards from it. The Besta DVD shelves (left & right) hold SU stamp sets. The Expedits hold dies, embossing folders, Cuttlebug, 12X12 cardstock, scrapbook albums & lots of other stuff. On top are 12X12 paper holders from Oriental Traders for DSP & the TV is in the corner. I used Command Strip Hooks on the sides of the shelving units to hang various projects. The night stand displays a few 3D projects & there are empty DVD cases stored in the bottom for future use. Last but not least, perched above the DSP is Clifford the Big Red Dog, who watches over my treasurers!

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The latest additions are all from Ikea & Stage 3 were my husband's Christmas gifts to me!  So it was out with the bed & in with more Kallax (formerly Expedits) units, a small desk, table & chair.  There's a shelf from Lowes over top of the Kallaxs which forms a bridge.  For now I'm displaying some of my treasured projects including 4 frames that hold seasonal ATCs from a swap I was in last year with my dear stamping friends.  The 12X12 drawers hold punches & other items..  On the right, is another Besta DVD unit from Stage 2  & was at the right of the window.  It holds stamp sets & I used more hooks on the side to display my tags. 

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I'm probably excited the most about the desk for my heat embossing area!  I can now leave my heat tools out & the embossing powders are stored in the drawer.  The jars are on their sides in little wire baskets from the Dollar Tree so I can quickly see the colors. 

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There are 3 hanging organizers over the doors to store punches.  I would have used Bygel rods but I didn't want to put holes in the walls so this was the best solution for me.

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The closet has 3 shelves the full length of it (you can't see the right side). The Art Bins are organized by season for paper & embellishments, scrapbook kits are stored in 12X12 paper holders & my Xyrons.  Of course there are lots of other supplies which I don't use on a regular basis in there too.

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That's it...My Little Piece of Heaven!  I'll continue to organize as I go but there's no more room to expand so the next step is to get rid of what I don't use.  Well I guess my next step should be getting busy creating so I use it up!!

By the way, if you like the Kallax units but will never be able to get to Ikea, Walmart carries a line by Better Homes & Garden that I think are pretty close to the same quality!

Thanks for taking the tour! 

Travel Time - Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2016 Technique Remix - January

Although I've been a Tim Holtz fan for awhile, I had never taken the time to do one of his tags until last month. Of course it was the December tag & I loved doing the Christmas theme then uploaded it to his blog. Much to my surprise my tag was one of the 12 chosen to receive a gift from Tim...it may have been beginner's luck but I was thrilled! After having so much fun doing that tag, I decided to continue to play along with Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2016. To make this even more fun, after I do my tag, I'm getting together with a few of my friends once a month at The Craft Shack & they'll make Tim's tag too.

Well anyway this year Tim is doing a re-mix from past tags. For his January 2016 tag the 2 techniques he chose was Chalkboard from November 2013 & Industrious Metal from January 2014. I was really excited because the metal was something I've been wanting to try. Here's my version of his tag:

1. I used 2 Ranger #10 manilla tags, one for the tag & the other for the metal technique. You can use a plain piece of cardstock too. I cut the 2nd tag to fit in the embossing folder. The width was perfect & the length was cut to about 5 1/2". Then I cut a piece of Ranger Foil Tape Sheet so it was slightly bigger than the piece of the tag. It is sticky backed so after taking the covering off the back, I placed it onto the piece of the cut tag then trimmed the silver that was hanging over the edge.

2.  The reason I used a 2nd piece of tag (or cardstock) is because I'm not as brave as Tim. If you watch his video he slits the top of the embossing folder.  To have a piece of metal at the stop & bottom of my finished tag I would have had to cut the slit in the top of the Alterations Texture Fades Pocket Watches Embossing Folder because it has a specific top & bottom.  By using a separate piece of tag or cardstock, I can place the entire piece in the folder then cut it to make 2 pieces.  Isn't it pretty...nice & shiny?  It won't be soon!  

3.  Next I went over the embossed silver piece with Black Soot Paint, letting it dry a bit, then gently wiping the paint off with a paper towel.  I just used the paint dauber on the bottle but you can also use a blending tool.  If you want it darker you can add another coat of paint & wipe it off again.  Remember once the paint dries it's permanent so make sure you clean up your workspace with water right away.

4.  After the paint dried I cut the silver piece into 2 pieces (the top is smaller than the bottom) & adhered it to the main tag using Scor-Pal-1/2" double sided tape.

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5. I cut the top corners off & punched through the hole in the top.  This is the end result of the Industrious Metal Technique...pretty neat & easier than it looks!

6.  Now onto the Chalkboard technique which Tim does using regular black cardstock.  I cut the piece of SU Basic Black cardstock bigger than the gap on the tag; then tore the edges, making sure it covered the edges of the metal.  I used an Artquest Static Pad to remove any static on the cardstock. Using Ranger Embossing Ink, I stamped the train, tracks & RR crossing sign from Tim Holtz's Here & There stamp set then sprinkled it with Ranger Frosted Crystal Antiquities Embossing- Powder.  Make sure you don't over heat the embossing powder or the technique doesn't work well. Next take a regular piece of chalk (if it's new rub it on a plain piece of paper to get an angle) & gently rub it over the embossed area.  Then using your finger, rub it out until you get the effect you like.  I used double side tape to adhere it to the tag.

7.   The Alterations Movers & Shapers Pocket Watch is cut from grungeboard on a Magnetic Tray which holds the die in place when cutting.  After it was cut out, I went over it with Brushed Pewter Paint.  Once the paint dried I used my finger to randomly rub Black Soot paint over the watch, spinners and clockface for a distressed looked.  I used Glossy Accents to adhere the watch face to the watch & then to the tag.

8.  The chain cording from Mon Ami Gabbi was distressed by rubbing Black Soot paint over both sides.  After it dried I doubled it & looped it through the hole.

9.  To finish embellishing the tag, I stamped the train time table from Tim Holtz's The Journey stamp set on SU Whisper White card stock in Black Soot Ink then rubbed it with Hickory Smoke Ink to distress it & used mini glue dots to attach it to the tag.  I also distressed a retired Word Stick which says "Time" with Brushed Silver & Black Soot then hung it from the cording using jewelry wire.

Hope you enjoyed following how I did my tag as much as I did making it. TFL!!

Santa's Key

I just love making tags & this one was for my stamping friends.  It's Tim Holtz  style but I used a mix of his products & things I had in my stash.

I started by blending Tim Holtz Vintage Photo & Tea Dyed Inks on a #10 Manilla Tag to create a vintage look for my background. Santa is from Tim Holtz Old Fashioned Christmas & is stamped in Tim Holtz Fired Brick Ink.   He is surrounded with pines so it appears he's coming out of the woods.  I used Penny Black's Pine Silhouettes corner stamp at the top & filled in down the sides of the tag with pine boughs from Tim Holtz Christmas Nostalgia stamp set.  Both are stamped in Tim Holtz Peeled Paint Ink. The sentiment is also from the Old Fashioned Christmas set & is stamped at an angle then heat embossed in Tim Holtz Distressed Black Soot Embossing Powder.

I found the verse for Santa's Key online (don't know who to give credit to) & printed it on SU Very Vanilla cardstock.  I stamped the pine boughs again & roughed up the edges with a Tonic Paper Distresser.   It's then sponged with Tea Dye ink & crumpled up.  I punched a slot in each side so I could thread the sheer red ribbon through.  The metal key was strung on the ribbon before tying a small bow.

At the top, I used a deep red velvet wired ribbon & tied 3 Darice Rusty Bells on with twine.  I also placed a twig with red berries behind the bells using Ranger's Glossy Accents. 

TFL!!               

Christmas Wishes 2015

This was the Christmas Card I made for my stamping friends last year...2015...LOL!  It was very simple & didn't take a lot of time to make.  I blended the background using Tim Holtz Distressed Stormy Sky ink over the entire piece of white CS. Then I blended in Chipped Sapphire on the edges, leaving the middle of the card lighter. That gave it an appearance of a glow over the horizon. After it dried, I stamped the trees in black. The sleigh was die cut from black CS then placed over the bottom of the trees. The sentiment is stamped in silver. I also spritzed the entire card with Perfect Pearls for a snowy, shimmery look. 

Easy peasy!!  TFL!





SUPPLIES:  Cardstock-SU Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black & Whisper White; Ink-Tim Holtz Ranger Distressed Ink Pads Chipped Sapphire & Stormy Sky, Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black, Encore Silver & Ranger Perfect Pearls Biscotti; Die-SU Sleigh Ride Edgelits; Stamps-SU Lovey as a Tree & unknown SU sentiment; Tools-Ranger Ink Blending Tool.