21 July 2010

Workdesk Wednesday

OK I made it back for this weeks Workdesk Wednesday!
Had no excuses really today because I've been up since 6:30am this morning working so had plenty of time to squish in a blog post. I'm totally rubbish at early mornings and I'll be totally crashed out by 7pm but hey ho.
Doing something 'fun' right now even though it is work still. I got my first shipment of new CHA goodies for the store yesterday so today I'm having a good look and sorting out what is going where. Right now I'm picking out card that will match the papers to make the August CT card kit. I'm not sure whether to go for creams or to pick out the bright limes and pinks in the papers. At the mo I'm thinking it needs the limes!

Got lots of more fun Sassafras goodies in the shipment. Want to peek at a couple? Love these glitter alphabets!

And these Whimsies are going to make awesome calenders!

Oh and I got my clear stamps sorted! If you were here when I was pondering what to do with my stuffed stamp draw then thank you for the suggestions. I went with the folder idea and got clear pockets then all the pockets fit nicely in a mag file.
They'll have to spill into another one if I get anymore - if- yeah right lol!
You can pop onto Julia's blog to visit more workdesks here, http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/
xx Leo

19 July 2010

Yikes busy busy busy!

Been too busy and crazy here to find time for blogging of late but I'm spending the next few minutes catching up. I left off the last time with the last of my not so usual storage in my craft space. This one is Cuttlebug storage..........

It started off life as a window box but now it's Cuttlebug storage! I found it in the now defunct Woolworths. I thought it was really cute but I didn't really want it as a window box but thought it would be great for storage and it worked out nicely when I got home that it fit in Cuttlebug plates and folders perfectly!

OK so one of the reasons I'm well busy this week is that Create 10 has started and there's lots to sort out there. This time last week I near had a fit when my computer decided to die on me taking all my Create 10 classes with it! Luckily I managed to get my work back but it was a tense time! Lesson of the day, always back up what you're working on at the end of the day....

This Create 10 is really practical as well as being fun because I've written classes that explore techniques that use up scraps of patterned paper, tools that we don't use much and long forgotten about embellishments.
Here's one thing I made for class #2......
All made from leftovers and my trusty Cuttlebug :)
Anyway best get on, got to get back to being busy! I'll try and make it back for work desk Wednesday ;)

9 July 2010

More fun storage

Thank you for the stamp storage ideas, they gave me some great ideas and I've settled on plastic pockets in a mag file, then I can free the draw just for inkpads - going to get them sorted next week.
OK keeping with the storage theme this week here's more storage snaps.
This is where everything goes that hasn't got a 'proper' home. I rescued the cake plate from certain doom in an attic clearance.
Love the pretty 50's pattern. It's very handy because it's moveable so you can take it to your desk space and also you can just chuck things on it and they look kind of pretty so it's working with the whole 'decorative but functional' thing I try to stick to. The tins are from IKEA and are full of cotton reels. The little tubs are also from IKEA they're very cute and stackable, they used to be in the children's bit, I'm not sure if they still have them there or not. They're great for little embellishment bits and chunky things like chipboard. The noteboard we made in Create 10 class last time. The jar is full of fabric and paper flowers, that was from Dunilm Mill {minus the flowers!}.
I think I'll share one more bit of storage in another post then I'll move on from storage. A while ago I found a fun way to store my Cuttlebug stuff and again I found something decorative and repurposed it, it's defo a fun thing to try.
xx Leo

7 July 2010

Workdesk Wednesday

Hey! Happy Wednesday :-D

I'm back for another round of WOYWW on Julia's blog. Ok so here's what I'm looking at on my desk today........
I just got this fabric delivered so I was stroking. I ordered a few different ones for a kit I'm working on and I think I like them all, what do you think?
Rest is the usual clutter, got another pile of leftovers ready for making cards on the left, a little book I've got to photo for the CT blog, that's my next job after posting this!

OK so I've been running with the storage theme this week on my blog and just to prove I'm not totally organised I have one big problem that I need to share. Under my desk is a set of drawers and they've got to the not shutting stage so they need sorting out BUT what do you do with these??
Clear stamps and inkpads? I've tried putting them in a folder with laminated pages but they just peeled off and got lost so I now I just keep them in the packets and chuck them in the draw but it's too full now - soon I'll have to resort to not buying any more - shock horror! Please help with your storage ideas, someone must have a great idea I can borrow ;-)
xx Leo

5 July 2010

Fun things to do to keep your creative space looking... well.... creative!

Following on from my previous post about storing stash I just wanted to share some fun easy ways of dressing up your creative 'junk' to make it slightly more eye appealing. I'm not a total neat freak, (honest!) I think it's easier to make stuff around you look pretty so that it can be left around but looking decorative, I guess kind of like a purposeful decorative object but it's more of a practical one. Ok examples....
Plain, (used to be) white mag files. I have a load of these around to keep things in. They're functional but they can also be pretty just by adding a lick of paint.......
I love these colours - I added a couple of new ones recently to add a summery vibe, (yellow and pink). They're Dulux 'Grecian Spa', (turquoise), 'Banana Dream', 'Sexy Pink' and 'Chocolate Fondant' if you were wondering. You can change how your space looks by adding a different colour every now and then. Practical but decorative too, why not? Have fun with your organising!
OK so how about stuff that needs to be out all the time? Like say desk clutter, maybe the trusty old glue stick it's functional - yes but it's fairy uninteresting on the eye.
 Just by grabbing a couple of decorative tapes and a scrap of paper you can make it all prettified!
Tada.......
Now it looks super cute, even when it's rolled on to the floor, which is usually what happens in my case. Clutter doesn't have to be boring!
Once you have a look round your space for things you can 'craft up' it can get fairly addictive, maybe you can see something now that could be spruced up? Go on have a play!
I'll leave you with an oldie but a goodie. It's something I've had now for a long time and I think I have blogged it before. If you have a load of threads and needles, maybe you just keep them handy for sewing a quick button on a card etc. then this is an idea to keep them organised but in a cute 'prettified' way.....
It's made from a jam jar, an empty clean one , of course! Make a padded top for it by stuffing a ball of fabric with, well stuffing, I think I used cut off bits of felt for mine. To make a ball just cut a circle of fabric out, sew a running stitch around the edge of it, fill the middle with your stuffing and then pull it tight. Glue this to the top of your jam jar lid. Glue a length of ribbon or trimming around the edge of your lid. Tada! That's all there is to it. You can then use the top for your needles and the bottom for your thread. I can't tell you how handy this is and it's another one of those things you can leave out without it looking too much like junk.

There is one area of my creative space that I've not got sorted out yet - it's my ever growing stash of clear stamps. I might have to share on Wednesday.
Happy crafting!
xx Leo