Thursday 11 March 2010

Stash, stash, more stash... and a few Cards for good measure!

Warning, this Post contains lots of words and pictures - you may need a cup of tea and a doughnut to eat while you're reading!

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So, I missed Shimelle's "Getting Ready" exercise, for the new Something from almost Nothing course, as I didn't sign up til Tuesday. However, I'm quite happy to admit that yes, I do have quite a lot of stash! 

I did think, until recently, that I had a huge amount of stash - until, that is, I saw pictures of some other folks' craft rooms and/or stock piles! Now I just think I have "quite a lot".  I could open a market stall, but not a shop!

So, this morning I took five minutes out, (while the daylight was as good as it was likely to get) to capture a few bits of my studio.  It's still not "finished", as the permanent shelves are not here yet. I have borrowed some shelves from the utility/laundry room, but they aren't ideal.  This means things are not in their final places and also - quite important I suppose - there's still stuff downstairs, waiting to be brought up and arranged!

See this post from December, for more pics of my workroom layout (in case you're curious!)


So, let's start the chaos, with my Desk. 
This is on the right side of my wall-of-workspace. It is fixed, on its right edge, to one of those Ikea bookcases/storage units, with box-shaped openings. The pizza box holds my "The Project" scrapbook, that I started in January.I haven't got very far yet, which is not surprising I suppose, but I hope to make some progress soon - maybe at Scrap Club on Saturday.


And my Bookbinding Table, which was covered in card-making stuff - three Mother's Day cards and one for a new baby.  See my new scalloped 2" punch? Best thing I've bought in ages - it's so useful!


The chaos had even spread to the window-sill this morning! These do have homes - honest!
I was trying to use up Metal embellishments, as per Shimelle's first class prompt, so there were little storage boxes everywhere.


Above my Table is a shelf, containing various bits of kit for bookbinding etc, also some of my books, my bookbinding journal, note paper and various other bits.  The cute silvery pot that holds rulers (that long ruler is 50cm - I nearly bought a metre!), brushes etc came from the kitchen department of Ikea. I think it's supposed to be for utensils, but I like it for my stuff - it's ideal.


At the other end of that shelf is this box, containing bits and pieces for my new Bookbinding Project, also some stuff for making that New Baby card.  I like these boxes. They are magazine files, but instead of being designed for magazines to stand upright, they're designed for them to be stored long-ways.  This means the boxes are ideal for 12" paper, as well as packs of stickers, rub-ons, bits & pieces. I have at least 2 on the go, for projects.  The other two contain crafting magazines just now, but could be pressed into service at any time.  I also use pizza boxes to hold projects, but they take up a lot of desk-top, so I like these boxes much more (besides, these are so much prettier)!



This is my tall bookcase, which stands by the door. 

  • Starting from the Bottom: Books, a box of photos, some card-making kit and a tin of little embellishments and "stuff".

  • Next shelf up: Pizza boxes, containing 12" scrapbook papers (and a few 6" & 8" pads too), sorted into loose categories (as labelled - sort of).  Also an album of my scrap layouts.

  • Shelf 3: Two magazine holders, containing S.I. magazine and a few others. To the right, plastic holders, with 12" paper, various sets of scrappy lettering, more paper, a new 12" Laura Ashley scrap album, folders of paperwork and templates (for things like CD or DVD gift boxes, cut-outs for layered-paper greetings cards, sketches for cards - I used to make ALL my greetings cards, before I was injured. That's where the Stash problem began!).

  • Shelf 4 (only just seen in last photo!): Box of envelopes, various sizes, for cardmaking, box of music CDs (for when I fancy a bit of favourite music with my work), craft CDs, copy of Keri-Anne Pink's great little photograph book. 

  • Top Shelf: Box of Embellishments (various, need sorting out!), tray of cardmaking peel-offs, leather book in a nice box - bought from The Works for a fiver, intention to re-vamp it into something lovely - journals, empty 8" scrap album, bookbinding portfolio photo album, some of my hand-made books. 

  • Right on top (no photo): Box of curtains, brought down from the loft.  I want some of these for the sitting room and a pair of cream linen ones for my Studio/Spare room - as soon as we find the pole at the back of the garage.
Quite a lot of stuff... lots of Paper!

Yet More Paper! Plastic cases of 12" papers, including my plain Cardstock, kind-of sorted; also above my desk, cardboard boxes/pizza boxes with more 12" papers.  The "Christmas" box actually contains papers for various seasons.  I also have another plastic box with Christmas and Easter card-making kit, stamps, peel-offs, embellishments... you get the idea!
This box of ribbons, paints and embossing powders sits above my scrapping desk, on the long shelf next to the Ikea bookcase. 

Further along this shelf are:

  • a basket of crochet and yarns;

  • a tin of card toppers;

  • a basket with some of my sets of clear self-cling stamps and acrylic blocks; a narrow plastic box of ribbons and bits of tapes, fibres etc;

  • a large shoe-box, containing stock for my shop (hand-made books, sock pets, hand-made ribbon flower embellishments);

  • a large A4 journal I made, which is too big for the shoe-box;

  • an A4 plastic wallet, containing my various "Art Treasures" which I want to mount and put on the walls of my studio;

  • a card wallet, containing a print by Gingerlillytea (Keri-Anne Pink), which is going on the wall in the hallway, near the door of our new bedroom. 

and finally....
This! a little shelf-unit (formerly in our en-suite shower room at previous house, but not needed in the new one).  This holds jars of ribbon, beads, fabric, felt and crochet flowers, a teeny pot of flower brads, a shelf of jars with buttons, metal embellishments (oh, I forgot about those!), some silk mini-tassels, special buttons...

On the top is my little "Tweet", that I won in a giveaway by FeltMeUpDesigns on Etsy, also the birdhouse I bought from TimesandChimes (also on Etsy). Oh, and some packs of fabric flowers... they seem to be getting everywhere just now.

I haven't included everything...

  • like the boxes under my desk and table, containing paper... paper... more paper... oh, and some coloured wool for crochet, socks and stuffing for sock pets;

  • more paper... a folio with my printmaking weekend stuff in;

  • my fold-away photo white-box;

  • a few other crafty bits;

  • some boxes I was given containing braid in all kinds of colours and designs and also some lace;

  • my carrier for my equipment when I go to Scrap Club (or my course in January);

  • more paper; some boards for book covers; more boards;

  • bags with rolls of... paper; more bags of paper rolls; more boards and some cardboard;

  • the drawers under my table, with my electronicy bits for the computer, my camera, calculator;

  • the drawer of packing materials for shop sales;

  • my shop paperwork;

  • a drawer with my heat gun and heat-embossing tray, some watercolour crayons, misc bits of stuff...

It just goes on and on... I'm quite worn out with it all!

So, you see, I have plenty of STUFF and quite a bit of STASH too!

Just for a bit of light relief - assuming you have actually made it this far....









Two Mothers' Day cards.  I made (and posted) the first one yesterday.  But this is a better photo and also a picture of the inside.
The second card, I made today.  The close-up shows the little (metal!) butterfly brad, which I inked up to tone with the card colours. 
This card doesn't say "Happy Mothers Day" because it's for D's Nanna.  She is ill in hospital and almost certainly not feeling "happy" at all. We thought it would be a bit unkind to put "Happy" on her card, so we went for "On Mothers Day" and "With Love" inside. We hope that will cheer her up a little bit.

And...

A New Baby card. I'm off to meet my new Great Niece tomorrow.  I haven't had time to make and send a card before, as I was looking after my mum.  Then those two Mothers Day cards needed to be posted today... so this had to be made after that. I can hand-deliver my card, which will be nice.

The little feet are from a great rubber stamp I bought some time ago.  I thought I had a hand-print one too, but I can't see that in the drawer - it must be somewhere...
I used the packaging card from a pack of flower and button embellishments (hence the flowers and buttons!).  It came with a ready-made scalloped edge, which I just had to use! I think it made a great background.  Then I used those 8 brads (eight, count them!), to decorate and attach the white stamped panels.  The words inside are from another fab little rubber stamp I've had for years. The little birdies are from a recent set by American Crafts - I'm using them everywhere just now!

I like this card. It's very bright, but also cheerful and fun. I hope my niece will be pleased with it too.

Well, that's me. All Blogged Out!

I hope you enjoyed my looong ramble and the photos of my own personal version of The Chaos Below.  I'm off to bed now. Need my beauty sleep!

Don't forget that tomorrow is the last day to enter my Book Giveaway.  I will close it some time after 8pm and draw a winner for each book. If you want one of the books, then you need to go to the Giveaway Post and leave your comments!  If you don't enter, please don't complain that you didn't win!!

Good night all Blog Friends!

10 comments:

  1. Lovely to have a nose at your supplies :-) Your projects are gorgeous x

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  2. LOVE the cards you made, Lizzie. And it was fun to see your scrap stash! :o)

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  3. Love the cards - especially the baby one.
    Rinda

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  4. Cards are lovely Lizzie - I like the one with all of the flowers.
    You qualify well for class ;-)

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  5. wow you have an amazing array of stash lizzie but at least it's al in one place. mine is spreading all over the flat, it's like japanese knot weed!!!!!!
    Jo xx
    ps lovely cards.

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  6. A fair amount of stash there!!!The cards are lovely.

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  7. That's quite a lot of stash you have there! I do like a look round other people's craft space :) so thanks for letting us have a peek

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  8. Wow Lizzie!!! Great collection of supplies! I love the glass jars- so colorful. Looks like a very happy place. :D

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  9. Oh my goodness, look at all that lovely stash!

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  10. Gorgeous cards and I love that storage unit that was in your bathroom - it is perfect and I have cupboard envy

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