Are You Organizationally Challenged?

I see from my post in August of 2007 that I was organizationally challenged in my craft room. Guess what? The same is still true today! It is much better than it used to be, but still is something that I struggle with. I am like a child with toys all over the place - I want to pull them all out and use them together in different ways, and then, in my excitement, I continue to pull out more toys and add some ribbon, a little glitter........

A masterpiece comes out of all of the flurry of activity, and then I turn around to look at the mess I have created. Oh my. :) The New Year seems like a great time to do a little Spring Cleaning and do things like shovel out my craft room and get a fresh start there, too.

When we moved into our house 2 years ago, my husband installed shelving that is intended for closet organization along one entire wall of my craft room. We purchased the shelving at our home improvement store, and find that it goes nearly to the ceiling, which is much taller than other bookshelving that is not intended for mounting to a wall. Additionally, the shelving system had drawers for purchase, which holds my most used accessories, including my favorite tools of all - my beloved punches. The shelving contains not only stamping things, but also my quilting supplies, my painting supplies (I am now into painting, too!), and all of my resources for school.

Needing some sort of a desk that I wanted to have that was cost effective and fairly indestructible, I purchased a 6 foot long countertop from my same home improvement center and have it resting on three filing cabinets that hold all of my 8.5" x 11" cardstock, my demonstrator business supplies, and my school supplies. I also have a drawer that strictly is used for pitching in receipts for my taxes, which I need to go through now that the new year is upon us. I find that the key for me to be efficient in my room is to have an additional table set up that is my cutting area. This is my cutting area for fabric when I am sewing, or for paper when I am papercrafting. It just seems to work well for me.

I have found that the best resource to identify your organization woes and some possible ways to help you is www.flylady.net. Check her out! She has great ideas that I have modified to fit my lifestyle and family needs.

Happy Organization!
Lori

note: Pictures will be posted of my craft room soon. Thanks for your patience. :)

Previous Blog Link

Well, I thought that I would at least provide the link to my other blog site that I hadn't updated and can't seem to access. Isn't technology a wonderful thing? :)

www.loristamps.blogspot.com

Thanks for looking! :)


~L

Technologically Challenged Today

First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Have you ever had one of those days?? Well, here I am, ready to update my loristamps blog, (which I hadn't updated since last August when the semester began), and I can't get logged into it! When I started that blog last August (and made my 2 entries), I thought I had deleted this blog in the process. Well, that didn't happen. So, I am technologically challenged today. I suppose I shouldn't confess that at one time I used to teach computers to adults. Then again, it has been so long since I used to teach that the computing world has advanced tremendously since then. So, I am back again at my old site (this one), which hadn't been updated since 2007.

The 22 credit hour course load that I had taken last semester was a bit much. My stamping has been limited to quick cards and workshop projects that have not been uploaded to any of my galleries or blogs. So, now I am attemping to get retroactively back into the saddle again before my next semester comes full circle.

For those following my schooling, I will graduate in December of 2009. This has been a very long process for me, as each state has different requirements for educators, and being military, we seem to move before I can finish. Although we were scheduled to move this last November, my husband was able to take a different job that extended our stay in the area for at least another year, allowing me to finally graduate. My commencement will be on 12/14/09.... not that I am counting or anything. :P

I have been informed that if I attempt to get my Master's degree that my husband won't be around to see it. As stated, this has been a long (and painful) process all the way around.

Now that I have every Friday off of school this upcoming semester, I am hoping to update my blog at least one time a week. (Fingers crossed). I know many of you that have encouraged and supported me emotionally through all of this. I don't know how to thank you.

Happy Stampin'!
Lori

Purse-onally, It Was Fun!

This was a project from a previous stamp camp I have held named, "Glitz & Glamour." I had a full house in attendance, and we made this cardstock purse and a couple of other projects. Although perhaps hard to see in the photo, the "swirl" (Baroque Motifs from Stampin' Up!) is stamped and embossed in Iridecent Ice, and the cardstock is shimmery white cardstock (also Stampin' Up!) and naturally the new Stampin' Up! Pretties kit hanging off the handle.

If you live in my area, hopefully you can attend one of my stamp camps soon... it is a great deal of fun and my participants learn a lot.

Happy Stamping!

The Christmas Race Begins!

It has been awhile since I have updated my blog. First of all, I had some "technical challenges," and then I became very time challenged. Going to school full-time, having my own business, and being a busy mom sometimes leaves me with a very full schedule. Thankfully, I have a very supportive husband. :)

My Thanksgiving was relaxing, and hope that yours was as well. We went out of town to my folks and it was good to get away and have excuses to sleep in late and lay around in pure laziness just because we were "on vacation." I did manage to get a little stamping done, but won't upload pictures just yet as they are Christmas goodies for my stamping club, Mission:Embossibles2.

I have two more weeks left of school before I have to complete a week of final exams and then am off for an entire month. I can't wait!! (My husband can't wait either). Fridays will be a non-school day for me in the Spring Semester, so I see a lot more updates to my blog again on Fridays.... that is my hope, anyway!

Hope your Thanksgiving was full of cardstock with rubber trimmings!

Lori

"B" is for Quick and Fun!

Here is something I whipped up today - literally in minutes! I purchased the "B" in my local craft store for about $2. I used Rubber Cement onto the front of the letter and added some retired Stampin' Up! Designer Series paper. I sanded the edges to remove the excess paper and to finish the edges. A few stars from the Stampin' Up! new star punch, a tie of wide twill tape, and a little sponging of Chocolate Chip ink around the edges, and I have a new wallhanging.

This was a fun and quick project, and I think I will be making more of these for Christmas presents to accompany gift cards for my neice and nephew, which are VERY hard to buy for. :)

OIF: Altering a Candle

Every month, I provide the assignment of homework to my club members as a monthly contest I hold. This contest is named, "Operation:Inky Fingers," otherwise known as OIF. This month's contest is Altering a Candle. Altering a candle is so easy and fun! Following are the steps and pictures to complete this process and make an inexpensive, yet impressive gift for someone. I will also have this project as one of 3 gifts to make in my "Thrifty Gifty" class in November. Contact me at loristamps@gmail.com to reserve your workspace for this class, or to learn more information about this or my other classes.

Supplies needed: white tissue paper, stamps/ink, pastels or markers, candle, and heat tool.

Step 1: Stamp on tissue paper, and lightly color the image without ripping the tissue (pastels are recommended, as they do not wet or deteriorate the paper).

Step 2: Cut around the images of your stamp, leaving a space around the image. The first picture demonstrates this.

Step 3: Place the image onto the candle and hold tightly in place by holding a piece of wax paper around the candle.

Step 4: Lightly heat the candle with your heat tool, just long enough to grab onto the tissue paper and for the edges to disappear. You will notice that the tissue begins to disappear and the wax paper looks as though it is sweating. The picture doesn't clearly show the image edges disappearing... you have to trust me on this one. ;) See second picture for a demonstration of Step 3 and 4.

Step 5: Peel off the wax paper. ENJOY!

Note: I find that a cream or white pillar candle works best for this process, but the candle can be of any color and shape or size. Nervous? Make a test version on an inexpensive votive candle. Any additional embellishments should be added to the bottom third of the candle, and candles should never be left unattended.

Wanted - Faux Suede

I just love the new set, "Wanted" that I received at convention! I just whipped this up while in my room at convention, and couldn't resist making it with my Mission:Embossibles2 Club meeting this month. I hope you gals enjoy this project as much as I do! (I did remove the hemp from the project to minimize the "fussiness" of the project while we are burning rubber).

The frayed hemp is just to unwind the hemp twine after it has been adhered to the card. This is something that can be accomplished while watching TV or something else that needs little attention. The horse is stamped on "faux suede" - which is cardstock that has been weathered and pulled apart - and then stamped on.