As a crafter, we all accumulate so much of our favorite products. To maximize our use of them, its best to not only have them organized but easily accessible!

If you love it, have it, but can’t find it or easily get to it, then you arent likely to use it! Or WORSE- FORGET you even have it! Then, you waste your money on another one, when you could have purchased a NEW -insert product of choice.

Another thing about storage- it should be functional, pleasing to look at (in other words who want neon green anything in their eyes view, no matter how awesome it works, since its ugly and distracting) and CHEAP! I know I don’t want to waste my stamp money on ORGANIZING it!

That being said, while on a trip to my local hardware store, to buy paint for my new stamp space, I stumbled upon an item I already owned (in our kitchen closet) but saw it in a whole new light! Call it a LIGHTBULB moment.

NOTE: These are just thumbnails for space on my blog purposes. If you want to see the image larger click on the thumbnail

Wire racks                  Side view

It is a wire food storage rack, with 3 shelves, meant to hold your canned goods! Upon trying to locate one for a photo (pre-filled up, and so you can buy them if you want one) I found this which is similar Wall Rack. Mine is larger than the one listed. Its 3 shelves, 17 inches across, 5 inches wide! BEST PART- ONLY COST $11.95! So I originally bought 2 then went back and bought 2 more! I ppurchased my racks at ACE Hardware. I believe Rubbermaid ? makes it.

Also on my google search, look what other cool items popped up HERE! I’m totally loving the soup can storage! Dont; know YET what I would do with it, but it sure looks cool.

So this is what I put in my racks.

I found it was an amazing source of ribbon storage for me! It holds lots of my ribbon. I especially love putting my most loved/used in reach! I can also easily take an empty roll out if I want.

Closer view of ribbon in rack.                    

I also decided to put some other MOST used items on the racks.     

Martha Stewart Glitter/Stickles/Liquid Pearls        

So above you see one rack with all my glitter, and stickles, and liquid pearls. I use these products regularly as well, and like to have them handy. You can get a good idea how much the rack stores by the photo. It also helps me view my colors.

 PRIMA’S of all kinds

A couple of the racks house my beautiful collection of Primas! They are too pretty to hide in a cabinet! Plus having them in view not only inspires my color choices or design, but also reminds me “Hey look you have orange Sprite Primas!” LOL!

This rack holds 2 rows of the bottles of essentials, the Sprites, and it hold the paint cans of Prima’s or the rectangle boxes, as well. You may see those stored in the side view photo above.

My loosely packaged prima’s are stored on the bottom rack, in a card sorter container. Again easily accessible, and easily viewed. And NOT squished.

I love this rack because not only is my stuff, stored, sorted, and organized I think its pleasing to the eye. Well at least mine!

Now for whats left-over………….

Cabinet of ribbon

So this is the cabinet of what I had put my “loose” ribbon or backups in. There are 2 stackable ribbon storage containers from Stampin Up! As well as some clear rubbermaid containers. I also have some stackable ribbon storage containers I got during Christmas time, at Target for $4.99 each. I take out the bar that they slide onto and just put the rolls loosely in there. I HATE having to take every roll off to get an empty one out. I also dont put the ends through the  ribbon slot. Its annoying to me, and they always fall out of the slot anyway. I just pop off the top and take what I need. This is also where I put my less used ribbon so that is OK for me.

I like to see whats in there! That is why my storage is CLEAR. Alot of my American Crafts ribbon is stored in here, since they are tiny spools. Still its all in ONE place and easily accessible. Not to mention ORGANIZED! May Arts ribbon in one container, SU!, duplicates, ribbon cards in another. All together.

My loose ribbon is wound on ribbon cards- seen HERE. That helps me keep it from getting wrinkled and tangled.

I also have my cuttlebug stuff there too. But thats another post, another day!

So there you have my SUPER cheap find. I see people spending all sorts of money for systems they aren’t happy with in the long term. I got tons of storage for a whopping $48.

I’d love to hear what works for YOU!

Who would have thought some food shelving could turn into a long winded article?

Thanks for reading!!!!

OH BOY! Hold onto your wallets everyone!

Have you checked out www.allthatscraps.com lately? Go to new products at the bottom if you want to see it ALL!

Paper, punches, stamps OH MY!!!

She has gotten in a TON of new products!

She now has the PRISM paper that I have been in love with for a few months, and is selling it in a sample pack too if you want ALL the colors for a FAB-U-LICIOUS price. I bought 2!

Bazzill cardstock-new colors and textures, and my favorite the BLING!

Stamps!!!! She carries ALL the My Favorite Things stamps, has the new Gel-a-tins, and Gina K (ordered all the new ones myself), and is going to be carrying Lizzie Anne Designs soon too.

She has the Marvy punches, with the strong arm! Check those out.

Ink! Oh man she is now carrying the versmagic, and Pallette Hyrid ink in the large pad and SPOTS! She also had the Fantasix brushes I love, the NEW! Prismacolor pencil colors, oh boy.

PRIMAS! Need I say more?

May Arts ribbon OH! I could just get it all!

 Dont get me started on Patterned Paper! All the new DCWV, KI memories, Piggy Tales and K &co to name a few.

OK I need to take a deep breath! Just go look. Tell her I sent ya! She has wicked fast shipping too! PLUS FREE shipping on orders over $25. HELLO!

You can get all your faves in ONE place. Have it on your door in just days. How cool.

I cannot wait till my goodies arrive.

HELP! Does anyone here know he cuttlebug “sandwich” to use for the Wizard die cut/embossing cartridges?

I bought these several weeks ago and also purchased the “kit” with it. Problem is it doesnt give the sandwich directions for use with the cuttelbug. I don’t need a tutorial just the sandwich.

I would really like to use them ASAP!

Thanks for any of you who can help me.

OK I love when people LOVE things, and you just just feel their excitement. So I want to share my excitement with YOU about a couple of products!

In return I WANT to be enabled! More about that in a minute.

I am in LOVE with the new Glue Pad. OMG! Its AMAZING! I recently discovered the beauty of this pad when browsing my friend Rebecca’s Blog. She did a blurb on it , with some samples. Well you know me. I HAD to have it! LOL! Now I see WHAT all the fuss is about.

Now I love using this pad with my new Lizzie Anne Designs set called Jolies Fleurs. I CANT stop using it! Seriously! It isnt released yet- May 28th! But Im SO IN LOVE - it its insane.

I can tell you that Lindsey (aka Jacksonbelle) is selling them in her EBay store NOW! All the NEW! yet to be released sets. She signed up with them as a wholesaler, to sell them. SO RUN!!!!!! And tell her I sent ya!

Now I know you want to see a million of the delicious samples I made BUT I cant share yet. They are for design team work and are going into Lizzie Anne’s Idea book OR possibly published elsewhere! So you have to wait! But I will share ONE!

Coral LeFleur

Are you drooling on that keyboard? I know I am! LOL!

I stamped the Fleur on white cardstock in versamark, then gold embossed it. I used my Fantastics brush tip (another favorite) and Versamagic ink dew drop pads (and another)to color the flower in. Cut it out, and added a jewel.

The flowers were stamped using the Glue Pad. I then used another FAVORITE product my Martha Stewart cardstock, AND her new Glitter! OMG! The colors are to DIE FOR!

So I stamped the sprinkled my glitter. DONE! Simple, and elegant!

So yes I LOVE the MS cardstock. The quality is great, as is the color selection. I am really in love with all her glitter!! I just cannot put it down.

Another great thing she sells is her Glue Pen (pictured above) OMW! Its really top quality.  Oh I just cant stop gushing. I wish I got paid for this! LOL! Or a commission

SOOOO, Do you love it yet?

NOW- I need you to respond to this thread with a few NEW products you LOVE.

I will randomly pick a winner on Sunday. This winner will receive their choice of glitter from Martha Stewart! Because I love it so much. If you are randomly picked email me your address and color choice and “I” will go pick it up for you.

That is my gift to YOU for enabling ME too.

So get me hungry for retail therapy. Im dying to know what all the RAGE that Im missing out on! If you provide a link that would be double awesome!

Oh and if you have any of these products I gushed over, let me know what YOU think about them too.

Can’t wait to read all about it!

So people are always emailing me about what products I like/love and why. Should they buy this, or that. From here or there - and of course WHY? Or I bought this because I saw what you did with it.

SO I figure I would start to do more to help whom-ever by reviewing things here.

I love the fact that people trust my opinion, and personal taste. Now before I begin you need to keep that in mind! Its all about PERSONAL preference. What “I” like you may not (yeah right! LOL!). Seriously! These product opinions are JUST that. I am not compensated for any of this or affiliated with these companies, just want to share my findings for things that I like (or don’t) to help you make informed decisions or just plain ole see HOW it works!

First up-Making Memories Tag maker and rims!

So the tag maker sells at Michaels for $24.95. I saved $10 by using a 40% off coupon. I wanted one of these for like 2 years! Finally on my Mother’s Day shopping adventure I decided to splurge! Couldn’t let that coupon go to waste!

I also got a package of the rims. There are 54 assorted tag rims, and 3 templates inside. It sells for $14.95. Now use a 40% off coupon and thats a pretty cool deal.

The tags I got are silver, pink, and blue way cool! That to me is already a plus. I get assorted metals, shapes AND sizes for $0.27 each! That is BEFORE using a 40% off coupon! 

Now, buy the rims with the coupon, that  would then bringthe cost to only $0.16 each! Now the other cool bonus for me- if you mess up your stamped image on a SU! tag you waste the tag! For this you can simply re-stamp the image BEFORE you make the tag yourself.

The other cool thing-you can use colored cardstock, photos, vellum, patterned paper-whatever YOU decide. Plus as I said before the size and shape variety is far greater!

So the cost for the Stampin Up! metal edge tags-12pk. Two sizes, ONE type of shape and ONE metal per pkg for $4.95-that is $0.41 each tag. Not as good a variety, no choice of paper selection, only 2 types of “paper”, 3 metals and 2 shapes to choose from the entire assortment sold by SU! This doesn’t include shipping, and there is NEVER a 40% off coupon!

Well ,you may now want to know “HOW DOES IT WORK?”

I thought the same thing! I was worried it would be difficult, or too long a process. I was told I could return it if I wasn’t happy!

Here is ALL you do-

        Step 1                                                               Step 2                                                   

Stamp/color your image                       Use templates that come in pkg.          

or just use PP or image of choice         Trace and cut out shape.                        

         Step 3

Pop image into chosen rim.

Put inside tag maker, and gently squeeze handle!

So here you have the steps! SO SIMPLE! Tookjust a minute to do! Plus your image is perfectly centered each time! I’m so lovin this tag maker!  I felt it was well worth every penny! I wish I go one sooner. Now here are two card I did right away! LOL!

Bloom with Delight

Both of the cards were  done using the set Bundles of Bouquets by My Favorite Things Stamps.

This one has ribbon by American Crafts, which inspired my colors. The image was colored with my Prismacolor markers, and blending marker.

Of course used a blue tag for the image rim. Very cool!

I stamped the butterflies, colored then cut. The wings on top are popped forward. They also have a touch of fine shimmery glitter by Martha Stewart. Soft and sweet!

Dragonfly Hello

For this one I used a round pink rim tag! The colors were inspired by more American Crafts ribbon, and their Green House assortment of plastic and paper flowers. The ribbon was layered at the bottom. The button is clear and by Foof FaLa. I liked this card-Jason thought it was awful. Oh well! These are some of my favorite colors. The Dragonfly is stamped twice and the wings are not only glitterfied but popped forward as well!

Thanks for looking! I’d love to hear some feedback on what you think! OR what you want to see next!

Happy Stamping-

Now that “I” am offically a concept designer I thought it would benefit me to have some “professional” lighting. Part of the buisness is the ability to take an excellent photograph that captures the accurate colors, details and elements of your hard work (aka finished card or project). A poor photgraph can be the difference between a YES or a NO when submitting, or even posting online. I really didnt put much thought into my photos until about 6 months ago-maybe! When I noticed what I was drawn to cards/projects that had nice backdrops in their photos, not the excuse the cat sticking its head out of the lower right hand corner cards! LOL! So I began to try it, and VIOLA! You did too! LOL! You all began to comment more.

So, that brings me to this funky little set up you see here.

I was in contact with an editor from a magazine. She requested a few items from me (Can I get WAHOOOOO!), and I had a tight deadline. Well, by the time the project was done, my natural light was too! I take my photos by my window-so dreary days, and too much sun can cause MAJOR photo issues.

Anyway, once that happened I knew I needed something to take better photos. Lets face it people NO PROJECT looks good with your kitchen light and flash from your camera! Its like the OB-GYN. You dont mind getting naked in front of your significant other but you don’t want him seeeing you under the big’ol inspection light-KWIM? Sorry little off track-

I remembered some stampers discussing photo boxes and things like that a wile back, but they were like over $100! Um, yeah I have stamping stuff I need to buy this weekend so that was NOT an option!

So I hopped on Ebay! I found this photo box called a “soft box”. I paid $12.99!!! There are 4 color backdrops-white, black, blue, and red- included. It folds up all small, nice and neat, and goes into a bag. What they don’t tell you is HOW to fold that sucker back up. So since I opened it it stayed that way. I also cannot collapse those kid tents that pop up either. Must be the blonde in me. I also have NO PATIENCE for things like that.

There is also a front that velcro’s on, with a slot for you to put your cameral through.

What does that mean? No GLARE!!! I photographed a clear box, and had NO problem getting a perfect photo.

My photo shows HOW you set it up. I bought the lighting seperately. Also on Ebay for $10.95!!! Usually lighting looks like it will run you the big money-not so much the photo box. I got lucky cause a wman bought a photobox “kit” and didn’t need the lights!!!

 These prices were before shipping which was around $10 each. Now I have a professional “studio”. At like quater the cost of most. Plus saving myself the aggivation of no sun, and being able to take photos any time of day is priceless.