Month

October 2009

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A New (and yet old) Message Board Community: Scrap Sisters Studio

I wanted to apologize for being such a bad blogger of late but the reason is a good one. Ohhhhh, sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful….erm, message board?

You may have heard me mention, oh once or eleventy-billion times, that my message board home is a place called AMR, All Moments Remembered. It was a message board started by a sweet friend and online store owner named Stacey. At the time AMR began, I had been a fixture at the Creating Keepsakes Message Board (CKMB) for about a year or so. {Remember when I had all the CKMB girls’ blogs in my blog roll…until there were over 100 of them and I had to stop).

But, honestly, for all the fun friends and conversations I had there, it was such a HUGE place, that it never truly felt like home to me. I’m one of those gals that, if you and I are friends, I got ya back for life, sista. Don’t mess with my friends and we won’t have a problem. You know, like we did in the Old Country (I’m Italian, capice?). But I’ve only got so much love to go around, ya know? Ten-thousand “friends” on the CKMB is a lot to handle, even for someone like me, LOL!

Well, then God sent me Stacey. She joined CKMB with her little bubbly personality, enthusiasm for life, and love for scrapbooking. Like me, her dream was to open a scrapbook store. The difference between us was that I talked about it. She was actually gonna do it. We became fast friends, chatting on and off the CKMB board. She started a blog to promote her new online store which she called All Moments Remembered, and I loved reading each day what the developments were with her store, the excitement in her voice, and the positive outlook she had on everything.

Then came the day when Stacey got booted from CKMB. {This story is well-known folklore, so I’m not speaking out of school, k?}. The TOU at CKMB clearly said you could not have a business name as your message board name, nor anything in your message content or signature line that promoted another business. Because obviously, Creating Keepsakes is a business who wants to continue as such, and they want you to buy THEIR products, not some cute lady’s from Oregon who just started the best online scrap store in the world. Apparently, Stacey was *cough* unclear on those rules, or her glasses fogged up that day, or SOMETHING…because she changed her MB name from whatever it was (“scraphappy” or something like that) to “AllMomentsRemembered.”

Scandal. Just pure scandal.

So, CKMB powers-that-be sent her a nasty-gram and when she didn’t cease and desist, they booted her. In true Stacey spirit, what did she do? Oh, she just started her OWN message board, of course. And THAT, my friends, is how the All Moments Remembered Message Board was started. I signed up on the first day the AMR-MB was up, which was December 27, 2007. I was proud to be member #29. As of closing today, there were 826 members but I believe at times there were over 1,000 or more). Also, as of today, I was the #3 poster @ AMR, right behind those Chatty Cathy’s named JENNIFER/Jingle and ABBY/scrapbookfrenzy.

So, for almost 2 years now, I’ve been chatting pretty much daily with the AMR Girlz. I would never have thought you could be “true friends” with people you’ve never even met face-to-face, who live all over the country, most of whom you’ve never even spoken to. If you stop to think about it, it’s our computers, our technology, that is actually making the connection, so it’s kind of bizarre. The only way I know most of them is from words they’ve typed that I’m reading, kwim?

But I have to say, I love those gals and they are my TRUE, dear friends. AMR was a smaller board and it didn’t move that the speed of light, like CKMB, 2peas, or the Cricut board. Sometimes I get frustrated when I want to chat and no one is around. “I need some chat, people!” Sheesh. But I would trade “busy but impersonal” for “quieter but more meaningful” any day of the week.

Stacey really set the tone for that board to be encouraging, friendly, supportive, and fun. We joked, we laughed, we shared our work, and our scrap shopping finds. There was a Chit Chat board for discussing TV shows, family stuff, you name it. There was a Spiritual forum where we could ask for prayers, and where a special lady named MISTY/snowlady posted daily quotes from Scripture. And we can’t forget the Recipe forum, where you could share or request yummy recipes from your AMR friends.

Another cool thing Stacey did was to give us “Stacey names.” Under your message board name and above your avatar photo, sometime when you weren’t looking and maybe didn’t even notice for a while, Stacey would add a special name chosen just for you, based on her getting to know you over time and finding out what phrase really represented you, be it funny, sweet, or serious. For instance, MARILYN/Melonscraps was christened “Stickles Queen” for her amazing love of and collection of Stickles; ANGIE/craftyscrapr became “Miss Pretty Toes” because she loves the beach and her flip flops with painted toenails; and I was given the Stacey name “Director of Advertising.” Which was funny because some people may have thought it was an actual title I held with the AMR store, and that I was a paid employee, but nope, lol. I just loved AMR so much, I talked about it and steered people towards her store any time I could. Stacey was living my dream and I did whatever I could to support her.

Which reminds me of a story….Remember that crazy scrapbook product frenzy, the THREADING WATERS punch by Fiskars? The first time I saw that thing, I knew it was going to be a hugely popular tool so I tipped Stacey off about it, and she had faith that I knew what I was talking about. So she right away ordered a whole bunch of them from Fiskars. And when they flew off the shelves at Michaels, Target, and all the online scrapbook stores, no one had them in stock anymore….except Stacey. For a while there, AMR was one of the only places you could buy that darn punch, and not on backorder, but actually get it right then. Stacey never forgot I had told her about it. She never tried to take credit for it or anything. She told everyone else, “Erika is the one who told me to get those!” And she sent me the most generous gift box of supplies from her store, just as a way to say thank you. Actually, that’s another thing Stacey was known for was being very generous in giving away her products as RAKS, crop prizes, and you always got extra items with your order, things she had handpicked for you, knowing what each of us liked. I don’t know how she did it, honestly.

Well, fast forward to the economic collapse last year, and long story short, the AMR online store eventually was closed. However, in the meantime, Stacey had realized her other dream of opening an actual brick-and-mortar store in her hometown. Over time, Stacey has had to move on from the AMR MB and the inmates have taken over the asylum, LOL! Stacey could no longer support the MB so several months ago, she offered to let members take it over, and DENISE/denisewalks stepped up to the plate. Denise has been running AMR since then, with a little bit of admin support from me, and lots of help from lots of other members. We’ve managed to keep AMR MB going and as fun and wonderful as it ever was.

But the time had come for a fresh start, where Denise and the loyal board members could be more in control of the mechanics of the board. Also, with Stacey no longer associated with the board, a new name for our gathering place was in order. A new domain name was procured by Denise (at her personal expense, but we’re going to find a creative way to make the board pay for itself and/or many generous members have offered to chip in so Denise doesn’t have to absorb the cost herself).

So today, October 27, 2009….Scrap Sisters Studio was born.

We had a Scrap Chat Hour tonight to kind of kick off the new site, and help get the word out to everyone that we’ve officially moved. I can’t think of a more perfect name for our board, because the ladies there are truly like family. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not perfect. Like any family in the world, we occasionally have scuffles and squabbles, hurt feelings and unspoken hurts, frustrations and unfairness. I mean, we’re women after all, LOL! But it always works itself out and the family bond is as tight as ever. New members are welcomed from Day One like they’ve been there the entire time.

It felt weird writing all those things above about the way AMR “was,” in the past tense. Because those things still apply to the way Scrap Sisters Studio “is” and “will always be.” It’s a warm, fun, friendly home away from home and even if they try to kick me out, I’m never leaving. Seriously. Don’t even try ‘cuz I grew up in The Hood and can kick serious ass.

Capice?

This post is just my way of memorializing AMR, Stacey’s store, everything that brought this group of sweet scrapbookers together and still bind them. I wanted to honor Stacey because it was her personality and efforts that set us up to be the way we are now. And for that, we owe her a debt of gratitude. {Stacey, if you’re out there, MWUH! Love ya, girl}.

And this post was a way to celebrate, and document on my own blog, this day being the start of something new and fun for me and my scrappy girlfriends.

We always welcome new members. HERE is where you would sign up. (ETA: When you register, you will NOT get an e-mail confirmation. Sorry, this new board doesn’t have that feature. We’re approving new members as quickly as we can, so please give it a little wait, then try to log in until it works :). We’ve got some fun plans for the Scrap Sisters Studio website as a whole, so this is going to be a great new adventure! Thank you for letting me talk about my buds…I {heart} them like sisters.

Terrifically Tacky Tape by Provo Craft at Walmart

I picked these up at Walmart today. I don’t know if they’re old news there, but it was the first time I’d noticed them.

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*This came out blurry because I took it after dark tonight. Will try to get a daylight pic and repost, but you get the idea :)

The packaging is different (more plain) and the name is different than when I see it at Michaels, like this, but it’s the same thing:

Instead of me trying to explain what it’s used for and why it’s so cool, I’ll let MICHAELS.COM do all the work:

Truly, a terrific double-sided tape in roll form! It’s industrial strength with an instant bond which increases over 24 hour period to maximum bond.

COMMONLY USED SURFACE-TO-SURFACE APPLICATIONS:
1. paper to paper
2. beads, glitter, etc. to paper or other surface
3. embellishments to ornamental fabric items
4. plastic or metal to paper
5. paper, plastic or metal to wood

DIRECTIONS & TIPS FOR USING TERRIFICALLY TACKY TAPE:

Apply tape to first surface.
Remove protective liner and apply second product (beads, glitter, etc.) or second surface.
SPECIAL TIPS: Use at room temperature. Surfaces must be dry, and grease free. Do not expose to air until ready to use as curing will commence.

You can see HERE what a wide range of prices it usually sells for, although when I click on a lot of those links, they don’t carry it anymore. I got the 1/4 and 1/2 inch sizes for $3.00 and $3.50 respectively. Seems like a decent deal, especially since no shipping charges :)

I’ve used this product since way back in 2005 when I discovered it in a CKU class. It indeed has a very strong bond, and it’s easy to use. I like it for attaching ribbon strips to my layouts just because it’s in a strip form and holds so well, but it’s also great for attaching heavier items. It looks red, but that’s just the backing. When you peel that off, it’s clear. Just a great adhesive, so I thought I’d share!

Friday Night Scrapbook Randoms #6

Happy Weekend to you!
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Remember the new line by Melody Ross for GCD I showed you HERE? It’s only being released at 100 Michaels stores and, as predicted, it’s not at mine. But my buddy ABBY who lives down South (or is that DAY-own SAY-outh? Sorry, Abby, don’t hit me!) found the line at her store. She recently became an iPhone convert and has been taking stealth photos in scrapbook stores! Why I never! Oh, wait, I do that, too. Anyway, she sent me these photos….I’m so jealous.

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But the true scrappy friend that she is, she said if my Mike’s never gets “Artsy Urban,” she will send some to me :)
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Have you seen the Nov/Dec issue of SCRAPBOOKS ETC yet?

As you may know {and I wrote about HERE}, they decided to change the magazine a bit and this was the second issue with the new format. It’s not getting rave reviews HERE at all… I was actually relieved to see that thread because I was quite underwhelmed by this issue also, but thought it must just be me…cuz I’m so pissy about their format change and all. And it’s humid here. And I’m so disappointed that WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, the movie I was going to take my kids to this weekend, is being reviewed as doomy, gloomy, mature, and boring {ASTRO BOY it is!}. And I’m tired, cranky, and generally vindictive….. But no. That wasn’t it. The issue sux. It’s not just me. {What a relief, ‘cuz it’s usually just me}.

My discontent started when I found the issue at Walmart the other day and that new title font just rubs me the wrong way. It reminds me of those cheapie supermarket magazines at the checkstand, the ones that look to be worth about 50 cents. The logo looks….cheap, I guess. I am a classy woman. I prefer to look at a classy logo. Nay, I DESERVE a classy logo! To sum up the rest of my issue with the issue (ha!), it just wasn’t a page-corner-turner-downer, kwim? Few layouts I wanted to steal…erm, scrapjack. Few articles I was excited to read. And some non-scrappy advertising, too. Yuck. {Yeah, yeah, I know beggars can’t be choosers…SBE is taking the advertisers it can get, but do I have to be happy about it?}.

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Just to give you an update on my scrapbook room makeover…there isn’t one. I’ve been working a lot and just generally busy. And I’m at the point with it that some decisions have to be made about how/where to store things. I want it all to make sense and be user-friendly. I go in there sometimes, look around, try to wrap my brain around some kind of concept….and usually walk back out without accomplishing anything. I think I need to complete two things before I can really move on: Paint THIS shelf so I can decide where to hang it and what to put on it, and put my 2 remaining JETMAX cubes together so I can decide what to store in them. Both of these things involve manual labor which, like “exercise,” are words I try not to utter much less DO. Hollah! Okay, okay, you’ve nagged me enough! {Oh yes, I can read your mind, sista!}. I will do these two things so this makeover can move forward. But when I get paint under my fingernails and hurt my hand with that tiny screwdriver, I will curse YOU, damn it!
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My scrappy and ever-so-talented online friend JULIE is having a RAK to celebrate her 10,000th hit! Please go say hi to her. Once you see her blog, you’ll be hooked. She takes great photos, has beautiful kids, and makes riDONKulously gorgeous layouts. And she’s such a huge JASON MICHAEL CARROLL fan, that she makes me feel better about my own STEVE PERRY crush. Swoon!

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Upcoming in November 2009, there is a “Blogging for Scrapbookers” class by SHIMELLE … isn’t she pretty? And she is wicked talented, I tell ya….

– learn about it and sign up HERE.

What a wonderful idea for a class. Unique but very pertinent, since so many of us scrappers love to blog. If you sign up, let me know :) I’m thinking about doing it…but if some people that I know signed up, that would tip me over the edge… {hint, hint, wink, wink}.
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Okay, mah chickies….Peace out!

All Moments Remembered Board is Down :(

This is a public service announcement for AMR Girlz: The message board is down. Please join us on the backup board HERE. Spread the word via Facebook, Twitter, your blog, etc. Share the link, please…a lot of members don’t know it. Thanks a bunch!

ETA: Eileen, did you get approved yet? I don’t see you online over there. I e-mailed ya…
ETA #2: The original AMR board is now back up and fully loaded! But please save the “back-up board” link in your Favorites….just in case ;-)

Melody Ross Joins GCD & Has Two Lines for Michaels

MELODY ROSS joins GCD. HERE is a link to Artsy Urban papers on GCD. And here is a lot more of this gorgeous line…


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You can see the rest of the line HERE ~ There’s a page kit, mat pad (HERE is a link to individual sheets), 8×8 pad, 12×12 paper pad, and 12×12 page kit.

I just love, love, love this line. It’s actually not my normal style, all vintage pretty and stuff. But I’m hoping to buy some (lots?) of Artsy Chic {see the reason for my hesitation below}. I love the colors, designs, and overall feel of it. I think it’ll be great to use on Book of Me layouts, for one thing. Even the packaging is beautiful. You GO, GCD! I was checking out their website and they have lots of cute stuff. For instance, check out these GLITTER LETTERS

…and TRANSPARENCIES

But back to Artsy Chic. Melody mentions on her blog that her lines will be carried by Michaels, but only in limited stores apparently…as I found this on the GCD blog: “Michael’s is carrying Artsy Urban today, but only at a 100 locations.” I can pretty much bet my Mike’s is not one of the 100 :(. I was in Michaels tonight and didn’t see any… GCD blog also says the Artsy Chic line will be in scrapbook stores and kit clubs, so unless it makes it into the Memory Works kit, I still won’t have access to it in person…but online shopping is fine :) Anyway, the GCD BLOG has been hyping this while for a while with all kinds of reveals and giveaways, so cruise on over there if you’d like to see more.

Melody has always been a favorite of mine, as a scrapper, designer, and just plain “woman I look up to.” I wish her all the luck with her new line at Michaels, “Artsy Urban,” and her upcoming line for Michaels called “Homespun Chic.”

ETA 10/20/09: Great minds think alike. THE SCRAP REVIEW has posted about this new line today also. They have wonderful page ideas from scrappers like NOEL CULBERTSON ( <- one of my favorite scrappers and the sweetest lady ever) and honest reviews of the line. Did they give it a thumbs up or thumbs down? Go check it out!

You Won a Cricut GYPSY!!! … Oh, wait, no you didn’t.

This is unbelievable. HERE is the 2peas post, and HERE is the thread from the Cricut message board it references. What a raw deal. That is one website I’ll steer clear of, unless they do the right thing and give her a GYPSY! How disappointing, to think you’d won…and then be let down so harshly.

ETA 10/19/09: Well, I just looked around their site and I guess they can’t be put out of business because I don’t see where they sell anything. I don’t even see where they make money from ads. They just provide all this scrapbook cutter info for free? If anyone is familiar with this site, will you fill me in?

Either way, I hope they get a ration from scrappers. So unfair… If you made a mistake, just admit it but don’t lie to the poor girl. And when you have such a big ticket item to give away and can’t afford to buy another one, don’t make a mistake in the first place :(

Oh, and if I were the second “winner,” I’d forfeit my prize to the first one. But that’s just me…No “prize” is worth perpetuating bad behavior like that.

ETA #2 10/19/09: Apparently, the second winner has offered the Gypsy to the rightful winner…classy. Good for her!

Also….Okay, I see now, it’s Ebay! I clicked on several links where this site helpfully sends you to the place “with the best price” and it appears they all go Ebay listings for Cricut products. Nice.

Bleck. Is this run by the same people who post those annoying and plentiful ads on Craiglist around the country….clearly against Craigslist’s TOU? Wouldn’t surprise me…

Friday Night Scrapbook Randoms #5

So what if it’s Sunday Night when I’m finally getting around to publishing my Friday Night Randoms? Who wants to be on schedule? Not me. That is so cliche and expected….and I’m anything but cliche and expected. For shizzle.

~~ Speaking of shizzle….if you ever need a translator for when I speak Snoop Dog, HERE YA GO. Bladizzle.

~~ A bunch of (22!) First Day of School scrapbook page ideas are HERE, provided by Scrapbooks Etc. I think this one is my fave, but I loved them all…

~~ There is a wonderful discussion of why the Peas think the scrapbook industry has tanked HERE. And a related ARTICLE on SCRAPBOOK UPDATE called “Is Scrapbooking Fading….Or not?,” is asking for your thoughts so go chime in, why don’t ya? I think many “industry folks” read that website so let them hear from you. I scored the first Comment ~ yeah! Guess sometimes it pays to be up blogging in the middle of the night, lol. Anyway, if you’d like to read my ever so humble opinion on the whole thing, click on over to the Scrapbook Update article … I wrote a novel … or at least a chapter ;)

~~ Remember when I said that my Michaels wasn’t going to be putting ads in Sunday paper flyers anymore? {It was HERE}. The cashier had given me a flyer and everything, saying that Sunday flyers would be no more, and that I could get my flyers and coupons online from now on. But here it is 6 weeks later….and I’m still getting Michaels ads in my paper on Sunday. What up with that? I dunno’, you got me. Guess they changed their minds…

~~ According to the GOLLYG at 2peas, ROSS has some scrapbooking stuff again: “Enabling Alert! I stopped by Ross today and they have tons of new scrapbook stuff. They had Making Memories paper kits for $2.99, American Crafts paper pads $5.99, K&Company Stuff, and lots more!” Also, rumors of Disney scrapbooks….read the thread HERE. I used to find 12×12 postbound albums there all the time, but nothing scrappy in ages. But what do you know, there is a Ross store smack dab between my Target and my Michaels. I happen to be headed to Target for prescriptions tomorrow, so I’ll check out Ross and let you know if I find anything.

~~ “I’m so far behind!” Have you ever said that about your scrapbooking? Well, read my blog friend Susan’s great article HERE and you’ll feel better soon :)

~~MEMORY WORKS now has Basic Grey “Nook and Pantry” in stock. Here’s a peek…


Please let me know if I can get some for you. Order it HERE, or contact me HERE.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

Well, she doesn’t really win some KFC. But she does win the prize from my CONTEST celebrating my milestone of reaching half a million hits on my blog.

Random.org picked #81! Here is the winning comment.

Jenny McGee
Submitted on 2009/10/08 at 12:37pm
After seeing this post, I watched HSN scrapbooking show. But the Gypsy was sold out. I still don;t really know much about it, I don’t have a Cricut either, so I guess it does not matter.

It’s too dark tonight, but I’ll take a photo of the prize Jenny won. Just a bunch of little scrappy things. I hope she likes her package :) For the contest, you lovely ladies left a total of 196 comments over an 11-day period. So awesome! {Miss Jenny was responsible for 32 of those, LOL!}.

CONGRATULATIONS JENNY! And thank all of you for the wonderful comments you left. I {heart} you!

Ding! Ding! Ding! Half a Million, Baby!

I put out a plea to the AMR girls to come hit my blog for me, cuz I was at 499,996 and they came through like the fabulous friends they are. I made it!

THIS CONTEST is now over. I’ll pick a winner soon and get your prize off to ya! Thanks so much to everyone who left a comment or comments. They are the best part of doing this blog, because I love to hear from you ever so much. You always make my day, my week, my year with your questions, comments, and support.

Love ya’ll, love this blog! So fun…. {{HUGZ}} ~Erika

ETA 10/17/09: There are a lot of comments I have to count up and I’m working a lot this weekend, but I’ll have a winner up by Saturday night hopefully. Thanks for your patience :) I will contact the winner.

Diary of a Scrapbook Room Makeover: Part Three

If you need to get caught up on my diary, here are the entries so far:

PROLOGUE
PART ONE
PART TWO
QUESTIONS ANSWERED
PHOTOS HELD HOSTAGE, DAY 3

And now it’s time for Part Three! Yeah, like, FINALLY! Most of these photos were taken on October 5, which is 10 days ago. This is pretty much what my room still looks like today (10/15/09), other than a few little changes. As always, I apologize for the quality of my photos. My nice digi camera is out of commission because the charger doesn’t work and until the Money Fairy makes a drop at our house, I can’t afford to buy a new one, or a new camera. Thus…I have for you iPhone pictures!

So this is as you look into the room from the dining room doorway. Kids’ homework/crafting table in front, my scrap desk behind that, coffee table and couch back by the window, and the junk corner in the very back left.

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Here is my “cube wall,” which are Store in Style cubes with mostly Cropper Hopper vertical storage of paper/embellishments, and jars with ribbons, chipboard letters, etc. In other words, if there is a fire, this is the stuff I’m grabbing. Yep, one by one, cube by cube. Not. Kidding. What’s that? Oh, of COURSE I’d grab my kids and hubby first! Sheesh.

On the left, the white bin has office supplies I need to find a new home for; they came out of a cupboard in the L-shaped desk. The bag and cardboard box are things I brought home from my office when I was allowed to start working from home. That was in April 2009. Nope. Not unpacked yet. This is one example of things that were dumped in my scrap area and I was too busy to do anything with them at the time, so they just cluttered the place up. Don’t judge. It won’t take long to put the stuff away, I would just rather sort and put away scrappy supplies than work manuals, paperclips, baby wipes, and boxes of tea, wouldn’t you? Procrastinators Unite!….Tomorrow.

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Here’s the oak cabinet that used to hold a TV, VCR, old school Atari games, and kids’ DVDs/games; now it’s a resting place for my grossly overpacked SCRAPRACK. I have always had a big crush on my Scrap Rack, and it’s insane ability to sort my scrapbook supplies by theme. But I have abused Scrap Rack. I have overfilled Scrap Rack. Now I hardly ever touch Scrap Rack and we miss each other. I flipped through it a bit tonight and it was embarisken. I have some reeeeeeaaaally old things in there that need to be purged in a big way. Like Creative Memories stickers circa 2001, some Mrs. Grossman’s border stickers, and various shape die cuts from Paper Pizzazz.

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Note to scrappers who began after 2007: You are lucky. By the time you started scrapping, most of the products being put out there have been pretty designer-ish and awesome. But prior to that, especially late 1990s/early 2000s? There was some pretty rough stuff out there. You would cringe. So if you don’t know what “Mrs. Grossman’s” or “Paper Pizzazz” means, no worries. You didn’t miss a thing. Trust me.

Here is the new and improved bookshelf #4! It used to be toys from top to bottom. Now the toys have been moved into the new playroom, freeing up space for kids’ crafts. There is coloring, drawing, painting, scratch art, activity books, puzzle books, foam stamps, crayons, acrylic paints, markers, and brushes. Wait, what? That all sounds fun! Do I REALLY have to share with my kids? Hee.

It was fun but sad to purge the coloring and activity books, seeing things my kids had drawn and colored when they were much younger (yeah, it had been awhile since this stuff had been gone through). But I gave the old color books to a friend who’s going to use them in her Sunday school classes so that made me happy and they were easier to let go. I have tons of art and schoolwork from my kids, so in the scheme of things, they had to go. In return, clear and organized shelves – yahoo!

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Here is the homework/craft table. See the clear mat in the middle? I got 2 of those at a craft store years ago and they were a smart purchase; the other one is on my scrap desk under my BG mats. They’re great for protecting your table from permanent damage, portable for moving to other tables or counters, and easy to clean. The clear mat was about 1.5 inches too long when I laid it horizontally across the table like this, so I cut the excess off. Guess what I used? My Basic Grey Magnetic Mat. How many times have I said I love that thing?!?! I lined the clear mat up on the BG mat grid, put the metal ruler over it, and sliced down the clear mat with a craft knife. It didn’t go all the way through so I flipped it over and cut in the same place and Voila! Then I used my Creative Memories Corner Rounder to make the 2 new corners match with the existing rounded ones. I was pretty darn proud of myself because that’s about as handyman as I get, LOL! Ideally, I would like this same kind of mat but large enough to cover the entire table. Then again, it’s an old banged up table so I’m not gonna stress on it.

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Here’s a top view of the newly cleaned up, cleaned out, organized, and labeled craft carousel. As you scrappers know, this is actually a Making Memories DESKTOP CAROUSEL, intended for scrapbook supplies. I tried to use it as such when I first got it, but it never worked for me. The main problem is that I need to keep my most-used tools in something portable for taking to crops. Even if I used it for least-used tools, the footprint is so big, that it takes up a lot of desk room once you leave it a wide berth to spin around. It really needs to be in the middle of a table or desk, and while my scrap area doesn’t allow for that, it does work perfectly on the homework/craft table, doesn’t it?

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The carousel had been on our dining room table for about the last year or so which has been Homework Central. It had crayon marks, broken erasers, pencil shavings, you name it. It was looking pretty beat up and fugly, and was not organized whatsoever. So I took everything out of it, turned it upside down over the trash to get the gookies out, and Windexed it within an inch of its life. Then I lovingly organized and labeled each section. Oh, and I spent about 30 minutes one night hand sharpening all of those regular and colored pencils. Now that was good fun.

See, lookie! Look at my labels! They totally rock, huh? Pencil sharpeners, little tapes, mini gel pens….

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Staplers and big tape, scissors, and all that other fun stuff…

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The husband and children have been instructed in the proper care of my baby. My baby has been labeled so there are no excuses. If they eff it up, there will be hell to pay. And I mean it! Don’t mess with me, I’m the mommy! And you know our family motto: (Say it with me now!) “If Mommy ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy….” See? Simple.

Okay, here are the 3 measly shelves I have restricted my books to. I know, it’s riDONKulous but something had to give. Scrap supplies or books? Scrap supplies or books? Hmmmm….SCRAP SUPPLIES! But clearly, my bookies need to be organized, alphabetized, and color coded. By Dewey Decimal System. Yet another project in the wings.

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Here in the Corner of Shame #1 are 3 boxes that need to go in the attic (“oh, dear??? honeybuns??? love of my life??? would you please do me an itsy bitsy little favor wavor?? thanks, hun!”). Cuz I don’t do attics. Did you know there are, like, SPIDERS up there?!? And it’s hot. Very hot. In other words, not happening. {Please revert to the family motto listed above…}.

The wire cube and panels sitting on top used to be under my desk; I used them to hide…erm, I mean….STORE a multitude of things. Like Christmas and birthday gifts, a family quilt, my sugar-free cookie stash…you know, that kind of thing. I don’t know if I’ll use them in my scrap room again. If not, they would make great toy storage for the new play room. If you want some of these cubes, you can get them at Target or Costco. Not the most sturdy storage, but they do work and the price warms the cockles of my ever-lovin’, bargain-huntin’ heart.

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Here is the front side of my big L-shaped desk. I had 3 of these 12×12 Sterlite containers before; they were on my bookshelves. When I moved the couch away from the front of my desk, I realized *gasp* people would be able to see all the crap I keep under there and also my fat heifer thighs. I decided, “No, this just will not do.” When I realized how perfectly these Sterlite drawers fit, I bought 3 more sets and killed 2 birds with 1 stone: lots more storage room and Fat Heifer Thigh View Blockage. A good purchase, don’t you think? {And I got them on sale for $9 instead of $12 each, hehe}.

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That big blue navy thing is my Crop In Style XXL aka Old Faithful. That thing has been jammed full of supplies, crammed into my Honda trunk, and rolled over bumpy hotel entranceways to more crops than I can count. She will be retired this Christmas when I get a new set of crop bags from DH and mi madre.

This clear container is under the homework/craft table. It’s all organized and has scrappy hand-me-downs for the kids to scrapbook with. We make handmade cards a lot, too. My entire extended family and friends could totally be lying to me, but they all say they love our personally designed cards with custom artwork and handwritten messages. And if they ARE lying? Screw ’em.

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Here’s the couch, so exciting. Ugly, old throw pillow. Oh, remind me to talk about pillows later. And now you can see the reason my scrap room looks a might bit better than it did last time you were here (see PART TWO, link at top of post). It’s because I stuck a bunch of ugly junk behind the couch. I’m calling it the “I’ll Deal With You Later” pile. It’s mostly old family memorabilia and photos that need to be sorted. It’s such a huge project, I can’t even fathom it right now. So I’m (partially) hiding it. It’s out of the way so I can continue making progress with my room….but it’s like the great white shark under the water while you blissfully swim in the ocean. You might be having fun up top, but you now it’s down there stalking you. Damn shark.

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It’s actually been really nice having that coffee table there. Just in the last month or so since I put it there, it’s been used for: Jetmax cube assembly, homework, hubby doing paperwork, a foot stool for kids reading on the couch, a game of table hockey, and a nice big area for me to sort and organize scrap supplies. Unfortunately, it’s also been used to lie on, stand on, and hide under. Hey, nothing’s perfect.

Here is Corner of Shame #2 aka Big Daddy Shame. I think I’ve told you already what most of it is. The two blue bins are monthly kits I used to get from MEMORY WORKS EXPRESS. I’ve always kept them together as a kit but I think I’m going to separate them out. I’m not sure…what do you do with kits? Keep them together or mix the items in with the rest of your stash?

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There’s also a wide format Epson printer that I spent boo coo bucks on a few years ago, and never used. I’m a horrible person. I won’t bore you with all the details. I have my reasons. But, yeah, now I need to get rid of it. Sell it? E-waste it? Goodwilll? I dunno. Of course, I would prefer to sell it, even for just $100 or something (I paid over $300 and used it maybe 20 times). But to prove to a buyer that it works, I’d need to spend about $100 on printer cartridges and I just don’t know if it’s worth it. Would it even sell? Bah.

Above the Corner of Shame #2 is my MM Embellishment Shelf. It’s pretty well organized but I now have THIS to install somewhere once it’s painted and cleaned up, so I’m still figuring out what goes where and whether to move this shelf.

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This photo is probably hard to figure out, because I was focusing on the scene outside the window. It’s the view into my backyard, the view I see when I sit at my scrap desk. Our backyard has a pretty pool and a gorgeous view, but this dog pen thingee is ruining everything! Must go. Will go soon. We borrowed it from our neighbors when we got LANDRY, who didn’t care to stay in the big dog pen on the side of the house. This kennel is a pain in the arse to return to our neighbors, as all four adults need to take a corner and walk it through a gate and across an acre of their property. But I need to make that happen, don’t I? And those atrociously dirty windows! Disgraceful. When is that window cleaner girl going to do her friggin’ job?!! Oh, wait. That would be ME, wouldn’t it? There is only a little overhang over all three of my scrapbook room windows/slider (no patio cover) and also no grass out there, just dirt, concrete, and gravel. So especially when it rains like it just did, the windows get very dirty, the screens very dusty, and it’s hard to keep up on them. But I must. What a waste of a wonderful view.

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Here is the Epicenter of Erika’s Craftivity. Chair, Basic Grey mats, Cutterpede trimmer, flat pack with most-used tools, Ott lite, little tote with scissors and pens, and the main requirement for scrapping, Diet Coke. There’s a single Cropper Hopper vertical file that I was thinking of keeping on my desk as a place to keep projects in progress and/or new purchases until I put them away. Now I have another idea for where to put recent purchases, but I like the projects in progress holder idea. I tend to be a “stacker,” with various piles on my desk. 12×12 piles take up a lot of desk space; at least getting them vertical would save some room.

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Also, I put my little bookshelf stereo here. I didn’t think I would, but I really miss having the television in here, just for the white noise if nothing else. So I was compelled to hook up my stereo and play some K-Life and the college radio station also has awesome music. I don’t do well with total silence. It makes me spun up. Eeeeeee!!!!

Here’s the left side of my desk. Blue flat packs full of acrylic stamps and inks, shopping bag with some RAK stuff in it, Ziploc with a scrappy project, white holder for Prima flower jars and skittles, black tote for punches and Xyron “X”, and Amy Butler tote for cards and RAKs to and from scrappy friends. I’ve been slowly cleaning that out, putting stamps and other gifts away. I need a good storage system for or project to make with all those handmade cards that I cherish…maybe bind them into a mini book or something.

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Here is the view if I’m standing in front of the couch. Standing ON the coffee table??? Who, ME??? Nah, I would never do that. As you can see, I haven’t sorted through those idea books and magazines yet. In fact, I think the pile has grown larger as I come across more of them. Yes, it’s a sickness. And I don’t care.

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Just don’t look under the desk. Move along. There’s nothing to see here….

So that’s a tour of my scrapbook room and how the makeover has been coming along. I’m so happy you’re on this journey with me. Yes, it’s embarrassing to share my major clutter issues and extreme scrapbook supply hoarding. But, oh well, you still seem to like me.

I’m learning so much as I go along; basic scrappy storage things and even things about myself that are deeper and more telling than one would expect from a mere room makeover. Like I’ve learned that I’m happy with how much I cherish my memories and all the “things” that go with it. Yet I don’t have to keep it all. And just because I spent money on something doesn’t mean I have to be guilted into keeping it forever. Selling it or giving it away can bring happiness to someone else, like Sunday school kids, so that’s a good thing.

Please keep checking in with me and cheer on my progress so I follow through and don’t give up. And don’t forget about my 500,000 hits blog candy because we’re coming up on the end….at 499,413 as I post this entry. Good luck!

Michaels Finds: Making Memories, Bazzill, K & Company, Colorbok, and Recollections

We were visiting friends in another city last weekend and I was able to go to a Michaels other than my own. As my friend and I were leaving to go shopping, DH said, “Go ahead and ‘have fun shopping’ (spend money),” so I did, LOL! This other Mike’s had so many things mine doesn’t! On the one hand, it pizzled me off. Like, why is her Mike’s more special than my Mike’s? So. Not. Fair. On the other hand, I decided to take advantage of these extra products and pick up some of the goods in case my store never gets them. Perfect shopper’s logic, right?

First, peep my new alphas. I’ve loved me some K & Company “Wild Saffron” since way back HERE. It’s one of my Top 10 Favorite Lines of All Scrappy Time and, therefore, I own just about the entire line. Well, I did not have these chipboard alphas; had never seen them in fact. So I got two @ $5 each :) Soooo spendy….

Also got these apple green felt letter stickers ($5) by Making Memories…so cute! And some journaling transparencies by Recollections. You get 6 ($3). I love the scallops on the edges, and that these will go with just about any layout. Since they’re see-through, they’ll take on whatever color ya put behind ’em.

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Here’s some more Making Memories…the “Autumn Splendor” glitter spiral journaling notebook ($5). Those leaf-shaped pages are my favorite. The yellow sheets say “I am thankful for…” and have some cute pears on them; I noticed pears on a lot of products so it must be a new trend. I’m thinking of scrapping with the yellow “thankful” pages at TG this year, having each family member write what they are thankful for in their own handwriting and collecting them on a layout or in a mini-album.

Keeping with the Autumn theme, we have some brown velvet chipboard alphas by Recollections (only $2 so I got two sets). I took a few out of the package so you can see the cute mixed font. The layered chipboard stickers are from the Colorbok “XY&Z” line; they’re called All Occasion. I love the happy color palette and the “create” sticker the bestest.

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These are Travel chipboard borders by Making Memories ($3). Super cute, love the glitter and shiny blingy-ness. I have another set of these in a different theme and love them. I like to cut them up and layer or stack them on a layout. They’re hard to see in the package … I wanted to lay them out so you could see them.

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Last but not least, “Just the Edge” by Bazzill Basics ($3). They had several colors but I chose white because then I can chalk, ink, paint, or ‘whatever’ them to match the look I want. Or even keep them white, lol. So many possibilities, right? There are 20 pieces, 2 of each style and, again, I spread them out so you can see each one.

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Here’s the part you will NOT believe. Are you sitting down? You sure? Okay. I bought all of this stuff…and none of it was on sale…and I did NOT have a coupon. No. Coupon. I know!!! I truly did not think it was possible for me shop for scrappy goodies at full retail price. I did get a little case of the shakes and I almost couldn’t do it. But then I did. Spent a sickening $40, too. I could barely stand it…that’s just not how I roll.

I also found some new open stock paper at this particular Michaels. It’s by Recollections (the Michaels brand) and you can see it all HERE. I think the Garage Sale line was my favorite; here are a couple sheets from that collection…

I had this sheet from the Birdwatching line in my hand and was ready to pick up more Recollections papers…

…when I realized I was traveling and would have to somehow get 12×12 papers home in a packed-to-the-gills car. So I put the paper back, and hope to someday find this stuff at my own Mike’s where I can buy some later.

Have you seen these items at your Mike’s? Do you have or want any of them? What’s your best find at Michaels lately?

Reminder: Read HERE about how to try and win some blog candy…just over 2,000 hits to go until we hit 500,000!

Product Review: Jetmax 3-Drawer Scrapbook Storage Cubes

In my last POST about all the new Jetmax storage items at Michaels, I mentioned that I had a hard time putting one of their 3-drawer storage cubes together…so much so, that I was dreading putting the remaining two cubes together. EILEEN on AMR just asked for storage cube advice in a thread over there, and this was my answer so I figured I’d post it here, too. I also have some storage cube recommendations.

Of the Jetmax brand, all I have are the 3-drawer cubes and the problem I had is the “wood” is so thin, that if you don’t get the teeny screws for the drawer sides in there exactly straight the first time, you never will (believe me, I tried). So then I had to really push super hard on the screwdriver to get them to go in. Mind you, I had to use the teeny screwdriver so there’s nothing to pad your hand while you’re cranking down on it either. You could use a cordless screwdriver of course, but ours doesn’t have a tip that small. There were 4 screws per drawer so I went through this struggle 12 times. Then I went to slide the drawers into the cube (which was also a pain to assemble), and they wouldn’t slide in until the screws were COMPLETELY flush with the sides of the drawers or even recessed a bit. More cranking on the tiny screwdriver and by that time my hand was already bruised.

All that said….maybe I’m the only dummy in America who wouldn’t just go buy a tiny cordless screwdriver head for this one project, LOL! It also takes 2 sets of hands to assemble the cubes themselves, holding the sides perfectly perpendicular to each other while screwing in the tiny screws while you can’t brace it against anything to accept the pressure. Does that make sense? I’m sure some would find these things easy to assemble, but I sure didn’t….

The Store in Style brand is wonderful and uses a much easier cam lock system. You can literally put together the cube itself in 5 minutes. They’re also sturdier and larger, but more expensive. I don’t know if Joann’s or anyone carries them where you could use a coupon. I got them with coupons “back in the day” when Mike’s carried Store in Style.

You might also look into ITSO plastic storage at Target. The cubes take no assembly per se, other than sticking little pegs in each corner (if you want to stack them) to bind them to each other. They have all kinds of drawers, baskets, shelves, and such and you can really customize it. I have 3 of those ~ just the plain cubes ~ that I stack my CM Power Sort Boxes in. If I had known about Itso before I invested in the Store in Style, I probably would’ve done my whole wall in Itso. It’s cheaper and more flexible with the configurations you can do. Here are some Itso REVIEWS; two of them are from scrappers!

Anyway, there’s some more info and photos of all 3 types of cubes HEREand at the bottom of THIS post. If you’re in the market for scrappy storage, I hope that helps ya!

New Jetmax Storage Items at Michaels

I was at Michaels the other night and noticed all these new scrapbook storage items by Jetmax. I made sure to include the shelf sticker so you can see how much each item costs.

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This is a cool new storage item that I saw on an end cap. It wasn’t near the scrapbooking, but over by the home decor. I was a little confused by the signage though….are they 30% off or 40% off? LOL

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The only Jetmax items I currently own are the 3-drawer storage cubes. I have 3 of them that I bought one at a time using 40% or 50% off coupons. I’ve only put one of the cubes together and I’m dreading doing the other two, because it was NOT a pleasant experience. So my only advice is that if you plan to deck out your scrapbook area in Jetmax products, buy one item first and put it together before you commit. Just sayin….

Ribbon Storage by Cropper Hopper

I saw THIS entry by my bloggy friend, Susan. It’s a wonderful way to store ribbon. My favorite features are that it’s so compact considering how much ribbon is stored, and also that it’s flat and, like she said, you can throw a card or few of ribbon in with your crop stuff or whatever project you’re working on.

HERE’s a “ribbon addict” who started out with her ribbons on a card system like Susan’s, who then switched to a more casual approach. That’s kind of what I did. I used to wind my ribbon around cards like Susan’s, but smaller, and keep them in an embellishment case. But as time went by and I bought and used more ribbon, I got tired of winding and unwinding. It ended up being a hassle. My cards were also too small, I realized too late, and would get lots of creases in them. {That’s another thing I like about Susan’s approach; with the larger cards, I’ll bet the ribbon creases a lot less}. Anyhow, I tend to always be in a hurry to get things done, and a bit lazy to boot, so I also switched to a more “casual” kind of ribbon storage. I keep them in jars now, just loose and crazy.

Honestly, I think my ribbon thanks me….

Diary of a Scrapbook Room Makeover: Photos Held Hostage, Day 3

I usually love my iPhone dearly. It has changed my life for the better. It’s pretty. It fits perfectly in the palm of my hand. It has all the tools I need to get through the day.

But right now, I wanna’ kick it to the curb. (Hollah!)

My iPhone won’t sync to my computer. Hasn’t for 3 days now. Why is that a problem and why should you care?? Because, my scrappy friends, Mr. iPhone holds photos of:

– The progress I made last weekend on my scrapbook makeover PROJECT.
– New scrappy stuff at Target.
– New scrappy stuff at Michaels.

THAT. Is why you should care. You feeling me now? Good. We can suffer together.

I have tried all the fixes. The last time this happened, it was right after a software upgrade. I did all the fixes and nothing worked. After a day or two, it worked again. Apparently, iPhones are like women…don’t tell them when to do something. They’ll decide their DAMN selves, thankyouverymuch!

But it’s been threeeeeee daaaaayyyyssss…..How much longer must I wait? How much more can I take??? (Sing it with me! “No, you can’t hurry love…).

Yes, I DO love my iPhone. But right now? Not so much….

ETA 10-08-09: Okay, I tried again late lastnight and it worked! I have all my photos downloaded now. I have a zillion other things to do but will get those entries up as soon as I can :)

Blog Milestone, a Survey, and a RAK

492,348…that’s how many hits my blog has as of right now. Less than 8,000 hits to 500,000! Super cool. To celebrate this milestone for my blog, I’d like to offer a RAK of some scrapbook supplies. Nothing hugely fancy. I’m not sponsored by Making Memories or any of the big wigs….just little ol’ me, LOL! But who doesn’t want free stuff?!?!

Here’s how to play:

1. Leave as many comments ANYWHERE on this blog as you like, and each comment gives you 1 chance towards winning…. 20 comments = 20 chances, and so on…I have made 567 posts, so there are lots to choose from!

2. These comments must be left between now and when my blog rolls 500,000 hits…therefore, the deadline is unpredictable but I wouldn’t hesitate!

3. When time is up, I’ll put all your comment entries into Random.org and let it pick the winner!

4. This is open to USA and Canada readers only. So sorry, but I can’t afford to ship overseas :(

Here’s a Commenting opportunity ~ If you would please answer a few questions to help me make this a better blog:
1. How did you find my blog? Linked from another blog/site, Google search for ________?, etc.
2. Is my blog in your reader, do you have me linked on your blog, or how do you get here when you visit?
3. What topics have I not covered that you would like to see, or what topics most interest you?

Okay, looking forward to your comments and good luck in winning that RAK!! Here’s to 500 grand!

ETA: Don’t forget to include some way for me to reach you. When you log your comment, make sure your e-mail addie is correct and/or that you include a link to your blog. If I pick you and have no way to contact you, I’ll only give 24 hours grace for you to contact me before picking another winner :)

Diary of a Scrapbook Room Makeover: Your Questions Answered

Since I started writing my scrapbook room makeover posts, some of you lovely readers have been asking questions about certain items. I wanted to catch up on answering those, if you don’t mind. Or even if you do….bwaha!

From the FIRST POST, “Diary of a Scrapbook Room Makeover: A Prologue”…

JUDY asked:

“My first question for your organizational knowledge is this: What are you going to do with your stickles? I can’t decide how I want to organize mine. I know they should be upside down, but I also like them in a container that I can just grab and go when I get ready to go somewhere else and crop. So, do you have any suggestions for that?”

Answer: Ever since I started collecting Stickles (yes, you are not allowed to own just one Stickle….if you buy one, you will soon find yourself needing more, and before you know it, you have a Gang of Stickles….I currently have 15 bottles)….Okay, so, ever since I started collecting them, Judy, I’ve been keeping them lined up in anal-retentive, ROYGBIV color order on my Making Memories Embellishment Shelf. This is an older photo, from when I only had 7 Stickles, but you get the idea:

I did hear at some point that it’s best to store them upside down to avoid the applicator clogging but, since clogging hasn’t been a problem for me, I totally ignored that suggestion. It reminds of those pesky exercise tips you see bandied about. I mean, exercise??? Doesn’t apply to me, so why would I take note??? But in the interest of helping out my Stickles Sista, Judy, I went and found a couple ideas for ya…

Here’s an economical route from SHAYLA’S CREATIONS. Looks simple, and it’s pretty to boot.

Tons of great Stickles Upside Down Storage ideas here at OBSESSED WITH SCRAPBOOKING. Now, even though the names of our blogs are similar, we are NOT sisters. But I do love her. She shows people who have more Stickles than I do, which makes me feel not so ashamed. I think my favorite idea is the mini-lunchbox, although then your pretty Stickles are hidden away and their bottled sparkliness cannot add extra shine and glimmer to your day each time you glance their way.

At the bottom of her post, you’ll see where TIM HOLTZ says it’s fine to store them either way, but if you store your Stickles upside down, they may glurb out when you open them. {Glurb is not an official word, if you were to ask Merriam-Webster, but it seriously should be. Are you with me? Let’s start a petition!}. So, it’s sort of like the G.D. ketchup that G.D. glurbs out because I store it upside down in the refrigerator because that’s how the bottle is made and I’m just following directions. Yep, your Stickles’ll be just like the G.D. ketchup. Just sayin’….

Judy, I’m sure I’ve answered your question and about 50 others by now, right? So moving on….

Here is a question from my THIRD POST, “Diary of a Scrapbook Room Makeover, Part Two”:

Jkaye asks: “very interested in your JETMAX cubes- do you like them? And are they heavy- as in too heavy to stack on a Rubbermaid like table? I might have to stick with my rubbermaid 3-drawer containers as for the weight is okay for now..I am sure the Jetmax ones would be much heavier..”

Answer: First, let me clarify (see photos below). The stack of cubes I have along the wall (there are 10 cubes plus a half cube) are the heavier duty cubes called Store in Style. As for the Jetmax cubes, which are lighter weight and can be found at Target and Michaels, I own 3 of the 3-drawer cubes. However, I’ve only assembled one and haven’t stored anything in it yet. So I’m not an expert on the Jetmax cubes, but they are definitely lighter and smaller than the Store in Style cubes. I did a weight comparison test of the Jetmax cubes and the Sterlite (like Rubbermaid) 3-drawer containers with the 12×12 drawers. I actually weighed them on a scale. The Jetmax 3-drawer cube weighed 15 pounds, and the Sterlite 3-drawer container weighed 5 pounds. So, Jkaye, I’m not sure if putting the Jetmax cubes on your table would be do-able. But definitely do not plan on putting the Store in Style cubes on a tabletop. They are MUCH heavier then the Sterlite containers.

STORE IN STYLE CUBE (3-drawer)

JETMAX CUBE (3-drawer)

STERLITE 12×12 CONTAINER (3-drawer)

On that same post, YvetteDownUnder {who has a cute, funky, phresh scrap studio} said: “Can I ask you about the Powersort boxes? What dimensions are they? You guys in the US have an abundance of cube options, but we are more limited here in Oz, so I wonder if they would fit in an Ikea Expedit? Most of my photos of now scrapped in albums :) and I need to downsize those that aren’t from multiple photo boxes. I am tempted by the Power Sort, but not yet 100% sold on it. So fitting it into my storage could sway things.”

Answer: To answer this question, I thought I’d pop my azz right over to CreativeMemories.com and find the dimensions of the Power Sort Box for Miss Yvette. But, no, they aren’t listed on the website. Isn’t that a little weird? I mean, how many potential buyers have NOT boughten them (no, “boughten” is not an official word either, but seriously, if we can make “blog” and “snorkel” and “obfuscate” real words, can we not make “boughten” official? It sounds much cooler than any of those other words. Man, someone needs to have a talk with those dictionary people!). Okay, so how many people have not boughten those Power Sort boxes because they didn’t want to commit without knowing the dimensions?? Oh, I get it! That’s their way of forcing you to speak with a Creative Memories Consultant! Ah, yes, mystery solved.

Since I can’t find the dimensions online ~ and as much as my CMC would luuurrve a phone call from me at 2am ~ I decided to get out of my comfy recliner, put my laptop aside, pause “TMZ” on the Tivo, and go measure my Power Sort Box myself. No, really, Yvette, it’s alright. Don’t feel badly. It wasn’t THAT much trouble. Really. (Man, am I making you sorry you ever asked this question? LOL!). So the measurements of the Power Sort Box are: 14.75″ x 13″ x 5.5″. I don’t know if that works with the Expedit but I hope so. They are crack-a-lackin’. I love how they hold so many photos, are archival safe, and you can pull the little holders out to rearrange how they are in the box, to take a chunk of photos to a crop, or just to your desk to scrapbook.

Okay, I think I got all your wonderful questions answered. Thanks for asking, and I hope my answers were helpful. No worries, the smart-assidness was no extra charge. See, “smart-assidness”….yet ANOTHER unofficial word that should be official! For shizzle….

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