Organizational Challenge: The "new" scrap area

My uncle came into town last weekend and we did a massive cleaning frenzy to get the basement bar/rec room cleaned up, since that is where we usually entertain in the cool months. Turns out the weather was beautiful, so we spent the majority of the day outside on the patio, but who knew? In order to rework the rec room area, we moved my scrap area up against the back wall. The plus side - better lighting. It's a fluorescent fixture, but still. The negative - my carefully organized space got rush-moved, so the table and shelves are a dumping ground. See photo evidence:



Look at that table! But do you like my "window?" :) (a present from the previous owner - we hear from the neighbors that this was a party house in the 60s - they had the coolest basement bar, with a pool table, built in stereo, fan for removing the ubiquitous smoke, and a poker table.)

I spent about an hour last night cleaning it up. The drawer cubes are too tall for the lip on the "window," so I've spread them out. Which gave me more surface space for some of the small things that didn't have homes yet. BUt I still have a lot of work to do, and I really want to get cracking on my Cathy Zielske BPS class. Kinda hard to do right now, since I can't find my table. Sigh. This is what it looks like now:



Better, but lots more to do. But I think I'm going to like the new location. The cutie pie can also "craft" right next to me at her adorable little IKEA table. (And no, I didn't dress her like that - she likes to play "Fashion Show" with the clean laundry when we're down in the basement.)

On to week 18 -- Tools. I need some help in this area, mostly to keep the cutie pie and her little brother safe from my dangerous tools.

QuicKutz holiday alpha release

Today's new QuicKutz Mini alpha on a 4x8 die is a longtime favorite of mine, and should look familiar to a lot of scrappers:



Holiday = Cocktail Shaker



It's the same font Creating Keepsakes uses in their title and covers, and American Crafts also had rubons in this typeface. The font is pretty pricey - the die is the same price!

Anyone know if it cuts well on a digital cutter?

ETA: Thanks to caspad - American Crafts uses the name Ginger for their stamps and rubons of Cocktail Shaker. I couldn't remember.

Tag Book for Me: The Abridged Version

This fall, instead of spending my scrapbooking budget on product, I'm taking a bunch of Big Picture Scrapbooking classes. One of them is Cathy Zielske's - Me: The Abridged Version. I've been collecting ideas for All About Me layouts for years now, but since I have few recent photos of me, I never get around to actually making the pages. The concept for this album is perfect - more journaling than photo based. To get started idea-collecting, we created a tag album. Here is mine:



Rather than use Cathy's template (which would have required a lot of cutting), lazy me decided to use the Cricut and pre-made tags. I messed around with the Size dial until I got tags the same width as the MM canvas tags I used as the front and back, and then trimmed the canvas tags a little shorter to fit. To keep the cork letters from making the album too lumpy, I staggered them across the bottom. Ironically, my tag shape is within 1/4" the same as Cathy's template!

To simplify this class, I'm using the Chloe's Closet program from Making Memories. I bought a few pieces of the line in January when it was released, and then I recently found the rest, including the 8x8 album, in the clearance section at Michael's. I matched 6-7 shades of orange, blue and green cardstock to the line, from my stash. Hopefully I can keep this up.

Product:
Tag shape: Cricut with Doodletype cartridge
Canvas tags, cork and canvas letters, button flower & mini alpha stickers: Making Memories Chloe's Closet
Ribbon: American Crafts Downtown Orange
Cardstock - smooth gray blue that's been in my stash since before I discovered Bazzill textures, so it's OLD!

More unfinished layouts COMPLETED!

I decided I wanted to test out the new scrap space last night. Life got in the way, so I spent a little time this morning:

1. Making my tag book and picking product for my Me: The Abridged Version album (more on that in a later post)

2. Working on some unfinished layouts

This layout was in my "I don't like it" pile. It just didn't feel right. I actually ended up changing the title on this one, and flipping the layout so she was facing in, rather the other way. It looks better now.



And the inspiration layout, from Simple Scrapbooks. I imitated the black background, the three flowers and the subject. My journaling is hidden and I don't have any of the fun KI acrylic letters, so I used a vellum title that fit.


Credits:
Scraplift: Sara Dickey
Paper, Brads: Doodlebug
Title Vellum: DCWV ALl About Girls book
Flowers: Prima

And #2 - this one also didn't feel right. My original version had the photo corners on opposite corners, and I hadn't written the journaling - it was still on a sticky note on the back. I wish I had scalloped the patterned paper, but I started this layout before I had the Fiskars punches and I didn't feel like Unduing it.



And the inspiration, from Simple Scrapbooks: You can see where I tested the brown pens :)


Credits:
Scraplift: Mi'Chelle Larsen
Paper: Anna Griffin (pink), Lasting Impressions (cream)
Chipboard: American Crafts
Flower: Kaisercraft

Organizational Challenge: Ink, Embossing

My Love Affair with the Label Maker: Organize Your Stuff Challenge Week 15 = Blog Challenge link.

Ink, Embossing

I mentioned before that I'm not into stamping and have sold the majority of my stamp collection. That included many of my inks. I kept a few basic CTMH colors (black, browns and white), Versamark, and kept my Doodlebug inks because they coordinate. Other than a few Cat's Eyes for distressing edges, that's it. Here they are organized in a 6x6 Rubbermaid cube on my work table, right next to my stamp drawers:



Absolutely no embossing stuff for me, although the Zing! powders look fabulous.

And I have a pretty small collection of acrylic blocks, too. I may buy one more medium square one, and I'll be set.

QuicKutz Thanksgiving alpha release

A new alpha for QuicKutz yesterday means a quick search of My Fonts for me. Here is what turned up:



Harvest = Youngblood Regular (although I think QK bolded it a bit for better cutting).

.

This is a really lovely alpha - I can't imagine this will cut with a digital cutter at a small size like the dies, so I may have to buy this one!