I Love My Stuff!

I do.  I love my stuff!  It's fun to just look at all the pretty papers, cardstock, and punches lined up on my Bigel Rods and nestled in drawers and just imagine what pretty cards I could make with them.

This paper crafting hobby began four years ago with a package of cardstock, one box of A2 envelopes, a few stickers and some loose sheets of patterned paper.  At that time, all my supplies would fit into a single 12 x 15" file box.  I made my cards on my fabric cutting table in my sewing room.

Within six months, I had to remove my sewing machines to make room for my paper.  Before the end of the next year, all my fabrics were stored inside totes, put into the garage, and I'd purchased an entire set of JetMax cubes just to hold paper and embellshments.

My Tim Holtz items are some of my very favorites.  I'll often take down a stack or two of his paper and just flip through the pages enjoying the colors and patterns.  So many great ideas pop into my mind, but, if I cut it and use it, it's gone!  So,  I savor the moment, and put the paper back into the cube it's stored in.

I've driven hundreds of miles searching for just the right containers to store my supplies and agonized over buying one or two of an item while standing in the aisle at Hobby Lobby with only one 40% off coupon to use.

Hours have been spent researching and deciding what will be the best way to store markers, embellishments and ribbon.  The first method, which seems ideal at the time, generally winds up being just a prototype.

 My ribbon has been kept in boxes, jars, stored in loose coils, standing on edge on wire shelves in its original spools and is currently wrapped around cardboard shapes that I cut with my Cricut.  It's now standing on edge in a drawer beneath my work surface and in easy reach.

The first set of markers that I purchased were BIC brand and they came in their own plastic storage case.  Then I was introduced to Stampin' Up markers and was convinced that if I bought the entire set with the case that I'd never want or need to buy any other brand.  Wrong!  Along came a blogger named Enfys and Promarkers.  Surely I could do much better work if I just had the brand of markers she was using!  Her colored images were so perfectly shaded and she even posted video tutorials showing how simple it was to do.  Of course I had to get some of those!

It's fun, to me, to reorganize my supplies.  Most recently, I sorted all my loose patterned papers into color groups and placed it beside the coordinating solid cardstock.  I've also come up with a great system for storing and organizing my Promarkers and grouping my finished cards to make them easier to ship.

All in all, I just love my stuff!  Looking at it, rearranging it, sorting it, and sometimes I even use some of it!