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3/10/2017

St. Patricks Day Frogs & Organization too

Good evening, and welcome. We've had a lovely sunny day, warmish according to the temps, but such a wind that howled & chilled. Tomorrow the prediction is for a wintery mix, and may get snow flurries. What crazy weather! We've had snow in March before. I can remember seeing the tulips peeking up above the snow. However, flurries don't stay on the ground, and we should not have to go out in any 'weather'. Hope it will be nice where you are.

Back again with another St. Paddy's card. Got most of them in the mail. Still have about 3 more to finish up. This afternoon, Mr. was waiting on me to go out and I was hurrying to finish up, so this  one  just has pattern paper and a design from a 6x6 pack + some die cuts.


Lots of snippets on this one too. The wonky stitched  outer frame is left from another project, as is the green one. The DP also a snippet - from VOS. The center motif is a page in an Irish themed 6x6 pack, so just cut one out. Impression Obsession shamrocks were cut from a snippet from some created background done who knows how long ago. It's left over from die cutting a Christmas tree, probably early in 2016. The photo doesn't show it, but there's some gold mica in the striations of color. I like the shamrocks best of all on this card. It truly is one of the fastest cards I've ever made. (being told "if you want to go get something to eat, you better get a move on" can speed up the process. I just happened to remember having this 6x6 pack and that it had a page with squares on it, that can be used for motifs).

Here's another project I've been working on - off & on. Debated on sharing, since it's so messy (embarrassing really). Last year we got some Ikea Alex cabinets. Mr. put together for me, put castors on the base so these can be rolled to wherever. Been trying to sort through wooden and clear stamps, get them together as to 'themes'. I had stored previously more by companies, and that's definitely not a good organization. Didn't realize how many flowers, birds, dogs, frogs, leaves & trees I have. Also tried to sort the Christmas themes as to Santa, wreaths, Snowmen, Poinsettia, Christmas animals, religious, sentiments & keep those together; ditto for other holidays too. I can already see that some of the drawers I've labeled, will have to be changed as I'm finding more stamps & I wanted to try to keep the drawers consecutive with the theme (say 2 drawers of birds and then not have a 3rd one in another cabinet). I'm open to any organizing ideas you care to suggest. Also I'm stacking stamps on top of bottom layer, so I foresee I'll still have to search. At least hopefully it will just be in one place, not all over the room. (I'm hanging my head in shame at this mess and  how long it's taking me to get things cleaned up. My friend Hazel, has spurred the incentive to get cracking on doing this, as she has been doing some hard work at reorganizing her space.)

the plastic 3-bin drawers look sad, and I'm trying to think of another use for these. They're still in good shape, so don't want to just toss. Behind the door on the right of the picture, there are 2 double wire paper racks. Got these as a 'bargain' when a store closed. It's great storage if you have 100 sheets of the same pattern. Not so efficient if you have a couple sheets of many different color patterns. I want to eliminate these, and perhaps put 2 more tall file cabinets, or some more tall Alex cabinets (or something similar). Behind the 2 chairs are the big plastic bins you pack stuff in & it's adventurous moving in that space. One day I hope to move the chairs to the back wall, where the sofa is, maybe put the sofa in place of the chairs. You can just see the dark recliner (hand-me-down from a neighbor who redecorated) and that's where I sit to watch tv, color & doze at night. The plastic bins in the dark bookcase hold small dies, which I have sorted by theme, and also embossing folders. I don't like the look of the bins in the bookcase, but where to store. These bookcases used to hold books, dvds and things that looked 'nice'...not so messy. I'm lucky that DH doesn't fuss at me for the chaos I've created in his tv room!

 the narrow bins on the floor are from Harbor Freight (a guy's place! and used for storage in garage. They are inexpensive, hold clear stamps in a standing position, you can flip through easily, see what you have. I'm trying to separate these by sentiments, flowers, etc. Hopefully I can get all the stamps & matching dies together in a labeled clear envelope so I'm not hunting for the die to go with a stamped image...like I do presently. You can see the ground level window that lets in little natural light. In the next picture you can see another Ott light - and there's a fluorescent hanging light above the desk. Also lights on the ceiling fans, but these just give room light, not good work light. You can't see the recliner I'm usually in at night, but there is a floor Ott light by that chair, just as there is one by the sofa.
 
Desk is on this side of the room. The table shown is the same height as the desk and has way too much mess. Shelves above the desk and this table are loaded. The tall Alex cabinets in the previous pictures were along this back wall. Decided to move the shorter cabs to this wall, and put the SU stamp bins where they are easier to swivel if I'm looking for a color. Across from this area, is another table that has the cameo & laptop, but you can't see it just now because of all the mess piled on top of everything. It's daunting, but I've been trying to work a few hours each day. Nobody but myself could possibly see that I've made any progress!!! Please tell me I'm not the only card maker who has this kind of mess! You can be sure that IF/WHEN I get this all sorted away, I will share pictures of a clean, straightened up room. Of course I still may never be able to find anything :-)
 
Just added a new card to the Cards by Friends page, hope you'll have time to enjoy it with us. And perhaps go visit the kind person who sent it to us.
 
Thanks for joining me - hope your weekend is going to be just swell. Hugs & Prayers.
 

 
 

40 comments:

  1. Good on you Mary for attempting to organise. I've just finished doing my room after months of procrastination and overwhelming mess building up. One day my sister was here and I mentioned I wanted to get rid of some shelves and reorganise, she said let's do it and she'll take the shelves. Done!! It took about a week to do it all but the main furniture moving was done straight away and I just did the rest gradually as I decided where to put things. I can now see the floor, get to my window, open the cupboard etc etc. Such a good feeling : )
    Looking forward to seeing your new space : )

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  2. Very cute card. Love the frogs.
    Valerija xx

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  3. First, adorable card! :) I think St. Patrick's Day cards should be fun ...

    I am amazed at how much stamping supplies you have Mary. Wow!! Good for you spending time and energy organizing. At least once you are done, you will know where to find things. It's a lot of work, but so worth it. Looking forward to seeing when you are all done. I will be sharing my room soon. Still waiting for my last cabinet, but they are now back in stock so will be ordering it soon. A few more things to get, but basically I am done ... for now ... until some more packages come in the mail. :) xx

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  4. Your card really is cute, it made me smile and I think that is what St Pat's Day should do!

    Well done for making a great start on your room Mary, I think your Mr will just be happy that you have a hobby that makes you feel happy too! It is a lot of hard work but I am sure you will feel the benefit of it all when you are finished. My new Tim goodies arrived yesterday and I will need to have a clear up to fit them in!!! My new thing these days is 'one new thing in, one old thing out'... so far it seems to be working...lol. Hugs, Anne xx

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  5. Cute card!! I have been trying to get in my craft room to reorganize also, but hasn't happened yet. Still trying!

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  6. I love your shamrocks! Good for you getting St. Paddy's cards done! I haven't done a good job on them. I think organization is the hardest part of our hobby. Honestly, if Internet ordering wasn't so easy, organization would be so much easier!

    We are going to have some shivering flowers here too. They were telling us we could get an inch of snow but last night they were down to flurries with more next week. Crazy weather!!!

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  7. Adorable S.Patrik card, so fun and bright!
    It's incredible how much crafty items we are able to store, eh? :) And there isn't an organization that will be perfect forever... I have a BIG CAHOS in my craft room!! My craftroom is much more messy than your, because I put away any recicled item.... LOL! :D
    Big hugs, hope that MR will have some patience... :)I'm sure that you will found a good and pretty organization soon! ;)

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  8. Hi Mary, By heck you have a huge task on your hands. Although I like to be organised, I don't have anywhere near the amount of crafting stuff that you do. My wooden stamps are in an organiser hanging on a door. My clear stamps are in a photo album. The ones with pockets.

    Hope you find things start to fit and you can see if getting sorted.

    Hope you have a lovely weekend and no nasty weather. Sue

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  9. I love that your craft room is so big. I would love to have that space. When you are finished it will be wonderful. It's nice to have a place for everything together so I understand about wanting all the same stamps together. It's hard with Stampin Up stamp sets as some sets have different holiday stamps and sentiments in the same set. Each time I reorganize I can't find anything because I forgot where I put it! Yes, please share when you are finished.

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  10. When you finish organizing you can come visit me! LOL! I have been wanting to organize my stamps for a very long time now. I'm sure I have lots of stuff that I don;t even know about. It's really very sad. (And I just bought more this week. Don't tell my DH.) I thought after I retired I'd get time for projects like this but the twins seem to take up my time now. I guess in the grand scheme of things they are much more important. [smile] Lovely St. Pat's card. Your froggyis adorbale. Those shamrocks are very festive. That's one of my projects this weekend is to get my SPD cards ready to go out. The weather has taken a nose dive here too. We haven't had much in the way of precipitation but the cold wind makes you want to stay in doors. Have a wonderful weekend!

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  11. I love your Paddy card, great combination of papers and love the larger clover (shamrock) and those little frogs are adorable.

    As for your room, I can see why you don't know what you have, BUT, should imagine most stampers have the same "organisation". Saying that, if I had my digital supplies as physical things, I think I would have to take over your room and a few others LOL. Good luck with putting things in order.
    Faith
    x

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  12. Fabulous card Mary, sweet image and I agree those shamrocks are fabulous. Fantastic work space, I always enjoy seeing craft rooms and how they are organized!

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  13. Your card is so adorable!! I love the frogs!! The papers are perfect!!

    Don't be embarrassed of your crafty space -- it looks alot like mine!! I have drawers stacked in front of drawers. I've tried to get organized, but it's so hard. My Dad built me a huge, three drawer cabinet with pull-out shelves to hold all of my stamps and dies. I don't know what I did before I had it. I've organized all the dies so if I need something, I can flip through and find it easily. The stamps are organized by company and I'm not as good about finding saying I want. I usually stick to the same companies. Good luck with your reorganization!! Have a great weekend!! Big hugs :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  14. First of all, I love your card! It's the perfect mix of patterned paper and the design is just right for those cute little froggies! You need to get in a hurry more often because it's great!
    Oh my......I must say, you have a ton of stuff! No more will I say I ever have too much now. LOL! It already looks like it organized and I can see you loving all this space to create in. The sorting of stamps and paper is an awesome task but you'll get it just like you want it soon and it'll be wonderful. Love it!
    Lynn

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  15. A fabulous St Patrick's Day card Mary,a fun image and sentiment.
    Your craft room looks reasonably tidy compared to mine - I sort mine out and and get it all nice and organised and tidy and within a few weeks it's back to square one again - you have lots of space.
    Pauline - Crafting with Cotnob
    x

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  16. That's a terrific St. Patty's Day card, Mary! I'll just wish you and Joe a Happy St. Patty's Day here as I didn't make any this year!! Goodness, you really are in the midst of a massive reorg, aren't you? You know you give me itchy itchy fingers when you show me your room. I wish I lived nearby so I could come and whip your space into shape - I'm sick like that and love doing it! It sounds like you are on the right track; I love my Wally knockoff Alex cabinets and I pretty much org the way you are doing. I have to have my schtuff sorted by genre or type (all trees and leaves together, for instance) for my brain to find them. It's a lot of work sorting them this way with the new clear stamp sets holding a dozen stamps that are unrelated in one package! (How many itty-bitty star images do we need??? lol!) Anyway, high tens, attagirl, and way to go!! Keep on keepin' on!! Hugs, Darnell

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  17. I'm loving this card with all those itty bitty shamrocks working the background! Very cute and fun card for the luck o' the Irish!
    You have way more schtuff than I do, but I'm never organized too long! Once I shift things around to become "organized" I can never find things I'm looking for, so I'm trying to leave it alone! I clean up often, but never move things unless I want to spend weeks looking for something. Been there/done that soooooooooooo many times! lol

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  18. Love your St Paddy's card Mary. A brilliant design. What an absolutely enormous work space you have....fantastic!! I have lost count of the times I have attempted to tidy my craft room...I can never find anything afterwards!! I have also attempted to catalogue my stamps, and dies...to no avail!! I do find drawer units on casters very useful for stamps though, if only I could remember which drawer houses which stamps!! xx

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  19. I love your card Mary and the fun sentiment. Wow what a lot of space you have and well done with the organising. I can never find stuff when I move it around. My hubby thinks I have so much stuff I think I may have to show him your photos ... you're certainly well stocked. Barbxx

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  20. Well after seeing your craft room I have nearly forgotten what the card was like, lol.
    No a really fabulous card, great image and some lovely papers, very novel idea to use frogs but they are green.
    Fantastic craft room, thought mine was big but yours puts mine to shame. My drawers and cupboards are all labelled too and I also keep swapping things around so have to change the labels, eventually, otherwise I forget where things are.

    Kath x

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  21. Wonderful St Patrick`s day card Mary.
    Wow what a daunting task you have there, bet it will be a beautiful organised craft space when you have finished..
    Pam x

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  22. That is such a cute card, Mary! Love the combination of papers you chose for that image. As far as that room, not near as bad as you think it is ! Heck I see walking space there. Sometimes I don't even have that! Good going on getting organized!

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  23. This card is so very nice. Love those froggies standing in front of all those pretty shamrocks. I have been where you are right now in the reorganizing of my craft room so I do understand that you have made big headway. I remember saying the same thing. "No one would ever believe that I've come a long way in cleaning and organizing". LOL Can't wait to see the finished project. Have a great Sunday.

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  24. WOW all that crafty stash-I don't have anywhere near that ammount or space and still can't find anything lol-I have a two desk space and at the moment have a six inch square of space to craft and last night had to craft on the bed-think it's time for a tidy!!!oops almost forgot love the card too
    Carol x

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  25. I love your cute frogs for this St Patrick's Day card Mary and such a delightful combination of greens and then the pretty shamrocks to finish. This reorganisation is so worthwhile, and tackling a bit every day you is a good way to go and your crafting will become much easier and more enjoyable when you have easier access to all your crafting goodies. I look forward to seeing your progress. x

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  26. Brilliant card Mary, never had the need to make a St. Pat's day card, I take it you have lots of Irish friends to send them too.
    What a large craft space, just fab, but the organising looks daunting, good luck with it, Kate x

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  27. Love your fresh and sweet froggy card!
    As for organizing, I am not a great person to give advice. My workspace is usually covered in stuff and I only have a small area to create. Although I cleaned it off two weeks ago after buying a rolling cart at Costco (similar to the one from IKEA that everyone has but a lot less expensive). When I started to fill it up I had more more room on the desk and that prompted a thorough cleaning. I am so excited! Although now I am reluctant to create because I don't want to mess it up again! ;)

    When I first started thinking about organizing my stamps I also thought I would have a drawer with flowers, one with animals, etc. but instead of buying some custom stamp cabinets I used what I had and put them in there in the most space efficient way (so there might be a flower next to a sentiment next to an animal, etc. In order to find them I stamp them in a binder that has different categories (animals, backgrounds, borders. celestial, Christmas,...) with a little code underneath in which drawer to find it. Might sound weird but it works for me. Mind you, this was when I had mostly wood-mounted stamps. But it works for acrylics too. This way you have room to grow because they are not contained in a certain number of drawers. Hope you know what I mean...
    Good luck!

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  28. Love your card Momma Mary! I didn't even make any St. Patty's card. I love how the Mister got your motivated to get the card done fast. lol You did really good for a fast card. Must better than I could have done! Please don't hang your head Momma Mary, it's not that bad! And you are working on it organizing away! I will be so nice when you are all done and well worth it as well. Love your big room downstairs, it is so open but cozy too! Hugs, Brenda

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  29. Fabulous and sweet card...love your frogs. Your room looks amazing, even with the mess. Love that you have a nice big space and honestly for your photos it really does not look like it is all the messy. Have fun!

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  30. I love your St Patrick's day card, Mary. Super design and all the elements go so well together.

    Thanks for sharing the photos of your crafting space. You are not alone, this resembles my craft room! I have good intentions of reorganising everything and keeping it tidy, but then I get easily distracted into making a new card or project. xx

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  31. I like your St Paddy day card. You are so far ahead on the "special Occasion" cards. Well done you!

    Good luck with the organizing. I too like my stamps sorted by theme.
    It worked for the wood mounted stamps but not so good for my acrylics. But you will feel so good when it is done.

    I think swapping the couch with the position of the two chairs is a great idea. I would have the table set up right behind the couch, so that you could work while you watched TV.
    If both of you watch TV from the chairs, you would then be facing the tV and if DH was watching in a chair, then you would be fairly close still, behind that couch.

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  32. Loving your Irish card : ) The frogs are so cute- love that die alot ! I love my Alex drawers- mine are full of things and stuff- and my stamps are elsewhere.... Being a Technique Junkie made me accumulate so much stuff! I have every inch of my workspace full of stamps and supplies : ) Good for you for working on a system that works for you!
    Oh I love your landscape pics- and I hope the dusting of snow will not hurt the blooms! We have blooms sprouting with the warm Feb weather, and now have snow...hope they still bloom!!!

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  33. Loved the little frogs
    Do you know how blessed you are to have that space .
    I am a super organizer ..everything in it's place and out the door if not being used I envy people who have lovely space ..........Lis

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  34. Adorable card, love the froggies! :) Oh my goodness, I wish I had that space for a craft room. I'm still working on a small space in my dining room. I can't do the stairs anymore, so can't use a room up there. Good for you, getting it organized. :)
    Hugs, Sherry x

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  35. Darling St. Patrick's Day card, Mary! Your little froggies are sweet and fun! so is your card, of course. Fantastic crafting space, and I understand how easily our craft rooms get used as storage areas - so I hear ya! Love the new IKEA storage drawers! And am happy for you that some of your organizing is getting taken care of. I know it's been bothering you for a long time. Happy day for you! and thanks for sharing. hugs, de

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  36. I love your cute little frogs. The background is quite eye catching. You have a gorgeous yard. And your crafting space is awesome!! Being organized is not easy. Good for you for working on it. Keep us posted :)

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  37. what a cute card, Mary totally love how it all goes together it is grand when a card obliges you like that :D

    Oh dear Mary, I really feel for you!!!...
    ... and just for the record my craftroom is in chaos too as pile are abounding needing sorting too...

    I am really impressed DH lets you spread like this in your combined purpose TV room (at first I wondered why the ginormous screen on right ??!!)thanks for showing us so very bravely, and forgot to say thanks for sharing shots of your yard in last post too..

    Thanks so much for sharing your inspiration!
    Shaz in Oz.x

    {Shaz in Oz – Calligraphy Cards}

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  38. Once upon a time we had a dining room. Now it's referred to as my hobby room. It's messy, I love my little chaotic hobby space. No, were not all organized. If it's too tidy it's hard for me to create, I need things around me, out in the open, it's inspiring. Your card is so cute, you certainly deliver when in a hurry!

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  39. Love your fun ST Paddy's Day card, Mary!!! Such fun papers you used to create a very sweet card!!!
    I think you've got some more crafty stuff than what I have, my friend!!!! LOL!!!! Well done on sorting things out and organizing everything!!!! Can't wait to see what your little crafting space is going to look like when you've finished everything!!!!! Have fun!!!
    Hugz

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  40. Mary, moving house is great for sorting out craft rooms - especially if you move to a much smaller house! Love your little frogs on the card. Hoping to have frogs in our new pond this year, the frogspawn survived moving and is about ready to hatch but there is a long way to go yet to the froglet stage and then another 3 years before they reach adulthood and return to breed.

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