Organization might be key

I'm usually throw it all in a box or bin type of gal

and let it go at that.

HOWEVER,

It was making me crazy - as bad as when my scrap bin gets out of control

 so imagine that with tons of die cuts and punched out items in it.

(I didn't think to take a die cut bit photo so to help your imagination

I have a photo of my scrap bin.

It was driving me crazy digging around for stuff I KNOW

is in there somewhere for my page which

took longer than actually grabbing the punch or die cut

and just making the embelli I want which

sort of defeated the idea of the die cut bin. LOL.

When I lack mojo and have lots o'scraps I'll get out

punches and diecuts and just go to town.

Also my pal Holli helps out with punches and dies that I

don't have in setting me up with stuff.

Sooooooo double the fun!

Anyway I had these deviled egg trays laying around doing nothing

and that black tray was full of stuff that would never

be used so I chucked out the stuff that was in the black tray,  cleaned up

the egg trays and very meticulously 

separated all the embellishments so I can find them.

What a concept eh.

We shall see how this works and how long it lasts.

My area is located by the sliding glass door to the lanai and

it gets mighty windy some days.

I'm hoping to use them all before the wind blows. 

LOL.

It also doesn't take into account the itty bitty stuff.

That has its own dedicated bowls.

I seriously need a bigger area.

Or less stuff.

Almost packed and ready to roll

Getting ready to take off for our Southern Route Tour

and this trip my scrapbook box has been upgraded.

Last trip I packed my supplies in this little box and actually

did okay with having the limits.

I did get a bit frustrated using just scissors but eventually

got over - one by finding big scissors and second

deciding that handmade cutting was part of the charm.

What I'm doing different this trip is upgrading to a bigger box but

also combining the travel diary and the road trip album

if that makes sense.

This is the basic grey captured album I had forever and 

created basic pages with papers and added

pocket pages.

This time I added the PL cards to the pocket pages

so all that remains - writing in the diary as we go and filling

in the photos and do-dads and added journaling. 

 So I put together a "basic" kit so to speak with

punches, mists, stamps and alphas, pop dots, tiny attacher

dry and wet adhesives, embellishments

additional PL cards and papers for mats.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

I also learned to put the majority of things in a baggy.

Especially the mists , glue, and inks.

(Don't know if you noticed but from one photo to the next - 

stuff was added LOL.

 For the road trip last year - I did acquire a Canon Selphy

printer which is also packed in there.

It's compact and prints really lovely photos.

Its perfect for putting together an album "on the fly" as

we get downtime on the road-which brings in 

the "diary" part of it because the ole memory can be a 

temporary thing. LOL.

Of course I overpacked on the clothes and probably still don't have
enough or what I want to wear. Arrgghh!!!

Please follow our travels on the blog and just note that the

internet can be quite dicey on the road.

Major purge going to a good home

Did I think of taking photos as I went?

Nooooooooooo....

that would've been too easy.

Really.

However I was on a mission and I wanted to

really purge, not double guess and

hem and haw.

Because I'm really really good at that.

Which is why the majority of this purge

was tucked away in a closet that

I visited once in a blue moon.

I now have empty drawers.

Which means the additional storage I purchased.

I really didn't need had I thought

it all through.

Hindsight.

I had stuff I hadn't touched, looked at

or fondled.

FOR YEARS.....

And sadly I'm not kidding.

However, I couldn't bring myself to throw it away.

And seriously our house is not in the best 

location for a yard sale so.......

A friend asked me if I had any supplies I didn't need

because she has a friend that doesn't have

a lot of money and loves to scrap.

This was my face :|

LOL.

She can literally open a store.

I hope she has a blast!

I feel sooooooo free!

Six Kits for the Crop

It started with my new Studio Calico kit that came yesterday.

And this first kit has a bit more than the rest,

i.e. embellishments and stamps.

Six kits are pretty good as I only usually get two maybe three pages done a day.

And I put them in individual page protectors and then

put them all in the wonderful Studio Calico file pocket.

And here's my trunk loaded with fun goodies.

All the things that I have around me and some favorite go to punches.

I did bring on magnetic book of die cuts but not the machine.

I'm sure there'll be plenty of machines, if not,

I have my precut dies stashed in there.

Threw in some mists, inks, paints, modeling paste, gesso and medium gel.

They go along with my water colors and heat gun of course.

Picked out some basic favorite thickers and stamps.

And if I don't have it, I'm sure the shop does.

Can't wait. 

Scrapping with pals is a lot of fun!

Finding some inspiration

So a couple of weeks ago I purchased the 2013 101+ ways to use your 

scrapbook supplies by Creating Keepsakes.

I miss the magazines as I loved poring over them while watching TV

with a lovely glass of wine while dog earring pages.

Raise your hand if you love doing that.

So while I was doing that I had my phone in hand and began to photograph the ones I really liked

and then sent them to my pal April - who liked them as well. I believe she lifted the one with journaling strips already. So now I'm behind. Of course we're keeping score. LOL!

And the reasons for my choices were all different.

 And I just go with what intrigues me. It could be the journal strips above.  Or maybe it could be the fun title and the old school design on the married one. Or  just the film strip below.

I love the rounded corners on this.... and the large mat.

And the orange ribbon. This is April's style. I like to be an equal opportunity dog earrer.

Love the use of the maps, the arrows - this page was just plain fun.

And the banners - loved the banners and the way the journaling was done. I tend to be real conservative on my banners. Putting 5 on a string is over the to for me. Just sayin......

This page is just plain awesome and totally speaks to me. Love all the embellishments and touches - especially the mists and splats.

And I loved the photo on this which was perfectly showcased. Again this is more April's style than mine.

I informed April she had  no need to purchase a copy LOL! Actually I believe she'd enjoy a copy. However, I don't just pore over this mags once or twice. I do it quite a bit because maybe something else will speak to me that didn't the first 19319348318 times I looked.

 I also didn't realize it was 2013 until I really got into it and honestly, it doesn't matter. I still look at magazines I bought 5, 10 years ago. I really miss them.

And with all this inspiration, I have nada. 

And that's okay- 

I have the 2014 Spring Somerset Memories.

And I'll be sharing that too.

I know you're excited.

QUESTION: Does it not boggle your mind that there are 1039410394139481384 bazillion scrapbookers out - and honestly, unless you are doing a lift - ISN'T IT AMAZING how all of our pages are totally unique and different.