Notebook

I'm posting today because if I don't write something in a hurry, my sister, Jen, is going to revoke my rights to the title of this blog. :)

Last year for Christmas, Santa brought me this little binding machine. It's a Zutter and I had big plans for this little thing. I really like it, but I realized that I can only use so many blank books.
















Um, yes. All blank.
















I finally thought of a real use for a hand-made book. I made this the other day.





















I cut the covers from the cardboard out of the back of a picture frame, covered the front with paper that I love (Splendor by BoBunny) and cut cream cardstock to the size of 5"x8" index cards. I've bound both the cream cardstock and the index cards inside the book. That way I can use it both horizontally and vertically.
















I'm going to put this with my scriptures, and when I come across a scripture reference that really speaks to me, I'm going to copy it out and also the thoughts and inspirations I get from it. I'm also going to copy favorite quotes that inspire me. If I had any, ANY talents whatsoever in the sketching/doodling department, I'd do that, too, but I don't. I don't want to make this an art book, anyway. It's really going to just be a book of inspirations. I wrote this first page during church this morning. Also, during Sunday School, I found a lot more I want to use. I really loved the lesson and the plethora of inspirations in it.

HOME

I know I've mentioned on several occasions the little "Cut It Out" shop in town. I've purchased several word sets there, always, until now, for a special holiday or season. This last time I wanted to get something a little more permanent, so I ordered these. Sorry I don't have work-in-progress pictures, but the process is always the same-stain, pick out paper, trace, cut & trim, and embellish. In the past I've used big, cutesy buttons and trims, because seasonal items are meant to be that way. Since this is going to be on permanent display, though, I wanted nicer embellishments. I scoured the craft stores and departments and this is what I came up with for this set of HOME.

Paper is Samantha Walker for Creative Imaginations, which I purchased a couple of years ago, and the embellies are BoBunny, BGM Mercantile, Ribbon Trends, Silk Vision, Sierra Pacific, Cousin and various other things I found in my craft room.

Update

Greetings, October! Yes, I know we're halfway through the month, but that's ok. I was off the grid last week. I had carpets cleaned last week, carpets in the living room, little family room (soon to be Scott's room again), my scrapbook room and the hallway. That meant taking everything off the floor and putting it somewhere else--everything but the piano, sofa and love seat. EVERYTHING else went, out of 4 rooms. So my scrapbook room/office/playroom was also dismantled, and my computer was on the shelf, waiting for carpets to dry. After spending 4 days with the dining room full of stuff from the other parts of the house, and eating standing up at the bar, I realized that the SB room was not the biggest or most important priority. So I've spent this morning putting things back together. The living room is done, Scott's room is completely empty (we even took the computer out of there, because it is my firm belief that computers do not need to be in anyone's bedroom), and my SB room is 98% back together.

We are shuffling a bit, because after talking with Scott last week, we invited him to move back home, and he's thinking seriously that moving back would be the best thing. It'll enable him to find a job here, (hopefully) and start saving some money. Consequently, we'll be putting a bed and a dresser in there, which means we've moved the entertainment center back downstairs, into the cold family room. We're thinking this will all be a temporary situation, until Scott goes on his mission next year. Then we can reclaim his room and make it our little family room/computer room again.

The following pictures are in response to the blog entry I wrote, http://craftygenius.blogspot.com/2011/06/getting-busy.html about the ways I wanted to clean and reorganize my scrapbook room.

This is my cleaned-up sewing area, which wasn't ever really bad, unless I was in the middle of a sewing project.

This is a close-up of the cute hutch above my sewing table, showing off part of my monogram collection.

My computer table and the overhead shelves, which I love. I love that I can store supplies, as well as display pictures and more of my monogram collection.

The computer desk and overhead shelves switched places with this the wall of cube storage, which I also love. This, as well as the buckets and jars in the next photo, stores all of my scrapbook paper, embellishments, tools and everything which I need to papercraft in any way. The shelf above also holds more precious photos, and more monograms.

The buckets and jars hold my ribbons, silk flowers and large buttons.

This is my much nicer and better organized craft storage closet. (See the cute, polka-dot apron peeking out from behind the door?) In the pre-organized post, these drawers showed the mess of everything inside them, and I lamented the visual clutter. I printed the drawer contents onto sheets of yellow cardstock and stuck them into the fronts of these drawers,

these little bin drawers, 



and these drawer stackers. Now I know what's inside the drawers without having to SEE what's inside.

 

This is my scrapbook work table. It faces the wall of cube storage, with everything in easy reach. The windows have an eastern exposure, so I get the morning sun, which brightens my day.

another shot of the scrapbook work table, and the boxes holding photos, cards and card blanks.

Here's a close-up of the labeled drawer stacks in the craft closet. This is so much nicer! 

This is the cute monogram my cute sister Tamara made for my birthday, and the sign I made to display it. This hangs on the door to the scrapbook room, which is always open (unless I'm wrapping Christmas or birthday presents). I know I already blogged this, but now it is in context.

Because Scott is going to need his room and his closet, I put the family computer in my SB room, where the white bookshelf was, right next to the door. Taking the white bookshelf away necessitated transfering a few things to my overhead shelves. Most of the other things went right back to their assigned spots.

This is a close-up of my magnet board, which hangs next to the door, above the family computer desk. More pictures of people I love, more monograms. In the picture of the computer, I haven't put the things back onto the magnet board.

This has been lots of work, but also lots of fun. This room makes me so happy, I spend hours in it every day, blogging, paying bills, playing games, crafting, scrapbooking, listening to music, planning menus & shopping lists. It's my little world, and I love it. I love that it's clean and organized.