Chick Chatter

Get Organized Step 5: Flat Embellishments

It's time to organize one of my favorite things: embellishments! We will be doing this in two steps.  First we will organize the flat embellishments, and then we will organize the loose embellishments.

I am including the following items in this step:

• Alphabet stickers (a favorite of mine...I am not a cricut girl)
• Die cuts (either individual or sheets of die cuts)
• Rub Ons
• Transparencies

Personally, this has been one of the most difficult items for me to keep organized over the years.  I finally developed a great system that worked very well a few years ago, but then we moved!  Here is a picture...it's not completely organized in the photo because it was a "before" photo from when I challenged our fans to get organized in 2009!

I was fortunate enough to have a legal sized file drawer next to my work space.  I simply used hanging legal files to organize everything (just the hanging files, not legal sized file folders).  I don't use a cricut, so I have lots of alpha stickers and Thickers.  I sorted these by color, and then had folders for the different themes of embellishments I needed to store.  At this point, my work area was in our living room.  Our house was small and there wasn't a spot for me, so I had to keep things picked up and neat or Mr. Chick would be grouchy.

Here is an after photo:

I finally figured out that I could use an inexpensive plastic crate to do this in my scrapbook space now, so I will be organizing this way again and I am very excited!

There are many different ways you can sort flat embellishments:

• Color
• Manufacturer (or by manufacturer collection)
• Theme
• Type (alpha stickers, journaling stickers, accent stickers, etc.)
• Size (one note...I can put the full size alphabet sticker sheets in the legal files by cutting them in half)

Because I sort my patterned paper primarily by brand, I store some of the embellishments with the patterned paper.  For example, I put all the following items in one page planner pocket.

The pocket holds the papers from the Tradition collection by Fancy Pants Designs. I also keep the transparencies, stickers, die cuts, glitter cuts, and journaling notebook in the same pocket.  This way, when I am ready to scrapbook using this collection, all I need to do is gather my photos and some coordinating cardstock.

Once I am done using a collection, I will break it up. To sort all my flat embellishments, I am using an inexpensive plastic file crate that I already owned.  (I have not spent a dime on any of the items I am using to organize in this challenge).  Then I am using the legal sized hanging file folders that I used in my old system.  I will keep the folders in the crate, and it will be on shelves behind my work area so that I can pull it out to use whenever I need it.  Note: if you are going to do this, you just need a crate and hanging legal size file folders.  You don't need actual legal size folders.

The alpha stickers will be sorted in my folders according to color. I sort the remaining flat embellishments according to the following themes.  You should tweak the list to whatever you think you need!

My categories:

• Boy
• School
• Sports
• Christmas
• Borders
• Labels
• Family
• Travel
• Girl
• Birthday

This is my folder for blue alphabet stickers.

I will admit that I have two sheets of several of the stickers in the piles, but I arranged them so you couldn't see! I keep the stickers by color because that is how I decide what stickers to use.  I don't have a cricut, so I use alpha stickers all the time.

My theme folders contain items that were a part of collections. Once I finish using the collection as a whole, I move the items to the theme folders.

I include any themed die cuts, rub ons, stickers, etc in this file.  These are my "boy" items!

For die cuts and journaling cards that don't go with a specific category or line, I use a cute planter mug.  Guess what? I purchased it on sale at Hobby Lobby.  I know that those of you who have been following the challenge are shocked. :)

Now that my flat embellishments are sorted, purged, and organized, I can move on the the fun embellishments.  Buttons, bling, brads, metals, chipboard, ribbon, and flowers are next!

If you have any questions, please comment here or email me. I am happy to help a fellow scrapbooker out! Remember that you CAN do this!

Christie

Get Organized Step 4 Tools

Tools are a necessity in scrapbooking, but they are not necessarily easy to organize.  I have learned over the years that there are certain tools I always want to have nearby, but other tools are used much less frequently. If I am attending a crop, I use a tool tote. Totes are the easiest way to organize tools in a small amount of space.

r

Advantus - All My Memories - Tote-Ally Cool Tote 6 - Carry All
Scrapbook.com

When I am at home, I sometimes like to scrapbook in areas other than my scrap space.  Because of this, I like to keep my essential tools in a cute red basket I found at Hobby Lobby last year.  If I am wanting to scrapbook in our upstairs family room, I can easily grab my tool basket, some photos, and a page planner filled with the collection I want to use. This makes it easy to keep everything from taking over the family room.  *Note: I have no problem with taking over the family room but Mr. Chick tends to frown upon that*

The basket holds all of the items I consider essential.  Here is a view of everything outside of the basket so you can actually tell what I have! :)

You can visit this post for specific information about the tools I use.  Christie's Basic Tool Guide

I have two smaller baskets that I use for my less essential but equally important tools. They were also on clearance from Hobby Lobby, and I bought several (10) cute red buckets to use to store things in the baskets.  

Basket 1 (left)

• Scissors
• Punches
• Additional corner rounders (not in a bucket)
• Pens, pencils, markers
• Sew Easy tool and floss

Basket 2 (right)

• Baker's Twine (it's not a tool, but it is essential to me, so I keep it here!)
• Inks
• Glue dots on the roll (this is until I run out...I am switching to the sheets because I think they stay sticky longer)
• Other Adhesive sheets
• Adhesive refills
• Another ATG gun (I know, I know...it is ridiculous that I have 3, but I used to scrapbook at my office and at home, so I needed one for both places, and I threw an extra in just in case!)

I like my basket system because I can always easily move the baskets out of the way.  I tried just using buckets, but it's much easier to move two baskets than 10 buckets.  I also like that the baskets keep everything more contained.

I keep other tools that are less frequently used in the drawers that are underneath the counter.  I honestly don't have nearly as many tools as other scrapbookers.  In the past I have had lots of stamps, a cricut, a pazzles, and all kinds of other stuff.  The one item I have never really gotten in to is punches, and of course that is the one thing I wish I had more of.

For more organization ideas, click here. I have several boards on Pinterest geared towards organizing your craft supplies!

I will be back soon to show you how to organize stickers and other flat embellishments!

Christie

Christie's Basic Tools

 

Here is detailed information about the tools I use and why I prefer them!  I have linked to scrapbook.com so that you can see exactly what I use.

The paper trimmer I use has a line that shows you where you are cutting.  I have used it for 2 years and don't have anything negative to say about it! It does the job well!

Fiskars - 12 Inch Premium Cut-Line Portable Trimmer - Blade Style I
Scrapbook.com

I switched to using an ATG gun for adhesive about a year and a half ago.  I was going through adhesive like crazy and felt like I was spending a fortune on it.  I use this gun when I am doing typical pages or anything needing the thinner, 1/4" adhesive.

 

Scotch ATG - Adhesive Applicator Gun - Pink - Uses One Fourth Inch Adhesive
Scrapbook.com

I also have the gold ATG gun.  It holds 1/2 inch adhesive, which I use quite a bit of. With 2 little boys who love to look at their scrapbooks, I learned quickly that I needed to make sure everything on my pages was permanently adhered.  This gun does the trick very well!

 

Scotch ATG 700 - Adhesive Applicator Gun - Uses One Half Inch OR Three Fourth Inch Adhesive (Purchase Separately)
Scrapbook.com

I keep the Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher in my basket, but I also frequently use a normal stapler. I like to staple ribbon on my layouts, or paper that I cut to look like ribbon.  The tiny attacher is tiny, which is nice, and it uses cute little staples.

Advantus - Tim Holtz - Idea-ology - Tiny Attacher with 100 Tiny Staples
Scrapbook.com

Anyone who has seen my pages knows I have an addiction to popping items.  I just feel like a page isn't complete if I don't have something adhered with a pop dot.  A few years ago American Crafts came out with this perfect little container of adhesive circles. I love that there are all the sizes I need in one package!

American Crafts - Adhesive Foam Tabs - Permanent - Circles
Scrapbook.com

For items that I don't need to pop, but I want to stick really well, I use glue dots.  I love my glue dots. I use the glue dot sheets because I think they stay sticky longer when they are in the sealed plastic bag.  I think this may have something to do with the fact that my glue dots are occasionally (3 to 4 times a year) left in a hot or cold vehicle for 24+ hours.

Glue Dots - Memory Book Glue Dot Sheets
Scrapbook.com

For whole punching I use the first edition of the Crop-a-dile.  I never upgraded to the big bite or the other fancier versions.  This works well for me...I don't really feel the need to punch holes in the center of my pages. I also frequently use it for craft projects with my kids, or other random things that I need to punch holes in.  My three year old has also been known to steal it for his own tool belt.

We R Memory Keepers - Crop-A-Dile - Eyelet and Snap Punch Tool
Scrapbook.com

For detail on my other favorites, click the image below. I linked everything in the photo there.

Tool Basket essentials
by Twochicks
Scrapbook.com

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or if there are important tools you think I am missing.  Tomorrow's post will show you how I organize my tools.  We scrappers must stick together when it comes to tools and adhesive! :)

Paper organization wrap up!

I have had a few questions on our facebook page from people wanting more specifics regarding the way I organized my paper.  Here is some more info!

First, I thought I would show you a before photo. I want you to know that my stuff was not at all organized! :)

It is a mess before, and a large percentage of my paper was not in the organizers.

On Saturday, I was done with all my sorting except for the dreaded cardstock pile.  I had avoided this for quite a while (over a week...isn't that ridiculous?) but finally tackled it Saturday in about 20 minutes.

My two helpers cheered me on.  They also made more of a mess of the area, but they picked up when they were done.  The cabinet behind them is Zach's scrapbook spot.  I don't know if I will be tackling that area organization wise or not. He always turns everything into a mess so I may just let it go!

This is my favorite pile.  Can anyone guess the brand?  It's October Afternoon.  Be still my heart.  I refuse to purge any of it...I even save the scraps, and I never save scraps.  I put each collection into it's own protector so that everything matches when I want to use it.

Here is my paper after I have it sorted.  I separated almost everything by brand and then by individual collection.  For example, I have a protector full of October Afternoon Thrift Shop, one with Fly A Kite, another with Sidewalks, and so on.  In the interest of full disclosure I will tell you that I have 13 protectors full of October Afternoon.  That is 3 1/2 inches of pure scrap happiness!

Ok, back to organizing. I did keep some kits separate.  I have a folder with Halloween products, a folder of Travel products, a section of Christmas stuff (this is only brands or collections I don't have much of) and a Boy section.  The boy section really needs some new life injected into it. Notice that I left myself some room for new purchases...don't tell Mr. Chick!

I intentionally stored my cardstock in the smaller Cropper Hopper containers because I wanted to be able to move it onto my work space for choosing colors.  The black dividers are not as mobile so I usually leave them in place.  I also have two containers for my little scrapbookers.  Zach has one and my niece Madelyn has the other.  She will label hers next time she visits.  This way they have their own supplies and I am not constantly cringing when they choose a special paper that I cannot possibly part with!  Maddy is a speed scrapper, so I am going to have to load up her organizer.

If you want information on the organizers and where to buy them, refer to this post

Get Organized Step 3-Paper!

I will be back tomorrow with tool organization!  I have told myself that I can't make any new purchases until I finish organizing, so I really am in a hurry!

This is serious business...I really need this before it sells out!

Christie

Organization ideas and a SALE!

Hopefully you have already had a chance to spend some quality time organizing your scrapbook paper.  I was able to spend about 2 hours working in my room on Saturday, and I made a big dent in my piles of paper, but I still have a lot to sort through!

I wanted to show you some other options for storing your patterned paper.  There are not a ton of possibilities, but I have created a category on Pinterest with different ideas for paper organizing. Click here to see the different ideas.  If you are not already on Pinterest and need an invitation to join, email me  twochicksdesigns @ gmail.com and I will invite you.  I also have a Pinterest board with Organizational Ideas and lots of craft room photos to drool over. Click here to see that one!

Finally, as a Valentine's Day treat for you, we have a big t-shirt sale on the website! Visit Two Chicks Designs and save over 50% off regular t-shirts.  It's a great time to stock up on some new designs.

I hope you have a fabulous Valentine's Day!

Christie

 

 

Get Organized Challenge! Step 3 Paper!

Are you ready?

It's time to tackle those piles of scrapbook paper! We all have paper.  Most of us love it and can't get enough.  This makes it difficult to keep our paper organized and orderly! 

First, I want to show you several of the items I personally use to organize my paper.  I have used both of these items for several years. I first purchased the Cropper Hopper Paper Holders 6 years ago, and they are still my favorite way to organize paper.

Cropper Hopper Paper Holder - 12x12
Scrapbook.com

These are currently $6.65 at Scrapbook.com.  They hold lots of paper--at least 200 sheets, and they also hold another of my go-to items for scrapbook organization.  I use these to assemble page kits, and to hold all the coordinating products that come with a paper collection. I also love this holder because I can grab a few of these and put them into my rolling tote for crops.

Cropper Hopper - Page Planner - 3 Pack
Scrapbook.com

I have lots of these great holders, and I use them over and over and over.  They protect your paper and supplies well when going to crops or traveling with your supplies, and they are quite sturdy. They are great! They are also perfect for dividing your paper if you are sorting it by brand.  They are under $6 for three.

I don't have this cute organizer yet, but I hope to soon! I think it would be perfect for storing recent purchases before they make their way into my permanent organization.  Isn't it cute?

Advantus - Cropper Hopper - Projections - 12 x 12 Paper Holder
Scrapbook.com

And finally, these are great because they each hold tons of paper at an affordable price. I have several of these and love how easy it is to take the paper in and out.  They are great for both cardstock and patterned paper.

Advantus - Cropper Hopper - Easy Access Paper Holder
Scrapbook.com

I will tell you that they can be tricky to assemble, but it's well worth it once they are done!

Now, it's time to actually organize your paper.  You can organize many different ways.  I personally organize my paper by brand, and then by the individual collections of each brand.  Many of you probably have no idea what brands of paper you use, and that is fine too! You can organize by color, by theme, or by a combination of all the methods.

If you are having a hard time deciding how to organize your paper, ask yourself the following questions:

• How do you scrapbook? Do you prefer to use themed supplies (Birthday paper for birthday layouts) or do you like to match the colors in your photos?
• Do you normally use several papers from the same brand on one layout, or do you use a variety of brands?
• Do you use many themed papers?
• What categories make the most sense to you?

Once you have determined how you want to organize, separate your papers in one of the following ways:

• By Brand
• By color (you can either combine cardstock with patterned paper or sort the two categories separately)
• By theme
• A combination of these

The bottom line is that you need to organize your paper and supplies in a way that works best for YOU! My goal in this challenge is to help you make some sense out of your supplies so that you can actually spend more time scrapbooking than you do looking for supplies.  Imagine how great it will be to walk into an organized space (or to open up an organized closet or container that you store your supplies in) and actually scrapbook!

I'll be back soom with the next step.  For now, happy sorting!

Christie

Get Organized Challenge! Step 2

Hopefully by now you have had a chance to begin sorting your scrapbook supplies for our Get Organized Challenge.  If you haven’t done any sorting yet, click here to go back to the post prior to this and then work on Step 2 once you are done! 

Step Two of our process is purging supplies. You probably did some purging as you sorted, but you should be able to do a little more.  It is usually the hardest thing for many scrapbookers because we tend to have an emotional attachment to our supplies! 

As you purge, ask yourself:

• Do I love this?
• Do I use this?
• Will I ever use this? (Be honest here...maybe someday is not an acceptable answer!)
• Does this make me happy or is it in the way?

If there are items that you think you might want to purge but still can’t pull the trigger, have a bin marked storage and put all those items in there.  If you do need or want it later on, you can go back and get it out.  In a few months, you can go back to your “storage” container and purge the items you didn’t use. 

Place purged items in one of the following piles or bins:

• Trash
• Donate
• Sell
• Storage

Remember that you probably still have tons of supplies you are keeping.  This is difficult, but you can do it.  I promise that you will be able to spend much more time scrapbooking.  You can also complete this step in 15 to 20 minute increments.  Work longer if you want to, but take a break frequently and look at this as a fun project rather than a chore!

Finally, remember that if I can do this, you can too!

Christie

If you want more info about the Get Organized Challenge from Two Chicks Designs, visit us on Facebook.

Get Organized Challenge! Step 1

I am the first person to admit that I am lucky to have my own scrapbook room.  I love my space.  However, whenever I go to scrapbook, I am faced with a disorganized mess! I am tired of my mess!

This photo is of my space when it was organized.  It serves as proof that I can actually organize! :)

This is my space now.  It clearly needs lots of work!

I invite you to join me on the Two Chicks Designs Get Organized Challenge! The first step is sorting your supplies.  When you are sorting, you should sort your supplies by type of item.  You will need bins for the categories you are sorting products into.  Remember that this is supposed to be a quick sort.  You don't need to split your items into sub-categories yet.  You want an embellishments box, not individual boxes for stickers, chipboard, die cuts, ribbon, buttons, etc. Here are the labels I am using:

• Paper (includes patterned paper and cardstock)
• Embellishments (I include all embellishments in this category)
• Photos
• Layouts/Albums/Page protectors
• Tools (I include adhesives in this box)
• Books/Magazines/Sketches
• Sell or Donate box
• Trash box/can
• NOT IN HERE box (This box is really important because you know you are going to find barbies, hot wheels, or other assorted stuff in your supplies that does not beling there)
• I Dont' Know box (I forgot this in the video but it is really helpful for things that you cannot categorize quickly)

I recommend spending 15 to 20 minutes at a time sorting your supplies.  However, I will admit that I sorted earlier today and I am anxious to go back downstairs and sort some more.  Just don't force yourself to sort everything all at once.  Remember that this challenge will last an entire month--you have plenty of time!

Here is the video to go along with this step. 

Don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions by clicking the link on the sidebar!  I'll be back Monday with step 2.  Thanks for joining our challenge, and be sure to follow along on our Facebook page.

Christie

Change is in the Air!

Today I wanted to pop in and tell you about a few changes we are making at Two Chicks Designs! The most important thing to know is that all of the changes we are making will allow us to serve you, our customers, better!

Last year was a busy year for us.  My husband, Brent, and I own Two Chicks and operate the business with minimal outside help.  We try to keep things simple.  As the year progressed, we began to look at how things were going and what was really important to us.  I did a lot of soul searching and realized that I was simply stretched too thin and had too much on my plate.  As a result, we made the decision in December to close our sister website, Scrapbook Chicks. Shortly after sending out our "Quitting Business" email to our Scrapbook Chicks customers, I received an email from someone named Carla interested in purchasing the business.  Fast forward 1 month and Carla is the proud owner of Scrapbook Chicks! I spent Saturday with Carla and her husband, and I am very excited for all that is in store for Scrapbook Chicks and our customers! She will do a great job with the business and I know she will be very successful.

When Brent and I discussed what we wanted to focus on in the future, and what the best decision was for our family, we agreed that the answer is Two Chicks Designs.  We have always had the most success with Two Chicks, and it is our bread and butter.  In the past few years, I have become less focused on Two Chicks Designs and have devoted much of my time to Scrapbook Chicks and other things.  Our decision to sell Scrapbook Chicks will allow me to focus on Two Chicks Designs. There are many new things we will be bringing to the Two Chicks website, and I will tell you more about those in the coming days and weeks.

One more thing to note...I have been out of the office since the first of the year recovering from surgery.  Brent is holding down the fort by himself right now, so our response times are not as fast as we would like them to be! He has also been Super Husband doing everything around the house.  I am finally able to sit at the computer for short periods of time, but I won't be able to return to my normal work schedule for another 4 weeks.  I am trying to help as much as I can from home in between naps! The good news is that once I recover, I will have a lot more energy than I have had in a long, long time.  I am excited to get back to "normal"!

We know that we are not perfect, but we hope and pray that our decision will allow us to take better care of our customers.  If you have something you need assistance with, whether it is an order, a return, a refund, or a question, please let us know by contacting us here:

Brent: bwelch @ twochicksdesigns.com

Christie: twochicksdesigns @ gmail.com

We will respond to the emails within one business day.  Please email us...if you comment on the blog or on our facebook page when you need help with something, we don't get notification.  Thanks for your business, and we look forward to serving you in the future!

Christie

Chief Chick

 

Hobbies: Just one, or the more the merrier?

When we first started our business, we choose the name Two Chicks Designs because my mom owns Hen Feathers Quilt Shop and we were designing quilt patterns.  Then I added jewelry to our product line.  We focused on quilt patterns and jewelry for a year or two and then started making T-shirts. 

Along the way, I have picked up more than a few hobbies.  Today, if you dare to visit the storage room in my basement, you will find a crate of cross stitch supplies and projects, multiple containers filled with different partially assembeled (or not at all assembled) quilting projects, a cart full of jewelry supplies, and a drawer or two filled with knitting supplies.  Now, I will tell you that when it comes to knitting, I have NEVER finished anything...I can knit, but I cannot figure out the "purl" stitch.  I guess knitting is the one hobby I flunked! :)  Whenever I get restless, I ponder all of the hobbies I have tried (even knitting) and consider pulling out something different to work on.  Usually, I end out talking myself out of it and returning to my scrapbooking.

Scrapbooking is definitely my favorite hobby.  I regularly long for a retreat weekend with girlfriends filled with hours of time to scrapbook, but that doesn't ever seem to happen.  I settle for heading down to my scrapbook room once every week or two.  I still love quilting, but I don't often have time to do it.  One of my goals this year is to get back into quilting and designing patterns. I will confess that in addition to my craft hobbies, I enjoy gardening, baking, and reading. I have also been known to paint 5 pieces of furniture in a weekend. 

For many years, our bestselling shirt has been "Queen of Unfinished Projects". I can still remember the day Brent called to tell me he had a great shirt idea that was perfect for me!

What about you? Do you have one hobby, or several?  I am curious...is it weird that I have so many different hobbies, or am I normal?