Storing Paper Scraps

I am a bit OCD when it comes to organization and my craft room.  By far, I get the most readers for my organization post I did forever ago now.  I wanted to keep you updated with new things.  I have always had a HUGE problem with paper scraps.  Toss them?  Keep them?  If you do keep them, how will I find them to actually use them again.  I was so sick and tired of cutting into a piece of card stock only to find a day later I had like 4 small scraps that would have worked fine.

Enter my method for storing scraps.  I have using this system almost since I did my big organization post.  After I had all of the initial organization out of the way, I began to tackle the smaller (or larger in my case) problems that I couldn't find an easy solution for.

Let me show you.

This little cardboard magazine holder sits on the side of my desk right next to my stamps.  I use plastic sheet protectors to store scraps.  Each color of card stock has its own sheet protector.  I wasn't sure when I started if the sheet protectors would stay stood up over time.  But I can say after a year and a half, this is the photo I snapped of them the other day.  Still going great.

Here is a closer look so that you can really get a feel for how each color has its own "file".

I pulled it apart so that you could see that the scraps just fall to the bottom of the sheet protector waiting to be used.

Let me pull one out so that you can see how this is so useful to me.

This is my Summer Sunrise scraps.  I am diligent to place larger pieces to the back of the sheet protector and the smaller ones to the front.  It honestly takes about 2 or 3 seconds longer to quickly arrange your scrap as you slide it in.  I have also been using this system to keep my pattern papers with their respective color.  I wasn't sure if it would work out or they would require their own sheet protector.  However, I find it to work so well in my flow and set up.

What makes this system work so well is that I can see at a glance what scraps I have available.  If I need to cut a small butterfly, I can size it up before I reach in.  I can also see at a glance if I have a piece that would work for a card base or not.  It helps me to actually USE my scraps and keeps them under control.

I hope you can glean something from my system.  Isn't that what makes this so fun?  Take a bit of what I do, add it something else, mixed with your own thoughts and you can come up with an amazing solution that really works well for you.

Evernote Tutorial Part 2 - Creating a Note

Creating a Note for Your Stamp Sets

When you have signed up for an account, I highly recommend that you download the software to your computer to all of your heavy setup.  I find it much easier and less clunky.  But, your mileage may vary here.  You certainly can use the web browser.

For this tutorial, I am using the Evernote software for Mac.  However, it will be very similar no matter what you choose to use.  Also, I should note that I don't think this setup works well if you are only using a smart phone.  I suppose it is possible, but I wouldn't think it would be the way to go.  

Start by creating a new note.  (The easiest way for us Mac users is "⌘  + N")  You can create a new note by going to File -> New Note in the menu.  This is what you will see on the right side of your screen.  

Give your note a title.  For this tutorial, I am going to make a new note for "Trendy Treetops".  

Now choose what Notebook you would like to put your note into.  I do not currently own Trendy Treetops, but I would really like to.  So, I am going to make my note and place it in my PTI Wishlist Notebook.  

**Note:  if you do not have any notebooks set up, you can create a new one by choosing File -> New Notebook.  You will see the following dialog box.

Give your notebook a name.  If you want your notebook to backup to the web and have access across multiple computers and devices, make sure you choose a Synchronized Notebook.

Here is a look at what my note looks like so far.

Now comes the fun part.  The body or the content of your note.  Here is a look another one of my completed notes so you can see what types of things I collect.

You will notice that I gave it the title of the stamp set.  I have it in the notebook called PTI Stamps.   It is tagged.  For the body, I include an overview of the stamp set, any coordinating dies, and then examples or inspiration pieces utilizing that stamp set.  This is the part where you get to have fun.  There are so many things you can do here.  I have read where some people include the tip sheets.  You can add text or descriptions to make it easier to find in a search later.  You can type in notes, add URL's, or add the reason you purchased the set.  The sky is the limit.  But, you do want to be mindful of how you want things to look, feel, and be.  It is easier to set all of your stamp sets up the right way than to go back and change 135 notes.    One change I am going to make . . . of course now that all of my stamps sets are done . . . is to include a link to the countdown post on Nichole's blog and the date it was released.  This has proven invaluable to me in the past.  I cannot believe I left it out this time around. (*face palm*)

How do I get all the stamp overview or die overview?  In order to get my stamp overview, I copy and paste the stamp image straight from the Papertrey Ink website.  I do the same thing for the dies.  I go to www.papertreyink.com and find the stamp set that I have.  I right mouse over the preview and choose "Copy Image".  Then I go to Evernote and paste it right in the body where I want it.  Here is what I have so far:

Now I scour the web and keep my eyes open for cards that inspire me.  Or cards that showcase this stamp set well.  I copy those to the note as well.  I also take the time to copy the URL.  I find that if later I have a question about something, I can easily access where I found the pic in the first place.  Here is what I came up with:

Isn't that a stunning card?  Good 'ole Betsy Veldman . . . my stamping idol.  You will notice I include the link back to the card.  Trust me that it is so much easier to take 10 seconds to do that step now.  You will never remember where that came from in a month, let alone 6 months or a year.  I continue to gather inspiration from around the web.  Anytime I see I card that I want to remember, I copy it real quick and add it to that stamp's note including a link back to the original.  Easy peasy!

I can already hear many of you saying, "Can't I do that step with Pinterest?  Do I really need to keep inspiration cards in Evernote?"  The answer is you certainly can use Pinterest if that is what you want.  However I have found that in my flow, I like having the inspiration right there.  The beauty of this is that it is yours.  You can control the what and how.

Now I go back and add the tags and URL.  I use the Papertrey Ink website as the URL.  This is such a great function now that there website has added the coordinating products and a link to the inspiration gallery.  With one click, I have access to a load of information.  Man, you gotta love technology.

To add the URL, click the funny "i" at the top right of the note.  About halfway down, you can copy and paste the URL into the box.  

To add tags, you literally type in your tag if it is the first time you are using the tag.  If you already have that tag in use, a drop down menu will show up showing you what options you have.  You can choose the tag from there.  Again, what tags you use are completely up to you.  

Here is my finished note:

That is it!!  You are done!  You just made your first stamp note!  Isn't it exciting.  Now imagine the possibilities.  You are needing some inspiration.  You head to Evernote and a whole world is available at your finger tips!  And it comes complete with links to inspiration, more information, coordinating products, and more.  I don't know about you, but that is something that makes this card maker one happy person. 


If you have questions or would like to see something else in Evernote, you can email me (sillyleann at gmail dot com) or leave a comment on this post.  I am not an expert, but I love helping out if I can.

Evernote Tutorial - Part 1

I am a crafting organizational bull.  Probably more like bull in a china cabinet, but I do get after it pretty aggressively.  One of the biggest things I am passionate about it keeping a good inventory of my stamp collection.  I find that knowing what you have allows you to better utilize what you have.  I have shared how I keep up with my stamps in the past by using a stamp book (you can read all about it here).  Although I still find that type of organization useful, I have really grown to love my electronic means of organizing and indexing my stamps.  Enter one of the greatest technological inventions that has changed my life . . . Evernote.  I have been using Evernote for years - literally over 8 years.  Boy how it has changed through the years and what an amazing thing it is!

I have had some questions directed at me about how I use Evernote.  And somewhat recently, I had a request to put together an Evernote tutorial.  I wanted to provide a quick Evernote overview.  I will come back in a day or two and post some tutorials.  So, if you have any questions, I will try my best to answer and/or help you out.  Just know that I am having a sweet baby boy this week.  :)  So, maybe just maybe, I might be a bit preoccupied for a bit.

*Disclaimer:  I am not an Evernote expert.  I am just a satisfied user who wants to pass some helpful information along.

Evernote Overview

Evernote is essentially a cloud based Note Application.  It takes your note data and stores it on their servers for your use.  You can use your web browser for access without the need for any software.  However, there are some native apps that are very beneficial for both PC and Mac and even mobile apps like iOS and Android.  The web browser is a good way to use Evernote, but in my opinion the best way is by using the applications provided by Evernote that install directly on your computer, phone, or tablet.  This makes access to Evernote and by extension all of your information almost anywhere you would be in the world.  

Because of the way it accesses the cloud, your information stays up to date on all of your devices without any effort from you at all.  (You do need to have internet access for Evernote to sync with the cloud.  If you are using a computer without an internet connection, for instance, it wouldn't be able to sync your information.  It would sync the next time it has a connection - same for a tablet or phone.)

Evernote does an amazing job utilizing search, tags, notebooks, etc. It keeps your data and turns it into very useful, searchable, clickable bits of information.  This allows you to keep so much information without worry because you will be able to find it again.  

Here is a photo of all of my devices in perfect sync.  I have access to all of my stamps, dies, colors, impression plates, my non-PTI stamps, and even my wish list.  I always have one of these devices with me. I use my MacBook in my craft room quite a bit.  When I am updating inventory, I use it on my craft table.  I also use my iPad in my craft room as much or more.  It has such a smaller footprint than my MacBook.  And the screen size is still extremely good.  I pretty much don't go anywhere without my iPhone.  So no matter where I am in my world, I have access to all of my goodies at the touch of a button.  Of all four devices, I access my stamping information and notes on my iPad the majority of the time.  It is definitely my go to device when looking something up.  If I am entering information, I choose to use either my iMac or my MacBook equally with my MacBook probably with the edge because it can go in my craft room with me.

Usage

I would like to mention that there is both a paid and free subscription to Evernote.  Go to evernote.com to find out all the benefits of upgrading your free account.  It is a great deal, but you can still use Evernote for free.  You will just be limited to 60 MB per month (which can go fast when you are setting up all of your notes).  It is worth checking out either way.

Basics

Notebooks - These are useful in order to keep certain data or note types separate.  You can find all of your notebooks on the left hand side of the screen. 

You can see I have many different notebooks.  For this tutorial, I am focusing on the PTI notebooks and my Other Stamps notebook. My Papertrey Ink notebooks include PTI Colors, PTI Impression Plates, PTI Stamps, and PTI Wishist.  

You can also get to your notebooks by using the Notebooks Drop Down Menu.

Tags - Evernote can utilize tags that make finding certain notes quick, easy, and completely painless.  You can see all of your tags by clicking the triangle on the left side of the screen.  You can see from my screenshot that I have many already defined.  If you keep scrolling, you will see all of my tags.  

I have tried to tag all of my stamps into categories that make sense to me.  Some of my categories include 1.75 Circle, Animals, Anniversary, Baby, Backgrounds, Birthday-Sentiments, Birthday-images, Christmas, etc.  

Say I wanted to find a stamp set that included Anniversary.  I can quickly chose the Anniversary Tag and all of my notes that are tagged with Anniversary will pop up,  

I can scroll through all of the stamps sets that I own and include Anniversary and choose what I want to work with.  It is that easy.  

You can also quickly access your tags by using the Tags Drop Down Menu.  

Sort Order - This is probably the most overlooked feature of Evernote.  You have a few options available to sort the notes you are looking at.  You can access the sort by clicking the triangle just above your first note.

You can sort by Title, Date Created, Date Updated, Source URL, and Size.  For this tutorial, I will forces on the first three.  

*Sort by Title - It sorts the notes by placing them in alphabetical order according to the title.  Then you have the option to reverse the sort order which is exactly what is says (Z to A instead of A to Z).  Show in groups is the option that groups them with a separation bar according to letter and/or number.  I will show you a photo of the grouping option.

It puts all of the "A's" together and even shows you how many you have in that group.  Then all the "B's" and so forth.  

*Sort by Date Created - Again, it is self-explanatory.  It sorts the notes in the order they were created by date.  You again have the option to reverse the order and/or group them.

*Sort by Date Updated - This option sorts the note according to the date that the note was last updated.  And then of course you have the option to reverse the order and/or group them.

My Process and How My Organization Reflects It

Today is going to be a LONG post.  Sorry.  There was some discussion at the PTI boards about organization.  I wanted to snap some photos to help some of my fellow crafters out.  So, I thought a blog post was in order so that I can explain it all in one place.  So, you may see these on the boards, too.

My Process

Here is a little overview of my little stamping space.  Otherwise known in our house as "Mom's Closet". This little room is off the back of my bathroom, which is off the back of our master bedroom, at the very end/corner of our house, as far away from humanity as humanly possible, out of ear shot of any goings on in my house . . . you get the picture.  This was a very purposeful little space - just for me (well, or any kids who wander in because that's the kind of mom I am).  And seriously, it is small.  But, when you are building a house and each square foot costs you, you realize really quick that an oversized closet will be best.  And, when we sell, someone will get two walk in closets and one extremely large one.  I will be making some woman VERY happy.

I have lots going on here.  I will come back to the specifics later throughout my post.

I almost always (and without fail, every time, seriously) start with the stamps.  I just do.  Nothing is more frustrating than trying to put a stamp or fit it with something I want to use.  It just frustrates me.  So, I have two things I use for this.

The first is my "stamp book".

This is it. No frills.  Here are some peeks inside.

Yes, I actually stamp each stamp in this book.  YIKES!  I find that it helps for a couple of reasons.  One, often times the stamps need conditioning before they can be used.  I almost always buy PTI, but no matter what brand, I go through the same steps.  As soon as I get my stamps, I open them, stamp them into inventory, and store them in CD cases.  I have had to discipline myself to do this.  But, it makes the rest SO much easier.  Two, I like to stamp them because I get an accurate example of its size.  And last, I can see any trouble spots up front and get a feel for the stamp before it ever hits a project.

This little book offers a bit more than meets the eye.  I write down EVERYTHING I can think of about the stamp on the back of the pages.  I like to write the release date (if I know it), the stamp company, what date I purchased it, how much it cost, does it have a matching die or punch (even if I don't own it), does it have coordinating paper, was there a reason or project that made me purchase the stamps, etc.  You don't know how many times I will see a stamp set and go, "I remember the most adorable card that Nicole made with this."   I can turn the page over and see that it was released in April of 2010 and head straight to her blog.  You would be surprised at how you think you will always remember that these were PTI, Verve Stamps, or whatever.  But months or years later (and 100 stamps sets) you cannot for the life of you remember.  I know this seems obnoxious.  I am slightly embarrassed to share this side of me.  OCD?  But, I am a chain remember-er.  One little bit of info triggers so much.

The second stamp organization tool that I use is my iPad.  Well, actually it is an app on my iPad called HanDBase.  I use it to organize all of my sentiments.  Here is a screen shot of some of my stamps with their sentiments (sorry it isn't rotated).

I use this app to sort sentiments by theme.  I can also do a search for any sentiment that has the word "love" in it, etc.  I don't feel like I have to use the sentiments that are included with a certain stamp set.  I get so much more mileage out of them this way.

Now that I have picked my stamps, I will go looking for any matching dies or punches.  And sometimes, I will just go looking to see what I have that I may want to use.  This is where my "Punch and Die" book comes into play.

Again, no frills.  This little book has lots of surprises.  So let's take a look inside.

I use each page to typically only punch one shape.  I made an exception for the little circle because they were the same brand.  I label the punch with the brand and description.  I don't bother with coordinating stamp sets as this is always changing and referenced with the stamp.  Also, I don't bother with electronic die cuts.  This is only for metal dies or punches.

You may wonder why I kept the negative.  Well, check out what I can do with them.

I can actually use my stamp book to visually see exactly what it is going to look like on my die or punch.  The only downside is that I made my book 4 inches by 4 inches.  I want to go back and make a bigger one to accommodate the PTI Mat Stack Dies.  Who knows?  I may make them their own book.  Obviously, this is always a work in progress.

So, I have my stamps and my die cuts or punches chosen . . .

Now, I take the opportunity to select my color scheme.  I have yet another little handy, dandy book for this, too.  :)  My Color Book!

I made this book the same size as an A2 card - 4.25 by 5.5 inches.  I thought I would show you my little inside secret.

Reused "chipboard".  :)

Here is a picture of one of the pages in this book.

Let me point out a few things.  I adhere a piece of card stock to a white piece of paper.  I like the white because it allows me to stamp directly on it to showcase the ink as well.  I stamp all of my matching colors in the upper right hand corner.  And I of course write in the name.  I don't put PTI on any of these as I only use PTI.  If I went with a different company, I would have to decide if I wanted a new book or add to this.  ???  I am sticking with PTI for now.  Also, on the top left corner of the colored card stock, I have stamped with Versamark.  I like to see what my options are.  I keep thinking that some day I am going to go back and stamp tone on tone as well.  I haven't yet, but this may be the catalyst to get me going, who knows.  The only other thing I have considered and haven't done is adding stamping on Vintage Cream.

I also keep a little book of color schemes. :)  Seriously, I need "little book" therapy.

Do you recognize those?  The PTI team did these for the Anniversary (I think).  Anyway, I not only cut out and paste the color scheme idea, I use one of the dots from Polka Dot Basics to stamp it onto the card.  I have little color challenge pictures cut and in here.  When I see a color scheme I want to keep, I put it in my book.  If I am ever stumped, I just pull it out and go from there.  Sometimes I copy the colors exactly and sometimes they inspire me in a similar or whole new direction.  It is sized at 4.25 inches by 2.5 inches.

Here is a quick look at how I store my paper.

I keep them in their packages and in a magazine rack on my shelf.  This sits desk level on my shelving directly to my right.  I don't keep very much pattern paper, but the non-PTI paper is in the drawers to the right.  The PTI pattern paper in on the shelf to the right of the drawers.  I keep them in their little matchbook holder things.

Now here is where I start thinking about my paper - not just the color.  Do I want to use a pattern, stamp a pattern, emboss, or impress.  For this, I am making another little book.  :)  I don't have a photo of it as it is still under construction, but it is copies of the front of the PTI pattern paper holder.  I don't have a magical answer for other patterns.  I just rummage through the drawer of paper.  Nothing scientific.

If I am going to stamp a pattern, I have already picked it out in my stamp picking process or I can go back to my Stamp Book.  Now, if I want to emboss or impress, well . . . I have a book for that.

It is exactly like my punch book - same size and made from the same materials.  I just took each page and either impressed or embossed.  It is easier if you write on the paper first and then emboss.  But I do that on the back of each page.

This is also where I will go through my border punches and dies.  And, yes, I have a little book for that.  Only my son made cards yesterday.  He was so excited that I had some pre-made cuts for him to use.  :)  He honestly didn't know it was a book.  I had them on a binder ring, but I didn't put any chipboard on it. He saw it laying on my desk and went to town.  So, I will be making another.  It was long like a short ruler.  I cut 2 inch by 6 inch papers and punched the hole.  THEN, I punched the border.  That ensured that all the pages lined up on one side.  I am AR like that.  :)  I will say that when I remake this, I will make it 2 inches by 8 inches (if I were a scrapbooker, I would consider 12 inches).

Now is the fun part.   The embellishments!  I keep most of my embellishments organized by color.  The tall tower of drawers is little bits and pieces all sorted by color - regardless of manufacturer or "set".

Look almost all the way to the left.  See those drawers?  That is all sorts of buttons, flowers, jewels, little pieces of ribbon that didn't get used, etc.  I will run through quickly how I sort some of my other things.

This is how I store my ribbon.  These are Cropper Hopper 3 X 3 embellishment drawers.  For me, this is THE perfect way to store ribbon.  I would love to have a couple more, but they are not made anymore.  I keep all of the same color together and it is sorted according to the order in my color book.  So, if you opened the top left drawer, you would find Scarlet Jewel ribbon, Pure Poppy Ribbon, Terra-cotta Tile Ribbon, and so forth from drawer to drawer.  Yes, I have to readjust with each color release, but I never have to guess where a color will be.  Because I do have to readjust every other month or so, I haven't put the colors on the outside of the drawer.

This is my ink colors.  They are situated on the shelves to the right of my desk.  They sit atop a kitchen organizer.  It is really a pantry riser.  I fits my PTI inks perfectly.  So, dreading the new inks for storage purposes.  I have no idea if this will still work.  I have a few of my reinkers out, but they are usually in a white box (more on those in a bit).  I used a hole punch to punch a small piece of card stock to adhere on the outside of the inks.  I also have them arranged by color groups.  It is fast and painless to find what I need.

I have a bunch of these photo boxes on my shelves.  I like that they are all the same size and fit perfectly on my shelves - maximize the space.  I store all kinds of things in these.  You can see some of the labels. You can find the bulk of the "other" stuff in these boxes: PTI felt, Cricut Catridges, Glitter, Embossing, Tools, Markers and Pens, punches that are seasonal or not used as frequent, non PTI ink, reinkers . . . just to name a few.

The bottom drawer is where are where I store my PTI dies.  Yes, they all fit in there quite well.  Have a peek inside.

The top right is where I keep my Fillable Frames series.  The bottom right is all of the small punches like Up Up and Away, Beautiful Blooms, etc.  The bottom left is for Mat Stacks.  The top left is just for my Christmas Tree.  :)  It is one of the only single, larger dies.

So, where do I store all of my "little books"?  Well, they are typically kept in the metal bin directly in front of me at my desk all the time.  Take a peek.

 I like having them right at my finger tips so that they are a tool to my process.  I really do use all of these things - multiple times per card sometimes.  They greatly increase my productivity by allowing me to put my focus on the fun and design and not what "stuff" I have that would work.

I don't scrapbook much anymore.  Ok, I don't paper scrapbook at all.  But, if you do, I have a tip for you.  Do you see the pink paper poking out of the top right side of my basket.  In that baggie, you will find templates of all sorts of common photo sizes (several of each 4 x 6, 5 x 7, 4 x 4, 3.5 x 5).  I used to be able to plan and make my pages even before I printed my pictures.  It made for MUCH faster work.  No more printing a 4 x 6 only to want a 5 x 7 when you began making the page.

I wanted to point out a couple of last things.  I have created a "U" around me.  All of my supplies (with exception of a few seasonal things or weird things I don't use much) are within reach.  Anything I use a lot is at my finger tips.  All of my adhesive is found in the metal basket right at the front of my desk.  My paper trimmer is hanging on the wall with my Score Buddy right next to it (look beside the drawers).  My scissors are hanging at my fingertips.  I even have my iPad right in front of me.  I can use it to access my stamp database, my inspiration files (I have all of them synced to my iPad), and even watch TV while I work.

I love my space.  I really do.  I am ALWAYS looking for ways to improve.  So, I don't necessarily claim any of the ideas here.  I have seen things and copied them, adjusted them to fit my needs, or yeah I actually thought of a thing or two.  So, what you see today may not be here tomorrow, but I have reached a point where I tweak more instead of change.  But, I am always open to the possibility.  :)

Thanks for bearing with me and all my ramblings.  I hope that this will inspire you, give you a push to improve your space, or impress you (ok, just kidding!).  Seriously, this craft (for me) is so much about community.  I sincerely hope that in even a small way this would help you out.  If you have questions, let me know.  I will do my best to answer them.

Edited to correct:  I had originally put my iPad app as HandyBase.  It is actually HanDBase.  I know it caused some confusion for those of you looking for it.  I am so sorry I missed the spelling.