And The Storage Hunt Continues...

Thanks both to Charlotte and Marja for the Copic storage ideas. I would LOVE the Color Cubbie shelves that Jennifer McGuire etc use...

(Photo copyright: Jennifer McGuire)

...but unfortunately they don't seem to be available in the UK as far as I can see (if someone knows otherwise, please leave me a comment). However these would be totally ideal for me. I could sort the markers by colour groups and they would not use up too much valuable desk space. So now I guess the hunt continues... Maybe there's something similar around here in the UK? Anyone knows please...?

I've been looking at IKEA and similar places but found nothing like these little shelevs so far...

Above is a layout which I have been meaning to scrap for a while. Photos are nearly 2 years old now - of my cousin getting married just before New Year's Eve in 2008. So pleased I have finally got these photos into my album :)

If you have any other great Copic Sketch storage ideas, please do let me know. Thanks!!! :)))

Help - Copic Sketch Storing Ideas?...

I need some help with good Copic Storage ideas... for the Copic Sketch markers. I'm not particularly keen on the official Copic Storage like the Wire Stand or the Plastic Boxes (Wire Stands would take up too much precious work surface for me and I don't really get on with the plastic ones).

I need something that is good to keep on my desk and doesn't take up too much work surface (as my desk is very small and my scrapping space is already competing with the laptop + printer).

At first I just created a cardboard box which I decorated with pretty papers. This kept being pushed out of shape by the weight of the pens... so eventually I had to give up on that idea...

Then I bought this proper box. Unfortunately I can't remember the brand. It's from a range that also has bags in the same fabric. Brown with white, baby blue and baby pink dots. You can see the look a bit on the right side of the photo above. I'm sure someone will know the name of the company...?

Anyway, this box has been great and I have liked it a lot. Even though I would have preferred something with dividers of some sort so I could keep all blues together, all greens together etc. The only problem I have is now that I have had about 15 markers lying by the side of it for months as they don't fit in it... and of course any new ones in the future would have the same problem. :(

So can someone help with a good Copic Sketch storage that:
* is not the official Copic storage (as it's not really what I need)
* works on a desk but doesn't take up too much workspace
* preferably has a few dividers/compartments so I can split the markers into colour groups

I'd be sooooo grateful for any advice/tips - THANK YOU!

Seaside...

These are photos I have been meaning to scrap for quite some time. Photos I got from Mum & Dad, which they took on a trip to Madeira two years ago.

In the handout for May Flaum's BPS (or, I should really say: BPC now!) class, there was one specific assignment that made me think of these photos immediately. To be honest, I can't really think of what it was now as there were no layouts about sea or Madeira indeed LOL!

Anyway, I'm really pleased as I now have these two photos scrapped and in my album (...well, when I take a moment to add my pile of layouts to an album that is... that can sometime take several months and the pile just grows and grows LOL!)

Saturday...

Hope you're all having a great Saturday! We're having a very cosy day here. :)

I've baked glutenfree breadrolls (plus a little loaf with the leftover dough), we've got some barbecue beef in the slowcooker for tonight (to go with the newly baked bread rolls) and I have bought a new fun game for my iPad a little while ago called Fiona's Flowers (I love Time Management games!)

Above is a layout which I made for May Flaum's "Adventure In Scrapbooking" class. I'm really enjoying this class still and I'm getting loads of layouts done. Makes me very happy! :)

Christmas...

And no, don't worry, I'm not going to go on about how Christmas is getting closer or closer, how many days it's left or indeed if anyone has already started organising or buying presents LOL! I'm talking about scrapping Christmas. Something that I love to do no matter what time of year it is :)

The layout above is another one which I have done for May Flaum's class. I love JUST using scraps and open packages of items while scrapping. Of course I need to use a full sheet (cutting it down to the size I need) for the background, but apart from that I don't allow myself to cut into a new sheet of paper, or open a new pack of embellishments for these class layouts. Such a great feeling! I've always been good with using scraps of patterned papers etc but this is cool.

I have done some digital CT work this morning and now I'm going to dig out some cardstock and get working on this class some more. Have a great day everyone! :)

Adventures In Scrapbooking...

I mentioned last week that I'm taking a BPS class at the moment which I'm enjoying a lot... It's by May Flaum and it's called "Adventures In Scrapbooking: Use Your Stash". I LOVE this class! And even though you can substitute stuff for most classes, this is specifically one which is "do NOT buy anything, use what you have" kind of class.

Like I said, most classes you can substitute things for anyway, but some might be based on some very special items that are more or less necessary. Like I would love to take Donna Downey's upcoming BPS class. But not only is it a quite pricey class, it also has a HUGE supply list (I think we must be talking hundreds of pounds to buy every single item listed) and a lot of those are special fabric/art-type supplies which are not easily substituted. So no matter how much I'd love to take that class, it's just a huge no no for me. :(

Anyway, back to this class by May Flaum. It's so cool. Dig out old supplies, keep them nearby, and mix with new. Finish things. Use up half sheets of stickers and opened packets of embellishments.

She also goes through some cool info on working out what you buy vs what you USE. I know this is kinda obvious, but if you don't sit down and really THINK about it, you might not pay attention to it. Like I love chipboard, but I really don't use naked chipboard. I'm a fast scrapper and to take time to cover/emboss or paint chipboard while scrapping - well it just doesn't happen for me. So buying naked chipboard (no matter how much I like it) is a bad thing for me as it won't get used. Then take something like flowers or journaling spots/stamps, that's something that I use a LOT, so that's a good purchase for me. :)

Like I said, a really cool class, which I'm enjoying a lot. It's been 2 weeks and I have done 9 layouts for it. Pretty cool, eh? I hope to start on week 3 maybe tomorrow... Got some digital CT work to deal with first...

Yay It's Friday...

I've had a nightmare of a morning with iTunes. For no reason whatsoever (no changed settings, no new version installed etc) my "Apps" folder in my "Library" was missing this morning. Shutting down and relaunching the program made no difference. Restarting the computer made no difference. The apps were there on the harddrive but not in iTunes. So I spent a few hours getting more and more frustrated, Googled and tried different things. I *think* I have got it sorted now (just hope it's still there tomorrow LOL!) but it's left me with a stupid headache LOL!

Above is a quick birthday card made for my brother's girlfriend. Using some Autumn Leaves stamps, Kraft cardstock and Copic markers.

Right I'm off to nurse my head and then maybe do some scrapping for a BPS class that I'm taking at the moment. But more on that another day...

The Perfect Catch...

Lliella Designs have done it again. A super cute kit! This time a fishing kit. I just LOOOOVE her cute animals. You can get the kit at 9th & Bloom where Allie is guest designer this month.

As soon as I saw this kit I knew what photos to use. A few years ago my sister and her boyfriend went fishing and my sister caught a really big fish. My dad took these photos when they returned home and sent them to me. I have been wanting to scrapbook them ever since :)

[Supplies used: Fishing Adventures - Lliella Designs, Torn Bits 3 - Creashens]

A Little Fun For The Gym...

I'm feeling absolutely rotten today. Woke up by an "eye attack" in the night. Sooooo painful! (My eye lid sticks to my eye/cornea and rips part of it off - it's far worse than you can ever describe in words). It kept me awake on and off and now I sit here with a terrible headache (due to lack of sleep I guess), and eye that hurts (and hurts even more every time I blink!), it tears and is very light sensitive. Took some pain killers but they haven't helped one bit...

But there is one thing that cheered me up a little when it arrived about an hour ago...

About a week ago Apple announced all the new iPods, inc the new iPod Shuffle. I have been looking at something to take to the gym and I thought this might be the perfect thing. And no I didn't order 5 like the pic above shows LOL! I ordered one. Guess which colour? Shouldn't be too hard! Answer is further down in the post. Anyway, it arrived with the postman a little while ago.

I could have taken my Nano or iPhone to the gym, but I couldn't think of a good place to keep it on me while there. And even though I'm a super careful person, I didn't want to risk them getting damaged. The Shuffle has that useful clip and it's so tiny that I can just clip it to my top. Also if feels a bit better not to have something too expensive, just in case. Don't get me wrong, "£40" is not what I would call cheap at all, but compared to all the other iPod versions it's definitely the best choice for this :)
And no prizes I'm afraid, as it wasn't really too hard to guess now was it, the colour I went for was of course green :) (Though I do love the look of the pink and blue ones too!)

Right, I'm off to take it easy and try to recover a bit so I can manage play with my Shuffle and to get some Playlists on it, hopefully tonight.

Autumn Joys...

Earlier in the week I got a very cute Autumn kit by Lliella Designs. It's been released this morning so you can get it at SSD now.

Cute, eh? I remembered about some photos I got from dad a while back, he'd taken some when my brother and his girlfriend cleared up their garden one autumn. Perfect to go with this kit I thought :)

I can't believe Big Brother is over. No more. It feels so strange. I'm really going to miss it and I kinda refuse to think that it will never return. Hoping that some other channel will take it over :)

Thanks for the book tips that was left on my other post by the way - I'm definitely going to check them out :)