My Craft Room

My Cricut Corner

I started my day by cleaning off the dining room table and returning  everything to the craft room to get rid of it. I should have taken a before picture of this counter because you could not see the surface. It was piled high with bits and pieces of cardstock and patterned paper, cartridges and books,  ribbons, you name it...  Believe it or not, this is now very manageable. What you cannot see because it has  been moved,  is all my Christmas patterned paper is in a container of its own in the cupboard below the counter. All my Christmas rubber stamps are packed away in the same cupboard, and my Christmas stickers and ribbons are also separated into its own separate drawer.  All the tiny scraps of cardstock are filed in a large accordian file folder that looks very messy but keeps the small pieces front and centre for me to use before cutting up any more large pieces. I have put all my Cricut cartridges and the accompanying workbooks in their cases in a large storage unit behind me. I will show you that another day when I get to tidying it. I washed all 4 of my Cricut cutting mats (to restore their stickiness) and placed them in the same cupboard with the cartridges. This is a "rough clean". After I sort through and organize this room, the locations of some of these tools and materials may change. On the counter there is now my Cricut "baby bug" (the first Cricut die cutting machine that ever came out) Behind that is a small cardboard box with all my stamping ink pads.  Beside that is a letter sorter that I keep my most used cardstock for card-making...white, black and grays, and cream. Beside that are two plastic tubs that hold my wooden stamp blocks.....one holds pictures and the other holds sentiments. All the small bowls, baskets, small boxes hold Cricut cutouts that I have made but haven't used in a card or scrapbook---yet. I need to find a better way to store these...... maybe binders.

My paper shelves

My SP made these shelves for me a few years ago. They extend from the ceiling to just over my table top between two of the windows. They are wide enough to hold 12x12 inch paper on the left hand side and 8 1/2x 11 inch cardstock on the right. I have them sorted by colour, and I must say that it works very well for me. This is where my paper lives until I cut into it, and then I have to find a new home for it. I spent roughly 2 hours cleaning my craft room today. It doesn't look like much got done, but I know how much I have done and I am very pleased with the progress of my first day. 

I got my address lists completed. I found a hardcover composition book that I am copying all my MYO (make your own) recipes into.  (like seasoning mixes, cleaners, bisquick, gravy, hamburger helper mixes, etc) I am organizing my favourite recipes that I have taken from the internet into page protectors and placing into their own separate binder. I plan to further divide some of them into "strictly pantry" meals (ie only using dry or canned ingredients to make) as opposed to using fresh or frozen ingredients. I will also be re-organizing my card binder in which I keep card designs and ideas or sentiments for special occasion cards. These are ongoing projects. I have not spent any money. Supper last night was shepherd's pie and tonight we are having a pork roast with homemade apple sauce, boiled potatoes and corn.