Friday, March 13, 2015

Organization for Your Creative Space—Taming Your Tools

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Hi, everyone and welcome to this month’s MFT Organization for Your Creative Space—Taming Your Tools. I don’t have any magical system—it’s just kind of evolved according to my needs and acquisitions but it works for me. I’ll take you on a tour around my room and show you where and how I store my tools.

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My craft room is a bed room turned Girl Cave. I didn’t want to do any built-ins because I want everything out where I can see it or I’ll forget I have it. I’m not interested in cabinets and I don’t want things behind closed doors, so I just have work tables and shelves. Starting with the right wall as you come into the room you’ll see a table with my sewing machine (which I rarely use any more—funny since I used to have to MAKE myself NOT use it, LOL!), a Cuttlebug, and my Vagabond. Behind the Vagabond is a two tiered stamp holder for my Ranger sponge handles.


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I keep the Cuttlebug handy for embossing with Cover-Up Die-namics. I broke a Vagabond once by accidentally trying to run too much through it and I’m chicken to try a Cover-Up since it needs a mat ;-) Cuttlebug works great and if I break it, I have another ;-)

Under my Vagabond I have some stacked Sterlite drawers that contain a supply of new cutting pads for the Vagabond and on top of it are my embossing mats and my metal shim, always handy for when I need them.

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Moving around, I have a desktop paper cutter and a Zutter paper cutter that I use solely for cutting card bases.

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On the floor, and to the right of my work table, I have a metal stand that was intended for use in a bathroom but I decided it would be great to hold my air compressor on the bottom, a tray of glue sticks in the middle, and the basket on top is perfect for my Copic air brush handle, my heat gun, and a flat iron—right at hand.


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Now on to my work table. I am someone who likes to have everything right at hand as much as possible. I have my brand new favorite tool, the MISTI at hand all the time as well as a pair of reading glasses ;-)

To the right of my Copic markers you’ll see my Score Buddy, I have a pair of scissors that I only use on fibers—no paper—and my hot glue gun. I use it a lot and don’t want to wait for it to heat up so I have it plugged into a power strip along with my desk light so that when I turn my desk light on, it comes on and starts heating. Similarly, when I turn that light off, the hot glue gun also goes off, so I don’t have to worry about whether I turned it off or not after I leave the room. My ATG tape runner resides in front of my Copic markers…

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…as does a small canning jar with small tools I use constantly like several different pairs of sharp scissors and tweezers, etc…

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…and to the left is my tool carousel in which I keep longer tools like bone folders, pens, 6” rulers, my Quik Stix, stylus, hemostat, wire cutters, utility scissors, and stapler.

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I have another stack of Sterlite drawers to my left, under my work table. The top drawer holds new cutting blades for my small paper trimmer, larger rulers, paper piercers, quilling tools, spare blades for my craft knife and similar sharp items. I know when I go into that drawer to be very careful.

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The next couple of drawers hold embossing powders and glitter, but this drawer holds a Crop-O-Dile, Corner Chomper, brayers, crimper, and various small punches.

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On TOP of that stack of drawers, I have a small tote that holds all of my acrylic blocks plus my small paper trimmer.

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And that’s pretty much it as far as my tool organization and storage—my main goal is to have everything handy for better efficiency, and this works for me. I hope I might have given you some ideas for making your space work a little more efficiently for your needs. Thanks so much for stopping by! See you soon!


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13 comments:

  1. Love your storage ideas! A copy of quick questions - what do you use a flat iron for and when do you typically use your hot glue gun? Thanks!

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    1. Hi, Margaret! I use the flat iron for straightening out ribbon or twine. It is do easy to get the creases out with this thing so I keep it handy. I use hot glue for numerous things, but mainly to adhere flower parts together and onto my project. Also, I find that my ATG tape runner is not good about adhering paper to glitter paper so hot glue to the rescue.

      Hope this helps! Thanks for stopping by!
      Barbara

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  2. Barbara, thank for the tour of your Girl Cave. LOL. I like having everything handy, too. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. I'm with you -- if I can see I use it! :) Thanks for sharing your space and storage ideas~

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  4. Love your space. What do you use to store your ink pads?

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  5. Hi, Lucy! My ink pad holders came from Organize More--they have a nice variety to fit lots of needs. Hope this helps!

    Barbara

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  6. Thanks Barbara, I wondered how you kept everything so nearby -- thanks for sharing this.

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  7. I'm thinking I have too much stuff! I don't have the room to keep everything in sight like you do. Help!!!!

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  8. Great craft room, this looks like mine, I like everything in the open.

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  9. FLAT IRON! THAT IS BRILLIANT. I ALWAYS GET OUT THE IRON. WHAT A GREAT IDEA. THANK YOU.

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    1. Yay!! so glad that was helpful to you!! Thanks for stopping by!

      Barbara

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  10. Thanks for sharing how you organize your craft tools!! Love that you are an "out of sight out of mind" type gal. While it looks neat and tidyto have everything hidden behind cabinets, I would definitely not use items as much because I would forget they're there!

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  11. Thank you for sharing. I always pick up at least one idea from these posts and today is no different.

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Thank you for your kind comments--they make my day and I appreciate every one!