Curt's Best Shots Slideshow

Sunday, January 4, 2009

A NEW YEAR. . .A NEW START

Hey All! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope your holidays were wonderful! Before I forget, my new year was started off right! I won a set of Copic Ciao markers! Retail is $139.00!!! I won them over at Gina K. "A day in the Life". I couldn't believe it. Many of you sent me emails telling me I had won. When I left my comment to enter the blog give away, there were already 690 comments. I thought I didn't even have a chance, and boom I won! I'm so excited.

Gosh I have missed you and blogging. So many of you have sent me emails wondering where the heck I've been. Well. . . . I'M BACK!!! LOL I was just simply taking a breather. I was so burned out from all of the Christmas stuff that I just took a break. There was also another reason which brings me to the "theme" of this post.

My room was a DISASTER AREA! And quite honestly, I didn't have the energy to go up there and clean it up. I knew that it was going to be more than just "cleaning". It needed to be totally re-organized and re-done. It was getting to the point that I didn't know were anything was, and it was a chore to even create in that mess. So, in hopes of inspiring you if you are in the same boat, I'm going to embarrass myself by posting pictures of the way the room was. I'm also going to share with you some organizing ideas I've done to help you organize your wooden stamps, clear stamps and punches.

If you are faint of heart, please go past these horrifying images right on to the "after" shots. I did a makeover on my room. So, the next series of pictures will be the "before" of the area followed by the "after". I tell ya, it looks like an HGTV makeover! LOL OK, you ready? Here is the first "Before" picture:



YIKES! I told you it was bad! And now for the "After":



That's my little stamping buddy Gunther lying by the desk. That's generally where he always lays while I'm doing my thing. . .

BEFORE:



AFTER:



BEFORE:



AFTER:



BEFORE:



AFTER:



It took me hours to finish this project. I read this along time ago on someones blog that a comedian once said "Glitter is like the craft worlds version of Herpes. Once you have it you can never get rid of it." LOL I had glitter everywhere! The carpeting still glitters in places after two vacuumings! Oh well. . .

On to a couple of things I did to help me organize my clear stamps and my wood stamps and punches. This may be old news to some of you but I came up with it out of necessity. I didn't know half of what I had when it came to my punches and my wooden stamps. They were tossed in several different drawers. So the first thing I did was to organize my clear stamps. Here's what I did:



When you buy clear stamps, they usually come on clear acetate that has the image on it as well so that you know where to put the stamp back when you are done using it. I took those from each set, and taped them to a piece of card stock, put it into a clear sheet protector, and put it into a 3 ring binder. I then took the actual stamps and put them in a clear CD case. I numbered each page with a number (see red arrow above) and then taped the same number to the CD case. Now when I'm looking for an image, I simply browse through my "catalog" find the image I want, and then pull the corresponding CD from the stand on my desk (pic below).



As you can see, I have 44 complete sets of clear stamps now in this very small space and I know exactly where they are!



This is what the stamps look like in the CD case. You take that "inner round thingy" out before using it for the stamps.

Now, how I solved the problem with my wooden stamps. Although I can't find a convenient way to store them (like in a CD case) I can organize the images so that I know what I have. I decided to do another "catalog" in the same binder. I took out all of my wood mounted stamps, and stamped the images on sheets of card stock. I tried to keep them in the same family, theme, or holiday. I then put them in sheet protectors and put them in the same binder. Now, I can flip through the pages and see all of the images and make a better choice from ALL stamps instead of just grabbing what is "on top". Below is a sample of how it looks in the binder:



This is not only a great way to see all the images you've got, but you can see how they actually look when stamped. I've now sorted the wooden stamps into 3 drawers and kept them by theme so that if I want the pine branches I know they are all together in one drawer as opposed to possibly being scattered between five drawers.

And finally, I did the same thing with my punches. I took dark paper and punched the shape into it, then put that onto white card stock so the shape would show clearly. I then put that into a sheet protector and put that into the same binder. Now I have a "catalog" of all of my punches. I also punched them by theme so they are easier to see what I have for each group. Here are a couple of pages to show you what they look like:



There you have it. My organizational tips. I hope they help.

Finally, I wanted to say thanks to all of you who sent me wonderful Christmas cards! They were all so beautiful! I wanted to also say a special thanks to a couple of people that sent me some "extra". Cheryl Bambach of "Cheryls Stamping Corner" sent me some great stuff. She had a link on her web page about taking a Christmas Carol quiz. So I went and took it and came back to leave a comment about what my score was. I didn't realize that it was for blog candy. It was very nice of her to send me the great prizes she did. Thanks so much Cheryl! Also, my blogging buddy Marie Pavitt at Marie-Aloha and Mabuhay sent me a beautiful card and a jar of Shimmerz. I can't wait to try it! Thanks so much Marie! It was so appreciated!

OK, that's enough. I'm sure you saying "geez, can he make this any longer?" LOL And the answer to that would be yes. But I'll save it for next time. I'm working on new cards and a new worthwhile project that I'll share with you next post. It involves some blog candy just so ya know!

Again, I've missed you all so much! I hope you haven't forgotten me! I'll be seeing you on your posts! It's really good to be back! Don't forget the pic of the week below!


Best,

Curt O'Brien

"God help me be the person my dogs think I am."

45 comments:

Jules said...

First of all congrats on the copics!!!! What great luck! You will have to give a good review after you use them! It couldn't have been won by a better person!
Your room looks great!
I also do what you do with the binder and cd cases. Makes everything so much easier to find...(well when you put it all back and don't just have a stack of neglected stamps waiting to be cleaned). Your room is huge like a getaway, love the chairs to the left!
Don't you feel great when you clean it all out!
Glad you are doing well, looks like you have a great start to the new year!

Jan Scholl said...

Wow, Curt. Your before photos would have been my after ones. My space is a mess and since its upstairs-behind closed doors-I see no reason to clean it up when it's so cold. I bring down what I want and stay in the warm kitchen baking and stamping. We keep the heat low or off in certain rooms upstairs to save energy costs. I keep the downstairs at 68F and yeah, its chilly but you would get to cuddle in a home made quilt. Besides, until recently when hub was working, he was never here so didn't matter the temp. I was alwasy hopping around. Now he is here all the time. Sigh.
Thank you for the beautiful Christmas Card. I want to put a photo on my blog but we had to buy a new computer in mid December and it wont read the SD card but it will the Smart media one. isn't that weird? the old cpmputer read both. Eventually I will get my head together.

I have a similar thing going with my stamps in binders too.
But I still can't find anything. I am a work of chaos. Aren't those pens the bomb??? Now if only the Copic peeps would come to Michigan so I could get certified. I heard they were in Ohio or Indiana this past summer. Probably Marco's in Ohio. No one would come to Michigan-skeered to.

Marie said...

Wow again, Curt! It's good to know the card made it to ya. Shimmerz are my new thing and I can't wait to see what you come up with it!

So, this is Curt's Sanctuary. Organized! Wow! I tell ya, the before pic was not that bad. Mine looks a million times worse everytime I make a card. That's why you all will never see it! Lol! Seeing your room makes me wish we were neighbors... *sigh*
This was a phenomenal project with a great end result.

PS. Congrats on the copics! They will become your new best buds!

Happy New Year,
Marie.

Sue from Oregon said...

I agree with Jen, you craft area wasnt that bad, but it looks awesome now! Congrats on thecopics!...I am so jealous but so happy you won them. I keep saying I am going to do a catalogue...but by golly, I get so lazy and would never get anything stamped as it would take me years...I am still working or Sue;s reorganization...it will be a year long process I am afraid!

Bumbles and Fairy-Tales said...

Yea Curt is in da house!!!
Good to see ya :) lol, I am overjoyed to see your mess! Makes me feel so much better that I was not the only one to be ringing in the New Year like that ;)
You have an awesome space to work in! Nice clean up job... I hope to put my 'after' pics up tomorrow. I love your cd/binder idea... I don't have many, so I will have to 'borrow' a few of hubs cases!
TFS! It's great to have you back!
BTW! I wish I had a lil' Gunther to keep my tootsies warm when I'm creating ;)
xoxo, margie

Nancy said...

You're brave for showing your before photos! hehe. Your after shots are wonderful! My stamping space looked like a bomb went off, before I got it all reorganized. a friend gave me a $200 gift cert to The Container Store, and I got new Elfa drawer units. I have unmounted all of my wooden stamps, and have them on EZ Mount boards. Also have all clear stamps on those too. Images of each stamp done like you do as well, in a binder with page number so I can go right to the stamp.

Unknown said...

Awesome! :D Great organization! I love the tips! :D Sometimes I like to get out my stamps and just stamp them anyway. lol. Is that weird?

Have you thought about de-mounting your wood mounted stamps and getting that one repositionable foam stuff to put back on the rubber? That way you can do the same thing you did to your clear stamps. Think about it! :D

twinkletoe said...

I thought your before pics were much tidier than my stamp room. You have inspired me to work on it!! I am also thinking about unmounting my wood stamps as they take up so much space. I have been an avid stamper for 20 years and I have never given away a stamp!!

I just love reading your blog!!

Joan Fricker said...

Curt,
Just yesterdy I wondered where you were? I missed seeing your posts.
Now I know what you have been doing! What a great job you have done reorganizing your stamp room.
I function so much better when I am organized. I am in the process right now of getting my stamps organized too. I am also adding the name of the stamp company to my label. Great job and thanks for sharing all your ideas.

Jodi said...

Hey you! Sooo Glad you are back in blog land!! I missed you!
Thank you for the beautiful Christmas card!! I have something for you on my blog.
Big Hugs!
Jodi =)

Lauri said...

Congrats again on the Copics!!! Can't wait to see what you make!! and wow....your room looks fab!! Your ideas are great...and I love seeing them in action! I have to admit, mine is way overdue as well!!

christina d said...

Wow! What a great prize you won! I love what you've done with your art area. My poor little place isn't as big as your room. I am gonna use a few of the ideas though, especially for the clear stamps.

Scossie Jane said...

Hey Curt, you have returned to blogland my friend. Understand the need to chill after the holidays. Good to have you back.

Congrats on the Copics, let us know how you get on with them. Don't have them in Oz yet.

As for your work room - that aint no mess mate, a bit untidy maybe, but no way is it as bad as my space and that of some of my scrapping buddies - we cannot post photos for fear of environmental melt down or even arrest!!

However, your after version is lovely, so organized. You must promise to post a photo again in exactly six weeks - then we'll see if you're as bad as the rest of us, LOL xx

Isn't it fantastic news about Glee, way good start to the new year.

To finish off (nearly as long as your post!!) I have something special for you to collect on my site - go collect

Love ya xx
Jane

Scossie Jane said...

Love your title for photo of the week - Where's Tippy?

Took me a few minutes to work out what you meant - Tippy Hedren - Birds.

Excellent movie. So dated now though. Love Hitchcock. Showing our ages xx

Denise said...

wow Curt you have been busy! Can you come & organize my craft room? LOL
Love what you have done. Thanks for sharing, now I fell like I should spend the day cleaning out mine.

Janine said...

Curt!!! Congratulations on winning the Copics.. They are fabulous.
I love your crafting space too.
So nice to have a sneak peek into someone else's creative world!!

6 wacky women said...

Congrats on winning the copics...you lucky dog , you! I tried them once, but I couldn't get the hang of it. I guess I'll always be a tombow girl...lol.

Your craft room is amazing. I would love to have that much space. I have to keep my hole in the wall tidy, or no one could find me!

You did a fabulous job of reorganizing....inspiring actually. When I'm finished the card I am working on I might have to give it a go.

Love your pic of the week.

Have a great day
Karen x

Erin said...

I love your stamping room. It seems like such a big space. And everything is now so organized. Love the pic with your dog laying in the room. That is how my dogs are.

Happy New Year

Angie said...

Hey Curt, When I saw that you won that yummy copic marker blog candy, I was so thrilled for you! I love your stamping space and I'm praying that I get one when we move later this month. I can't wait to see some more of your projects, I did miss your posts!

Sharon Caudle said...

Welcome back and Happy New Year!! Oh would you PLEASE come to Reno and organize my area for me??? It's SUCH a mess! Worse than your before pics! LOL! What an AWESOME idea with the jewel cases! I will be getting some of those this week! Thanks for all your organizational ideas! and WOW! Congrats on scoring with the copic markers! That's soooo awesome! Have fun with those! LOVE your pic of the week too! Have a great week!

Jamie Martin said...

Love the before and after pictures! My room is such a mess I am to embarassed to take before pictures! Good luck keeping it clean :)

Macpurp said...

you have been really , really busy!
I have been trying to be more organised....not there yet!

hope you had a fab Xmas/ New Year.

love Tina x

Anonymous said...

Hey, great to see you back, I was beginning to worry about you. Congrats on your win. I have not tried Copics yet. And am in the middle of a move, sooo I don't even know where most of my supplies are right now. Hopefully, I will be Jall straightened out in a couple of weeks. Anyway glad to see you again and have a great new year. Pet your pals for me.

Jami said...

What a fantastic start to the year!! New Copics and clean room!! Let me just say how envious I am of your craft studio - even in it's messy state. (I'm confined to a small corner of space in the dining room for now)

Love your ideas for the stamp and punch catalogs! I love that you can pull the catalog out and see ALL your stamps at once! I may need to do this myself!! I've never seen this technique, and I do believe it may the best I've seen!

Great pic of the week. I think ALL those birds were on my little balcony yesterday...did you send them? :)

Hugs & Happy New Year!!!
Jami

Elaine M said...

Oh my goodness - I was about to go into withdrawals - so glad you are back!!!! Love what you did to organize your craft room - your "before" pics look a lot like my "after" pics ... sigh.
Hope this year brings you much happiness

Judy said...

I'm jealous!!!! Your craft room is just awesome. Oh, to have a room that big.

Shirley said...

Curt, you haven't seen bad until you see my room and I am not going to show it. My digital would probably croak! Cudos on your cleaned area and you may have shamed me into doing the same to mine. LOLOL ;-)

Deb Neerman said...

"Glitter is like the craft worlds version of Herpes. Once you have it you can never get rid of it."

LOLOLO, can I quote you on this?!?

Congrats on winning Gina K's blog candy .. what a great get! And no one deserves it more than you, Curt!

Your work area is amazing! Even "messy" it looks great!

Thanks so much for your lovely cards and support. Your a doll!

~Hugs, Deb

Michelle Alejandro said...

Wow Copics! That is so cool! Those are expensive little buggahs! Your work space looks so wonderful! I am trying to get my space under control, have family visiting next week, yikes! Hope you had a wonderful New Years!
Hugs and aloha,
Michelle

The Rubber Maid said...

Have to say AMAZE..ING ! Now come on over to my house and clean up my action. I can't seem to stamp without stopping in the middle of my mess to add to it. Funny how you just can't seem to find anything in the clutter but you don't clean it up. Wonderful job and a fantastic stamping area. Pat

PaperAddictJenn said...

Your room looks great! I wish you could head down to Louisiana and help my scattered space. I'd love to have your "before" space if nothing else. Have fun playing with your new Copics in your "new" room!

Carolyn Bounds said...

First of all, CONGARTULATIONS on winning the Copics!!! I cannot wait to see the amazing things you create with them!

Next, WOW!!! You room looks FABULOUS!!! You are right; it does look like an HGTV makeover:o) Hahahaha!!! I am jealous of all the space you have!!:o)

I would also like to thank you for the well wishes. You have no idea how much it means to me.

Psst...I left you a little something on my blog.

Hugs!
Carolyn

Anonymous said...

Wow Curt, big congrats on the winnings! It's like getting a late Christmas gift you never knew was coming! And that stamping space is so CLEAN and ORGANIZED wowsers!!! hehehehe wanna come to my stamping room for coffee tomorrow? We could, I don't know, organize????

"Kirby" (KrB) said...

I love it! I love that the craft rooms of ambitous crafters get messed up like mine. I also love that you got it so organized. Thanks so much for the great ideas. I love your idea of numbering your stamped images and putting the corresponding number on the CD case. BRILLIANT! I hate to work in a mess, but once I get working, it's a given that it will be a mess and probably not get picked up any too soon. Oh well, such is the life of a stamper, or any crafter I guess. Your "buddies" are adorable. Thanks for the encouraging post. :)

nicky w. said...

Thank you for sharing your organizational tips. And that makeover to your craft room is terrific! Happy Stamping!

Marie said...

Hey, Curt. It's me again. I left you something on my blog.

dpkennedy said...

Wow-I am so impressed (and depressed about my own messy space) with your organization! Fabulous job! And major congrats on the Copics! That is so awesome!

Happy New Year!!

Birgit and Marni said...

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your stamping room! And the ideas for organizing and cataloguing your stamps, images, and punches are pure genius. I can't wait to get home to my crating room and start cataloguing now! Your work is beautiful and I love coming to your blog to see what is new. My little doggie has a special place in my crafting room too and she just loves it. Take care!

Birgit and Marni said...

I just looked at your picture of the week - haaa haaaaa!!!! Hilarious! I was named after the Alfred Hitchcock movie, 'Marnie', although I spell mine different. Tippy was the main character in that movie too, and I am forever grateful that my parents named me after the movie and not after the actress!!!

WhimsicalThoughts said...

Happy New year Curt and congrats on your big win, Copics, how nice.

Love your room, i posted some pic of my room that needs a huge make over as well. Cleaning it is on my "to do" list ...hehe, i'm going to try and get it done this weekend, but we'll see how that goes.

Toni

Anonymous said...

How wonderful to win some Copics! You will have such fun with them. And with that newly organized room (which is fabulous btw) you'll be able to find a great spot for them. Love your before and after pics, Curt. Happy New Year!!

Percy said...

Congratulations on winning the copics, I bet you feel like a very lucky guy!!!
I love your room, you are so organized....mine looks like a disaster....one of these days,it really is inspirational to see what someone like you can do in a room,....I need to hire you to make over mine :)
I love your doggie next to your table....
Hugs, and Happy New Year!

Tammy Hershberger said...

Alright, now get busy and mess it all up again and show us what you can do with those new Copics!!! Big congrats to you! I can't think of anyone that is more deserving or anyone that appreciates the prize more!

Great pictures of your studio! Love all your organizational ideas! Now come and clean up my space!

Have a good weekend, my friend!

Unknown said...

Wow - you are sooo organised - te place looks great - Good man yourself! I'm far too lazy to ever attempt such organisation - but thanks for the tips tho'

Ila said...

Congratulations!! on winning Copics!!..I got some for Christmas..they were backordered and are still coming...but they sure look like fun!!
I love the way you organised your stamps..especially the clear ones...(mine are getting out of control..lol)..I love all the phots of your Special Space..Thanks So Much for Sharing!..Your room looks Fabulous!!...and Thanks for all the great tips!!....Have a Great Day!!....Hugs, Ila

P.S...Curt...I think your Valentines are Gorgeous and such a Great Cause...You are not only Amazing with the fabulous amount you've made...but sport a Heart of Gold as well!!