Starlight Musings

      A few years ago, I unmounted my stamps to save space (I didn't have a designated craft area) .  Some of the rubber stamps peeled right off while others needed to be put into the microwave for 5 second intervals.  I tried a few different ways to store them, but ended up with this.      Basically, I unmounted stamps, put them on clear plastic pages (the kind used for projectors) , and put them into page protectors.  If they needed help, I used Aleene's Tack it Over.  I've covered some clear stamps with a layer of cling wrap before putting them in the sleeves to keep them from sticking to the protector.      Thanks for checking my quick idea out.  Hope you're doing well and hope that maybe I sparked something in you!   (On with the yammer. . .)      I unmounted most of my stamps several years ago.  It saved a lot of space, but I had to learn as I went and ended up trying a few different things I either saw on YouTube or crafters' blogs.  Some of the rubber stam

     Sometimes, it seems to be more helpful to see how specific items are stored (or is it just me?) .  I've already shared how I've stored my original, Bigz, and Pro dies, so why not continue with my other sized dies?      I have my Sizzix XL dies in a few places.  A few that are more "seasonal" are in my die file cabinet and the rest are in my old changing table.  They're in a plastic box that actually used to be the top part of a record turntable on my brother's old stereo.  I'm guessing I used it to carry something I was wanting to save while tossing old stuff out and it worked well enough I kept it, otherwise, I'd have gotten something else. I used more pieces of the closet backing to divide them into the themes I use.      Thanks for checking my quick idea out.  If you've used/repurposed anything around your house in a new way, please share in the comments below.      No yammer this time - not only is it a pretty quick idea, but I've b

     I suppose the short version of this quick idea is that I put my Sizzix alphabet sets and smaller dies into a cabinet that doubles as the base of one side of my craft table.      Once my boys were grown enough to stop using a changing table, I took the wooden "guard rails" off.  While unpacking my craft supplies after our last move, I decided to try to use it for some dies and liked how they fit.  I also liked the white color and the beadboard details on the cabinet door enough to make it the end of the craft table hubs made.       It's divided into two sided - a side with "open" shelves and the other with a cabinet door.  Both sides have 3 shelves.  On the top shelf of the cabinet, I've put Sizzix Alphabars and other small sized alphabet blocks, some in their original boxes.      The thinner, Sizzlit alphabet sets stack 3 high on the middle shelf.      The bottom shelf has small dies in photo boxes.  I also have all my doll dies - both the original size

     What do you get when you combine the bottom of a dresser with the Totally Tiffany ScrapRack?      You might get what I did:      Why do this?  Honestly, it started due to a misunderstanding - but ultimately, gives me more counter space.  I have put 3 of my rolling cart drawers underneath, freeing up some room in my bookcase.      Hope you're doing well and maybe I was able to encourage you to try something that may seem odd until you find out it works for you. (On with the yammer. . .)      Before making a top for my lockers, my ScrapRack was clamped to a scrap of wood that covered the gap between lockers.  I had to clamp it because it kept tipping over, even after I went through it and thinned it down.  After I made the top, I used filled plastic containers to weigh it down.      A combo of having time to kill, a desire to use more of an old dresser, and an inclination to improve my craft area, I came up with this.      I put the bottom/feet and a few other wooden pieces down

     After doing a lot of online research, I ended up using Dollar Tree acrylic drawers.      I originally had them in four stacks that "nestled" together so there was a stack "facing"each direction on a Dollar Tree lazy susan.  I labeled the fronts and one side to help see what pad was where, but without a shelf, this system wasn't as convenient for me as I hoped.  Instead, it went into my IKEA closet alongside my wire paper stack.      Hope you're doing well and able to enjoy some of the little things (we're enjoying a bit of blue in our skies - a welcomed sight after the past few weeks of smoky, orange, "Mad Max" skies) . (On with the yammer. . .)      I wanted a system that would be able to hold an ink pad, a reinker, and the foam pad used for the distressing tools.  I thought about using a system called EZStudRack, designed for a multitude of items, screwed into 2x4's. (I found them on YouTube.  They're almost like the sides of thi

     After making the drawer-shelf unit I posted here , I decided to use it for all my jewelry craft items (charms, tools, chains, etc.) .  They were tightening the stay-at-home regulations again, so shopping didn't seem prudent.  I went through what I had and tried to organize my supplies better, with the idea that I'd use them more if they were easier to find. . .      I cut down the granola box - magazine file thing I mentioned in my last post .  I glued extra cardboard to double the box's thickness all around since it was going to hold a bit and could get heavy.      I grabbed our box of square sized snack baggies, (without any guilt since we weren't using them for school anymore) and cut down some more cardboard to make dividers.  The cardboard was ugly and from various boxes, so I wrapped them in decoupage along with the box, and printed up labels for each divider and baggie.      Hope you're doing well and hope I was able to encourage or motivate you. (On wit

     I "built" something.  Pardon the pic - it looks horrible!  Kinda like a proverbial red-headed stepchild - and I could only think to describe it as if a magazine file fell in love with a box and created an offspring.  But, to use another phrase, this thing has legs, if ya give it a chance and can look past this horrible cover job.        I took a granola bar box from Costco, lifted up the top to make a tall back, glued a big piece of cardboard to it and around the sides, and then covered the whole thing.  I decided against trimming the sides to allow them to offer more support to any supplies housed inside - scrapbook papers, pads, or even some albums fit nicely.  I liked how the sides seemed to almost blend into each other when they were side-by-side.  Not trimming them down could also help them stack better laying down.      - but after all that, I didn't use it as-is.  I thought I could still share it because someone else might find the idea useful and I might make