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Dec 27, 2011

Creative Chat - Storing embellishments

It's time for the MFT Creative Chat. The My Favorite Things Design Team Creative Chat is a monthly feature, where we are challenged to explore our creative spaces and share valuable organizational methods, tools, and shopping strategies with you. You'll be able to peek into our creative spaces, ask questions, and share your own ideas in the MFT forum.  This month, we were asked the following questions:  


Show us how you store your embellishments.
What are your absolute favorite embellishments?
Any tips or tricks on how to use embellishments on stamped creations?

Visit Kim's Blog for a full list of designers that have taken up the challenge and get ready to delve into the minds of our creative team.

I was excited about this month's Creative Chat because I already had all my embellishments organized.   Usually, these require me to do some work to get ready, but this time it was snap some pics and post.  Easy peasy.  :)

I created a video where I explain my embellishment organization.  You can view it by clicking HERE or clicking the play button on the embedded video below (which you may not see if you are reading this post in a "reader").  For those of you who prefer photos, read on... I included MANY of those for you, too.  



Let me answer the three questions posed to us before I show you my organization.

Question: What are your absolute favorite embellishments? 
Answer: WOW, that is a HARD one for me.  If I HAVE to choose... I would say... ummm... brads.  They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and a pretty versatile embellishment.  I like to add them to the corners of my layers, but I also use them elsewhere on a card when I need a little something extra.  A close second would have to be Swarovski Hot Fix crystals.  They are easy to use, and add pizazz.

Question: Any tips or tricks on how to use embellishments on stamped creations?
Answer: Oh, let me count the ways... LOL  In all seriousness, I tend to be a "cerebral stamper", more left-brained than right-brained, so I have lots of "rules" that I try to follow when stamping.  Some things just should be mixed.  LOL  Here are a few "highlights" on how I use embellishments.  Keep in mind I am SURE there are times I break my own rules, and you should craft however your heart leads you. These are general guidelines (for me).  

  • Never mix different metal colors on a card. It's just wrong.
  • Don't use lots of different colors of embellishments, unless you are working in a "rainbow" palette. 
  • Keep adding embellishments until it feels right.
  • If at any point, something looks "off", stop what you are doing, and try something else.  
OK, now that you KNOW I am a type-A crazy lady, let's move on to the organization phase of this blog post.  LOL

This is my CRYSTALS DRAWER.  The majority of these are Swarovski Hot Fix crystals.  One day at Michaels, I found an entire display of Swarovski Hot Fix crystals on CLEARANCE.  Nothing like a large number of crystals that were originally priced at $5 and marked down to $1 each to give me a "stamper's high".  There were exactly 220 packages of crystals on that display.  Don't ask me why I know that.  I am not exactly proud of what I did that day.  LMAO  In my defense, I "shared" my loot with a group of stampers, but I kept at least half of it, which is neatly organized by size and color in the Tic Tac containers shown below.  (Walmart $6)


My less-obsessive ADHESIVE CRYSTALS collection is in this drawer.  I only buy pink and clear.  I tend to use these with sentiment-only cards.



My Prima flowers used to be a sea of assortment packs and mixed-color containers.  That was NOT working for me.  I would have to dump out the entire pack to find the color I was looking for and it drove me crazy.  My solution was to dump EVERY pack of Prima flowers I had out, and sort them by color in separate drawers.  Best. Decision. Ever.




There are my resin flowers.  I don't mix these with the paper Prima flowers.  As a result, I don't use them... and to be honest, I forgot I had them until I was taking this picture.  LOL



Buttons.  In a zillion colors.  I have tried several storage solutions and this is the current one.  I can't say I love it, but I can say it keeps them mostly in one place... except for the fact I needed three of these containers to house them all.  And I have no room to grow... which isn't that big of a deal since I rarely use buttons.  LOL  If I ever spill these containers... I will FREAK OUT.  LOL





These Sterlite storage drawers are directly behind where I sit and stamp.  I can swivel around to reach them.  These house the majority of my embellishments, which I have sorted by color.  I removed nearly every embellishment I had from the original packaging and placed them in baggies. Then I tossed the baggies in the drawers, and now I can dig for what I want, and see everything I have.  Love. This. Method. (Is the "single words followed by periods for impact" thing getting old?  I hope not. LMBO)


















There are some things I don't sort by color, including the majority of my colored "normal", "plain" brads.  I keep all those together in a couple drawers.  The tiny brads at the top of this picture came in assortment packs (Michaels).  I LOATHE digging through assortment packs, so I paid my kids to separate them and place them in individual colors in a storage container I bought from Walmart.  Think I'm crazy yet?  LOL  The brads and eyelets in the Tic Tac containers are from Pink Hedgehog.





Thanks for joining me for this month's MFT Design Team Creative Chat.  Don't forget to head to the MFT Blog so you can see what the rest of team has in store for you.  (no pun intended LOL)   I'll see you tomorrow for the start of MFT Teaser Time!  *YAY*

21 comments:

  1. omg that is wild! A crafter's dream come true! Thanks for all the great ideas and photos!

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  2. Ok, now this is OCD to the max at times. I still say you need to hop on a plane and come out to Calif, organize my stuff and show me about this silly sewing machine. Nope, still haven't turned it on yet since I'm waiting for you now. ;) lol

    Hmm, resin flowers?? May have to find some of those now.

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  3. That's alotta stuff! I have lots of those same Sterlite stacking drawer containers. I need to think about re-organizing them. Thanks for the ideas. :)

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  4. wow wow and WOW Jody!! I'm in total awe!! You are simply AMAZING!!

    Crafty Hugs my friend!
    Meredith

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  5. Good Lord woman! You have enough embellishments to open your own store and still have lots left over! I've never seen so many brads in one place and that includes the Michaels store I sometimes shop at! I love the idea of storing by colour - great tip - will keep that in mind when I organize all my embellishments!

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  6. O.M.G!!!! You have lots off embellies!! I almost want to go shopping now :). Awesome organization systems you have in place! Where in Walmart are these tic tac containers????

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  7. I have never seen so many embellies together, not even in our craft store, lol, no serious, it is totally amazing and organized, my eyes is darting all over, feels like a camelion.......hehehe, will have to take the forgotten 'stuff' of your hands,lol
    Thanks for sharing and so agree with all your rules( all 5 of them, use that too)
    My most fave have to be pearls and flowers, so seldom make anything without them!!
    lotsa luv

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  8. WOW! I love your system of sorting by colours! I'm heading up to start with my prima flowers! Thanks for the great tour and I LOL at your mega bargoon from Micheals - look, we all know, you HAD to buy them all - who can pass up a bargoon like that!

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  9. I love that you confessed to buying all those crystals! that is too funny. Great organization, I'm crazy jealous! lol.

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  10. I don't have anywhere near the amount of embellishments but think I will be using some of your storage solutions with my supplies. I get so tired looking for things I know I have and can never find them until the next day after I had to change my plan for my card.

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  11. impressive, Jody. wow! thanks for sharing your space with us.

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  12. geeeez, LoooWheeeez!

    You don't ever need to go shopping again since you have your own little sb shop in your home! LOL

    Love your organization system. I'm thinking about re-doing mine.

    Thanks for the inspiration, Jody.

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  13. bwahahahahahahaahhaahahahahahahah**cough**ahahahahahahahahahahaha*gasp*gag*hahahahahahahahahahah*choke*hahahahahahahahahahah

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  14. I have a comment, but I don't want to sully what's left of my reputation....WOW. Seriously.

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  15. Wow! This is all so amazing! TFS :)

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  16. Wow, what a collection, love all the colors. Thanks for some great ideas

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  17. OMG!! I am amazed at how much you have. I thought I had a lot of stuff!! I definitely need better organization!!!

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  18. Wow, can you come over for a weekend and organize me?

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  19. Hi Jody,
    What great inspiration to get organized! I can aspire...! At the risk of revealing my ocd, can you tell me where you got your button storage boxes? That is the embellishment that is wildly taking over my space...
    Thanks for sharing!

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  20. Do you make organization house calls? Seriously - I just went and bought drawers similar to what you have to sort everthing into color families as I am so tired of digging for the color I need. I recently started making cards to donate my profits to cancer research and I need to be uber organized so that I can make my cards a little faster than I am currently. Thanks for your awesome post! Maybe my son will help with the sorting for Lego money! Thanks for that idea too!
    :) Jill / Seattle Wa.

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  21. I love your embellishment collection!!! <3 <3 <3 Alas, I'm just starting out, so I have nowhere near as many little goodies as you but i'm outgrowing my storage box quickly. One question though -- since you took so many things out of their original packaging, how are you still able to remember what came from where when you do your blog postings?

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