Pen storage...

...and some new additions to my 'pen' collection.

At the beginning of the year when Tim Holtz announced his new products at CHA, I was very taken with the storage tins for the Distress markers. As you can see...

 ...I now have three of them and they are perfect for what I am storing in them. In tin one...

 ...are my Distress crayons. Now you could argue that these are not 'pens' but they are pen-shaped so I think they "fit the bill". There are currently 18 crayon colours that come in 3 wallets - they fit very comfortably in the tin still in their wallets and there is plenty of space for the additional colours that Tim was hinting at.

My Distress markers have lived in the clear tubes that they arrived in and if I hadn't misplaced the 12 shades that came out the year of the "Four seasonal" releases, they wouldn't all fit (the 12 colours for 2015 have made the clear tubes very snug)...

 ...but here they are all together in a single tin and there is still room for my water brush and a few more pens should Mr Holtz come up with some new colours.

My third tin is home to my latest addition to my pen collection - the Zig Clean Color pens...

 ...which are a bit shorter than the other items I am storing in these tins as they are single ended. So far I have 20 (there are 80 colours in the range) and the brush nibs are lovely for fine detailed stuff right up to broader strokes for covering larger areas. The pens come as singles or in a variety of packs - 4pks, 6pk, 12pk, 24pk, 36pk, 40pk, 60pk. Unfortunately, although it works out cheaper to buy the pens in the pack configuration, there are duplicates of colours across the packs. I bought a 4pk (pales), the 12pk and 6 singles - and managed to duplicate two of the colours without realising.

I was surprised that I couldn't find a blank colour chart on the Kuretake website so went hunting on Google and found a link to Jennifer Mcguire's blog where she kindly offers some printables...

...these are arranged in colour groups and are a nice handy size for carrying with you whilst adding to your collection - they also fit nicely into the tins.

I've only had a brief 'play' with these pens so far but I do love the brush nib. I'll let you know how I get on when I put them to a bit more use..................................................................

I decided it was time...

...for a new knitting bag.

Not that I don't love my tartan one anymore.

No!

I love this cheery little bag that I have sitting by me on the sofa...

...but as you can see, it doesn't have a very large capacity...

...here it is full to the brim with just 2x 100g balls of yarn, a couple of knitted squares and a square "on the go". Fine for keeping my current knitting projects together in one place but not really suitable for crafting on the move.

Here is my new bag...

 ...in a sort of Cath Kidston style fabric that is wipe cleanable (which also means it is rain-proof). It has a lovely collection of pockets all around the outside and as you can see...

...lots of room inside - this is 4 x 100g balls and there is still plenty of room.

I had been looking at these bags in 'Linens Direct' for a while and decided I really did need something for travel purposes when it came to my knitting. I often take something with me when I visit Mum or if I am accompanying her to a hospital appointment but my old knitting bag wasn't really suitable. This is pretty and practical so it ticks all the boxes.

Another step towards a more organised Me in 2016...................................................................

CHA2016 Sneak peeks...

...from Mr Holtz & Ranger.

At last!!! The white ink pad and re-inker have arrived - Andy (Pinnacle Crafts) will be so pleased...

...as this was the colour he was hoping for during 2015's Distress releases.
A new storage container for the Distress Markers...

...yippee!!! I'll be able to keep all of them in the one container and as it is a tin it will match nicely with the tins that hold my 'mini' Distress Ink pads.
On the subject of mini items - it looks like there will be other parts of the range made available in a mini size - making them easier for transporting to crops and workshops.
Now this looks interesting...

...Distress Crayons - look forward to getting my hands on some of these and having a play.

There are a number of other items shown over on Tim's blog but these were the ones that caught my eye. I'll certainly be looking out for their arrival over here after the launch at CHA in the USA.......................................................................................

Time for a bit more...

...recycling.

Having washed & dried a few more glass jars I thought I should really put some to use.

The sticky labels that had once proclaimed what the contents of these jars had once been...

 ...had been soaked off, leaving the bare glass for whatever I decided to use for decoration.
Wanting to keep this one fairly quick & simple...

 ...I just grabbed a sheet of sticky-backed gems and some satin ribbon.
The gems were arranged in strips so it made it much easier to peel them from the acetate sheet...

 ...and apply them to the glass (you really didn't think I would apply this lot 'one-by-one', did you LOL).
I recently bought myself the magazine that was released to go with the Big & Bow-tiful bow makers. I had the CD that came with the original bow makers but I don't always have time to run it when I'm looking for ideas. The mag is perfect as it is quick to pick up and flick through and has step-by-step photo instructions on how to create different style bows.
Using the red satin ribbon...

 ...I created this triple layer bow to finish off the jar. Told you it was quick & easy.
A pretty jar that can be used as...

 ...a candle holder. I think it best to use the battery tea-lights as there is no flame to worry about and no wax to have to clear up - not too sure how well the bow and the gems would stand up to trying to clean out melted wax.
If candles are not your thing...

...how about a pretty pencil pot to sit on your desk or by the phone so that you always have a pencil to hand when you need one.

Although I used most of the sheet of gems, the total cost for this was little over £1. So not much to lay out to create something pretty and useful from something that would have gone out with the rubbish....................................................................

If you saw one of these...

...would you know what it was?

I certainly didn't have a clue but I saw it, loved all the carving and at the back of my mind I had a purpose in mind. It was sitting on the end of the shelf in one of my local charity shops and it caught my eye. When I took it to the cash-desk, the sales assistant asked if I knew what it was and what was I intending to do with it. I said that I didn't know what it was originally for but I was going to use it to store craft glues.

If you don't already know - it is a pipe rack. Pipes as in the smoking kind.

My idea was for the top row to hold some of my Cosmic Shimmer Twinkles...

 ...as you can see and the bottom shelf...

...holds pots of Creative Expressions Gilding wax.

I need to sand the holes a little so that the bottles sit in a little more securely but I'm really happy with my charity shop find.

I'm not sure whether to leave the wood as it is or perhaps give it a coat of white chalk paint...or just highlight some areas with some gilding wax. I'm thinking perhaps a coat of chalk paint, rubbing back areas that would have worn and then adding a touch of gilding wax to the high points of the design.

I don't know.

Perhaps I'll live with it for a while and see where my thoughts take me - or perhaps you have some ideas?..................................................................

Got a bit...

...side-tracked.

I have the body of my "Verona" storage cabinet all glued together and ready for painting...

 ...but I had run out of paint because I got distracted by this...

...an MDF unit from Creative Expressions that will hold my glues and glitters.
It went together in no time at all and I thought I would 'crackle' it...

...the crackle medium that I used isn't one I had used before (Artiste) and I don't think I put a thick enough coat on. I know I let everything dry properly, so that wasn't the problem...

...but there wasn't a lot of cracking going on. What did happen was that I used the last of my paint so had to ask Joanne at Pinnacle Crafts if she would kindly order in some more so that I can finish off the Verona cabinet (she did and I picked it up Saturday).

I think I might give this unit a bit of a spritz with some of my Distress Spray Stains.

In the meantime, I'd better get the body of the 'Verona' painted so that I can attach the PP panels and get it finished.

I really must stop getting distracted like this...I wonder if the Distress Ink Pad storage takes long to put together...no; I must stick to these and get them finished...but those other cabinets are oh, so tempting.........................................................................

Pinch, Punch...

...first of the month.

Do you remember meeting up with your friends on the way to school on the first day of a new month and chanting that followed by "No returns", before they had a chance to say it to you?

The response from them would be "A punch and a kick for being so quick" or something similar.

I've often wondered where this came from and found this on the web: "Pinch punch first of the month and no returns." This is accompanied by the person's pinching and punching the victim. It seems to have originated in the days when people believed in witches. Just as we throw a pinch of salt over our shoulder when we have spilt some, even today, some people claim that the 'pinch' element refers to a pinch of salt. In this instance, the pinch of salt was believed to weaken the witch's powers and the follow-up punch was to drive her away. The 'and no returns' element was supposed to prevent the victim responding by saying: "A kick and a flick for being so quick!" These words would also be accompanied by the appropriate actions if the first person failed to add the extra words!

So here we are on the 1st February.

January flew by with a serious lack of paper crafting so I thought I should put that right this month and have started off with making a start on another piece of storage.

As it was members weekend this weekend, I took advantage of my 30% discount and bought this...

 ...I bought the advent storage (Tivoli) at the last members weekend before Christmas but it was too close to the start of December to make a start on it and I didn't want to rush it and spoil the thing.

These storage kits come flat-packed with the glue needed to put them together and there are a variety of 'add-ons' that you can buy...dies to cut fancy panels for the drawer fronts, paints, papers, waxes, sealants and fancy handles. Or you can raid your own stash to decorate them how you wish.

The Verona has two different sizes of drawers and they can be arranged as the photo above shows or with the same size drawers directly above each other rather than staggered. The drawers come as flat pieces of grey-board, ready scored. All you have to do is fold up the sides and glue together...

...the packaging has even been designed so that you can slot a large and a small drawer into it so they are held firm & straight whilst drying. This worked fine for the larger drawer but the smaller ones just dropped straight through - I think my packaging was cut incorrectly but hey-ho, no big problem and the drawers were quickly assembled and ready for a coat of paint.

The top and bottom sections of the cabinet are constructed individually and are attached to the main body of the box later...

 ...this is great for painting purposes as the pieces are of a more manageable size to handle whilst slapping on the paint. I am going with white acrylic Chalk paint for my piece.

As most of the box gets covered, I'm still debating whether I need to give it a second coat. Especially as I will be using distress ink and gilding wax on the bits that show...still thinking about that.

I have decided to cover my box using the following PPs...

 ...unfortunately, I only have the 6x6 and 8x8 stacks so will need to do a bit of strategic paper piecing on the body of the box (I still can't think why I didn't get the 12x12 pad in this - oh well).

The kit comes with pre-cut grey-board panels to decorate and then attach to the box/drawers...

...this makes it very easy to cover the drawer fronts neatly (if you don't want to go to the extra expense of the die set) and the box panels cover the construction slots so you have a lovely smooth finish.

There is still a fair bit of painting to do so I'll show you more when that is done.

Happy first of the month........................................................................

Getting organised...

...for 2015.

The aim being - if I can find it, I might actually use it!

So last night I sat down with a pile of dies and managed to discard this...

 ...a carrier-bag full of unwanted packaging. It's surprising the amount of space all this bulky packaging takes up.

What happened to the contents of that packaging?

I filled two organiser files...

 ...this polka-dot one is currently available from DoCrafts as are the refill packs of pockets containing magnetic sheets.
I have gathered together my collection of these Memory Box cuties...

 ...and have used some of them now that I know where they are (I'm sure I bought the mittens & stockings versions but perhaps that was just my wishlist coming to mind).
I knew I had quite a few Tonic dies...

 ...but I found some that I had totally forgotten about.

I still have my Sue Wilson dies to house - another organiser on the list for "Member's weekend" at the end of January.

Now when Ranger came out with these mini Distress Ink pads I thought it was just a fad and something to encourage us to buy even more stuff - how wrong I was. They are perfect for mobile crafting...these are so much easier to pack in your tote for a crop/class than taking a large box containing the full size pads (it's easier to fit these on the table too).

I love the storage tins...

 ...they keep everything together - all neat and tidy...

...and I do mean everything. The recess in the bottom of each ink pad houses a blending foam pad perfectly...

...so you have a pad for each colour at hand ready for use - how super is that.

My first crop for 2015 is on Saturday 10 January and I'm sure that I'll be more productive by having these things on hand...well...I hope so.

On my recent blog visits I've noticed that several folk have included de-cluttering and organising as a goal for 2015.

I've made a start - let's see if I can keep up the momentum...............................................................

Wax lyrical...

...is an idiom that means "to begin speaking or writing in a poetic or musical style". (one meaning of "wax" is "to pass from one state to another") Bluelion 17:36 Jun 14, 2003 (UTC)

Well, it meant that orignally; now it just means someone who is (very) enthusiastic about something and talks about it as such. Further, I think that 'wax' is being used here as an antonym to wane - that is, to increase (in stature, by context).

-- James F. 23:07 Jun 21, 2003 (UTC)

I assume this "wax" is the same as some germanic languages have for "grow" - German has wachs I think? Swedish has växa (Norwegian, Danish have similar). I offer no proof, but I'd be very surprised if this wasn't the origin of the word. OlofE 11:14, 7 Nov 2003 (UTC)

Yes, "to grow", and hence, "to become". The main current use of the verb in the sense of "to grow" is of the moon. -- Paul G 12:29, 19 Feb 2004 (UTC)

"Waxing lyrical" in modern usage as rightly suggested above (someone who is (very) enthusiastic about something and talks...) can also be an offshoot or an alternative term for "Waxing Eloquent" Noopur 16:37 April 12, 2008 (UTC)

Well, I'm waxing lyrical about the class I attended at Pinnacle Crafts today. It was a fabulous class where we got to play with embossing WAX - amongst other things.

How many folk would stop and think that they could make something like this...

 ...out of some CS and some greyboard.
I just love this box. It has a polished leather look to it and ...

...it has an aged look to it...

...but it was all made from scratch today.
Each face of the box is made up of a layer of embossed CS (we used one of the Spellbinder 3D embossing folders)...

 ...and the CS is backed with greyboard.
Each of the panels was waxed using a variety of embossing waxes...

...and as the CS was a light brown, I went with Creative Expression - Deep red, Glem - Spice, Creative Expressions - Golden light and Creative Expressions - Midnight. The colours were applied in the order they have been listed and then buffed to a sheen.
So that the box would be lined, the panels were covered on the reverse using a tartan PP...

...which was distressed around the edges with Distress ink in Vintage photo.
To add a bit of strength to the box...

 ...strips of PP were cut and stuck down the inside corners.
The back was then stuck in place...

 ...and the bare greyboard edges...

...were inked and then buffed to blend.
However, the box wasn't the complete project...

...with some black CS embossed with the same folder...

 ...and then waxed with Glem - Fern, Glem - Peacock and Creative Expressions - Pearl moon.
Once waxed and buffed...

 ...the three panels were joined together.
Using more greyboard...

 ...a tray-shape was constructed and a further embossed panel was waxed...

 ...ready to cover one of the edges before being wrapped in the piece made from three panels...

 ...to create a book that fits beautifully within the box.
Some more black CS...

...embossed and this time joined together before waxing...

 ...using Glem - Cardinal, Creative Expression - Copper and Creative Expression - Golden light...

 ...which was buffed like the other pieces to bring out the sheen.
To create the look of pages...

...a striped PP was used and then distressed with Distressed ink - Black soot.
So there you have it, a box containing two faux books - or do you...

...the books actually open to reveal a box where you can hide all sorts of things. I just put some sweeties in this one for the photos.
I love the way this has turned out...

...from one side it looks like a lovely aged box but turn it around and you have what looks like two old decorative novels - each containing their own secrets.

Although both books were created from black CS, by using different combinations of coloured waxes I have 'fire' and 'ice'.

What a fabulous 'play-day' and an amazing project to bring home...I love, love, love it!!!

Thank you so much Andy for a fantastic class - it has been a perfect day............................................