Just Trying to Keep Busy

Hey, everyone! I want to share a bit of what I've been doing to keep busy during these self-quarantining times, but first I feel compelled to express my feelings about what's going on right now. It's so hard to know what's appropriate to blog about these days. I feel like most typical posts are trivial in the light of all the chaos going on in this country and around the world. My heart aches for all the lives lost to the Pandemic and for the many more that will be lost because of people still not taking it seriously after so many warnings that have come true. I'm also very troubled in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd and the many others whose lives have been taken at the hands of ruthless and racist people. I lived the first 12 years of my life in Louisiana in the 1950's....a very segregated and racist time. My parents were the definition of racists and bigots. I remember, even as a very young child, feeling assaulted by the ugly names used that I cannot even bear to repeat today.  That young child just didn't understand how and why someone was treated differently because of the color of their skin. I dared not ask questions either, or I might have gotten a good "switching" or worse, the belt. Thankfully, I had grandparents living close by, who were blind to "color." They treated everyone equally and with respect. They never spoke out against my parents to me; but, instead, lead by example. My parents were racists to the bitter end of their lives. They would have been incredulous to find out that there is "Sub-Sahara African" in our DNA. I pray that the peaceful marches and protests, and all the many voices speaking out for change will ultimately force those changes.

Like I said, my hubby and I continue to self-quarantine because we are in that high-risk bracket, and because our state opened too quick, too fast and without any safety protocols in place...yeah, all that! My hubby has a nice shop, and I have a craft room, so keeping busy isn't too hard!

I've been making lots of cards....

This is about a third of what I made and all were made & donated to a couple of good causes.  I won't elaborate on where the cards have been sent, because that diminishes the act of kindness when you toot your own horn...that's what my grandmother always said, and she was my hero.

My room is pretty small, so this is the best I can do for an overall look at my crafting area.  I love that everything is close at hand!

This is a good overview of my crafting desk.  Everything I need is within reach or reachable with a little scoot or spin of my chair.

I thought long and hard before I purchased the Tim Holtz Glass Media Mat, but I'm so glad I finally pulled the trigger...love it!

If you are a scrapbooker or card maker, you may recognize this container.  It's a Totally Tiffany

Die, Stamp and Supply Organizer that you can get HERE at Scrapbook.com.  When I get ready to make cards or do some scrapbooking, I fill this container with all the appropriate things I'll want to use.  It's wonderful when I'm working on seasonal projects, too.

I have tried so many different ways to store ephemera and all the bits and bobs that most of us crafters like to have at hand; but what I have finally discovered is that I need to utilize several different methods.  Besides the Totally Tiffany container, I also have this galvanized 3-tier thing that  I placed on a $Tree spinner and outfitted with some bowls that were not being used for anything else.

I'm truly not a "Hoarder" of supplies...well, maybe paper; but I tend to purchase only what I really like and know I will use.  That being said, this is how I store my small collection of clear stamps...they are in acrylic envelopes so I don't lose any of the smaller ones.  I decorated the box and added dividers that make sense to me. 

My sweet hubby, made this pegboard for me, and I change it up often, depending on what I'm working on.

I have a bank of Alex drawers from IKEA holding up the right-hand side of my craft desk.

This drawer is the second one down; I call it my project drawer, because it holds the overflow of whatever I'm currently working on.  I do this so my glass mat stays free of clutter.  I usually just leave this drawer open when I'm working, unless I need ink pads...they are in the drawer just below this one.

This rolling drawer storage was a purchase from Michael's, but I'm not seeing it on their website.  It may be an item they only offer periodically, but it is perfect for my use.

On the top I have an old makeup carrier, perfect for my bulky and handmade rosettes & ephemera!

Behind the rosettes is a box of paper doilies.

Now for the drawers...the top one holds white & cream cardstock scraps, the next drawer holds patterned paper/cardstock scraps & the 3rd drawer holds borders and strips.

The remaining 7 drawers hold all kinds of ephemera sorted by color.

As you can see, I just used whatever small containers or dividers I had on hand to organize each of these drawers.  It doesn't bother me one bit that these containers are all a mishmash of different things I just had on hand!

This metal piece is something I purchased a couple of years ago at Hobby Lobby, and it has served many different purposes in my craft room.  It is now hanging on the end of my sewing table and holds different size card layers and some card-size mat-stacks.  My paper cutter is directly above it...this is right behind me when I'm at my craft table.

One last look at my crafting area!  I always tend to get lengthy in my posts, so I should have warned you to get some sustenance before we got started!  Hope you survived.  There are many more things I want to share about in this area, but that will definitely be for another post...we all need to rest up!

I hope everyone is surviving whatever quarantine phase you are in and please stay safe!

Carol