Holiday Plate Stacker Snack display

Isnt this the greatest find???  It's 1960s, made from plastic plates, missing one, but appropriate hardware for 3 stacking plates!  I found this on The American Homemaker's Etsy Shop... who knows where she found it!

This is how it arrived.  I had asked her to package it in pieces for easier tranport.  The plates had a 1/4 inch hole drilled into them.  First task:  secure new plates and a 1/4 inch drill bit that could drill through glass/ceramic.
And this is what became of it:

The process started by marking out the centers of the plates and drilling small pilot holes.

It continued with the glass and ceramic drill blade which is best used with water.

One with a hole, 2 more to go.

As in all projects involving the husband, beer and a 2nd plate with the hole drilled.

Then it was just a matter of assembly...

Which was had a few issues since our plates were heavier and thicker than the original ones, but it turned out perfectly!

Shop at Angie's Etsy shop here. 

She has quite a variety of retro and vintage items.

Organizer Update

Last week, this is what my desk looked like.

On the right is my stamp pad organizer, mentioned last week... in the middle are my scrapbook tools, on the left is a basket with all my action files. Nothing too exciting... UNTIL THE MAIL CAME...

The packaging ALONE proved that what I was about to encounter was extremely valuable! As you can see, big thick box with packing peanuts, individual wrapped boxes within, separated by bubble wrap... ohhh the care that went into packaging this!!!

But what is it??? The wonderful Mike, from OrganizeMore.com custom built an organizer for my acrylic paint!!! And I was specific... I also purchased another stamp pad organizer and only had so much desktop space left... But VOILA! Mike is amazing! Look at this beauty

OMG!!!!!! Seriously!!!!! I had an entire drawer full of paint and it didnt even make a DENT in this organizer! Plus it is right at my fingertips and I can see all the colors!!!

So, adding it to this beauty.... plus it's new sister......

Makes my desk look like this (although a bit messy when I took the photo)!!!Mike and his family @ Organizemore.com are fantastic! Not only is the customer service superb, but the quality of the product is fantastic! I am not being compensated for this blog, I just love their products! Go to Organize More and tell them Anne Alagna sent you! You wont be sorry!

Cute File Folders Tutorial

A couple weeks ago I posted on Organising Queen -as part of my office makeover- this photo of my action file folders.

They were super wasy to make! I spent less than 5 minutes on each!

Supplies:

• Manila file folder
• Adhesive
• Scissors
• Decorative paper or fabric
• Embellishments

I took my cheap-o file folder and some scraps of paper . For the tab section of the file, I cut a strip 2.5" wide.

I ran adhesive around the exterior of the strip as well as down the middle.


When I flipped it over and stuck it down, I quickly trimmed around the tab.

I followed the same procedure with a larger piece of paper for the front, trimming when it was adhered.

Then I embellished with Ribbon. Lastly, I stuck a label on each folder.

Poof! Cute Folders!

You can match them to your decor so that you don't mind having them out in the open. I went one step further than that with my BILLS TO PAY folder and covered it with Chocolate paper... hoping to make paying the bills slightly more palitable. *giggle*

What do your action folders look like??

~Anne

What am I going to do with you?!?!?!

*Edited to adjust photos that blogger removed.

Remember this post from last fall? You know, the one where I bared my scrapbook soul and 'fessed up to all the supplies I have hidden that need to be used...

Well, in addition to all the albums, paper, stickers, ribbon and embellishments...

I have scraps too.

Some are up to 3/4 of a sheet of paper.
Some are as small as 2" square.
Some are squares, circles, triangles even.

• I have this entire basket full of scraps. It must weigh 6 or 7 pounds.


• I have a long photo box so full of small paper that I can't get the lid on.


• I have a 12x12 drawer full of scraps.


• I have a Creative Memories File Mate full of scraps.
  

Seriously? What am I going to do with all this scrap paper?

Whatever I was thinking when it got that way, it obviously didnt work out the way I planned because the only part of this that gets used are the scraps in the drawer.

Oh, I think I would use them all, but I just never remember they are there.

I usually end up cutting a new full-sheet of paper first. *gasp*

So the other night I sat up while every one slept and I sorted the scraps.

Since the drawer seems to work and I tend to think in color families...

I sorted the papers by color.

10 drawers!

• Yellow


• Orange (including peach and rust)


• Red (including burgundy)


• Pink


• Purple


• Blue


• Green


• Brown


• White (including beige)


• Black (including gray)

I went a bit further and separated the journal boxes from the other papers. I stuck them on my desktop -in a little bin- for quick access.

I am liking the results. Hopefully this method will work better now that it is all in one place!

How do YOU store your scraps?

~Anne

Terrific Tuesday!

Lookie what I found!



This was getting thrown away at work so I rescued it from certain destruction! It has to be 30 years old (at least) and is thick and heavy metal. What will I do with it? Will I turn it into a scrapbook? Will I fill it with first aid stuff and toss it in my trunk? Will I find another use for it? Hmmmm. What WILL I do with it? So many ideas, only one box.

And look at this!



It originally looked like this:



It was so plain and ugly and plastic. I took a bit of paper and glue... and spiffed it up a bit!

What do you think I will use it for?

Hint: It is magnetic.

Come on! Play along! First one to guess correctly will get a special package from me....

~Anne

Career Album

The confession here is that this is not my typical scrapbooking style. This is a page from my "career" album. Not that I have ever had a career, but I have been involved in many volunteer positions, clubs as well as my different jobs over the years. Each brought something else to my life that deserved remembrance and reflection. In an effort to put the album together quickly and focus on the journaling, the pages are mostly functional, wall papered with journaling or photos, not nifty techniques or pretty papers or awesome stamped images. Alot like me, this album is cut and dry. *giggle*

I chose to share this page with you because the top right image is a paper piecing that took me 3 hours to finish... the red parts are the pieces... and once they were cut, I had to figure out how to place them correctly. After numerous tries, I finally paper pierced around the pattern images into the lower layer of cardstock then adhered. Whew!

Now I just have to do the past year... and the new job. Hmmmmm

~Anne

Tips for faster scrapbook layouts

Tips for scrapbooking faster:

• Clean as you go. If you don't have to look for your scissors or adhesive under 5" of scraps, you will be able to work faster.


• Use proven ideas. Don't try to reinvent anything... use sketches and idea books.


• Keep the majority of photos in squares or rectangles. Specialty shapes take quite a bit of extra time and tend to be trendy rather than classic.


• Journal as you go. (I understand this doesnt work for everyone. I have a friend who makes her whole album and then goes back and journals the whole thing all at once. It seems to take her an extra 6 hours per album -at least.)


• Only touch it once. For example: If you are scrapping your wedding in a Wedding album, while the photos and supplies are out, make a 2-page layout to go in the Family album. Along this same line... if you are using special supplies and have leftovers, why not use them on cards instead of filing them away and never using them again? Christmas album or Christmas photos in the Family album? Why not make a layout for in each of the kids' albums? It is much easier to create 6 layout of the same thing at the same time than it is to create 6 layouts of the same thing at 6 different times.

Sorry I have been MIA this past week. I dont know what happened to me. I looked at the calendar and realized the whole week was gone! If anyone finds my missing week, please let me know! *grin*
~Anne

Rules for Myself

Now that my goals are set in place (23 albums in 12 months), it's time to discuss the rules that will enable me to succeed.

1. Finish all albums that have already been started. This includes all journaling, title pages (my downfall), photos that need to be reprinted and misc memorablia that might be floating around elsewhere.


2. Keep all memorabilia and photos in order.


3. Use what you have. This includes scrapping photos that are already printed before printing new.


4. Take fewer photos. *gasp* No more 200+ photos per family event.


5. No excuses. Do something everyday.

~Anne

More Secrets!

I mentioned that I was sending a box of surprises to my friend Mia... I made a 7x7 album for her oldest daugher. She made varsity cheer in her freshman year... and each year since! So this is am album for her photos from cheer. I hope she likes it. It was fun to make.
There were 24 pages total, all in the red, black, grey color scheme. I thought about personalizing it more than I did, but I thought that they way teenagers are now, less is more and she can add her own details to suit her liking.

Remember, it is a secret so don't let her know that you got a preview!

~Anne

Shhhhh! It's a secret!

This is the cutest box idea. I found it here on Dannie's blog. I didn't have anything the right size for the scallops so I left it square.

This is being sent to my Best Friend Mia.... but she doesn't know yet, so don't tell her I gave you a preview!

I added 8 - 3 1/2" square cards for her, each one different. I might have gone a bit crazy with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder... I just got it last week (took about 80 miles and 4 stores before I got one) and I have been dying to use it!!!!



The papers are all Stampin Up except the diamond print on the top of the box (Bo Bunny) and the yellowed marble print on the tag card (Creative Memories).
What most impressed me about this project was that the box assembled in about 5 minutes and the whole project came from paper in my scrap pile! I did not cut one new sheet for this entire project! How cool is that!

I have a little something in the box for each one of the family, so I will preview those through the week. She should have the box on Thursday... so don't tell until then!

~Anne

Meow!

Here is another card. This uses Stampin Up papers Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, and DSP from the Spring Showers pack. The stamped images are also from SU (1998) Meow Meow. The tag was punched from the Terrific Tags punch. The So Saffron was run through the Sizzix with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing Folder. And the kitty's paws are popped up on dimensionals.

~Anne

Iris Card

Iris is one of my all time favorite flowers. I am having a hard time sending this card to anyone. The center image is from the Stampin Up Peace & Comfort set (1998) as is the sentiment and the background Iris stamp is from the Stampin Up Long-Stemmed set (2001 sell-a-bration). It was colored with pencils and then rubbed with ink. I am not sure about the cardstock. It was a scrap.
~Anne

Happy Birthday Cake

Yet another stamp set borrowed. I am not sure the name of it but I know it was Stampin Up. The blue square behind the cake is textured by crumpling and rolling and folding, then separating the layers making it slightly fuzzy. The ribbon (I love the color!) is a Textured Trios from Michael's.

~Anne