Ok! Baby Shower was yesterday!! It went great, she was so totally surprised and overwhelmed.

I can completely understand. Even though I did plan a surprise party for her, had it been one for me I would have run out the door or cried!  I don't do well in large groups either.  

She handled herself wonderfully and after about 10 minutes she got color back in her skin!! This is her first baby and the shower was at work so we couldn't go crazy on decorations as we had the room from 12:30-2:00 and the part was 1:00-2:00.  But I did a banner, a diaper cake, matching plates and napkins of course and the diaper cake topper matched the cake.  Her nursery theme is butterflies.  I had a better banner until my gypsy froze up on me and since I don't have Gypsy Wanderings on any other cartridge I had to redo the project--very bummed!  The original banner had more details.

Decopauge

Decopauge......mod podge.......I just love it.  Called me silly!  I like the look of the paper when it's shiny and I like that it's waterproof, washable......protected!! Miss Sophie gave me a cute little mini-album and I used one of the 6x6 My Minds Eye paper packs that I got as a daily special from MyCraftChannel to rip and piece together for the outside of the album. 

I prepared the album by roughing it up a little with sandpaper and using mod podge to glue on Kraft paper as a base.  I cut the Kraft paper to fit the album like wrapping a present.  I then modge podged my pieces onto the Kraft paper overlapping and tearing randomly. Once all the pieces were on I modged the entire outside of the album.

The inside of the Album is just the paper itself in pockets waiting for my daughter to add pictures and embellish herself. I put papers back to back so she has two sides to each page for more fun.  

Of course I added some bling and embellies for more fun! Quick, easy--great project for kids too!

Starting the project!

Front View

Open view of Cover

Love this paper!! 

Done! 

My "little" scrap space......

In terms of scrap rooms, my space is almost non-existent!  When my husband and I built the room he offered to make it larger and include the window but I assured him I did not need that large of a room. **Yes, I do realize how wrong I was!  The room was flooded several times before we were able to remove the garage doors and stop the flooding.  Subsequently, I lost my wood floor that we had worked so hard to install (imagine installing a pergo wood floor around a water heater--yeah not fun and a lot of &*%$#) and decided not to try again.  So at this point it is painted cement with a rubber mat for standing on.

In small spaces you need to use vertical space!  My one set of shelves on the right have not been painted yet but will also be Summer Squash Yellow when weather permits.  The counter is standing height and underneath are several wheeled plastic containers all labeled with craft items that are "less used" than other items.  The items that are used on almost all projects are kept handy in the top drawer of my white craft station, on the counter, in the plastic labeled bin on the wall, in the labeled boxes on the shelf or on the magnetic holder just above my counter. I also have a wire rack that is not pictured on the wall to the left of the water heater that holds my mini albums that I purchase on sale and keep there for anyone in the house that wants to make a quick album. My husband made a wooden cover for the sanitary tub for one of my machines and when I need the tub I just pop off the wood cover.  Great for when I am doing perfect pearls or stamping cleanup! The machines fit on my counter-but I prefer them to the side of me and the counter kept for layouts and embellishments only.

My cartridges are Not in the box!!  I know--- Blasphemy of Craft proportions!!  I do have all of my boxes and they are kept nice and clean and in a sealed plastic storage bin in the attic along with all of my craft paraphernalia boxes.  But seriously.......I can grab a cartridge in seconds and use it and since I am ADD and OCD for me this is how crafting went with the boxes: 

• Start a project
• pull a cartridge box
• open the box, take out the cartridge, take out the overlay, take out the booklet
• use the cartridge for 1 cut? or a few layered cuts
• put the cartridge back in the box, put the overlay back, put the booklet back
• put the box back exactly where I had pulled it from since they were "in order" 
• open the next cartridge box and start the process over

 Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! I spent more time pulling out and putting away then crafting.  I am very happy with my No Box choice and highly suggest you kick the box habit!! I need to get another container as my one is very full at this point! These containers are $2.19- $2.50 at Walmart and have nice sturdy snap sides. I have pulled the curtain back to take a picture below so you can see one of my rolling carts.   That is actually the smaller one angled in the corner with my stamping supplies!

I do love my little space, everything is within 1 step of me.  I used an area of the house that would have basically been wasted space and turned it into my little haven. 

Counter View- We bought the counter at Lowes and had it cut by them to fit.

Need another Shape Carts Container!

These Shelves have been painted. 

Sanitary Tub- will paint the wood base Mango!

The Slice

Hello Everyone! 
I am trying to find a clearance Slice machine for my kids.  This is perfect for taking to the school for making posters and such!! 
I have 15 cartridges for my daughters and I have 4 brand new  for trading.  I just need the machine!  Anyone have any left in their area?  I know that RI, MA, CT, NH are sold out at Michael's.  I was in A.C.Moore about 4 weeks ago and they had it reduced to clearance also.  Would love the Fabrique, but any would do!

For trade: Jungle, Wedding, Music & Dance
Looking for many but especially- Sports, Under the Sea, Family Words

**Update! A circle member has located a Slice at M's! How super nice! She wanted the Bon Appetite so that is no longer available for trade as it will be going to her!!