Birthday Organization Challenge
Preface: If you read my post yesterday, you're going to wonder why my post is so long today! It was about 95% complete when I wrote last night's post. Just to clarify, I am not going away from blogdom--just attempting to be moderate. I will still be posting. I'm just not aiming for six or seven days a week any more. What gets done, gets done. I read every comment from yesterday; some brought smiles, and some brought tears. You all are the best! Now on to our regularly scheduled programming. . .
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"Out with the old, in with the new" certainly doesn't apply to everything in life, but one area that I'm making a concerted effort to apply that adage to is the organization of my workspace and crafting supplies. This month Nichole had challenged the PaperTrey Ink senior design team to create a system for remembering and organizing birthday cards, with the focus being on getting them out on time.
I started with some PaperTrey Ink sets that I thought might work well for this project: Wedding Day, Mixed Messages, Trajan Monogram Edition Alphabet, and Recipe Box Label. I also dug up an old Hallmark organizer box that was large enough to hold cards--you know, the "inexpensive gift with purchase of three cards" kind. Next I rummaged through my older patterned papers. I'm finding that I collect a lot of patterned papers, and once they become last season's, they usually don't get used. I have given away stacks of these to try to bless others and get a grip on my growing stash, but I still had quite a few that were lovely and just begging to be used. One was Basic Grey's Dasher paper pack--so pretty, and not too Christmas-y, if you picked through the patterns. To seal the choice, this paper worked well with my PaperTrey Ink Pure Poppy, Ocean Tides, Ripe Avocado, and Sweet Blush cardstock and inks.
I started with a slick box (7-5/8" high x 10" wide x 4-1/2" deep) and should probably have sanded it with sandpaper before trying to cover it; since I knew I would need good holding power, I used permanent Xyron adhesive to hold the papers. After covering the entire box, I coated all except for the front panel with some matte finish Royal Coat Decoupage Medium. (I left the front uncoated because I knew that I would have a hard time getting my decorations to stick if it had a slick surface. I'll have to go back and carefully coat the front later.)
For the front decoration, I used the Trajan Monogram Edition Alphabet to spell out "CARDS," and stamped it in Pure Poppy ink. Originally I had wanted to use the Recipe Box Label holder for the front, but I couldn't get the works quite large enough for the box front using it; so I used the large oval from the Wedding Day set, along with some dingbats from the Recipe Box Label set, stamped in Ocean Tides ink. Buttons are from my stash--mostly Autumn Leaves Foof-a-La and ButtonsGalore.com.
For the inside, I cut sixteen divider pages--four each from Ocean Tides, Sweet Blush, Pure Poppy, and Ripe Avocado cardstock, adding a 1" wide strip of patterned paper for visual interest. The month stamps are from the Wedding Day set and are die cut with a Spellbinders Plain Circle Nestability die. Besides months, I chose Get Well, With Sympathy, Just Because, and I think I'll do the last one as a Thank You, since these are all categories that one doesn't plan into a certain month. Sentiments for the additional categories were from the Mixed Messages set.
For the inside lid of the box, I used some E-6000 glue to attach two Tim Holtz clips to hold a book of stamps and the elusive pen--I'm trying to cover all of my bases and hope that my husband takes over the task of sending cards. It's really only fair since he has far more family members than I do, right? I think I hear laughing somewhere out there--cut it out!
Dividers are shown on the left and below; I created a document with lines for dates and occasions and attached this to each of the month pages. (I still need to make the top tab for the Thank You divider.)
Now, for some cards to fill in that file folder: when I look back at the two or three years worth of cards that I have kept, I am amazed how much style (or at least my style) has changed! I give stack of cards to my mother and mother-in-law occasionally, but the ones that I have kept will easily fill most of our needs for the year. The area that I am generally lacking in is masculine birthday cards--simple, no-fuss, we-remembered-you-today birthday cards. So while I was already hard at work stamping, I used some of the scraps to create a few generic guy-birthday cards. These use the Recipe Box Label set, and sentiments (both inside and outside) from the Birthday Basics set.
I'm hoping that this little system will help to alleviate the "Do-you-have-a-card-for ______'s-birthday? It-was-yesterday" syndrome. Be sure to check out what other players came up with too: Lisa Johnson, Lauren Meader, Heather Nichols, Mish Wooderson, and of course Nichole; if my system won't work for you, I'm sure that someone out there has a system that will!
Thanks for visiting.
I love the idea of a box for them...you DID organize it quite well, too. I am sooo going to make one too!
Posted by: Debi Nicol | January 02, 2009 at 11:22 PM
Awesome project--what a pretty way to keep track. Love it. darlene
Posted by: Darlene L | January 02, 2009 at 11:23 PM
just beautiful!
Posted by: edie3 | January 02, 2009 at 11:26 PM
What a great idea. I`m thinking your could do the same thing with special cards...sympathy, get well, birthday etc. I think I have found my next project. Wish me luck.
Hugs
Heather
Posted by: Heather Fullerton (Retired Heather) | January 02, 2009 at 11:30 PM
Wow...Fantastic!!
You really Aced this one...Fabulous!
This is a Great way to organize..
Love it..can't wait to make one :)
TFS
Posted by: Dee | January 02, 2009 at 11:31 PM
What a fantastic idea. I love how you added a place for a pen and stamps. I can't wait to give this fantastic idea a try. Thanks for sharing you amazing ideas with all of us.
Posted by: Jeni | January 02, 2009 at 11:36 PM
Oh my! What a fantastic project!!!! can't wait to get busy making a couple of them. TFS!
Posted by: Susan H | January 02, 2009 at 11:45 PM
I really like this idea. And I love the colors of the paper you chose. Very nice!
Posted by: jules p | January 02, 2009 at 11:48 PM
OH! I just LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea! So gorgeous!!!
Posted by: Jodi | January 02, 2009 at 11:55 PM
What a great card box you've made and a great way to keep on top of birthdays. I definitely need to do something like this. Thanks for the inspiration.
Posted by: Alanna | January 02, 2009 at 11:56 PM
I think your missing baby cards and wedding cards. But then how many babys are born and how many weddings can there be in one year. Love your box, And I think I will go through my stash of cards, some I made and some I got in swaps, and sort them out for the whole year. Someone, don't reember who, made a yearly calendar with xcel. I made one and filled it in. Used colors to sort family and friends. Now to use this reusable calendar. First birthday is the 6th and I am all set for it.
But still need to do the sorting of my stash. Thanks for your beautiful suggestion.
Posted by: Shelbby | January 03, 2009 at 12:11 AM
And to think I almost threw away my Hallmark gift with purchase box! I am definitely going to give this a whirl. Thanks... once again...for an awesome project!
P.S. We have definitely got to figure out how to make sleep optional!
Posted by: Lisa Hjulberg | January 03, 2009 at 12:22 AM
Great little box you have made there! :) I need to do the same... and even make 1 or 2 for gifts. Thanks for the inspiration :)
Posted by: Debbie Lee | January 03, 2009 at 12:28 AM
really amazing!! love it!
Posted by: scrapanath | January 03, 2009 at 12:59 AM
Love it! I really need to do this. But why are you at hallmark in the first place, hmmm? I never get those free things cause I'm never there. I'll have to get a PTI egg box.
(ps, I was kidding above, I know hallmark sells stuff other than cards!)
Posted by: Rebecca Ednie | January 03, 2009 at 01:55 AM
Debbie, Great idea and beautifully done. I love the punched circles for the tabs. I want you to know I read your entry for yesterday and I think you need some time for yourself & your family. you always amaze me with all you post and the beauty of all your creations.
Posted by: Barb Mann | January 03, 2009 at 02:02 AM
Thanks for sharing this is GREAT, i'm having troule with some of the birthdaycards,and this is a big help.
Thank you.
Posted by: Yvon | January 03, 2009 at 03:39 AM
what a beautiful job you did with this. I love all the details. especially a place for the stamps and a pen.
Posted by: Joan B | January 03, 2009 at 04:23 AM
This is great and it inspired me! I was intending to do something about my (lack of) organizing for cards and had a few ideas. But this is much better! Thank you for the inspiration!
Posted by: Alex | January 03, 2009 at 04:39 AM
These are gorgeous and what a wonderful idea!!
Posted by: Karen W | January 03, 2009 at 06:10 AM
LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a great idea!!
Can you share the recipe?
Thanks so much in advance if you do.
Really look forward to your designs, they are the greatest....you are so talented!
Joan Leblanc
Posted by: Joan Leblanc | January 03, 2009 at 06:42 AM
Wow that is fantastic, looks so great inside and out! Love your tabs and the decoration on the front, masculine cards are the ones I always have the least of and end up having to really work to get one made! Beautiful project!
Posted by: Conniecrafter | January 03, 2009 at 07:16 AM
What a fun project! Thanks so much for the inspiration!
Posted by: sharon | January 03, 2009 at 07:21 AM
Wow....WOW!!!....this is totally amazing. What aweseom details!
Posted by: denise (peanutbee) | January 03, 2009 at 07:29 AM
WOW!!!! What a lovely box! I'm still going to head to the UP and bunk in your stamp room for a few days---just to see if the magic will rub off!! This is so functional and beautiful at the same time---that's the perfect pair!
Posted by: Kathleen | January 03, 2009 at 07:37 AM