My New Easy and Cheap Scrapbooking Organizing System

*warning, terrible photos ahead*

I have been struggling with the best way to organize my 
scrapbooking stuff ever since I began scrapbooking. 
There is just so much of it and it keeps growing! 

I have tried several different ways to organize and store,
 each with their own problems. 

First I started out with one of these carts. 

I love these removable drawers with lids. I
 like being able to stack and store my finished pages and know they are protected.
I still use the drawers for pages in process or finished pages waiting to be placed in albums.

  I thought this kind of storage would be perfect for papers and embellishments but I underestimated my ability to collect supplies.
This system lasted about a year.

Then I decided I needed a place to store all of my paper pads so I tried this.... 

It wasn't a bad system if I never left the house. Paper can be very heavy! 

So this did not work. Just too big and heavy.

But now I believe I have found the perfect solution for organizing all my scrapbook
 supplies and making them easy to transport and still be able to find what I need.
I  have to give big thank you to my friend Denise who came up with this system.
She is a scrapbooking genius! 

The best thing about this system is that 
it is really inexpensive. 

It makes finding papers and embellishments so much faster and easier.
You are gonna love it!

All you need is a box of  2 gallon Ziplock baggies, and a 10 gallon Sterilite container from Wal-mart!

I think I paid $5 for this one. 

 I used the 2 gallon baggies to organize my papers and embellishments.
 I made a list of all the different topics for the bags I would need.
 I had around 15 different topics. 
Everyone's topics will vary depending on what you like to scrapbook. 

12 x 12 papers and paper pads fit perfectly in these bags along with 
all alphabets and embellishments. 

Here is a view of my container full of my bags and card stock!  

I also store my color card stock in the same container to make sure it is full.
 8 x 11 1/2 papers fit perfectly down the side for extra storage.
 You want your container to be full so that all your baggies
 will stand vertically and not bend your papers. 

This system  is so convenient. 
When I am doing a camping page,
 I just pull the camping baggie and all of my papers and embellishments are right there. No more digging through drawer after drawer to find matching papers and embellishments.

Another great advantage... it is easy to transport. 
The lid closes completely so there is no danger of damaging 
my papers on the way to a crop.

 As my collection grows, I can just start filling another container.  One can never get too heavy to carry because of the size. 
They are also stack-able to make it perfect for a dolly.
 Makes going to crops so easy! 



Here is the list of my topics to help get you started...

Christmas
Thanksgiving
Fall 
Pool and Beach
Camping and Outdoors
Baby
Girls
Boys
Sports
School Days
Spring
Easter
Music
Faith
Home and Family

Give this system a try and let me know how it works for you. 
Happy Scrapping!

Making my own Memory Files

I have fallen in love with Heidi Swapp's Memory Files.

 I just love the whole concept.
It's not really a mini album, but it is also not a scrapbook page.
It is so much more.
What I love the most is that you can get a ton of photo real estate out of them.
There are no real limits. Adding pages, photo stacks and mini books make
 them my new favorite way to scrapbook.

In case you are not familiar with Memory Files, here is a quick video that will help explain.

Memory Files

Now, as much as I love this Heidi Swapp product, I have found that her designs are becoming more and more difficult to find. I even contacted the company directly. They were super nice but most of the designs that I want are all sold out. 

So, I decided to try to make my own, and it worked!
 It is actually really easy.

Here's how I did it.
Start with a plan manila file folder.

I really don't like the plain shape of the folders, so

I took one of the few Heidi's Color Magic folders that I had left over and used it as a template.

I opened it and lined it up on my file folder, traced it with a pencil and cut it out.

 Super simple.

Now to attach the scrapbook paper. It is really important to use a strong glue or tape.
 I used my Scotch ATG double sided tape.

 Get as close to the edge as possible and then do several strips in the middle.
You want to be generous with your adhesive.

 I used scrapbook paper with a pattern that I loved. I laid the paper directly on the folder and trimmed it out with an exact-o knife. I covered the entire file folder. Of course you will have to piece your scrapbook papers since 12 x 12 scrapbook paper that is not large enough to cover the whole folder.

Now the fun part, start embellishing!

For mine, I added a small mini book to the inside to add more photos.

I love the way it turned out.
 You can bet I will be making a lot more of these!!

Cheap Thickers

While on our vacation, we stopped in at the local Marshall's to see what kind of deals we could score! Boy did we ever....

Thickers for $1.49 a pack!! If you are a Thicker fan, you know what a great deal this is. Now that we are home, I will be checking out TJ Maxx to see if they have them  too! 

New State of Tennessee Reservation System

Great News!!

We just arrived at Warriors State Park campground to spend a few days and were told we needed reservations!!

That would normally be a problem, but I was thrilled! This is wonderful news!  Even though it could have meant a problem for us this trip, it is worth it! This means we can now make reservations for our favorite Tennessee campground, Roan mountain, and actually be able to get a space! Normally, to get a space at Roan you had to drive over days before, put a tent up, and pay for two extra days. That's if you were lucky enough to actually get one. Now we can make reservations!   Thank you State of Tennessee! Oh and we did get a spot this trip, but next trip, no worries!   Here is the link for all you out of state folks www.tnstateparks.com