Wednesday, August 29, 2012

5 scrapbook complications that chap my hide.

I don't know about you but sometimes when I scrapbooking I'll have an issue with a tool, product or situation and it occurs to me that this has happened before.  In fact, it occurs more often than not, yet I neglect to address it because, "Hey, I'm busy scrapbooking!" and then I forget about it until the next time it happens.  I decided that today I would take a look at my top 5 scrapbooking annoyances and some ideas on how I might avoid them.
  1. ANNOYANCE: This drives me MAD! I will be working on a project and I need to run glue along the edges of a piece of paper or photo with a tape runner.  In my effort to get those edges glued, I leave a side trail of adhesive on my work surface.  Next thing I know, I've set my photo or an embellishment face down on top of the glue and now I've got a tragedy. I've either ruined the photo or torn off the top layer of the paper/ embellishment.  Man that drives me CRAZY!  And yet, I find myself in the same predicament time and time again.  SOLUTION:  Get yourself a little pile of old magazines and when you lay down adhesive, do it with the magazine underneath.  When you are done gluing, turn the page of the magazine and the mess is gone. 
  2. ANNOYANCE: Oh, this one is so irritating!  Sometimes when I am inking the edges of paper, photos and everything else we scrapbookers ink, I get "ink rub" on the front of my card, layout or project.  Sometimes I call it a happy accident and roll with it, but when I am creating a clean, crisp layout and I get "ink rub" I just about lose my mind.  SOLUTION: Okay, so I 'll mention the obvious one; slow down.  And when that doesn't work because you only have 45 minutes before the kids get home from school, try dabbing the edges lightly rather than running the ink pad along the rim of the paper/ picture, etc.  If that doesn't work, you could try to cover up the messy spot with journalling or an embellishment and call it "whimsy." I welcome any other ideas on this one because I don't see myself slowing down or dabbing on a regular basis.
  3. ANNOYANCE: This is a real stinker of a dilemma and it has a pretty simple solution.  "Infecting" a layout/ project with messy hands.  It is inevitable (and quite honestly, my right, as a crafter!) that my hands will get soiled with ink, paint, glitter, glue or some other creative medium.  I know I should stop what I'm doing and clean my mitts but sometimes its difficult to get to a sink or else, I am unaware that I rubbed the side of my palm with a cats eyeSOLUTION: This one is easy peesy cotten cheesey - stash baby wipes everywhere.  In your scrap tote, paint storage cupboard, desk drawer, in your tool bin, everywhere.  Get 4 or 5 travel packs and scatter them where you do your work..  Then make a habit of wiping your hands regularly.  Also, this practice is a good habit for removing germs - sort of a win/ win..
  4. ANNOYANCE: Maybe its old age, maybe its mommy brain, it doesn't really matter why.  The fact is that I seem to loose everything that I had in my hand 2 minutes earlier.  A photo, a button, my scissors, a sheet of paper - you name it, I've lost it right in front of my own eyes.  SOLUTION:  Make a "hot plate."  Grab a paper plate and put it to your direct right before you start scrapping.  Every time you set down photos, buttons and many of the other things that seem to vanish, place them on the hot plate.  Disclaimer: In my experience, this method works for most things but scissors seem to know how to crawl off of the hot plate and under scraps.  I usually pull out 2 or 3 pair when I'm scrapbooking and even then, I have to hunt them down.  Them scissors are tricky.
  5. ANNOYANCE: This one doesn't effect everyone but it sure is a problem at my house.  I call it "cat crinkle."  No matter where I work, my cat seems to hone in on my projects and just when I least expect it...Bam!  He jumps on top of my paper and wrinkles it or leaves a wet paw print or scatters an un-adhered design all over the place.  I love you kitty, but this is unacceptable.  SOLUTION: I'm afraid there isn't one friends.  Unless you are willing to put kitty in a crate or lock yourself in a room, kitty will always go for your artwork.  It is how they are hardwired.  Its in their DNA.
Well that is all of the wisdom I can muster today, but I eagerly encourage you to share your own.  Please, if you know a solution to these 5 issues, leave a comment so we can benefit from your experience.

14 comments:

  1. Love the hot plate idea. I'm constantly loosing stuff and spend more time trying to find things than I do working. What it is about cats and paper? My cat loves to jump up on my table and lay in the middle of the paper.

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  2. I know - and I can't tell you how much cat hair has gotten stuck in my adhesive or in my photo sleeves. It is a good thing they are so darn cute!

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  3. Hello there from a new reader. In last year's class with the oh-so-talented Tim Holtz he commented on our table's favourite solution, similar to your "hot plate" idea-- a little wire basket to hold that special category of each of his oh-so-carefully packed kits he calls "Losables...". Great post.

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  4. great post! i don't have any brilliant ideas to add though.

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  5. Jennifer - i love that term "losables". Perfect! Thanks for the feedback everyone. I am so happy to learn that I am not the only one who has these kinds of issues!

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  6. I have a medium plastic bin (you can get them in a set of 5 or so from Walmart, Staples, etc) that I try to corral my wayward items. I even have 2 that I take with me in my tote.

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  7. I love your little annoyance's especially the kitty one my kitty is the biggest pain when I am crafting!

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  8. Great tips! I love baby wipes - I have always had them stashed all over the house and my "baby" is 12. I also use old magazines pages for under glittering, gluing, inking, that kind of stuff. I am going to steal the hot plate idea for sure.

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  9. Great tips, Jilliene. Love your kitty, too. You could be me!

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  10. I love the cat one! Lol, I have that problem too!

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  11. My cat has recently started jumping up on my work space. I don't know why but I have learned that he actually talks a little before he does it.... sooooo.... now I am thinking he is saying something like, "If you don't pick me up, I will jump up on your work table in 10 seconds, 9, 8, I am not kidding."

    So my solution is that the minute he starts talking, I pick him up. After I love on him for a few seconds, I can put him down and he's good for at least an hour or two before he does it again!

    :)

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  12. LOL Nadia!

    I like the hot plate idea. I think I'll look for something cute I can use for just that purpose.

    I can't believe how lucky I am. I have two of three cats who might want to jump on my table mid-project. Somehow, someway, I managed to "train" them not to! When I see them headed my way, I say "no" and they don't get on my table! However, my son's table is right across from mine and one of them will sit there and forlornly stare at me for a while, till I get up for a drink and stop to pet him. :)

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  13. I went through a phase of wearing the scissors on a ribbon around my neck

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