Custom Closets For Organizing Crafts, Hobbies, and Projects! by Ronald.Eapen
Anyone who enjoys crafts or hobbies knows the frustration of having to dig through everything to find what you need only to have to fight for a spot to work after the search. Many people stuff all of their items into a traditional closet and find it hard to use because they can't see what they have. Custom closets designed specifically for your craft is exactly what you need. Everything is kept neat and tidy while still allowing you to see exactly what you have so there is more time to be creative and less time spent hunting.
Divided Shelving
Laminate sheets, paper, bristol board, wood, and many other items are difficult to store because of their size and shape. You want to be able to see the types and colors you have, but they need to be protected so they don't get bent or ruined. Divided cupboards in custom closes are the perfect solution. Vertical is best for larger sheets. A sliding door works to hide these cabinets when you aren't using them.
Horizontal shelving is ideal for scrapbooking papers, stickers, and other small items. If you are concerned about having them fall out, consider having them installed at a thirty-degree angle and use shallow wire baskets. These are also great for yarns and other oddly shaped items.
Drawers
Smaller items such as pens, pencils, paints, and paintbrushes as well as supplies often pose a challenge for organizational systems. Having a series of small drawers is helpful for these kinds of items. You can fill them with spools, wooden shapes, die cuts and other items and keep everything separated. When you are ready to use them, you can pull the entire drawer out. For larger drawers, be sure to have moveable dividers.
Specialty drawers such as pull out workspaces are a convenient necessity for custom closets. They are great for holding your supplies while you're working, or have them on the end of a countertop to make it easy to work with larger projects.
Containers
Plastic dividable containers are the hobbyist's best friend unless you don't have enough space to stack them up. Make sure to include a number of shelves that fit your various containers perfectly. Adding doors onto each will help you to hide the mass of containers when you're finished. For supplies that are just too nice to hide away, custom closets can have glass sliding doors to keep out the dust.
For ribbon and rolls of paper, custom closets can have an area with lengths of dowel to feed them onto. If you keep the paper towards the work surface, you can inlay a measuring stick and use it to measure out what you need or use the edge of the countertop to tear it off. Have holes routed in the top to sink cups into. You can keep pencils, scissors, paperclips, and other small items in them while keeping them out of the way. For wreaths and other hangable items, use pegboard as a backboard for the unit. It doesn't matter if you have a huge space for a closet in Chicago or a small space in a New York apartment, the only rule with these types of storage spaces is to design them specifically for your items and habits.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Take The Time
As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.
Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.
The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.
How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:
To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.
To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.
Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322
To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.
To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.
To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.
To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.
To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html
To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.
To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.
If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html
And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html
Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.
Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.
The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.
How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:
To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.
To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.
Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322
To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.
To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.
To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.
To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.
To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html
To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.
To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.
If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html
And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html
Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Vote Jane!
My Geography Jane (see below) is now in the running to win this craft challenge. I'm all about winning, so please take a moment and give her a vote:
http://christynelson.net/challenge.php
http://christynelson.net/challenge.php
Sunday, January 25, 2009
ChristyNelson.net: January Craft Challenge Reminders
ChristyNelson.net: January Craft Challenge Reminders
So that's what I did! It was hard to decide what to make, I had quite a few ideas rolling around in my noggin. I decided to make a doll type thing, but even that took some narrowing down. In the end I made Geography Jane, her body is hand sewn, I crocheted her legs and eyelashes and her hair is differently dyed shades of wool and alpaca out of my spinning stash. She has brad and paper earrings. This was a lot of fun and I've already purchased next month's craft challenge so I can do it again!
This is my entry into Christy's Craft Challenge! As Christy puts it in her blog- Materials to be used for the challenge:
green paper
fabric
brads
rubber bands
embroidery floss
You must use at least a little bit of each of the supplies provided. Other than that, you are pretty much free to create whatever you want!
So that's what I did! It was hard to decide what to make, I had quite a few ideas rolling around in my noggin. I decided to make a doll type thing, but even that took some narrowing down. In the end I made Geography Jane, her body is hand sewn, I crocheted her legs and eyelashes and her hair is differently dyed shades of wool and alpaca out of my spinning stash. She has brad and paper earrings. This was a lot of fun and I've already purchased next month's craft challenge so I can do it again!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Housekeeping
I've been doing stuff with Elsa, museum outside inside stuff. Currently she's saying, "Where's the bug mommy?" "Look in room." "Dudde" "Where's bug? Mommy!" I don't even know what she's talking about.
Anyways, I've also been joining artfire (previous post) and today, 1000Markets, which looks pretty freakin cool. I wanted to post a master list mainly for my own reference, but feel free to click away.
WHERE AM I?
Anyways, I've also been joining artfire (previous post) and today, 1000Markets, which looks pretty freakin cool. I wanted to post a master list mainly for my own reference, but feel free to click away.
WHERE AM I?
- http://twitter.com/ChimeraCrochet
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=646651751
- http://www.myspace.com/perkychipmunk
- http://www.youtube.com/perkychipmunk
- http://www.blogcatalog.com/user/ChimeraCreation
- http://www.indiepublic.com/profile/Lisa72
- http://www.ravelry.com/people/ChimeraCrochet
- http://chimeracreation.artfire.com/
- http://www.1000markets.com/shops/chimeracreation
- http://www.chimeracrochet.etsy.com/
- http://www.chimeracreation.etsy.com/
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/chimeracreation/
Sunday, January 18, 2009
So I'm Giving Artfire A Try
I figured I'd give the free account a try. I mean, it is free. I have two pills listed there, and I'm debating making it all pills all the time. ChimeraCrochet's Pharmacy, as it were. Speaking of pills, I better make some more, because I have a feeling I'm going to sell out soon. SO either snap up what I have on Artfire (click above) or shimmy over to ChimeraCrochet (link is over there to the lower right) because I just sold another one overnight.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Naughty Prescription For Love
New in my shop @ http://chimeracrochet.etsy.com are some Prescription For Love Amigurumi Pills. I have a few different kinds listed. They would make a perfect gift for Valentine's Day!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Being Present is a Present to Yourself
From: "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle
Why should we be addicted to thinking?
"Because you are identified with it, which means that you derive your sense of self from the content and activity of your mind. Because you believe that you would cease to be if you stopped thinking. As you grow up, you form a mental image of who you are, based on your personal and cultural conditioning. We may call this phantom self the ego. It consists of mind activity and can only be kept going through constant thinking. The term ego means different things to different people, but when I use it here it means a false self, created by unconscious identification with the mind.
To the ego, the present moment hardly exists. Only past and future are considered important. This total reversal of the truth accounts for the fact that in the ego mode the mind is so dysfunctional. It is always concerned with keeping the past alive, because without it -- who are you? It constantly projects itself into the future to ensure its continued survival and to seek some kind of release or fulfillment there. It says: "One day, when this, that, or the other happens, I am going to be okay, happy, at peace." Even when the ego seems to be concerned with the present, it is not the present that it sees: It mispercieves it completely because it looks at it through the eyes of the past. Or it reduces the present to a means to an end, an end that always lies in the mind-projected future. Observe your mind and you'll see that this is how it works. The present moment holds the key to liberation."
How true, especially if you give that last part a try. Really step back and observe the mind as it oscillates between past and future but never settles on the now. It's amazing and disturbing at the same time. Reading Tolle is part of my voluntary simplicity movement where I am working towards not only decluttering my home, but also my mind! Another interesting this is my friend Amy is also posting on this very subject, as though we were thinking along these same lines recently. You should go give it a read.
Why should we be addicted to thinking?
"Because you are identified with it, which means that you derive your sense of self from the content and activity of your mind. Because you believe that you would cease to be if you stopped thinking. As you grow up, you form a mental image of who you are, based on your personal and cultural conditioning. We may call this phantom self the ego. It consists of mind activity and can only be kept going through constant thinking. The term ego means different things to different people, but when I use it here it means a false self, created by unconscious identification with the mind.
To the ego, the present moment hardly exists. Only past and future are considered important. This total reversal of the truth accounts for the fact that in the ego mode the mind is so dysfunctional. It is always concerned with keeping the past alive, because without it -- who are you? It constantly projects itself into the future to ensure its continued survival and to seek some kind of release or fulfillment there. It says: "One day, when this, that, or the other happens, I am going to be okay, happy, at peace." Even when the ego seems to be concerned with the present, it is not the present that it sees: It mispercieves it completely because it looks at it through the eyes of the past. Or it reduces the present to a means to an end, an end that always lies in the mind-projected future. Observe your mind and you'll see that this is how it works. The present moment holds the key to liberation."
How true, especially if you give that last part a try. Really step back and observe the mind as it oscillates between past and future but never settles on the now. It's amazing and disturbing at the same time. Reading Tolle is part of my voluntary simplicity movement where I am working towards not only decluttering my home, but also my mind! Another interesting this is my friend Amy is also posting on this very subject, as though we were thinking along these same lines recently. You should go give it a read.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Top Ten Change Ideas
The email I got:
We're excited to let you know that this morning we opened voting for the final round of the Ideas for Change in America competition at www.change.org/ideas.
As you may know, we launched the competition back in November with MySpace and more than 50 nonprofit partners in response to Barack Obama's call for citizen involvement in government. First round voting ended on December 31, and the top rated ideas from a diverse range of 7,783 submissions have qualified for the final round.
The final round of voting ends on January 15, and the following day we are co-hosting an event at the National Press Club with the Case Foundation to announce the top 10 rated ideas and present them to the Obama administration. We will then launch a national campaign in coordination with our nonprofit partners to ensure that each idea gets the full consideration of the administration and 111th Congress.
To select your "Top 10 Ideas for America," go to www.change.org/ideas and become a part of the people-powered movement leading the call for change in America.
---
As you may know, we launched the competition back in November with MySpace and more than 50 nonprofit partners in response to Barack Obama's call for citizen involvement in government. First round voting ended on December 31, and the top rated ideas from a diverse range of 7,783 submissions have qualified for the final round.
The final round of voting ends on January 15, and the following day we are co-hosting an event at the National Press Club with the Case Foundation to announce the top 10 rated ideas and present them to the Obama administration. We will then launch a national campaign in coordination with our nonprofit partners to ensure that each idea gets the full consideration of the administration and 111th Congress.
To select your "Top 10 Ideas for America," go to www.change.org/ideas and become a part of the people-powered movement leading the call for change in America.
---
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Call To Action
This coming Monday, January 5, is the deadline for comments to the CPSC. The CPSC has asked for comments regarding component testing and natural materials exemptions! This is our chance to speak directly to the CPSC and push them to include these important additions in the CPSIA/provide your personal feedback on anything that hasn't been touched on. Here is the link to the CPSC forms.
More links and comments in the etsy storque.
More links and comments in the etsy storque.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
The First Paragraph
The world is profoundly changing, that much seems clear. We have entered a time of great uncertainty that extends from local to global scale. We are forced by pressing circumstances to ask difficult questions about the way we live our lives: Will my present way of life still be workable when my children grow up? How might their lives, and my own, be different? Am I satisfied with my work? Does my work contribute to the well-being of others--or is it just a source of income? How much income do I really require? Require for what? How much of my consumption adds to the clutter and complexity of my life rather than to my satisfaction? How does my level and pattern of consumption affect the other people and the environment? Is there an alternative way of living that is more sustainable in an era of scarcity? Do I have the flexibility to adapt to a period of prolonged energy shortage and economic depression? In the face of scarcity, is there an alternative way of living that fosters cooperation and community rather than cutthroat competition and social fragmentation? Are there small changes that I could make in my own life that, with many others making similar changes, would result in a large difference in the well-being of others? What are my responsibilities to the other members of the human family who are living in grinding poverty? Am I missing much of the richness of life by being preoccupied with the search for social status and consumer goods? What is my purpose in life? How am I to take charge of my own life?
--The first paragraph of Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin. It gives you quite a bit to think about right off, doesn't it?
--The first paragraph of Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin. It gives you quite a bit to think about right off, doesn't it?
Friday, January 2, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Did Doing Will Do!
Just read: Scaling Down by Judi Culbertson; Choosing Simplicity by Linda Pierce and 365 Simple Reminders by Elaine St. James.
Reading: Your Money or Your Life by Dominguez and Robin; Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin and Paganism by Higginbotham.
Up Next To Get: Follow Your Bliss by Sparrow and Zina and To Have or To Be? by Erich Fromm; also some books by Eckhart Tolle
Just Crocheted: A pigtail hat for Leith and a kitchen washrag for Josh.
Am Crocheting: Nothing
Want to Crochet: Not sure, really just feel 'out of it' craft wise.
Was thinking about: The nature of friendships and my difficulty obtaining and sustaing them.
Am thinking about: Cleaning my office, what I can get rid of next. The Gator Bowl
Need to think about: What's next?
Reading: Your Money or Your Life by Dominguez and Robin; Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin and Paganism by Higginbotham.
Up Next To Get: Follow Your Bliss by Sparrow and Zina and To Have or To Be? by Erich Fromm; also some books by Eckhart Tolle
Just Crocheted: A pigtail hat for Leith and a kitchen washrag for Josh.
Am Crocheting: Nothing
Want to Crochet: Not sure, really just feel 'out of it' craft wise.
Was thinking about: The nature of friendships and my difficulty obtaining and sustaing them.
Am thinking about: Cleaning my office, what I can get rid of next. The Gator Bowl
Need to think about: What's next?
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