12 x 12 Paper Storage File Folders

There are many storage unit available to store your 12 x 12" papers and they all cost money! Some of them are very expensive. Here is a fairly inexpensive ways to set up your own paper storage system. I bought this rolling file cart at a local, chain office supply store. It did not come with the file folders. When I bought it the retail price was around $50 but I got it on sale for about $30. I would suggest that you watch for sales for something along this line. It has bars that are adjustable to file any size that you want. The section with the olive green files is for my 12 x 12" papers. The section going the other direction is for my 8 1/2 x 11" papers, mainly cardstock.  

Folders to store 12 x 12" papers can be rather pricey so I made my own. I bought a box of legal size file folders. These were 15" x about 9 1/2." I also bought a roll of packing tape or clear 2" wide tape.    I cut the bottom of each folder down the seam/fold which gave me 2 pieces.

I used old folders that I had on hand to make the larger section or you can buy additional smaller folders or use any heavy paper you have on hand, such as construction paper, old cardstock, etc. I used the old folders the width of the folder (11 1/2") and cut them above the fold about 5" on each side of the fold.

Measure exactly where the folder will fit on the cut larger folder to make it hold the 12" paper. Then place the smaller cut folder on each piece of the larger cut folder. Tape together with the 2" tape so that about 1" of the tape fits on each folder. Do that on each side. Your folder should now hold your 12 x 12" papers without any trouble. You can hang them in any type of hanging file that will accomadate this size. If you don't like or can't find the rolling cart, you should be able to find other types of carts, crates, or cabinets that will hold legal size hanging folders. Any of these will work for you larger patterend papers.

I hope that this is a little bit clearer than mud (lol) and that you can understand how to make these larger folders. It's great to have the paper hanging like this. I have found that with using standing paper storage units, my paper sags and bends. Using the hanging file folders keeps my paper straight, as good as if it were laying flat but much easier to find what I want. I use the little stick up tabs to organize my papers with the color or pattern names and it's easy to find what I'm looking for.

Birthday Convertible

Who wouldn't want a convertible filled with presents for their birthday? Of course, this isn't a '65 Mustang convertible but as they say, "it's the thought that counts."

This card is made using stamps from the Road to Happiness(#126547) set.

1. Cut Old Olive patterned paper from the Polka Dot Parade(#126902) designer paper pack to 4 1/4 x 5 1/2."

2. Cut Marina Mist cardstock to 3 1/2 x 5" and then use the Scallop Edge border(#119882) punch on the bottom edge. Round the corners with the corner punch(#119871).
3. Cut Old Olive cardstock to 3 x 4 1/4" and round the corners.
4. Cut Whisper White cardstock to 2 1/2 x 3 3/4." Stamp the car from the set in Island Indigo and add presents and balloons to fill the car. To line these up so they fit properly, use the Stamp-a-ma-jig(#101049). 5. Color some "ground" under the car with your Going Gray Stampin' Write marker to anchor the car on the card.
6. One of the new Dahlia Adornments in Raspberry Ripple(#127556) on the right top corner will give the card some extra pop.
Write a note or stamp a birthday saying on the inside and you're done except for the delivery!

From the Garden

My garden is really producing this year! After last year's drought, everyone in Cental Texas has been happy to see some good spring rains. There have even been a few early summer rains. I've already put up 22 pints of yellow squash & eaten fresh steamed squash and squash casseroles until I'm sick of squash! The tomatoes are producing well. I've put up my goal of 1 pint of tomatoes per week for the year(that's 52) and I've started on making salsa and chutney to use for the coming year. Last year was my first time to make an apple tomato chutney & my sweetie loved it! He said make more of that this year. So, I've done 3 batches of with for a total of 20 pint jars. I've been working on some relishes and other things with my peppers. I hope to do some bbq sauce too. I've also got cantaloupe and will have watermelon in a few weeks. Oh, I almost forgot! We got enough peaches off of our tree (only 2 yrs old) to make 5 1/2 pint jars of jam and have a few for eating. They are a nice sweet peach.

 Looks like a lot of tomatoes but you should see what's still green on the vine!

Getting ready to peel the tomatoes.

 You've got to give them a cold water bath to stop the cooking process.

 They practically peel themselves.

 Cantaloup and watermelon vines take up all the space they want! lol

Talk about fresh! These are still on the vines. Will be ready to eat soon.

It's so easy to see God in the garden of our life when we can watch the new growth and life come to completion. He is in the others parts of our life too. Sometimes we might have to look a little more but if we are close to Him and have a love relationship with the Lord, it's not hard to find Him. The truth is that He seeks us out. He wants to be with us and have fellowship with us. We just have to say yes to Him.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Punches, stamps & ribbon

This combines some SU! ribbon, papers, punches & a stamp from a retired set with a popular die cutting machine for the flower. It's not hard to combine all of your tools to make some great cards & scrapbook pages. All it takes is a bit of iminagination.

Sorry that I don't have a project and the card is one that I did last year but I've been so super busy all this week with canning. Check out my Sunday post tomorrow to see some canning pictures. I've tomatoes everywhere!

Birthday Flowers

Every woman loves flowers or at least, I do! Here are some 2 step stamped flowers stamped from an older set that is not available any more. SU! has a number of 2 step flowers that could be used. Field Flowers (#122762) is a fun set that has some really pretty flowers. Stamp them and cut them out. Use a few Stampin' Dimensionals to pop 2 of the flowers up. Add some cute ribbon. I used Ice Cream Parlor(#123613) to make both horitizonal and vertical strips. A greeting stamped and punced with the Modern Label punch(#119849) can be placed on the top right to set it off. The edges of the punced label are inked and a cute botton added and you're done.

More Organizing Ideas

I mentioned several ideas for organizing your craft supplies on Tuesday but didn't cover everything. Actually, I don't think that I could ever cover everything because organizing ideas are as varied as each person's own imagination! Here are a few more tips that you might find helpful.

If you have a room or even a dedicated space, you might consider putting up shelves. I love the metal/plastic shelving units that are designed for closets. They have a shelf with a bar along the bottom designed for clothes hangers to hang from. That bar is great for ribbon!

Of course, you can buy ribbon holders at many craft stores but one cheap alternative for ribbon is to put pieces and small spools in plastic bags. You can get the small craft bags at many stores or just use the zipper style bag that we use for our kids lunches. I use my small handheld hole punch to punch a hole in the thicker top area of the bag. Then I put all of the same color ribbons on one large book ring. These rings will open and then you can put them around the the bar made for clothes hangers. Keep all the same color on one ring. That way when you are working on your project, you simply that the ring off the bar and carry all of that color over to your project to see which will work best.

Another great storage unit is the plastic drawers that come on rollers. These are made in a large number of sizes and often will fit under a table.

Plastic shoe organizers are great for stamp sets, punches, tools and other items. They can be hung on a door or wall or placed inside a closet out of sight. An added bonus with these is that you can see where everything is.

File crates that you can find in office supply stores or general department stores make good storage units also. While this one looks a mess, they can be organized quite easily. These are made with a rim on the inside to hang file folders. You can get hanging file folders to use in organizing your stickers, papers or other flat items. You can also use them to organize your scrap papers. By putting file folders in the crate and labeling with colors or paper types, you can file all of your scrapes so they will be easy to find when you need that little piece of blue or green.


I hope that you've gotten a few ideas on how to organize your paper crafting supplies. When your items are organized you can get a lot more work done than when you have to spend all your time looking for your supplies.

Next week, I'll show you how to make your own folders to hold 12 x 12" paper. Be sure to check back again on Tuesday!                         

Doily Gate Fold Card

I do enjoy making fun cards and I think that a gate fold card fits in the fun category! To learn how to make a gate fold check my my earlier tutorial on this technique. Here is today's gate fold card.

This was made using paper from the Floral District(#126919) designer series patterned paper pack. The doily is stamped in Raspberry Ripple using the Delicate Doilies (#122592) stamp set. Punch it out with the 2 1/2" Circle punch(#120906).

When you are punching a stamped design out, turn your stamp over so that you can line up the image in the stamp area. That way, you'll get it stamped like you want it.

I used a piece of Gumball Green cardstock that I cut to 1 1/2 x 5 1/2" to make a scallop border. Punch it with the Scallop Edge Border(#119882) punch. Save the strip of cardstock that the punch cuts off. You can use it later. The Raspberry Ripple strip on the green here was the leftover from punching out a scallop edge on Raspberry Ripple cardstock.

This brad is from the Summer Smooches brad collection (#125589). The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes (#115370) stamped in Gumball Green classic ink. It is punch with the Word Window punch(#119857). The edges are inked with Gumball Green. Don't put adhesives all the way across the greeting tag because you want it to be able to open with the "gate."

 Place Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430) on half of the back of the doily you made earlier.

I find it easier to lay the paper on top of the Dimensionals so that I can see where I'm sticking it.

Here's your completed card. I needed another card so I used some of my leftovers to make the same card again, just a little different.

Have fun making some cards that are a little different than usual.