Craft Storage A4 Paper | New and old products A4 Letter tray Forhoja and Kvissle comparisson

Today I fancy talking about comparing a new product to an oldie but a goodie that I have seen on Ikea. As soon as I saw the new one,  I really wanted to try for my Crafty Storage. So I analysed it.

This is the new IKEA FÖRHÖJA Letter tray (AUS | D) that comes in a birch finish. It only costs £12 (similar prices in Euros). However, is not available in the States or in Spain for instance.

As it is designed to fit A4 sheets landscape wise, 12" should fit though they will roufly hang out by about 4cm or just under 2 inches.

Assembled size

Width: 35 cm

Depth: 26 cm

Height: 15 cm

Unfortunately as it is 35 cm wide it means that it wont fit inside of a Ikea Kallax (or the older Expedits) units. Sometimes I just don't understand IKEA, why they didn't reduce the width by 2cm and it would still fit the A4? 

Oh well. What can we do, but moan. Or choose this oldie:

The IKEA KVISSLE Letter tray, white metal with cork lining. It costs £20, but instead of the two static shelfs it offers 5, for of them pull out drawer shelves (my favourite!), and it is more than twice the size.

Assembled size

Width: 32 cm

Depth: 25 cm

Height: 32 cm

As it is 32cm it will fit perfectly on the Kallax cubes (Pinterest) and if you flip the the whole unit (or just the desired pull out shelves) you can still fit the 12" papers. 

So all in all, even value wise, I think the oldie beats the newbie!

My Paper and Cardstock Crafty Storage

I haven't shared one of my Crafty Storage or craft storage ideas for a while. You know I love it, but sometimes I just don't find the energy or time to actually take photos and post about it.

Today i wanted to share a bit in more detail how I store my 12" paper and card, just the 12 x 12" because I keep my A4 and 6x6 in other units.

I got this unit from Ikea of course. It is not an Expedit or Kallax, but the cubes are almost identical to those and has since long been discontinued. It has four columns and five rows, so it makes 20 cubes and as always, I could do with some more!

Here more or less you can see what I have in each cube. (The bottom left cube I have props too.) 

As you can see i prefer to store my paper and card vertically just because it is the most space efficient way. It is NOT the best way to store paper or card as if it is not relatively full the paper bend (see cube above adhesives, bottom left corner). However, I do have s much paper and card that most of it is so full that it doesn't bend. And when looking for the perfect shade of a colour or the right pattern it is so much easier to do when it is stored vertical than horizontal.

For the patterned paper I have been using MUJI's suspension box folder, but they need to be pretty full otherwise the paper will bend.

As you can see I have a few horizontal plastic trays. They are good, but they are not efficient if you have loads of paper/card. The lip makes it impossible to store a lot of product because then it is hard to get it out. Also, it can only go horizontal.

But the unit in the middle, made in Spain by Manresa Scrap is my new addition and I love it!
As you can see fits nicely inside the cube and will fit perfectly in the Expedit or Kallax units too.

It can also stand alone.

What I love most about this unit is that it can go both vertical or horizontal depending how much paper/card you have.

Also I love that the trays in between act as a drawer both when horizontal or vertical. I can't tell you how much of a difference makes when you are browsing for that perfect shade of that colour.
Really well done Manresa Scrap!

I would say that horizontal is the better way to store card and paper if you haven't got much, but vertical is the way to go if you have a lot of different ones!

So, my recommendation is to go for a system that allows you to grow, ie that can go both vertically and horizontally.

How I store Wafer Thins dies with matching Stamps

I shared over time a few ideas on how to store dies, specially Sizzix dies since I worked closely with them everyday. I have shared on this same blog how I store entire collections of Framelits or Wafer Thin dies here or how I store Bigz and Movers & Shapers here on the Sizzix EU blog.

Today I am sharing how I store those sets that come with matching clear stamps - not the ones with rubber stamps.

He compartido en mas de una ocasión como guardo troqueles, es especial los de Sizzix ya que trabajo con ellos cada día. Previos post sobre los otro tipo de troqueles como colecciones enteras de Framelits sin sellos o como guardo Bigz y Movers & Shapers en el blog de Sizzix EU.

Hoy comparto esta ide de como guardo los troqueles super finos - los de Sizzix se llaman Framelits - que vienen con sellos transparentes solamente no los son sellos de caucho. 

Dies and Stamps Available in the UK from Craftie Charlie

Like this one above which is one of the ones I have designed for Sizzix, Leafy Trees, but it will work with any of the Sizzix Framelits with clear stamps sets - at least released before April 2014!

Me refiero a sets como el de la foto de arriba que es uno de los que he diseñado para Sizzix. Pero esta solución funciona para cualquier Sizzix Framelits con sellos transparentes, al menos los que han sacado con anterioridad a abril de 2014.

I use CD calendar cases. Traditional clear CD cases without the disc holders will also work, but in my eyes not as well as they have an aperture in the hinged edge as showed on the right photo. This can and probably cause problems such as loosing dies and/or stamps.

The CD calendar cases instead become completely closed and are exactly the same size as traditional clear CD.

Utilizo cajas de Calendario tamaño CD. La diferencia entre estos y las cajas tradicionales es que las tradicionales tienen un abertura/ranura en el eje izquierdo - este se crea cuando se quita el sujeta disco. Esta diferencia es para mi fundamental porque he perdido sellos/troqueles gracias a esta ranura, en la foto de la derecha se puede ver bien como cabe mi dedo en la ranura. Aparte de eso, las cajas de Calendario son iguales a las de CD.

On the side with the ridge I place a piece of magnetic sheets - I like the ones from Woodware as they are good value, not too heavy but strong magnet. On the other side I place the reference sheet with the stamps on and attach it with two glue dots. All safely inside and ready to use together or in its own.

Dentro de la caja pongo los troqueles con una hoja magnética, me gusta la de Woodware porque no pesan mucho pero son fuertes. En el otro lado pogo los sellos con su transparencia de referencia pegada a la caja con dos glue dots. Así están seguros y fácil de encontrar el correspondiente troquel-sello.

And here you can see how I store them with other Sizzix dies. I use a DVD clear box from Muji which acts like a shelf in this case. Texture Impressions folders, CD cases, Bigz dies and DVD cases for Framelit only collections all fit beautifully.
I hope this was helpful. You know I love my Crafty Storage!

Finalmente, podéis ver como guardo las cajas junto junto a otro tipo de troqueles de Sizzix. Uso una caja para DVD de MUJI que utilizo como estantería en la cual los Bigz, las texturadoras y las cajas de DVD  caben perfectamente. Espero que os haya gustado/sido útil este post. Ya sabeis que me encanta el Crafty Storage!

Crafty Storage Upcycle: patterned paper scraps

I talked the other day on the Sizzix EU blog about how much I like to upcycle things, or how little I enjoy throwing things away. Well, today I am sharing a quick and easy upcycle to store patterned paper scraps.

This one started as I had a couple of cardboard magazine holders that I had to use or space for. Because of that I decided to create a shape that would allow me to store something. I really didn't know what at the time. I cut the the top part to create an symmetrical rectangular shape.

The excess, I did not throw away of course, kept them for another project, not sure which one.

After a few weeks I thought this box would be perfect to store my scrap pieces of patterned paper for die cutting. You see, I love patterned paper that has the tiniest of patterned that is tone on tone, but as I tend to use the same colours over and over I like to keep even the smallest piece and keep it at arms length. Literally. As colour is really important for me, I classify the pattern by colour rather by pattern or manufacturer.
To create the colour dividers I just trimmed a few pieces of cardstock of different colours.

To create the tabs, I used a punch from Stampin Up, but you could use really anything. I cut out of every piece of card. Then I stapled them to each sheet so that they are really secured.

The great thing about this system is that I can always add more tabs for mid colours (can you spot the turquoise) for those that I use time and time again. And on the left you can see how stays on my table. Doesn't take much space at all and it is at arms length.

Simple and easy, but useful!

Ikea Expedit discontinued?

Looks like Ikea's Expedit units soon will be extinct. (Insert cries from many Crafty Storers.)
Fear not, they are not stupid at IKEA. It is not only Crafty Storers that love the Expedit. They know it is one of their cult lines so they are bringing out a refreshed version, the Kallax, pictured bellow.

To me it looks pretty much the same to the old Expedit bellow:

Advantages, the thinner outside edges makes the whole unit slightly smaller all together, but maintain the essential inner cubes sizing, which is the essential thing for 12 x 12 papers and Vinyl records (yes their collectors are more worried than us crafters!)

Disadvantages, actually more questions than disadvantages. Will there be a 5 x 5 cube option? What colours will be available? 

UPDATE August 2015: Looks like all the options of the Expedit are more or less still available in Kallax, plus some more. Well done Ikea! (Not always gets it right for us Craft Storagers, but this time they have!)

This is what Ikea says:

IKEA has updated and improved the EXPEDIT shelving unit with a sleek, new design that is more durable (with a more scratch-resistant surface), more child-friendly (with rounded corners), and still fits all existing storage baskets and boxes. With this new design, IKEA is giving EXPEDIT a new name: KALLAX. KALLAX will be available to consumers in the U.S. starting this April.

Here for the complete IKEA USA official statement.

And here for an interesting article by the BBC.

And here for the Gizmodo article.

And here for the one in the Huffington Post.

So, IKEA when will be available in Europe and the rest of the world?

To see the full range of Kallax click on the appropriate country
(Just listed the countries that visit my blog):

UK | USA | D | ES | FR | CA 

A quick crafty storage post

I love tins. I collect them, meaning that I keep every single tin that arrives to this house containing food, presents... I cant throw any away, At most I give them away to friends. I needed one the other day so I ventured into my tin basket (above, a massive one) and I found one that was a watch box and still had the foam with the cylindrical cut.

Me encantan las latas. Las colecciono, lo que significa que me quedo cada lata que llega a esta casa. Nunca las tiro, a lo más que he llegado es a dárselas a amigos. 
El otro día necesitaba una, así que busqué en mi cesta de latas (arriba, es enorme!) y encontré una caja de reloj que todavía tenía la espuma con el corte cilíndrico.

And quickly I found a way to use. To keep my glues upside down while I am working - I don't keep them like that overnight as the foam would loose its shape after a while.

Y rápidamente encontré una manera de utilizarla: mantener los pegamentos boca abajo mientras trabajo - no los guardo asi por la noche porque la espuma perdería su forma después de un tiempo.

Added bonus, the foam is perfect to keep in place all those little needle tips and the tin holds nicely the magnets which I use often for many different techniques.
I love storage, specially if it is free!

Un valor añadido, la espuma es perfecta para mantener en su lugar todas esas pequeñas las agujas y la lata mantiene muy bien los imanes que a menudo utilizo para muchas técnicas diferentes.
Me encanta el almacenamiento, especialmente si es gratis!

My father's - Angel Pascual Rodrigo - studio

I have spoken in the past about my father, Angel Pascual Rodrigo. He is a proper professional artist. 

My father put both my sister and I through University - granted is much much cheaper in Spain than in the UK - with his art being his only income in the family, as my mum had one of  the most important and demanding jobs, mum and housewife. You have to be a very good artist to do that. 

My father's studio is near my parent's house in a very irregular piece of land. Because of the terrain, the studio has two levels. The entrance is the top mezzanine level. When I took the photos we were having a barbecue outside hence the Tupperware staff on the table.

My uncle Vicente Pascual Rodrigo was as well an artist. In fact they started painting together as La Hermandad Pictorica. They used to paint a lot of pop art in the seventies and my dad still has some one them on display.

My dad's style for the last few decades is more what I call minimalist landscapes with conceptual and historical references. He uses his many walls to store and display some of his favourite paintings.

 On one side there is a massive window that is two floors tall. As the lower floor of the studio is a semi basement, that window light is essential.

Bellow the stairs, you can find one of my father great crafty storage ideas. A way to store his working-on-paintings.

Those carts are old, very old. I remember them from my early childhood. I just love the look of those half empty half full oil tubes, the paint splatter utensils...

On the left, one of his amazing conceptions. A clever system to see who is approaching the car entrance. 

My dad still has loads of cassettes that he still listens too. As well as cd's. As he teaches painting classes every week, there are plenty of spare easels folded away during the week.

And that s a very important little storage area. On the left, you can see the paper and card storage, and it is important to me because is where I first found beautiful card and paper to use for my crafting which then led me to cardmaking all those years ago. I like the heavy duty and cutting tools on the right. Easy to reach, easy to store. Plus all his packaging stuff is hidden away there.

And, in case you were wondering, yes, my dad has a computer in there. Just a relic of the years past still in use, the up to day one is at my parents house.

I love this studio, it has happy memories from my early crafting days, clever storage ideas and beautiful art from my dad. What more can you ask for?

Free Crafty Storage Download for Old Labels dies

You all know how much I love craft storage and organisation - Crafty Storage is testimony to that is there was ever one! 

In any case, I wanted to do some labels that had that older look for those boxes that I have that do not have a metal label holder, so I decided to make my own using the Sizzix Old Labels dies set from my Everyday collection.

And as I like to share, I have uploaded the pdf of the labels click bellow. 

The one on the left has the names of the stuff and the other one is empty so that you can write your own.

You can download them for free.

You will need to print at 100%, borderless and with no expansion! 

And remember that is free for personal use. Any other use contact me!

PS: if you cant download it, just let me know.

I like to print it in matt card 170 gsm as my printer struggles with anything thicker than that.

I place the die on top of one of the printed labels and secure it with a low tack tape.

You can see I did cut quite a few. I love seeing all those die cuts together!

 Then I used the larger die from the same set Sizzix Old Labels dies and cut two at once using thin mirri card.

Then I use the bookplate embossing folder to emboss the edge, depending which side it is facing up. To make sure it doesn't move I used low tack tape. Yes, I use low tack tape a lot!

You can see the slight difference of the different way the emboss pattern goes.

But they both look good to me once layered, so I guess it doesn't matter that much which way you emboss the mirri card.

You can see above without the silver outliner and bellow with it. Also, I really like how it looks well with proper metal ones bellow. 

Anyway, I hope you like the labels.

How I store my Framelits - Updates 28/04/13

As you know I am mad about storage. So mad that I started this little blog Crafty Storage. So today I would like to share how I currently store Sizzix Framelits. 

I use CD cases for some of the Framelits sets, specially those that come with matching stamps, but for Fresh Moments I wanted something different that I could carry around easily.

I store my whole Fresh Moments dies (all fourteen sets) in three Stampin Up empty DVD cases. These ones came with unmounted stamps. I still have the stamps but I keep them in a EZ Mount binder from Crafters Companion. 

But you can get the DVD cases empty from any shops that supply Darkroom Door rubber stamps, including SirStampalot - one of my favourite craft shops in the UK -, or  Simon Says Stamp.

I cut pieces of black thick card to fit in the box and glue a thick magnetic sheet, it doesn't need to cover the whole thing. 

I place all the dies from the set on the magnetic area and mark each area with a white permanent marker. This is important to me as I taken away sometimes for demos so I need to make sure quickly that I have all the dies from a set packed safely.

I have the cases labeled with a number so I know what sets has each case.

And then I store the cases on the top of my die cutting bookshelf.

For more ideas on how I store the other type of Sizzix dies click here.