I mentioned that I needed to do some homework and find something that would preserve the paper towel because I'm thinking of using it on a project sometime in the future. I haven't figured out if the archival mists work on paper towel, but I did find two companies that sell archival mists- and are useful on things like papier mache, newspaper clippings, photographs, important documents, etc. Some items need to be sprayed with archival mists because they contain elements that are harmful to our scrapbook pages and albums. Those elements are acid and lignin, and overtime help decay and make paper brittle. Since we're interested in preserving our memories, we need to prevent that from happening!
So, the two sprays that I found are Krylon and EK Success. The Krylon archival mist is sold at Michaels, though I wasn't able to put a price on it, and the EK success brand (as far as I can tell) is available at online retailers like Amazon and ebay, and Walgreens, if you live in the US). I am not sure, but I saw somewhere that they are pricey, but a little goes a long ways. Apparent.ly you'll have a bottle for quite some time, as you should, since not everything that you'll be scrapbooking will need to be sprayed.
So, for today's Win It Wednesday, the trivia question is 'Name one thing you learned this week'. What have you learned? It doesn't need to be scrapbooking related- it could be anything at all. I hope you play along! The prize that's up for grabs is the same as last week- adorable little gift tags that are still unclaimed!
I also mentioned panoramic pictures on the Facebook page earlier today. We most often think of scrapbooking pictures in typical 4x6 and 5x7 sizes, but what if we thought outside the box once in a while? Using an oversize picture- either vertically or horizontally- can make a huge statement on whatever it is you're working on! I've used oversized pictures in the past- it helps eat up a lot of space on 12x12 layouts if you find that size overwhelming to work with. If you want little more than the picture itself on an 8.5x11 layout, then an 8x10 size picture is perfect! It'll make a dramatic statement, for sure! I love the way the overly dramatic statement looks- I've done it a few times, and truthfully don't think often enough of working with that size picture. Have you ever tried it? If not, I dare you to! You might find you love it as much as I do!
Once you've got which storage method works best for you, its time to figure out exactly how you want to store said paper- by manufacturer, colour, collection...the list goes on.
Then, figuring out where in your craft space you want to store your card stock- either on a shelf, out in the open, or hidden in a closet or bankers box out on a shelf in the open. There's no right or wrong way to store your supplies!
Personally, I like to use magazine holders- the kind you'll find at any Office Supply store. I bought all of mine from Staples, though you can go the manufacturer route and buy cardboard style magazine holders or pretty clear ones that have dividers in them and are expandable. I would personally love to have some of those, but I think they're pricey. And, as you can see, I like storing my card stock by color. I find it works the best, and I love being able to see it out in the open. Being able to look at it with no obstructions or without being hidden helps inspire me.
My paper is far from being completely organized; I plan to buy more magazine holders in the future, to store my patterned papers and paper packs. They work well for 12x12 papers, too (which is what most of my patterned papers come in. The ones that aren't 12x12 are stored at the front of my card stock stash; you can see them on the far right side of my photo). As I build my 8.5x11 patterned paper repertoire, they'll eventually have their own magazine holder, as well. Once I've got all my collections sorted out, and put into magazine holders, they'll also be labelled, so that at a quick glance, I'll know which collection I'm pulling off the shelf without having to see the front of the paper pack.
So, there you have it; fairly simple and straight forward. Seeing that rainbow of colors gives me such self-satisfaction. What about you?! How do you store your card stock, and where do you like to store it in your haven? Do you use a method that I didn't mention in this post? I'd love to see what storage methods you use, and what works for you!
Don't fret- I haven't forgotten that I promised to share how I store my scraps-turned-borders, but at the moment, the Sterilite container they are stored in is in a state of chaos. Once I figure out a better method or alternative (or at least, get it cleaned up!!) I'll share it with you!