Meet the OttLite (And Other Glorious Essentials)

OttLite
"Not all lighting is created equal." 
That's really what it says on the box. But really, this handy little light is AWESOME. Here're the selling points:

• Reduces glare and eyestrain
• Superior image and color rendering
• Flexible gooseneck and multi-position shade direct powerful illumination where you need it

Mine was gifted to me by my boyfriend's mom, who is a fellow crafter, and I absolutely love it! I use it every time I scrapbook now. It's natural light that you can turn off and on! No trying to match two colors under the fading light of the sun coming through your windows. Nope. Just flip on your OttLite and you have natural light at night! You can find one here. I bet if you did a little searching you could find them on Ebay and Amazon too. :) So check them out, because I'm not sure how I crafted before my OttLite. 

Scrapbook Case (and Zipper Bags)

I use my scrapbook case to hold my paper, mainly the 12x12. Scrapbooking paper is no good when it's all crinkly and folded and smudged. With my scrapbook case, I can keep my paper safely stored with no worries. I'm considering purchasing another one. They sell a huge assortment of different kinds of storage bins and totes and plastic containers, but this one works just fine for me... until I'll need to expand. But for now, it works perfectly. I highly recommend investing in some kind of storage container for your paper. It would be tragic if a cup of coffee or glass of water happened to tip over onto your paper stack, wouldn't it? So keep it covered with a scrapbook case! I bought this scrapbook case at Hobby Lobby. It says it was $8.99. But it was probably on sale for less, knowing me. I'm pretty sure mine was originally meant to store an ACTUAL SCRAPBOOK. But I was thinking, what's the point of having a scrapbook stored away? No one can look at your fabulous work if it's not out for people to see. Right? 

Also, I always keep my 12x12 zipper bags that some of my paper sets come in. These are excellent paper keepers too. Anything that seals is a plus. When I'm shopping for paper sets, I consider a usable storage container that the materials may come in an extra incentive to purchase the set. 

Cloth Storage Bins

Everyone's different in how they store their stuff. But this is how I keep my scrapbooking supplies together: cloth storage bins that just happen to match the colors in my bedroom. They're getting quite full, now that my scrapbooking supply collection is growing. But like the scrapbook case, they work. Keeping your scrapbooking supplies together will save you time when you get in the mood to scrapbook. No having to search for that certain tool. If you're organized and have everything together, you'll know exactly where it is. 

Tchau!