Marker Storage

Sorry, no card today, but oh, look, look!!! Look at what I made. Woo-hooooo....don't you love it?

My craft table is neat and tidy right now, but we'll see how long that will last...LOL.


I've had this idea of a storage box for my markers for well over a year, but only got around to making it now. I got so frustrated because when I work, my markers are all over the place on my table that I have hardly any clear space to work on...LOL.

It's actually not hard to make that now I wonder why I kept putting it off.

I used this type of CD rack to make the shelves. I bought mine at Lee Valley Tools. (Link to their catalogue item if you're interested here.)


If I place a CD jewel case on every other rail for the shelves, then the space in between 2 shelves is just right for my markers. The CD cases you can buy at your dollar store for about 25 cents each--even at Future Shop they work out to about 40 cents each.


You can make this as wide as you need. One tower measures 10 3/4 inches high and 5 1/8 inches wide. You just have to make a box to accommodate that height and the width of the number of towers you want, in the inside of your box. I used 2 pine boards (4-ft long, 5 1/4" wide, 3/4" thick) which I bought at Home Depot. I have a scroll saw to cut the 2 end pieces and then I just screwed them in place. I used a foam board to cover the back. Hmmm...I bet you can make the whole thing with just foam boards--so much easier!

I have 3 types of markers: Letraset Promarkers, ShiHan Touch markers and Letraset Pantone Tria markers. The barrels of all these 3 brands are of about the same size. You can fit seven markers in each shelf. There are 10 shelves within a pair of CD rails, so each set can accommodate 70 markers.

I don't have any Copic markers, but I think the Copic Markers are the same size as the Touch markers, so this will work just fine for them. I don't know about the Sketch or the Ciao markers, though. I do believe they are slimmer in size, are they not?

OMG, I didn't realize I had so many markers until I had them laid out like this. Wait a minute though! I didn't spend as much money as you think!!! I only buy markers when they are on SALE...LOL...I am a cheapskate!

The Letraset Pantone Tria markers were the first ones in my collection--they are my favorites. I started with them when my local art store DeSerres (formerly Loomis Art Store) had a clearance sale. Little did I know that they were clearing them because they were being discontinued. Boo hoo hoo...I cried when I found out. But hey, I stocked up on all the colours that I could get. The markers were about $.099 - $1.29--woo-hoo...almost like they were giving them away--I was like a kid in a candy store!!!

The Promarkers are what replace the Pantone Trias I believe. I could be wrong, but it's the same barrel size and similar nibs. The Promarkers and the Touch markers, when they are on sale, are about $2 - $2.39 each.


That's it. Sorry no card this time, but I just wanted to share this.

As an afterthought, I am also sharing this with the ladies at Top Tip Tuesday.

Candy winners

Happy Saturday!

I have drawn the 2 winners to my Blogoversary and Birthday Candy. I had 427 entries. I used the Random Integer Generator. The 2 numbers drawn are:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:250

Timestamp: 2011-04-02 07:12:00 UTC

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:9

Timestamp: 2011-04-02 07:18:19 UTC

So that would be: Paula and Donalda.

Congrats Paula and Donalda!

Will you please e-mail me your mailing addresses? You have one week to contact me (by Friday, April 8, 2011 midnight). If I don't hear from you by then, I will redraw another winner.

Thank you everyone for participating. Have a wonderful and productive weekend.

Blogoversary and Birthday Candy

Hello!

Yikes...I've been too busy working on something for the Magnolia-licious Easter-Spring Extravaganza (have you check this out? If not go here--not to be missed!) that I'm late making this posting.

March is a celebration month for me. Two days this month that I take note of:

1. My blogoversary--this past Sunday marked my 2 years at blogging...woo-hoo...it sure doesn't feel like it. Because I'm continually learning (and hopefully improving myself), I still feel like a newbie...hee hee.

2. My birthday on the 25th. Yikes, another year older! It's okay though, I actually look forward to it. The way I look at it (and I've been doing this for the past 1½ decades), each birthday takes me another year closer to early retirement...hee hee. And then...yes! I'll have all the time in the world for crafting (I'm counting on it!)--I'm almost giddy about this!!

Anyway, enough blabbering. For the past several months, I've been collecting crafty items for this, just things that I can afford buying them when they're on sale, duplicate items that I've mistakenly bought or ordered, etc. I figured if I do it a bit at a time, I won't notice the cost...LOL. I've been filling up what I call my "candy box". I've now taken those items and divided them into 2 candy sets, one for by blogoversary and the other for my birthday.

Candy #1

includes the following items:

Martha Stewart Punch Around The Page Set String Lace
Prima Flowers Summer Mix
Making Memories Antique Copper Square 2 Decorative Brads
Making Memories Vintage Silver Metal Findings
Making Memories Ribbon & Ribbon Charms Pink
Tim Holtz Distress Stickles Foundry
Cuttlebug Embossing Borders Organic Flourish
2 Studio G Clear Stamps Sets
3 Studio G Rhinestones
Inkadinkado Clear Stamps Set Dogs
Handicraft Lace

Candy #2

includes the following items:

Martha Stewart Large Punch Icelandic Snowflake
Prima Flowers Summer Mix
Making Memories Antique Copper Square 2 Decorative Brads
Making Memories Vintage Gold Metal Findings
Making Memories Ribbon & Ribbon Charms Pink
Tim Holtz Distress Stickles Foundry
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder Florished Frame
2 Studio G Clear Stamps Sets
3 Studio G Rhinestones
Magnolia Stamp Tilda on Elbows
K&Company Brenda Walton Madeline Clear Stamp Set.

This candy is open to anybody and everybody who visits me. And if you are reading this, then you ARE visiting me...LOL. Just add your name into the Inlinkz below. That's it. Easy peasy!!! No need to be a follower if you're not already one. If you enjoy looking at my work, I would love it if you follow my blog, but that's entirely up to you.

I will randomly draw 2 names at the end of the month...this candy will close on March 31, 2011, one minute before midnight (Pacific Daylight Savings Time). I'll announce the winners on Saturday, April 2nd.

Good luck!

Extra! Extra! Read All About An Extravaganza Contest !!!

Hello! I don't have a card today, but I have some exciting news of an upcoming event that you truly do NOT want to miss. It's the...

Magnolia-licious Easter-Spring Extravaganza

And here just to entice you, check out these prizes that Diana Crick, owner of Magnolia-licious, will be presenting:

First prize for each category (there are 3 categories) - $150.00 Gift Certificate to the Magnolia-licious Store.

Second Prize for each category - $75.00 Gift Certificate to the Magnolia-licious Store.

Random prizes chosen by Diana will receive $25.00 Gift Certificates.

Woo-hooooooo! Aren't they awesome?

Now you really must find out the details and how you can participate in this contest. Hop over to either Diana's own Magnolia-licious Blog or the Magnolia-licious Highlites.

Have a wonderful weekend. I am hoping this will be a productive weekend for me--we'll see...LOL--and for all of you too.

New DT spot!

Exciting news for me!!! I haven't posted a formal announcement, but you might have noticed the changes in my side panel already, as I've made them a few days ago, LOL.

Woo hoo...! I've been given the opportunity to join the DT members of In2stamps.

I was so excited when I got the e-mail from Wendy and Bruno. In2Stamps is a new stamp company based in Belgium. They have the most wonderful images. I feel very privileged to be joining their team and am looking forward to working with the the In2stamps images--can't wait.....