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Dawn
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| Posted: Oct 15 2006 at 5:25am | IP Logged
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I'd love to know how everyone keeps organized when shopping for craft supplies. Also, how you keep them stored at home. 
Yesterday, KC asked about wooden spoons inthis thread. I could kick myself, because I was at AC Moore yesterday and did not even think to look for those spoons! And I so want to make some with the boys (and maybe middle son's CCD class)!
And yet I completely forgot and ended up roaming around the craft store, trying to remember what I needed this week, feeling somewhat pressured for time and somewhat overwhelmed with all the possibilities! I was trying to "channel" Alice the whole time I was there ~ picking up interesting pieces of wood or fabric and thinking "Now, what would Alice make with this?" 
So before I go on and on about my only somewhat successful craft store visit, I'd like to ask:
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1. How often do you shop at the craft store?
2. Do you browse and hope to be inspired or go with a specific list?
3. Where do you get your craft ideas? Books, magazines, materials - Alice? 
4. How do you store and organize the supplies when you get home? By supply type (paints, glue, stamps) or by project?
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(For instance, mine are mostly separated by project in shopping bags right now, but that's getting kind of messy.)
Anyhoo - with the holidays coming up (and the Loveliness of Homemade Gifts Fair not too far off  ) I guess I'm trying to brainstorm projects to make and then get in the supplies - so I'm not always running out at the last minute and then getting home and realizing I forgot the wooden spoons. 
Thanks for any thoughts!
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys 
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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KC in TX
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| Posted: Oct 15 2006 at 9:44am | IP Logged
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I do my organizing like you do--in shopping bags, but not by project. I've encountered craft supplies during a move and thought "Oh, I remember buying that."
Usually, I have a mental list of items to purchase at a craft store. As I travel down each aisle I browse. It's not very good browsing because I'm always trying to keep the kids within viewing distance. Maybe I need to think of Alice as I shop down the aisles. Sometimes I bring things home that are great and other times I don't succeed very well. Also, I am very craft challenged.
I can't wait to hear what everyone else has to say.
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KC,
wife to Ben (10/94),
Mama to LB ('98)
Michaela ('01)
Emma ('03)
Jordan ('05)
And, my 2 angels, Rose ('08) and Mark ('09)
The Cabbage Patch
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jdostalik
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| Posted: Oct 15 2006 at 10:44am | IP Logged
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I try to have a list when I go to the craft store, otherwise there is no way my pea brain would remember everything I need for a project. It is an exercise in futility to enter Hobby Lobby or Michael's with a "mental" list.
I am also relish the advice of crafting veterans on how they organize their crafts and how they keep them out of reach of small hands! 
I am in the middle of a schoolroom/closet reorganization and this topic is quite timely! The more specific the advice, the better...for instance what kind of boxes, storage do you have for your crafts, how do you organize, where do you organize? Also, what do you consider "basic" crafting supplies that should always be kept on hand for those "spur of the moment" creative art projects?
Help!!! And thanks, Dawn, for starting this thread...I know we would craft more often if access to our supplies was easy and organized--as it is now--I've been looking for my watercolors for weeks! My poor 4 year old--I refuse to buy a new set when I distinctly remember buying quite a few nice watercolor sets a few months ago--but where are they? 
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God Bless,
Jennifer in TX
wife to Bill, mom to six here on earth and eight in heaven.
Let the Little Ones Come
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lilac hill
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| Posted: Oct 15 2006 at 11:52am | IP Logged
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Dawn wrote:
1. How often do you shop at the craft store?
2. Do you browse and hope to be inspired or go with a specific list?
4. How do you store and organize the supplies when you get home? By supply type (paints, glue, stamps) or by project?
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Since I am very uncrafty ( although I do knit and spin), I shop as rarely as possible.
My DD#3 likes doing different things so we do shop, with a list for each project.
After the craft is completed the leftover stuff is sorted by type. Yarn for knitting and crocheting, floss and embroidery stuff, paints and brushes, beads, paper crafts and scrapbooking with DD#3's stuff, etc. We use plastic bins for storage.
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Viv
Wife to Rick (7/83), Mom to dd#1(6/87), dd#2(1/90), and dd#3(6/94) in central PA.
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Oct 15 2006 at 11:59am | IP Logged
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I absolutely must have a list or I get shell-shocked walking into Michael's! But I also leave myself open to grabbing a few "off-topic" things while there. Mostly, though, when I have gone and just picked up supplies that looked interesting I end up not using them because I don't have a clear project in mind. I have tons of that kind of stuff just waiting for a project to spring to mind. (And my mind is not all that springy lately!LOL!)
As for organization I have two of the larger plastic three-drawer sets (rubbermade or some such) without the casters, tucked up- under our craft table. I store things according to type-paint and glue supplies in one drawer, fabric and string and such in another, paper/sticker/scissor stuff in another, etc. It works for us.
Since Michaels is about an hour and a half drive away we don't go often. This is probably a good thing as I always end up spending too much!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Topic: craft supplies and shopping
