Organizing your scrapbook space to help your at home
scrapbooking business.
by Colleen Shiach
How do you keep all those scrapbooking supplies organized to run
your scrapbooking company efficiently. Here are several helpful
tips to keep your scrapbooking business organized and efficient.
In this article we will cover, theme items, fibers, ribbon and
paper.
There are an endless number of tools and supplies that help us
turn plain pages into works of art for our customers. But
organizing and storing all those wonderful embellishments we use
to create with can be challenging. Spending time digging through
drawers and boxes looking for supplies is frustrating and time
consuming and time is money. There are simple and inexpensive
ways to help you spend less time searching for your supplies and
more time exactly creating.
Sorting supplies by categories or themes is very useful and you
can tell at a glance what you have in stock. Some useful
categories are Winter, Christmas, Easter, Valentines, Baby girl,
Baby boy, etc. Create interesting labels using 2"x 4" address
labels and your computer. You can have fun with this too by
adding small graphics and matching the font to your business
cards.
Be sure to save all those scrap pieces of paper into themes
also. A great item for this are those accordion style keepers
available at most office supply stores and 12"x 12" Paper
Envelopes by Cropper Hopper. By saving all those scraps of paper
you can use them to make die cuts and punches to match those
wonderful pages you are creating.
What to do with all those fibers and ribbons ? Place fibers in
small plastic bags and store them in your theme containers.
Smaller plastic containers work great to store fibers by colors.
You can also use recycled clear jars, cleaned and labels
removed, and sort by color. Add your creative labels to these
also. Photo boxes are a great size for holding spools of ribbon
and these come in clear also. Another great solution is to hang
a pretty curtain rod on your wall and thread those ribbon spools
on the curtain rod.
Paper is one of the most important staples and storage is also a
major problem for most at home scrap booking businesses. Paper
comes in hundreds of different colors, patterns, textures and
weights. It needs to be kept dry and clean, be photo safe and
stored in plain sight. Paper can be stored in a wide variety of
ways but horizontal is the best. There are lots of wonderful
products out there, from wire storage racks to clear stacking
plastic trays and are a very good investments.
Showing posts with label organize. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organize. Show all posts
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Organizing A High School Musical
Organizing a High School Musical
by Gary Ewer
So you're school has decided to do a musical. Musicals can be
very exciting and rewarding experiences for both staff and
student alike. It's a great way to teach the arts to students,
and to bring together visual arts, music, drama and dance in a
unique way.
The success of a high school musical will depend mainly on your
good planning of the event. You need to start early. The
following is a musical timeline for putting a typical high
school musical together:
(Months/Weeks/Days Before Show):
12 Months: -Create production team (producer, stage manager
musical director) -Contact rental company. -Estimate of price.
-Hire a director; negotiate price. -Meet with school admin.
-Obtain performance venue.
6 Months: -Production meeting - Chose the show. -Contact rental
company, obtain rights. -Arrange to obtain piano/vocal score
right away. -Reserve performance venue.
5 Months: -Announce auditions. -Hire rehearsal pianist for
auditions and rehearsals. -Choose audition music and make
available.
4 and a Half Months: -Hold auditions/call-backs. -Choose main
characters. -Post cast list. -Advertise within school for
backstage crew (building sets, paining scenery, assembling
props).
4 Months: -Read through script with entire cast. -Props crew:
Begin constructing sets. -Begin onstage and music (singing)
rehearsals.
3 Months: -Form the following committees: Constume/Make up,
Publicity/Ticket sales, Lighting/Sound. -Contact extra musicians
for pit.
9 Weeks: -Hold pit orchestra auditions.
8 Weeks: -Begin advertising campaign. -Cast should now have
costumes. -Post pit orchestra member list.
7 Weeks: -Begin pit rehearsals -Optional production meeting
(communication between production team and all committees)
4 Weeks: -Production meeting - Plan final week of rehearsals,
stage use by various teams. -Acquire necessary permission to
excuse students from class for any schedule conflicts. -Invite
area schools to preview show.
2 Weeks: -Rehearsal with pit and cast (Sing through). -Pit
rehearsal(s) of dance music with dancers. -Run-thru of show with
onstage cast/ piano.
1 Week: -Props and scenery complete and ready for use. -Run of
scene changes with stage crew. -Complete run of show with pit
orchestra and cast.
5 Days: -Final pit rehearsal to iron out problem spots.
-Cue-to-cue: work out lighting cues.
4 Days: -Technical run of show with sound, all props, light
cues, scene changes.
3 Days: -Complete run of show with orchestra. Give notes after
run.
2 Days (or day before show): -DRESS REHEARSAL
(Give one day before public run as a day off, to rest the cast.)
General Advice for Doing Good School Musicals:
Administrative: 1) Delegate! Don't try to be the onstage
director, musical director, producer, chief bottle-washer, etc.
Find as many different people within your school as possible to
fill these roles. The people you will need, at a minimum:
Director Music Director Producer Stage Manager Props & Scenery
Coordinator Choreographer Lighting & Sound Director Costume
Coordinator Publicity Coordinator
2) Know your venue. Do not plan a musical without knowing where
you will be performing it.
3) Auditions: -Be good to your students when they come in for
their audition. Remember that many students are doing the first
audition of their lives, and are probably terrified. Set them at
ease - be lighthearted and friendly, not austere and demanding.
-Encourage students to sing out with a full voice at the
audition.
-Congratulate them after auditioning, and always find something
positive to say to them about how they performed.
4) Onstage: -Begin rehearsing chorus early in the process.
There is a need to get the main characters' part of the show
worked out early of course, but you will benefit from the
excitement generated by rehearsing chorus early. Chorus numbers
tend to be energetic and exciting, and much momentum can be lost
by ignoring chorus at the beginning of the rehearsal run. Chorus
members are very important. They are your "townspeople", your
various unnamed characters that give vital atmosphere to a show.
Tell chorus members to invent a character name, and to develop a
short one or two-paragraph biography. This will help to
eliminate that "onstage furniture" look that so many high school
students have.
-All singers should sing in their character's voice. If the
character speaks with a southern drawl, he/she should sing with
a southern drawl.
-Chorus should sing with eyebrows raised and backs straight.
-A musical theatre voice is a big voice with distinctive
character, not a choir voice. Invite a singing professional to a
rehearsal to teach young singers how to safely project their
voice.
5) Miscellaneous Onstage/backstage -Teach students to never
touch props or scenery unless specifically instructed to do so.
This applies even to props that are used by that character.
Unless it is show time or rehearsal time, props should be placed
and moved only by backstage crew.
-Onstage characters must be taught to be mindful and respectful
of backstage crew. Backstage crew have an important job to do
during runs of a show. The precise timing of scene changes
requires actors to stay out of the way.
-Actors must never appear in house in costume or make-up.
During the show's intermission, no actors should be meeting
public, family or friends.
-Backstage during a show must be very quiet. Actors waiting in
wings to make an entrance must stay well off to the side to
prevent being seen until entering the stage.
-Be sure to tell students to thank any professionals you have
invited to perform in your pit orchestra, or who are involved in
other aspects of the show. Point out to the students how lucky
they are to have people donating their time and efforts to their
show.
A musical will provide lifelong memories for you and your
students. And it will provide a unique opportunity to bring
together various aspects of the fine arts in your school. You
will also find that musicals will engage people in an artistic
endeavor who might not normally involve themselves in the arts.
Enjoy the experience! -Gary Ewer The Essential Secrets
of Songwriting, Gary Ewer's Easy Music
Theory
__________________
by Gary Ewer
So you're school has decided to do a musical. Musicals can be
very exciting and rewarding experiences for both staff and
student alike. It's a great way to teach the arts to students,
and to bring together visual arts, music, drama and dance in a
unique way.
The success of a high school musical will depend mainly on your
good planning of the event. You need to start early. The
following is a musical timeline for putting a typical high
school musical together:
(Months/Weeks/Days Before Show):
12 Months: -Create production team (producer, stage manager
musical director) -Contact rental company. -Estimate of price.
-Hire a director; negotiate price. -Meet with school admin.
-Obtain performance venue.
6 Months: -Production meeting - Chose the show. -Contact rental
company, obtain rights. -Arrange to obtain piano/vocal score
right away. -Reserve performance venue.
5 Months: -Announce auditions. -Hire rehearsal pianist for
auditions and rehearsals. -Choose audition music and make
available.
4 and a Half Months: -Hold auditions/call-backs. -Choose main
characters. -Post cast list. -Advertise within school for
backstage crew (building sets, paining scenery, assembling
props).
4 Months: -Read through script with entire cast. -Props crew:
Begin constructing sets. -Begin onstage and music (singing)
rehearsals.
3 Months: -Form the following committees: Constume/Make up,
Publicity/Ticket sales, Lighting/Sound. -Contact extra musicians
for pit.
9 Weeks: -Hold pit orchestra auditions.
8 Weeks: -Begin advertising campaign. -Cast should now have
costumes. -Post pit orchestra member list.
7 Weeks: -Begin pit rehearsals -Optional production meeting
(communication between production team and all committees)
4 Weeks: -Production meeting - Plan final week of rehearsals,
stage use by various teams. -Acquire necessary permission to
excuse students from class for any schedule conflicts. -Invite
area schools to preview show.
2 Weeks: -Rehearsal with pit and cast (Sing through). -Pit
rehearsal(s) of dance music with dancers. -Run-thru of show with
onstage cast/ piano.
1 Week: -Props and scenery complete and ready for use. -Run of
scene changes with stage crew. -Complete run of show with pit
orchestra and cast.
5 Days: -Final pit rehearsal to iron out problem spots.
-Cue-to-cue: work out lighting cues.
4 Days: -Technical run of show with sound, all props, light
cues, scene changes.
3 Days: -Complete run of show with orchestra. Give notes after
run.
2 Days (or day before show): -DRESS REHEARSAL
(Give one day before public run as a day off, to rest the cast.)
General Advice for Doing Good School Musicals:
Administrative: 1) Delegate! Don't try to be the onstage
director, musical director, producer, chief bottle-washer, etc.
Find as many different people within your school as possible to
fill these roles. The people you will need, at a minimum:
Director Music Director Producer Stage Manager Props & Scenery
Coordinator Choreographer Lighting & Sound Director Costume
Coordinator Publicity Coordinator
2) Know your venue. Do not plan a musical without knowing where
you will be performing it.
3) Auditions: -Be good to your students when they come in for
their audition. Remember that many students are doing the first
audition of their lives, and are probably terrified. Set them at
ease - be lighthearted and friendly, not austere and demanding.
-Encourage students to sing out with a full voice at the
audition.
-Congratulate them after auditioning, and always find something
positive to say to them about how they performed.
4) Onstage: -Begin rehearsing chorus early in the process.
There is a need to get the main characters' part of the show
worked out early of course, but you will benefit from the
excitement generated by rehearsing chorus early. Chorus numbers
tend to be energetic and exciting, and much momentum can be lost
by ignoring chorus at the beginning of the rehearsal run. Chorus
members are very important. They are your "townspeople", your
various unnamed characters that give vital atmosphere to a show.
Tell chorus members to invent a character name, and to develop a
short one or two-paragraph biography. This will help to
eliminate that "onstage furniture" look that so many high school
students have.
-All singers should sing in their character's voice. If the
character speaks with a southern drawl, he/she should sing with
a southern drawl.
-Chorus should sing with eyebrows raised and backs straight.
-A musical theatre voice is a big voice with distinctive
character, not a choir voice. Invite a singing professional to a
rehearsal to teach young singers how to safely project their
voice.
5) Miscellaneous Onstage/backstage -Teach students to never
touch props or scenery unless specifically instructed to do so.
This applies even to props that are used by that character.
Unless it is show time or rehearsal time, props should be placed
and moved only by backstage crew.
-Onstage characters must be taught to be mindful and respectful
of backstage crew. Backstage crew have an important job to do
during runs of a show. The precise timing of scene changes
requires actors to stay out of the way.
-Actors must never appear in house in costume or make-up.
During the show's intermission, no actors should be meeting
public, family or friends.
-Backstage during a show must be very quiet. Actors waiting in
wings to make an entrance must stay well off to the side to
prevent being seen until entering the stage.
-Be sure to tell students to thank any professionals you have
invited to perform in your pit orchestra, or who are involved in
other aspects of the show. Point out to the students how lucky
they are to have people donating their time and efforts to their
show.
A musical will provide lifelong memories for you and your
students. And it will provide a unique opportunity to bring
together various aspects of the fine arts in your school. You
will also find that musicals will engage people in an artistic
endeavor who might not normally involve themselves in the arts.
Enjoy the experience! -Gary Ewer The Essential Secrets
of Songwriting, Gary Ewer's Easy Music
Theory
__________________
Quick Organizing Tips From Assistance For You
Quick Organizing Tips From Assistance For You
by Yvonne Thompson
by Yvonne Thompson
Keeping on task and getting organized starts with a basic plan that can be implemented into everyone's daily life. Just by following these simple steps you can be on your way to a more productive and friendly work environment. Below are some quick tips to get you started on the right track towards self improvement and a better work style.
Organize Your Office
Keep all frequently used items within arms reach. Make your workspace work for you. You shouldn’t have to work for space. Create a simple, yet friendly, filing system (tickler) that you will use everyday. File continuously. Don’t stockpile stack of paper. always put things back where you intend on storing them for easy retrieval in the future.
Plan Your Day Everyday
Plan your tomorrow today and always stick to the plan. Keep a calendar or daily planner so you can pre-plan meetings, tasks and appointments. Use your calendar or daily planner to check off each task as they accomplished. Schedule blocks of time for specific tasks. Plan a “clean-up” day at least once a month.
Don’t Procrastinate
Always address any task that can be done immediately first.
Follow-up on tasks as needed on the day you specified.
Get ahead of tasks when time permits and reward yourself for your diligence.
Reduce Paper
Keep a trash container handy. Throw away envelopes and junk mail immediately. Limit unnecessary subscriptions. Remove your name from mailing lists* Use e-mail and online resources as much as possible. Print only when needed. Incorporate the three "R" rule: Reduce, Recycle, Reuse when possible.
Get Support
Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance. We all can use some help at times. Incorporate family and friends into your daily tasks. Utilize experienced outside support services such as Virtual Assistants. If you need help with business tasks, events, mailers or seasonal tasks, Virtual Assistants can lend a helping hand.
*Assistance For You Quick Tip*
Did you know you that you can get your personal contact information removed from marketing lists through the Direct Marketing Association and by contacting each credit-reporting bureau in writing.
© Yvonne Thompson, Assistance For You All rights reserved. Permission is granted to use this article, as long as the entire article is posted and the "About the Author" section, including all links, remain intact and an email is sent advising me of it’s use.
About The Author
Yvonne Thompson owns and operates Assistance For You, a Virtual Assistant Support Service which specializes in assisting small businesses and individuals in becoming more efficient throught diverse administrative support. For more information visit Assistance-For-You.com
“Too Much Stuff” Syndrome Or How Decorating And Organizing Can Help Your Sanity
“Too Much Stuff” Syndrome or How Decorating and Organizing Can Help Your Sanity
by Lisa DeClue
by Lisa DeClue
This area of home life is different from others in that it involves all the senses and to that degree it is successful, engendering varying emotions. Decorating isn't really a hobby, nor is it merely an activity; it's a driving force of many people to live in comfortable and pleasing surroundings while they regenerate from a stressful world.
Yet, decorating by itself is not nearly as completely satisfying as having an organized home that is rich in beautiful detail. Decorating and organizing go hand-in-hand, like a one-two punch of home completion.
In an effort to motivate you to action, use these suggestions to help you on your way to an organized home this spring and summer.
Paper Clutter
1. If you’re like my dear Mother and you still have newspapers from 1978 because you haven’t read them all: Don’t walk, RUN to the sanitation department and rent an industrial sized dumpster to leave in your driveway for a week.
2. I’m giving you permission to touch your incoming mail and papers more than once – only if the second “touching” is on the way to the dumpster.
3. You know that pile of “things to file” that keeps growing? Guess what – dump that too. You can always print off another copy or send away for the info. over the Internet. (This, coming from the daughter of a paper monster…)
Clothing
Twice a year, my mom would make me try on clothes for the upcoming season. She would invariably choose cold mornings to try on summer things and the hottest day on record to slip into woolens and flannels… (If your kids give you flack for trying on clothes in the comfort of air conditioning, you may use this as your own example.) If you haven’t worn something in the time it took you to have your second child, it’s probably not worth hanging on to (unless, of course, the dumpster is full).
Use a great tip I just discovered: Pick three nights a week to try on 5 items in your closet, then go to your dressers and do the same thing. At this rate, the average American woman should be able to go through all her clothes in about 3 years, 9 months and 14 days. No need to worry, it’ll be a different season then!
Kids’ Toys
1. You could try to “limit” the number of toys they play with each month and cycle them to and from the garage so your little ones get variety.
2. That takes too much effort. I just threatened my boys if they left toys out on their floor at bedtime, they would be in the dumpster the next day (the toys, silly!). Do this twice, and you’ll have this hot spot under control.
I hope these points have given you some new ways to look at the problem of clutter and refreshing methods to deal with them. Given the fun you’ll have with that dumpster, you might want to consider renting a second one for the hubby’s stuff.
I’ll tell you what. If you really do rent a dumpster (okay, it can be the smaller version) I’ll have a reward for your diligence. Ladies – Email me that you filled your dumpster to the very tippy top and something funny that happened during the process. I’ll send you a coupon for a discount on a Fragrance Lamp that will fill your home with lovely aromas. Gentlemen – Email me the same (that is, that you actually rented the thing and filled it, and an amusing related story) and I will send you a Gift Certificate for your wife. Such a deal!
Publishing Guidelines:
You may publish this article with the article and resource box
intact and unchanged provided any links are hyperlinked.
A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.
(The challenge paragraph may be omitted for space.)
Lisa DeClue is a WAHM and really does love her Mother. She owns Decorating with HGPgal, a website incorporating interior and garden/patio decorating resources, articles, tips and a monthly newsletter in addition to a unique business opportunity. Subscribe to the newsletter at http://HGPgal.com/newsletter.html and be entered into the monthly prize drawing.
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