Handmade Distress Oxide Storage Organizer: A Weekend Craft Room Takeover!

I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off one of my very first blog posts than with something handmade - not by me, but by my husband! This custom Distress Oxide ink pad organizer was a weekend project he made after noticing how quickly my collection was growing (and how little space I had left!) - nahhh, just kidding! It's after I harassed him about making me one! hehe!

Here’s a look at my “before” storage—simple and neat, and it definitely did the job for a while. But after picking up at least a dozen new Distress Oxide colors during our recent trip back home to Manila, it just couldn’t keep up anymore!

He took over my craft room to build this from scratch, and I’m honestly so touched by the effort and love he put into it. It’s not only functional, but it fits my space perfectly and brings a sweet, personal touch to my storage setup.

A big shoutout to Kuya Noli from Jarir Bookstore here in Al Ahsa, who helped us find the right materials and glue to bring the idea to life. His advice was invaluable in getting everything just right. And he really knows his stuff!

As always, some of my go-to tools from Bee Happy Crafts played a role in finishing this project—like the Cricut Self-Healing Mat, We R Makers Supreme Ruler, and Aleene’s glue. These essentials help bring all my crafting ideas to life, and this one was no different!

If this project inspires you to build your own ink pad organizer, good news—my husband even sketched out the measurements by hand! I’ve scanned his original drawing and included it below for fellow crafters who might want to recreate it. Feel free to leave a comment if you have questions!

Here's a quick video of how he made this project:

This post is extra special to me, not just because of the final product, but because it was made with care and creativity by someone I love. And I hope it helps spark ideas for your own craft space, too!

Supplies Used:

• Ranger Distress Oxide Ink Pads

  Use BA-KM when you shop at beehappyph.com to get 8% off on adhesives, cardstocks, stamps and inkpads (Including Distress Oxide!), sprays, wax seals and supplies, embossing powders and inks, foiling supplies, craft inks, creams, powders, texture pastes, collage medium, gel plates, and crepe papers.

• Foamcore (it's like sintra board, but lighter)

•  Uhu Por Expanded Polystyrene Glue

• Cricut Self-Healing Mat

• We R Makers Supreme Ruler

Special Thanks To:

• My husband—craft room invader and builder extraordinaire

• Kuya Noli @ Jarir Bookstore, Al Ahsa

• Bee Happy Crafts for always having what I need

#BeeHappyCrafts #Handmade #DistressOxide #CraftingEssentials #DIYCrafts #MadeWithLove #PaperCrafting #MixedMedia #CreativeJourney #CraftRoomTakeover

Hello, Blog World!

 Hello, Blog World!

I’m Ana — a hotelier by heart, but now a trailing (in the best way!) wife to my expat husband, currently based in the Middle East. Life has taken some exciting turns lately, and I figured it’s finally time to stop overthinking and start this blog.

I’ve been toying with the idea of blogging for years. Vlogging isn’t quite my thing (a little too camera shy for that!), but writing? That feels a bit more like home. I’ve always loved crafting, documenting little moments, and collecting memories — and a blog feels like the perfect space to tie all of that together.

So why now?

Well… I recently joined another design team (announcement coming soon!), and during our orientation, someone mentioned that Instagram posts only stay in someone’s feed for about 8 seconds. Facebook? Just 3. That really stuck with me. All that effort and heart in a post — gone in a blink. I realized I wanted a space that felt more lasting, more me, and not just another scroll.

So here I am. Starting small, but starting. This blog will be a little mix of everything I love — crafts, travel, everyday life, and hopefully some inspiration along the way.

Let’s see where this goes.

– Ana