Randi's Review	Rebecca's Review	Penny's Review	Lynn Anne's Review	Robin's Review

Review by Randi

As we considered what would be needed for a "Scrapping with the Kids" emphasis, one thing came to the forefront. The kids needed something to store and organize all of the great supplies sent to them this month. Cropper Hopper had the solution for us. They sent us each a Photo Case 2000. These heavy-weight plastic cases are perfect!

Originally made to hold two thousand 4" x 6" photos, the eight moveable dividers made them multi-purpose. Rearranging the size of the compartments made them just the thing for organizing the products sent to our junior scrappers this month! The flip side of the case (intended for enlargements) was great for holding her 12" x 12" papers and Magic Mesh Sheets. Double-fun for mom (me) was the fact that everything had its place. That is most of the battle when getting a child to put away their things!

I've been a long time fan of the Photo Storage boxes. I stockpiled a huge amount of photos before my digital days, and personally have four of these boxes under my desk full of pictures. They keep the photos safe and organized until I can get around to scrapping them.

Measuring 12.75" x 13.25" x 6" deep, the Photo Storage case sells for $32.99 -- a small price to pay for keeping photos safe and supplies organized. Available in Black, Ice, Purple, and Blue. Recommended.

---

Review by Rebecca

Every year I resolve to live more efficiently by getting more organized. A recent shopping trip to my local Target tells me that I am not the only wanna-be organizer as the shelves are packed with organizing products, books and tools. My desire to get organized involves both my professional self as well as my scrapbooking hobby. When it comes to scrapbooking, Cropper Hopper is well known for manufacturing a wide variety of organizational products.

The Cropper Hopper organizer that I received for the review is the Photo Supply Case. The case has two sides to it. The first side holds 12" x 12" papers. The other side of the case holds up to 2,000 4" x 6" photos. The sides and dividers are a clear plastic and the handle and lids are "Ice" which is a light teal color. The photo storage area includes 8 removable plastic dividers. There is also a package of 12 tabbed acid-free index cards to label and divide the photos.

When I first gave Rachel, my five-year-old daughter, the case she initially used it to hold some of her Barbie accessories. She liked the idea of having her items divided and she kept them together in the case for a few days. So in case anybody is looking for a Barbie accessory/clothing organizer, Rachel has given this Cropper Hopper product thumbs up for that purpose!

Title: Rachel's Barbie Organizer

After a couple days of Barbie organizing, I told Rachel it was time to use the Cropper Hopper case to organize her scrapbooking supplies. Rachel placed her paints, scissors, ribbon, adhesive and rub-ons in one side of her organizer. It was easy for her to insert and remove the plastic dividers which she kept doing until she found a setup that she liked. Then she placed some of her photos in the case. I did notice that it was hard for her to get out the photos if she stuffed them in too tightly. After a few tries she decided to use two sections for her photos. Finally, she placed some of her stickers and her mini album in a larger section of the case. On the other side of the case Rachel placed her 12" x 12" papers. With all of her supplies in one case it is easier for her to scrapbook when she wants to without having to find everything.

Title: Supplies in Cropper Hopper Photo Case

Title: 12" x 12" Papers in Cropper Hopper Photo Case

I know that the best way to be organized is to have a home for everything. The Cropper Hopper Photo Case is versatile and easy for even a 5-year-old to use. However, I do know that when the case is filled with photos that it does become heavy to carry for even myself. But, if the case is used as Rachel uses it, for a combination of supplies, papers and photos, then it is easy to carry. Also, because the case is made of a hard plastic it is very durable and does not get scratches or dents even if it is dropped or stepped on by a child.

I know that the Cropper Hopper Photo Case is not marketed for kids. However, scrappers of any age need to keep their supplies organized. It is helpful for parents of inspiring crafters to know that the Cropper Hopper case is a great organizing product for kids and adults alike.

---

Review by Penny

The Cropper Hopper Photo Storage Case ($32.99) is a two-sided see-through container that comes in your choice of blue, black, purple or ice colored covers. One side of the case is deep enough to hold about 2,000 4" x 6" photos which can be divided among eight moveable dividers and labeled with the 12 index cards provided. The other side of the case opens to hold larger photos or memorabilia (up to 12" x 12").

The Cropper Hopper Photo Storage Case arrived at a time when my current, unorganized photo storage container was causing me great frustration.

My photos were stored in their photo envelopes and stacked into a clear container. Each time I wanted to find a photo I'd be sorting through each envelope until I found what I wanted. You can see why I was frustrated!

Title: Photo Storage Before Cropper Hopper Photo Storage Case

I happily dumped my photos to see what I had in front of me. I was so ready to get them organized!

Title: My Photos

I took this large pile of pictures (I'd estimate about 1,000 photos) and sorted them into categories in about one hour.

Title: After Organized with Cropper Hopper Photo Storage Case

I chose to separate my photos by subject, including one section for each of my children, one for the immediate family, one for extended family and friends, one for spring, summer, fall and winter, one for pets and one for miscellaneous.

Once my photos were organized and easily accessible, I found locating and choosing them to be quick and efficient. My only regret is that I didn't do this years ago!

---

Review by Lynn Anne

Cropper Hopper is a brand name just about synonymous with the phrase 'storage solutions' in the scrapbooking world. I was therefore a little surprised when I realized that the Photo Case 2000 is the first of their products to come through our door. Unfortunately for me, it came earmarked for my four-year-old, Ralph. Fortunately for me, Ralph is a good sharer.

The Photo Case 2000 (available in four colors - ours is a pretty light blue called 'Ice') is a sturdy, plastic box measuring 6" deep and just shy of 13" x 14" wide. Open the top, and there's a 2" deep area the size of the whole case, for holding anything including 12" x 12" papers (even those with tear-off sheets). Flip it over, and there are up to 10 segmented compartments (the dividers are movable for flexibility) sized to hold 4" x 6" photos - up to 2000 of them. There was a time when I wouldn't have believed I had that many photos to store. At that time, I could have filled some of the space with other embellishments of my choice. But I'm not in denial about how many photos are around here anymore, and the idea of having them all head to the same place after printing makes me happy! This sturdy box can be stored horizontally or vertically, and when vertical it features a handy suitcase-style handle, making it easy to tote the box from room to room or from crop to crop.

If this were solely my box, I would absolutely store my 2000 4" x 6" photos in one side, and the 5" x 7" prints I often print (and other odd sizes) in the other. The Photo Case 2000 comes with 12 divider cards that look rather like recipe cards with tabs on top, but I'd opt for an accessory sold separately: 4" x 6" Photo and Negative Protectors. They're made to fit this case, two protectors (each holding up to 72 prints) per 'segment.'

Ralph, however, needs to use his box for other things. Photos I hand him when it's time for him to make a layout - until that moment, they're mine! But if he doesn't store his small-but-growing stash of personal scrapbooking supplies neatly in his own place, they are likely to get used up on him by someone else. Almost everything he owns so far fits in the shallow-but-full-sized compartment, including his 8" x 8" scrapbook album, and he sings his 'cleanup, cleanup!' song happily as he puts his supplies away after a page. He should always be so well-trained. (In fact, he should clean up the REST of his toys as neatly! I suddenly have a vision of a Photo Case 2000 filled with puzzle pieces...boards in the wider segment, pieces in small boxes in the other side...hm...!)

Ralph's Ad Tech Kids' Glue Runner is a 'froggie' design a little wider than the shallow compartment allows room for, so he tucked it safely into one of the dividers on the other side. Since he is content to share, I picked up a couple of packages of 4" x 6" boxes and will use them for current photos as they're printed. I hate to bog Ralph's case down with older photos - currently stored in some cardboard storage boxes that suddenly seem too small and not at all secure (the tops don't latch) nor convenient (no handles, no option to store vertically or horizontally.)

(Divider cards and section dividers included...4" x 6" boxes and glue runner sold separately)

For those photos, I'm going to pony up the $32.99 for a box of my own. To not preface any given layout creation with a hunt for the photos-I-need-that-I-just-saw-here-yesterday sounds like a dream to me. And Cropper Hopper has convinced me that their Photo Case 2000 is an ideal way to keep our precious photos safe and organized.

---

Review by Robin

Since Alex (6) starting scrapping more, she needed some place to store her embellishments and small tools. When we received the Cropper Hopper Photo Storage Box to review for kids, we thought this would be perfect.

I have two Cropper Hopper Photo Storage Boxes of my own and I love them. I have gone through about half of my photos so far. And they fit a lot of photos. But I never thought of using them to store other things before now.

The box comes with 2 covers. One side fits flat things, paper, larger photos, sticker sheets and more. The other side is made for photos, but the separators can be moved around for bigger items. We decorated one of the covers. Then we started putting items in the box. We ended up using all the separators, but I love the fact that we can change them depending on our needs at the time.

Alex put her adhesives in one section, scissors in one, ribbon in one, die-cuts in one, 3D stickers in another, Magic Mesh in another, chalks in one and paint in the last one. She has 2 empty sections right now, but I know they will not stay that way. Since Alex doesn't have her own scrapbook area right now, this works great for her. She can just bring her box to the table and open it up.

Here are some pictures of her Cropper Hopper Photo Storage box and what we have done with it.

All in all we think the Cropper Hopper Photo Storage Box is a great item for kids or adults. It can be used the way it was intended for photos, or used to store tools, paper and embellishments. It is very versatile and now has a home with my daughter.

---