Craft Critique
Showing posts with label Organization. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Organization. Show all posts

June 11, 2008

ScrapOnizer ToolBox

Reported by Julie Campbell

The Scraponizer ToolBox made it's debut at CHA this year and is quickly becoming one of the hottest storage items to hit the craft world. Made of acid-free, durable poly-vinyl, this crystal clear organizing system is a great way to clean up your craft space!

ScrapOnizers are compact and easy to store in a variety of ways. They can be stored traditionally (vertically as shown in the photo) and can also be stacked horizontally on a shelf. They are also compatible with hanging letter filing systems, which makes clearing your work space very easy.

Each ScrapOnizer Starter Kit comes with:

  • White tagboard box (similar to a magazine organizer)
  • Self-adhesive labels
  • 4 clear cases (1" w x 12"h x 10"d)
  • 4 individual cavity trays:

- 5.5" X 8.75" (2 cavity tray)
- 3.75" X 8.5" (3 cavity tray)
- 5.5" X 4.25" (4 cavity tray)
- 2.5" X 4.5" (8 cavity tray)

I use my ScrapOnizer to organize all of my small paper crafting embellishments, but this system can be used to organize just about anything. (Some of the really creative ideas I saw at CHA included a babysitting kit and a Lego organizer for kids.) Since this system is so light weight and impact resistant, it's easy to pack a few cases in a bag to take to a crop or stamping event.

With the special "Snap-Lock" design, ScrapOnizers store your items in self-sealing compartments. The trays and cases have a "tongue and groove" like system, so even small items stay in the proper compartment.

One of the things I love about this system is how easy it is to customize it to coordinate with your style or decor. In the picture below, the company demonstrates how they transformed a plain ToolBox simply by applying scrapbooking paper and a few embellishments.



Pros:

  • Clear cases make it easy to locate stored contents.
  • Material is light weight & impact resistant.
  • ToolBoxes can be customized to coordinate with your space.
  • Tongue & Groove design keeps small items from migrating.

Cons:

  • Not ideal for items you reach for daily. (I prefer to have my "essentials" right at hand instead of in a closed container on a shelf)
  • I would also like to see a pattern included with the ScrapOnizer to make it easier to cover the tagboard box with patterned paper.

The ScrapOnizer Toolbox system retails for $24.95 (USD). You can also purchase additional cases ($15.50 for 4 cases) and cavity trays ($11.25 for 4). You can find a local retailer HERE. Some online retailers include Scrapbooks.com, Scrapbook.com, and Stamping Bella.

I think the ScrapOnizer is a really innovative idea and can be used to organize just about anything! On a scale of 1-10, I would give this product an 8. If you own this organizer, I would love to hear about what YOU use it for and what your opinion is of this new system!

June 6, 2008

White Grid Paper Storage

Reported by Emilie Ahern

If you're a scrapbooker you know about 'Scrap Spaces'. You've seen the scrap rooms of the Scrap Celebs. In magazines, online, on blogs...these amazing rooms with custom built-in shelves for each little brad and eyelet. Skylights. Endless work space. Cute little inspirations.

I love seeing these rooms, but they are far from my reality. With two kids and a husband in Masters school, I spent my nights scrapping in a dimly lit, damp and cold, unfinished basement (read: Dungeon) and my scrap storage consisted of whatever I could find on the cheap and make work! Then I stumbled onto this fantastic paper storage solution that improved my organization by leaps and bounds! This is a great solution for anyone....not just the starving college student!

By slightly modifying white wire storage grids you can create a personalized paper storage system which will hold any amount of 12x12 papers in an efficient and very organized way. And it's wicked cheap. I'll go through the steps of making your own here.

What you'll need...
1 box Wire Storage Grids (available at Target and Walmart) cost: $15-20
1 package Zip/Cable Ties (available at any home improvement store) cost: $1-2
1 wire cutter or seriously heavy duty scissors





{Make sure your grids measure at least 12" square so your paper will fit. Mine are 13" square...perfect.}

1. Start by throwing out the weird little white plastic clips that come with the cubes. You won't be needing these.




2. Build a basic cube (leaving one side open as shown above) by attaching the grids together using your zip ties. Make sure the little square nubbies are facing towards the outside of your cube so they don't catch on the paper. (photo below)





3. Next take the remaining white shelves and slide them into your cube and attaching them at 1 inch intervals where the grid already exists. If you need a larger slot for some paper sets just make it a 2 or 3 inch interval instead.




Make sure when you slide a shelf in that the wire grids are on the underside so that you get a slight lip on your paper tray. (photo below)




4. Use your wire clippers to remove excess plastic end from zip ties.




Fill with paper sorting by color, manufacturer or whatever makes you happy! Voila! Isn't it genius?!! I made 3 separate cubes out of 2 boxes of these grids and had some grid pieces leftover. I have even given these cubes as gifts to fellow scrapbookers with rave reviews!



Pros:

  • Inexpensive
  • Customizable to include large and small shelf heights

Cons:

  • May be hard to see certain papers since there is no graduation.
At just around $30 for two of these I think they are a steal! And a great solution for organizing a craft area on a budget. What do you think of these paper trays? Are they more or less efficient than the system you are currently using? Do you believe more traditional paper trays are worth the extra expense? I would love to know your thoughts!

June 25, 2007

O Tote, My Tote

Reported By, Sue Mylde


I'm a 'bag' lady. Nope not the kind that lives out of her bag, but the kind that loves all kinds of bags. Why should my obsession with bags NOT coincide with my obsession for scrapbooking stuff, right?


I must confess, however, that seeing every other scrapbook enthusiast at a crop having one of those ‘Tote-Ally Cool’ totes, made me yearn for something different. So, I've been on a lookout for a cute and simple scrapbooking crop tote for sometime - and imagine my joy when I found this, at my neighborhood Michael’s store.



They come in all these bright colors - really pretty! But I went with the plain black one (since black goes with everything :))



According to the Michael’s website, this tote is equipped with:

17 outside pockets (including 1 long zip pocket and 2 flap pockets)
9 inside pockets (including one 12 inch section to hold paper and cards
1 zippered compartment on bottom of tote (includes a removable tray for small accessories)
Total dimensions: 11 ½ -inch x 7 ¾ -inch x 7 ½ -inch / 12.21 cm x 19.68 cm x 19.05 cm

There are so many things you can fit in this tote. I love the sheer number of pockets and dividers that the tote has, which enables me to further my organization of all the tools I need to take to a demonstration, a crop or a class. I’ve organized my inside pockets to hold:

Ink pads I use daily - Versamark, Brown and Black, Stazon
Scissors and all types of adhesives (glue stick, rolling tape, Sticky Strip, vellum adhesive and dimensionals)
Stamp Cleaning Pad and Spray
Punches and other tools (like my stamp-a-ma-jig and brayer)
Stamps I use regularly

The big inside pocket is also handy for big tools like my Fiskars 12inch cutter, my envelope template, my stamp cleaner and my Stampin’Up! colour wheel - all of which are crucial to my creative life!

Two of my favourite features of this tote are the long zip pocket on one side of the tote and the sturdy bottom compartment. I’ve put more stamps in this bottom compartment - stamps that I treasure and want to use every day. The sturdy tray protects my valuable stamps (really important to a stamp obsessed gal like me). The long zip pocket is also handy for the bevy of writing tools I have and is a great place to put other nick-nacks that need to be secured.


All in all, I love the simplicity of this tote. I also love that I can dive in there and look for things easily in the compartments. Living in an apartment without a craft room, I really love how this tote can really double up as a desk organizer when I'm working on my dining table.

The tote is really affordable too! For CAD$29.99, it’s great value for money.

Even if I'll take forever to organize my craft cupboard - at least all the tools I need to work with are kept in the tote - so the next time I need my dining table for its real purpose (i.e. dinner) I just put back all my essentials in the tote, keep it safe elsewhere, and then take the tote back to the table after the hungry little people have been fed.

Real easy. Great value for money. And a great organization tool. All in one. That's my tote!


Do you have other totes you use? SHARE SHARE SHARE!

June 14, 2007

Organization Carnival...Part 2!

Wow! What can I say. There is SO much wonderful information out there on getting organized. Hopefully there is an idea or two in all these posts that can help you out. Be sure and visit these sites and tell them Craft Critique sent you! Do you find yourself featured in this carnival, we would love it if you would link back to us on your blog letting all of your readers know. Thanks!!


Sometimes our rooms need makeovers just like us. The Midlife Mom did an awesome job getting hers all neat and tidy.

Asela has big dreams for her own crafty space. But how she organizes her tiny space while she waits.

A functional and CHEAP way to organize ribbon. Way to go Kim!!

Gayle is not afraid to admit she's a fabric addict. But at least it all looks pretty!

Lauren makes great use of those closet door shoe holders. And she got them for a steal!

Vicki noticed our call for this carnival and took her camera into her space to share it with us. She does a great job reworking other items!

Gwen's stamp room has quite a bit of empty space at the moment. I'm sure it won't take long for her to fill it.

Deanna is currently writing a book featuring peoples craft rooms. She has some great Creative Spaces and Organizing featured on her blog.

Jeanette has ideas like crazy. Be sure and scroll down and read them all!!

Amy has lots of organizing tips, with a little Grey's Anatomy chatter thrown in!

Linda opens the doors to her craft room, and garden.

Melissa's art room is sooooo colorful! I love it (and her name *hehe*).

Ticia keeps those sheets of designer paper so organized.

Misti shares some great photos of her space.

Check out how Cindy stores her brads and Cuttlebug dies.

I am simply in awe of this Cyndi's space.

Trudee really cleaned up her zip baggies full of ribbon.

Julie is brilliant when it comes to organizing her unmounted stamps.

These containers that Angela uses are perfect for lots of style ink pads.

Renee has a great way to organize her Cuttlebug dies.

MiMi unmounted her wooden stamps to help with her storage issues.


As always please visit all of these wonderful blogs from the past two days. Did we miss something great?! Post it in the comments and let us know. And be sure to keep an eye on the right hand side of the page to see what our next carnival is all about and get in on the fun!!

June 13, 2007

Organization Carnival

Organizing can be tough. What works for one person may not work for another. Fortunately, we have tons of crafters with great ideas and one of them is bound to work for you. Check them out....
And guess what? We found so much great info out there we're going to have 2 days of Carnival, so be sure and check back tomorrow!! Please visit these sites and let them know you enjoyed their ideas, and tell them Craft Critique sent you!!
Do you find yourself listed here?? We would love it if you would link back to us on your blog! Thanks!!


Laura, the self proclaimed "organizing junkie", shows us what to do with our 12x12 paper.

Are you a knitter? Stephanie cleaned up her craft room and organized it beautifully!

Real Women Scrap is not only full of lots of great organizing ideas but lots of fun scrappy and life stuff too. Scroll around and check it all out!

DC resident, Lagomorph, can help you organize your crafty side and the rest of your home!

Kathy Mack (isn't that the cutest name...not sure why, just is) took on her sewing room , stored her fabric, made the cutest roll for her colored pencils, and transformed her cutting table.

Patience has organized her knitting supplies in her office. I love the dividers, such a great idea.

Aby at Creative Organizing, combines organizing with the crafty things we all love. Tons of info here!

Maria at Get Organized Now, has a great idea on how to organize your scrapbooking albums.

Casey Lee has ideas for keeping scrapbooking organized in any space.

Monika gives us a peek into her stamping space.

Marguerita in The Netherlands, has 3 posts on organization to share with us. 1, 2, 3

Jana opens the doors to her Alaskan piece of heaven. Great ideas for storing punches.

Check out how Amy keeps everything neat and organized. And she also makes great use of those empty stamp cases.

Come on in to Emily's stamping space.

How can I store it? Ellen has some answers.

Nicole's got one super hubby that made this studio for her.

We love it when bloggers do a series of entries. Sharon has 4 weeks worth of organization ideas plus a lot more!

Aloha from Hawaii! Jen has great ideas for your retiring sets, stamp pads, and more!

Stay tuned for more tomorrow!!!

June 12, 2007

Lots of stuff, so little space


Reported by Melissa Norris



For any of you who aren't aware, my husband is in the Army and we are a military family. Furthermore, that means we live in military housing. Basically, that means no space and definitely no studio/craft room for me. We have a good closet with lots of room for all of my stuff, but it is in the back of the house. And I am the first to admit that I'm a bit lazy about when I drag something out of the back closet to use it, I'm not too keen on dragging it back to the closet when I'm finished.


About a month ago, my husband and I finally came to a sort of truce. We had one of those wire shelving units from Target in our daughter's closet that wasn't really being used. I was going to be able to bring it into the dining area and keep my stuff in the 6 cubbies it provided. But only those 6 cubbies, no more, no less.



So here is my cubby area. It holds my stamping/cardmaking supplies. Needless to say it has overflowed from the original agreement. But shhhh....he hasn't said anything yet.


When confronted with a space dilema, one of the first things to note is utilizing every inch of the space you do have. One of the best ways I've found to do that is to buy similar sized containers. This way you don't have a lot of wasted space.



One of the first products that I really like are these photo boxes from Michaels. They come in tons of colors and styles, and are often on sale for around $1.50 US. The pink one holds all of my envelopes, some embellishments that I don't use very often, and some chipboard that is too big to fit in some other containers I have. The orange one holds all of my ink pads. I sit them flat in my box while they are stored, then when I'm ready to use them I sit it on it's end and turn the ink pads to make my own fake rack for them. The green one holds other embellishments such as full Prima jars, some Accents & Elements tins from Stampin' Up, and some other small tools and embellishments. It's basically turned into a catch all box.The other thing that I really enjoy for my semi-organization are these craft boxes. They are found at any craft store and even at Wal-Mart and are usually $2 or less depending on the style. You can often find them in the beading area or where the embroidery floss is. These are great for embellishments and perfectly hold Bobbin Ribbon. And all being the same size they stack very neatly on a shelve for no wasted space. I'm currently in the process of filling some new ones I just purchased. I'm planning on getting them more organized by filling one with ribbon, one with eyelets, one with brads, one with primas, etc etc etc. Then using my label maker to label the sides to make things easier to find when I have more of them.


The final thought I would like to share with you is to take the time to go through your items every once in a while and purge. About every 6 months or so I go through and find stuff I'm not going to use, still haven't opened, or think "What was I thinking when I bought that?" I then either sell it or give it away. This way I'm keeping my space clear and leaving less stuff to go through when I'm looking for "just the right item." And if you do clean some of your stuff out, think about donating it go a good cause. I recently read about this site, Operation Scrapbook. They make premade scrapbooks for foster children and Hospice patients, and they would love our extra paper and embellishments to help brighten someone elses day.


I hope that my thoughts about making the most of your space have helped you. Please leave us comments with your ideas on how to keep organized in a small area.


June 11, 2007

Failing Organization 101

Reported by Amy Westerman

Mmmmm….I think I am slightly embarrassed to be writing an article on organizing craft rooms. As I was trying to figure out what I could write about, I came to the painful realization that I really had nothing to say, ESPECIALLY in comparison to the other Craft Critique reporters who’ve reported so far on this subject. Can you believe Colleen’s super-organized room? I’m guessing she puts most of us to shame as far as craft rooms go! What about Julie’s amazing way of organizing all of her supplies by color? Now, why couldn't I have thought of that? Or, what about Michelle’s idea of approaching your craft room with the mindset of a librarian; keep what is worthwhile and ditch the rest! This I can do!!!!

Really, I take my hat off to these super organized women. They must be super-efficient with their time in the craft room. But, in all honesty, I must confess to you that I continue to struggle in this area on a daily basis. I have every intention of keeping my room organized, but time after time, it eludes me. Day after day, my supplies threaten to overtake me. Minute after minute, they get in my way. It’s absolutely ridiculous!

So, what IS the main problem when it comes to my organization? Without a doubt, it’s putting things back in their proper places! Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got every organizer cube/box/folder known to mankind. I’ve got drawers dedicated for ribbon, paper, markers, embellishments, inks, etc. I’ve got shelves for stamps. But all these drawers don’t do me a lick of good because I don’t take the time to put everything I touch back in its intended home. Why? Am I too busy? At times that might be the case. Unfortunately, laziness is more than likely the culprit I’m sad to say. I just don’t want to take the time to put every little thing back in its place. With as much stuff as I use, it seems like I would be putting things away constantly and not getting any stamping done!

In all seriousness, the key to an organized craft room IS putting your supplies back where they belong after you are done using them. This isn’t brain surgery, folks. Put back what you take out. We’re preaching it to our kids constantly. It’s a piece of advice we need to start heeding ourselves. I have a friend who makes it a point to put away five things after every card she makes (she make her cards in groups of four). It’s not everything, but it’s a start.
We have to stay ahead of the clutter. We can’t allow it overtake us because clutter suppresses creativity. And our creativity is what fuels us. If we don’t have our creativity, we don’t have much now do we?

In conclusion, I realize I didn’t come to the table with as much fabulous organizational wisdom as Colleen, Julie or Michelle did. Their ideas put me to shame. I SHOULD be more like them. But, alas, I don’t think it will be happening any time soon. What I WILL do is practice what I preach…..if I use it, I’ll put it away where it belongs. Can this be something YOU could work on too? Friends, organization is not out of our grasp. With the things you’ve learned so far from the super organized talent we have here at Craft Critique to the little tidbits I was able to offer you today, you my friend, are on your way to super craft room organization! Good luck!!!

June 8, 2007

Organization on the Cheap!

Reported By Sarah Moore

If you really want to drool, search the "Stamping Space" galleries of splitcoaststampers. The pristine creative spaces; painted in Martha Stewart approved colors; lined in white cubicles; or amazing floor to ceiling racks of paper... Some of these stamping rooms look more like retail stores than rooms in a home!

Now don't get me wrong; I don't begrudge these women their lovely carpeted spaces. Heck, if I had the extra room and/or the money I might have a similar spot to work in... but I don't. I am a stay-at-home-mom with very limited funds and no extra rooms in my home. Plus, I am a super messy crafter. A space that lovely wouldn't last long in my creative world!

I work best in a colorful space where I can be super messy. I like to throw my scraps on the floor, and if I had a carpeted space I WOULD ruin it... just ask my first landlord Dino Papadopoulos. I tried to dye a thrifted Coach purse a darker shade of brown and... oops! Why do most rentals have beige carpets anyways? Note: bleach will not remove brown leather dye from a carpet... it will ONLY ruin the carpet.

So what's my solution? I work in an unfinished section of my basement; with pipes and wires beside me and above me, a furnace behind me and a cement floor under my feet that I could hose down if need be. It isn't the prettiest space... but it's mine all mine. I furnished most of my space with shelves I already had or that I bought for a song at IKEA or Home Depot. What I like best about my space is that it didn't break the bank, I have the freedom to be messy and that no one else but me ever sees the space... until now.

I'm sure I am not the only frugal and messy crafter out there... but if you're a neat freak you may want to avert your eyes!

It might not be pretty, but this is where I work best!

I have a few basic rules for organization...
  • Keep things accessible, where you can easily grab them, touch them or see them. Embellishments hidden in boxes and binders will never get used. Use clear containers for storage whenever possible.
  • I know they make all sorts of cool spinning racks for ink pads, and binders for embellishments... but I can't afford those wonderful products. I'd rather save my money for stamps! SO instead I re-purpose containers I already own or seek out really inexpensive bins and containers on sale. Look around the house for containers that aren't being used. Decorative boxes, baby food containers, Tupperware or Pyrex containers without the lids, lunch boxes, flower planters, kitchen racks and more can all have a second life in your crafting space.
  • Manage your scraps. Find some way to sort and store your scraps so they remain accessible to you and get used regularly. I use a 4 tier system; full sheets are kept in hanging files, Card sized scraps are sorted in ziplock bags by color and other scraps are kept in large clear containers by color group, strips of paper (usually residue from the paper trimmer) are all kept together in a bin. To help save money; reach for scraps before you reach for a full sheet!
  • Use the Rachel Ray "Garbage Bowl" system to manage your "junk". I keep an open container in my desk I can just toss stuff into when I am done with it to put away later; ribbon scraps, various embellishments, stamped elements that I neglected to use... they all go in the garbage bowl and will be put away later.
  • Clean regularly: Schedule one day a week as a cleaning day and sort and put away your scraps and materials in your "garbage bowl".

These Ikea shelves were under $5 US each. Wire racks designed for workrooms double the amount of materials the shelves can hold accessibly. A re-purposed Tupperware container holds miscellaneous items on the top shelf. Baby wipe containers hold fibers and ink cartridges. Small sections of ribbon are held in an open bin; wrapped around paper scraps and pinned in place, this ribbon is easy to see and ready to grab for use!


This is what my desk looks like clean! Note that things I use regularly; adhesive, pens, trimmer, scrub pad, markers... are all within easy reach. A garage sale purchased desk lap helps illuminate my work space. Overhead florescent lights (both a cool and a warm bulb for color balance) complete the lighting... no OTT light for me! :)


Ink pads are stored in bins designed for floppy disks (found on sale at the container store) that are perched on a narrow shelf. A spring loaded curtain rod is locked between 2 shelves; it holds larger ribbons, cords and miscellaneous items with clips. Behind the lamp a Pampered Chef tool caddy (riding on a lazy susan for extra spin) holds favorite tools. Above, an unfinished cabinet from Ikea holds background stamps, ink pads, and miscellaneous embellishments.


This rack is designed to use in a kitchen cabinet so you can stack items to save space... here it has a second life as a scissor and hand punch holder.


This is a narrow 3 shelf cart on casters designed to work in your laundry area to fit in a small space between the washer and dryer. It fits my punches and other hand held tools perfectly and I love that I have them right at my side!


These clear storage containers contain various embellishments; keeping them visible makes them more likely to be used. Lunch boxes hold items that are used less frequently. Note the small holes that were added to the Stampin' Up! Ribbon holders (with a Crop-a-dile). This helps keep the ribbon from becoming unruly.


Embossing powders are kept in disposable Rubbermaid containers. A plastic spoon is included in each container. This keeps the powder accessible, ready to use and easy to identify.


Paper in full sheets is stored in hanging file bins (scored for $4 US each!). A garage sale purchased folding card table makes a perfect cutting station. 1/2 sheets are stored in a bin; ready to be made into cards. Scraps are stored in large clear bins. Miscellaneous stamps await being reassembled in their containers and put back on the stamp shelf; a box lid does the job!

I hope this inspires those of you who are working with limited funds. Your space might not be the sexiest, but it can be functional!

Edited to Add (6/9/07): My husband wanted me to add that he "slaved for countless hours drilling holes into cement walls" to install the shelving for my craft area. What a good guy huh? I love you baby! :) -Sarah

June 7, 2007

Scrapbook Organization: a Manifesto

Reported by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Proper organization can change the way you work. In my case, it has meant that I use my supplies! I am truly making a dent in my stash and using my things rather than simply collecting them. Here are my secrets:

1. Organize the way your brain works.

What does this mean? When you’re scrapping, do you say, “I need something red,” or do you say, “I need something birthday,” or do you say, “I need some of that Basic Grey paper.”

I am a color person. I say, “I need something red.” Therefore, I have organized virtually everything by color.

• Cardstock by color.
• Patterned Paper by color.
• Small Embellishments by color.
• Large Embellishments by color.
• Ribbon by color.
• Fabric by color.
• Scraps by color.
• Alphabets by color….

Well, you get the picture. If you’re a theme person (“birthday”) then you probably want to organize your supplies that way. And, if you’re a brand person (“Basic Grey”) then you probably want to organize your supplies by manufacturer.

Note: The one exception (for me) to the color rule is that embellishments with words on them or that are quotes, sayings, titles, etc. are filed in one of four categories:

• Miscellaneous
• Love/Friendship
• Travel/Outdoors
• Holiday

2. Create a situation where you can see what you have.

Many of us have small spaces. I certainly do. And the impulse is often to keep things neat and tucked away. For me, I don’t use what I can’t see. So, I try my best to keep things visible. My favorite tricks for keeping things visible:

• Clear storage. There are so many lovely boxes, bins, bags, jars, drawers, etc. that are clear and let you see just what you’ve got.
• Out in the open. Where I can, I like to hang, stand, file, etc. my supplies out on top of surfaces (rather than hidden away). This is why I love shallow shelves! You can see everything.
• Labels. I have been accused of over doing it with the labeling (I label my kitchen cabinets). However, labels are your best friend when it comes to organizing. Labels allow you to think once and then never again. Once you organize your stuff (even into clear containers), stick a label on there: “flowers” or “blue” or whatever it is. Then you never have to think again. Just look for the label and you’ll know where it is or where it should go.


If you really need things to look tidy or can’t deal with open shelving, I would suggest two possibilities:

• Make or buy curtains to go across your shelving. Keep them open when you’re working and closed when you need to visually clean up.
• Spend the money to buy attractive containers that you’re okay with being on display (glass jars, brightly colored aluminum buckets, etc.) rather than the ugly stuff (plastic milk crates, sterilite drawers, etc.)

You know the old saying, “use it or lose it?” Having everything out in the open allows me to use it. I know what I have and I use it all!

3. Make it easy to put away.

In my opinion, this is the number one reason that most organizational systems fail. It’s easy enough to get up the energy to organize your stuff. I mean, most of us want to be organized. But, it’s the “clean up” that kills many systems. If it’s hard or annoying to put stuff away, you’ll never do it. It’s like joining a gym that’s a sixty-minute drive. You’ll never go, best intentions aside. You have to make it easy to put things away. For me, this means several things:


• Everything has a place. And, a place for everything.
• Every storage container or space is clearly labeled.
• I group like items into general bins or file folders (ex. a drawer of blue stuff).
• I have no “fussy” storage (i.e. storage where things have to be put “just so” in order to fit.)
• All my most used stuff is close at hand. I don’t have to get up to get it out or put it away.
• I reserve the high shelves (i.e. the ones I need a ladder or a husband to reach) for stuff I don’t use very often.
• I keep my most used supplies in a drawer at my desk separate from other like items. Example: I keep a favorite black ink pad, small acrylic block, and tiny alpha stamps in this drawer. My other ink pads, acrylic blocks, and stamps are kept elsewhere in the room. But since I use the black ink pad, small acrylic block, and tiny alpha stamps on a ton of stuff, it makes sense to keep them close at hand. And since I don’t have room right next to my desk for the rest of the ink pads, acrylic blocks, and stamps, it makes sense to separate them out.

I cannot emphasize enough that everyone’s organizational needs and habits are different. But, these are three general rules that I believe will help anyone organize their stash, use their stash, and keep their stash organized.

Happy labeling!

June 6, 2007

Librarian’s Guide to Organizing Scrapbook Paper

Reported By Michelle Laycock

Yeah, I know. You glanced at this headline and decided to skip this article. HEY! Don’t stop reading here! This article will not make you feel guilty about the state of your craft area!

If you are like most crafters, clutter can run rampant in your household. From fancy yarn remnants left over from that knitted purse you made three years ago, to scrapbook paper cut down to a 3 inch by 2 inch piece, you could be drowning in craft clutter that stifles your creative productivity. Allow me to offer a more detailed overall analysis of my personal clutter management system with regards to paper remnants. After all, I have lots of experience organizing things – I’m a trained Librarian.

Organizing your paper remnants starts with altering your mindset. Think like a Librarian. You must decide what remnants will be worthwhile to save and eliminate the rest. As painful as it may be, sometimes it is necessary to throw away that itty bitty 1 inch by 1 inch piece of gorgeous designer Basic Gray scrapbook paper piece even though temptation is there to covet it for all eternity.

Acquisition
Librarians have an acquisition plan for making intelligent purchases. Make a list of upcoming scrapbooking and stamping projects you need to complete. Access your current collection. If you need a supply, buy it. BUT… stick to your plan. If you see some absolutely jaw-dropping scrapbook paper that is out of this world, make sure you check your project supply list. If scrapbook paper is not on your list, don’t buy it – no matter how tempted you may be. Clutter costs you money to hold on to and get rid of. If you end up not using the paper at all, how much time will it take you to resell it? How much money will you lose in the process?

Cataloging
Adding new items to your current collection of scrapbooking supplies is similar to cataloging library materials. If you don’t label or file the items properly you will forget you have them and then they are of no use.

To maximize efficiency in storing paper, you should have 4 paper organizing methods in place:

1. Full or nearly full packages of paper – this is brand new packages or single full sheets - filed by color

2. Cut paper that happens to be of the same size – like when participating in a swap and you need to cut lots of one size, you have lots of paper the same size left over – filed by color

3. Cut paper of miscellaneous different sizes – filed by color

4. Small remnants – Filed by color tone (Yellows, Blues, Greens, etc.) along with punched out pieces in cello bag.

For file Numbers 1, 2 and 3, each color will have 3 hanging files – one for each. The Number 4 files will be less numerous – one for each tone: yellows, blues, greens, etc. Make sure to label each of these files properly with the color name so that the contents can be retrieved when needed. Any piece of paper smaller than 1 inch by 1 inch should be discarded. Be ruthless!

When you take and use new sheets of paper from your Number 1 file, return it to either file Number 2 or Number 3, depending on how it was used. When you need a smaller piece, first look in your Number 3 folder or Number 2 folder before cutting up a full piece from your Number 1 folder. When you only have a remnant piece left, put it in your Number 4 folder. As you have time watching television or if your children need something to keep them busy, take out one of your Number 4 files and choose a punch. Punch out elements from the remnants in the Number 4 file and throw the scrap away. Place the punched elements in cello bags by color and place in your number 4 file. With this process in place, you will know exactly when you need to reorder a certain color by glancing at the files. You will also prevent the tendency to cut up a new full piece of paper when you had, but could not locate, a remnant that would have done the job.

While this may seem like a nit-picky way of organizing your scrapping paper remnants, it has actually worked wonders for me and saved me time and money.

To further streamline the flow of paper across your creative desk, place a basket on your workspace labeled “To be filed”. When you are in the middle of a project and you have cut a piece of paper to size, place the paper remnant in this basket. At the end of your creative experience, take the paper in your basket and file the remnants in file Numbers 2, 3 and 4 accordingly.

Patterned scrapbook papers can be organized with the same system except that the name and/or manufacturer’s name should be on the label instead of a color name.

Weeding
When it comes to scrapbook papers, raise your hand if you are a hoarder! If you raised your hand, you are certainly not alone. There comes a time, however, that the paper in your collection goes out of style or your preferences change. Why hang on to paper just because you purchased it?

Sometimes you just need to refresh your paper collection by weeding out the old. If you haven’t used it since you made your niece’s birthday scrapbook five years ago, it is time to let it go. Holding onto the non-useful will prevent you from enjoying the new and useful. Join a scrapbook paper swap group, take it to a crop and share it with others. Whatever you do, don’t let paper accumulate. Scrapbook papers are like rabbits. They reproduce at alarming rates! Clamp down on your paper hoarding and you will have a more enjoyable paper crafting lifestyle.

June 5, 2007

Organization 101

Reported By Colleen Schaan

We all have our own space in which we create...whether it be a cavernous room filled with cupboards, drawers, and counter space or a corner closet closed off with a curtain. Crafters tend to make their space as comfortable and inviting as possible. We also like it to reflect our own personal style and taste. For many crafters, organization is the key to creative success. Today, I will bring you into my world and share with you my journey to a kicken’ craft room and some of my favorite tips for organization.

Tip - Always plan out your necessary workspace wisely. If you are thinking of moving into a new space, take a day or two to observe the lighting and temperature during different times of the day. Look at available electrical outlets and logical traffic flow. (If you have ever built a new home, it is just like planning out a kitchen!) Make a list of necessary work zones and decide where each zone will work best in the available space. Think about how you typically work and what areas would work well together.

Possible zones might include
* main crafting station (chair and table)
* main supply zone (inks, writing tools, scissors, embellishments...)
* paper zone
* cutting/tool zone (paper cutters, embossing machines, binders...)
* stamp zone (ummm...stamps of course!)
* library/idea zone

Let’s talk about my zones and how I have them organized.

Cutting/Cropping Station
My cutting station is a 2 1/2 x 8 foot hard plastic table. I have my rotary paper cutter, my Rubicoil, my Big Shot, and my cropper cutters on the table and ready to use. I notice that I use my tools more if I can see them and I don’t have to dig around for them. I also have a small CD player on the table for setting just the right mood.

Main Crafting Station and Supply Zone
This is what I call creative central. My desk, a tall rolling chair, and my supply storage. I like to keep my desk as clean as possible and free from clutter. I also like to have a well-lit work zone, so I have a large, clip-on light attached to the desk.
On the top of my supply storage I have the items that are most often used. I have three pencil holders (one with scissors, one with blender pens and aqua pens, and one with pencils and pens), my small drawer cabinet (top drawer holds acrylic blocks, second holds adhesive, third holds pop dots and double sided foam, and forth holds stamped images and paper embellishments), my Stampin’ Up! markers, my classic inks and refills (yes, each of my stamp pads are numbered...they are filed by color family and alphabetically), and my acrylic paints and glitter glues. These items are not “loose” and look fine out in the open because they are neat and tidy.


Under this table top supply area I have two plastic carts and a hanger with my wheels. I know...the carts don’t match and it drives me bonkers!!!! Let’s start with the cart on the left. Keep in mind that I use most of these items each time I stamp. The top drawer is buttons, brads, eyelets, pearl ex, and embossing powders. I like to have things that have “like” containers in the same area. This is a thinner drawer and the perfect place for these items...as long as I don’t get any more...this drawer is full. The second drawer is full of my other inks (I really need to get another caddy, but not all my ink pads would fit because they are different sizes. I have all of my Craft ink spots here along with some spectrum pads, my StayzOn, two VersaMarks, three Tim Holtz distressing inks, and some chalk inks too. My third drawer is full of my favorite stuff...coloring supplies! I have my chalks, my SU watercolor pencils and crayons, my Prismacolor pencils and all the tools necessary to apply, sponge, blend, and highlight. The last drawer in this cart is full of tools. I have my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, wheel guide, Coluzzel, and tool kit here.

The second cart is full of the “embellishment” kind of stuff. There are only three drawers on this cart, but they are much deeper. The top drawer is full of embellishments. I have my flowers, hardware, coasters, chipboard, rub-ons, stickers, anything and everything that didn’t fit elsewhere! The last two drawers are full of ribbon. I had my ribbon on the top of the table, but it was a pain in the pattoti to use. I actually left it in the SU ribbon holders but I modified them a bit by cutting off the lower lip. This way the ribbon moves freely in the holder when I grab an end. I like having my ribbon in the holders and not just thrown in the drawer because it keeps all my rolls neat and tidy (see a pattern here?) The other ribbon drawer if full of bottles from an old spice rack filled with my favorite ribbons. The other part is where I throw my “scraps” when I have enough to use again. This systems seems to be working...as long as I stay out of the craft stores. I am thinking I will soon need another cart for my new supplies.

Paper Storage
I have two spots for papers; one for cardstock and one for patterned paper. I have a short, wide (sounds like me) filing cabinet that makes up my “paper area”. The top of the filing cabinet holds two plastic 12x12 paper storage files.
Each wide file comes with four individual narrower files and about six dividers. I took the narrow files out and use each file separately. I have the two wide files on the outsides as bookends for the thinner files. The first wide file contains all four color families of 12x12 cardstock from SU. Each narrow file is full of a different style or manufacturer of patterned paper. (For example, I have one for Daisy D’s papers, one for K&Company, one for Basic Grey...). I have the other wide file full of scraps. As my love of patterned paper grows, I will need to purchase more of these files...and some sturdy book-ends.

The bulk of my paper is stored inside the file cabinet. I have a hanging file folder for each color. Each color is labeled and placed into the file cabinet alphabetically by color family. (I use primarily SU cardstock.)

I love that I can open one drawer and have all of my cardstock available to me. I can also quickly see what I am running low on...always a plus. Now, storing my scraps used to be an issue. I tried the basket of scraps, bags of scraps, piles of scraps...nothing worked. (I actually got so frustrated at one point that I threw away all of my scraps!!! GASP - the waste!) Eventually I found a better way to store them. I cut down a manilla file folder and stapled one side of it to the inside, back cover of my hanging file.
This way, when the file is hanging, I have the full sheets of cardstock in front and a neat place for scraps in the back. Now...the first place I look is the back of each hanging file for scraps and guess what...I am using them!

Library and Stamp Storage
I have two tall (6 or 7 foot) bookcases that make up this zone. My library is pretty small right now. I have two shelves that house binders full of tips and techniques, layouts and sketches, favorite examples, and stamp images. (I will get to my stamp image binder later.) I also have catalogs from various stamp companies and a number of stamping, papercrafting, and scrapbooking magazines filed here.

Now, onto my stamp collection. I have 164 stamp sets from Stampin’Up!, 25 CD cases full of unmounted or acrylic stamps, and a large number of loose mounted stamps. So how do I organize them all? Simple...by number.

Let’s start with the SU sets. They come in a nice clamshell container. I stand them up on their side and label them with the name of the stamp set and a number. I don’t have any fancy numbering system. The first set I got was number 1, the second set was number 2 and so on. I can easily read the name of the stamp set and pull it out when I need it. Having the number also allows me to replace it properly when I am done. I store my stamps standing on the side and not stacked on top of each other. I know it takes up a bit more space, but it is easier to pull a set and put it back without having to remove other sets.

Next onto my loose mounted stamps. I have a number of them and I don’t like storing them individually. I just don’t like loose ends, so I put them together in my own “sets” and store them in the clamshell cases that I get from SU. I usually purchase the large or extra large ones so I can fit a number of stamps in them. I try to put sets together from the same manufacturer. For example, all of my Eat Cake stamps are loose, wood mounted. At the moment, I can fit all of them into one clamshell case. I just give the “set” a generic name and give it the next number in the sequence. (I will often write the name of the image right on the stamp itself or on a sheet of paper included in the case.) I need to purchase more cases as you can see...I have a large number of loose sets again.

While many of my sets are mounted, I am finding that unmounted or acrylic sets are pretty cool too. Some of my unmounted sets are the rubber image only (in which case I use a thin layer of Aileen’s Tack It on the back) and some are the rubber attached to foam with a “cling” layer. Either way, I can quickly and easily pick an image and attach it to an acrylic block to use just like my acrylic stamps. Storing unmounted stamps is just as simple and really saves room. I store all of my unmounted sets in empty CD cases. I remove the CD “insert” and place the stamps on the sides of the case. My acrylic sets and the sets with no foam will fit on both sides of the case. Most often, I can store two full sets in just one CD case. The sets with the foam backing are too thick and can only be stored on one side of the case. With my acrylic stamps, I always have stamps stored on both sides of the case and it can be hard to see what the stamps are, so I place a sheet of white paper inside so I can see each side separately. One thing to note, your acrylic stamps WILL get stained...that is okay. It drove me nutters at first, but now I like it because I can easily see the stamps. (There is nothing like dropping a clear stamp and searching around on the floor for it before the puppy gets it!) Like my mounted stamps, I store the CD cases on their side and label them with the name of the set and a number. I started over with #1 again for my CD cases.

So, why do I number my sets and how do I know what stamps I have? What if I am looking for a specific stamp and I don’t know where it is??? How do I find it??? Easily. The name and numbers on the sides of the cases correspond with a name and number in a book. Remember my stamped images book in my library?
Every time I get a new stamp, I ink it up and stamp it in my book. If it is a set, I stamp all of the images from the set together. If it is a loose mounted stamp, I find a “miscellaneous” case with room and add it to that set. If there is no room, I start a new case. (Any stamps that are stored together are stamped together - get it?) At the top of the page, I have a place to write the name of the set and a place for a number. The name is easy...and if there is more than one stamp or set together, I write them both. The number is just the next in line. For example, if I stopped with #140 and I get a new set, this set will be #141. If the set is in a CD case and my last one was #13, I just write CD #14. This way I have a record of all of the images I have and a quick way to find them. (I always make sure my stamps are put back in numerical order.) Does any of this make sense???

Okay, so there it is...my whole craft room in all of its glory! The cutting station, the work and supply zone, the paper storage, and the stamp collection. I know that I am more organized than some and not as much as others. My goal was to share with you my system and maybe give you some new ideas...I hope I was successful.