I finally moved a work table into my "studio" so I can quit crafting at the dining room table and leaving my mess out for days at a time. With my a work table in my studio, I have just enough space to walk around on all 4 sides. One wall includes a closet and an ironing board up all the time (for quilting and sewing), one wall includes a 5' tall shallow bookcase filled with my skeins of yarn and same wall has cabinet sewing machine, 3rd wall has chest of drawers full to tops with paper, inks, cd's, etc.
Now to the question. How do most of you scrappers store your supplies? Do you sort your papers by colors, and how do you save your scraps. Right now my stuff is all stacked together, stamps in two clear shoesboxes, inks in another shoebox, scissors and cropadile in basket, beads in plastic boxes by color, files with stickers and embellishments...... I could keep going on and on.
I forget what I have, is the problem. Short of dragging everything out of the drawers and closets and going through every time (which takes a LOT of time) do you all have a file, computer or other, where you list your supplies, or some better system than I have? I really have no remaining space to add cabinets, etc. Perhaps a couple of shelves. I also don't want to invest in a lot of expensive totes, etc.
I have an old three ring binder that I use to catalog all the stamp sets that I have. I either cut a page out of the magazine I ordered them from that has a picture of them on it or copy the stamp sets with a copy machine or actually stamp them on a page. I personally organize those in groups such as family, fun, winter holidays. Do what makes most sense to your style. Also in that book I do the same with marker and ink colors, etc. I also keep ideas for pages in this binder. It helps me to know what I have. As for paper I usually put the plain colored papers together by colors and the specialty papers and my stickers I like to organize by groups such as holidays, summer, etc. This is some of what works for me Happy scrapping!!!
I do know how you feel about the small space to scrap in OUCH... Card-stock by color/purple, plum, lavender all together, same with the reds, greens, yellows, blues, browns, tans, oranges, etc., etc. Pattern paper by the season if you can. Scraps the same way maybe put into 8.5"x11" sleeves and store in a basket or box. The pattern paper I also have a sleeve for miscellaneous colors/plaids, stripes. Stamps and ink, embossing powder in a plastic box/or drawer until you can get something else. Embellishments are a must and can be a pain to store. If you have the wall space buy some plastic storage containers from Lowe's (eBay may have them?) make sure they have the holes in back for mounting on a wall put those up and it will help free up your work space. If you have the room put up some peg board you will be surprised how little it will take of the peg board to be able to hang up your stickers and other items. If you can't do this file the stickers in the 8.5"x11" sleeves by what type they are: beach, pool, water/family or how-ever you need to sort them. If at all possible try and put in a couple of shelves to help you set items everything you can get up off the floor or table will give you a bit more space there for other items. I sure hope this helps you a little bit. Take care, Bonnie
62tracy and Bonnie! Thank you so very much. Those are great ideas!!! I actually saw tracy's post a couple of days ago and couldn't find a notebook fast enough, I have several so it was not a problem. I not only am in the process of catagorizing stamps by impression and ink pad colors, but have added a section for my fabrics, which are all folded and in an old steamer trunk, along with cross stitch fabric and patterns. I'm going to snip small pieces of fabric and glue onto pages, that will also help me when I'm fabric shopping to remember complimentary patterns for sewing.
And for whatever reason I'm partial to glass jars, just plain ole, pickle, olive, etc jars from the grocery items. I like them better than plastic tubs to store leftovers in the frij so I can see what's there. So, now some of my embellishments, ribbons and yarn tails are in jars where I can see them fast.
And Bonnie, the 8.5 X 11 sleeves are a good idea, again I've got plenty of spare notebooks. Do you mean the page protector sleeves like you get at an office supplyl store??? Or is something I need to look for at Michaels?
I certainly appreciate your input. I could rack my sleepy brain for many days and not come up with these great ideas.
I just joined this neighborhood and came across your dilema of sorts... I was in a similar situation not to long ago and found my new best friend. My label maker. It sounds odd but I had everything packed nice and orderly in my clear shoeboxes but still found myself unable to find what I was looking for with out making a huge mess first. What I did was put a little label on the front of the box stating what was in the box. No matter how small the item was I made a label for it. That way I knew what box it was in. Without having to open and unstack all of them. hope this little advice helps. I bought my label maker at michaels with one of there 50% off coupons or maybe it was a 40% off coupon. either way it made it under 15.00 dollars and it has saved my sanity.
Just couldn't resist sharing another little tidbit that helped me. I had a ton...and I do mean a ton... of paper. the only way that I could keep my cardstock straight was to file them. I had one of those little square crates that walmart sells that are stackable and that can fit the hanging file folders. On the front I made a list of all the catagories that my paper fit into and taped it to the front since I had enough paper for three crates. That way they were all separated by color or style and I had a reference list on the front so I knew what was in there without moving the crates.
Thank you kree8 (love your handle!!) I don't have a label maker, but do get those Michaels coupons on-line and in the paper. So I'll have to invest in one. There's always so much at Michaels I can use those coupons for, that's the problem!! And you are correct, no matter what's in the clear shoeboxes I have, there is always so much that being clear doesn't always solve the mystery of what's in them!
Well, I have a 40% off Michaels coupon, so I guess I'm heading there this week for a new label maker.....and Bonnie's idea of the notebooks and plastic sleeves was a great one. I now have all my paper scraps organized in sleeves in two notebooks by color, I have my stickers and embellishments in another notebook with sleeves, by theme, my vellums and acetates in another, my templates in yet another. And I dug out some expandable spring curtain rods I saved (I'm a packrat) and I have a long one in my closet and a shorter one between the front legs of my craft table full of spools of ribbon. I have short pieces of ribbon and yarns in huge glass pickle jars, buttons in clear jars........that's all I can remember right now, but I'm ready to roll. It's taken me two weekends of reorganizing but I can put my hands on just about anything, knowing just where it's at.
Thanks for everyone's suggestion, but don't stop. I'd still love to hear everyone's favorite storage tricks and shortcuts.
My husband got me 6 boxes with tops from the local supermarket (free)tomato packs come in them so your local producer can save them for you. I keep all my paper in them, I got my friends and neighbors to save their coffee cans for me after they were finished with them to store bulky items. I hit the second hand store and found 5 bins to store all my scrapbooking items in them. they were see through so I just keep notebooks and pens, pencils, etc in one. paper and other large cardboard items in another. I sorted little papers and tiny cutouts in inexpensive ziploc bags, they are inside a large file keeper (like the ones for the office to carry around) thus they dont get damaged. since you have used shoe boxes, why dont you go to your local shoe store? they tend to throw out a lot of empty shoe boxes and you can ask for them in advance. cut out a picture that resembles the items you are storing inside and glue it to the side facing you and just put it back on your bookcase, if you want them to look nice wrap them up with giftwrapping paper (it's always on sale). again try the second hand stores or go bargain shopping if necessary but most items can be free if you just ask for them. someone else's trash is your treasure!
I just today went out and got a plastic milk crat,hanging type folders and four dark brown legal style expanding file holders with pockets, I divded my stickers and embelishments in groups like baby boy, girl, one for each season, flowers ,bugs ect... then i wrote on the file what went in it and put them alphabetically, about four to five will fit in each big brown legal type ones. when you need certian stickers just need to pull out individual file from the bigger ones, you won't need to look through everything just what you working on.
There's a new magazine out called STUDIOS put out by Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine that has some wonderful ideas. It encompasses many artistic pursuits and how artists store their items. I found it especially helpful.
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