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How much time do you spend sorting and organizing this stuff rather than time using it?
I need to have a system so I can easily find things , but I feel I am spending too much time and money organizing it all.
This is no hobby for a compulsive organizer,
Sheesh
I have spent more time in the last few months unmounting and organizing my stamps than creating anything. I'm not a compulsive organizer, but I like my area to be neat so that when I'm in the mood, I can grab what I want quickly.
Every now and again I sort through, purge,mostly scraps, and organize. I did this recently when I bought a bunch of Jetmax cubes,$15 esch, from AC Moore. I'll probably be doing it again when I convert the guest room to my craft room later this summer.
I have found that once I got the cubes, and everything has it's place, it's much easier to create....and I use a lot more of the things that were hidden away. I have a small box that I store my patterned paper in. I cut it into 6X6 squares and store it on edge. Just the other day I went through and put everything together. I find that when I pull sheets out, I tend to stuff everything back in the front of the box instead of putting it back with it's group. Because I had it out organizing it, I found some patterns that I forgot I had and decided to use them in cards.
I too unmounted my stamps recently and have reorged them. which, once again I came across something I hadn't used in awhile and inked them up again. It's like a never ending treasure hunt.
everything having it's place makes it so much easier for quick access.
I am a complusive organizer but everything has it's place (my cardstock scraps are sorted by color, don't laugh !) but for me it makes me more productive and less wasteful. But I do love to organize my stuff at least every 6 mos but everything is put away everytime I am done. A label maker is my friend!!!
__________________ Samantha Crafty Chick's Corner Store Blog
How much time do you spend sorting and organizing this stuff rather than time using it?
I need to have a system so I can easily find things , but I feel I am spending too much time and money organizing it all.
This is no hobby for a compulsive organizer,
Sheesh
Tell me about it!:oops: When my daughter and her family moved in with us, we made my craft space into our bedroom/living/craft space. Thinking this situation only temporary, didn't do much but put a bed and love seat in it. Now, 9 months later, the kids are still here and I got fed up with the way things were set up so I am in the middle of re-organizing and purging. Going on day 4 with 1 to 2 days more as my job gets in the way.
I use 21 of the Jetmax cubes for storage! They are AWESOME!!! I just added to the ones I already owned but im loving having everything with labels, and everything has a spot in my craft room now. LOVE IT!!! Willl be adding pictures in a week or so to my blog HERE! The pictures that I have already are old!
I dont have to spend time doing anything but crafting!! Good luck to you
Hugs,
Cheryl
I don't have 1/10th of what most of you have and I still must spend a lot of time organizing.
Last night I spent 3 hours and all I did was organize stuff.
I got 2 new Nestie sets so I had to cut magnetic pieces and tape them to DVD cases, use UnDu to get the adhesive off the dies and make labels.
I also got 2 new JustRite sets, I keep those sets together in DVD cases, I copy the illustrations of the set from the JustRite site and tape it on the front of the cases. Then I realized I have several JustRite sets so I need to start an inventory sheet to keep track of them. I copied the price sheet from the JustRite set and checked off those I have.
I bought a new package of SU paper a couple of weeks ago and had not made a divider with a label for it to put in the filing case
3 hours later all I had accomplished is organizing.
I know I am a compulsive organizer , but I get too frustrated if I have to rummage around to find things . My spices are alphabetized in my kitchen drawer
Barbara, I find that even after all these years that still happens to me if i go on a shopping splurge... but, in the long run it pays off. because sooner or later you will slow down on the tool accumulation or what ever and putting away one new toy is much easier quicker to get to the make something fun part.
and the truth is i like to sort things, so sometimes when i want to do "something" but don't really need anything ( like a specific card ) i will go sort and purge and clean.
I think that's a fairly "normal" thing for paper crafters, after all why would anyone invest this time and money into something that they didnt love to play with the goodies?
Y E A R S!!!! Last spring I redid my craft area and I have not once had to reorganize! I bought all new furniture and Jet Max cubes. I love it!! Finally, it works for me but it took Y E A R S to get to that point!
I love to organize! I have to have everything in it's place before I can be creative.
This is probably the reason I have not stamped in a couple of years. The hubby and I were sharing the extra bedroom for our hobbies and he is not as organized am me. So every time I went to stamp, I just got discouraged at the clutter and would walk right out.
Last fall we built an outside shed for his stuff and I have the whole room to myself!! I am in the process of remodeling the room and I am so excited!!
I also love to organize. Maybe not compulsively, but I do enjoy the results (neat, clean, organized, easily accessible, etc).
When my creative mojo is missing, I clean and reorganize. Inevitably, I find something cool that sparks an idea and I'm off to the races, so to speak.
I can lay my hands on just about anything in my room in less than a minute. More like 30 seconds. That helps me to use a lot more of what I have then if I had to spend 10 minutes finding something.
I use storage boxes (labelled, of course) in cabinets and Jetmax cubes. Which reminds me.... I need more tape for my label maker
I have only been doing this for less than a year. Some one said after I have a an organizing system for everything that works it will take less time to put away new purchases.
Some years ago one of my kids asked what I wanted for my Birthday. I said a Brother P Touch labeler and she said , " knowing you and your labeling everything I should have thought of that "LOL
I am a complusive organizer but everything has it's place (my cardstock scraps are sorted by color, don't laugh !) but for me it makes me more productive and less wasteful. But I do love to organize my stuff at least every 6 mos but everything is put away everytime I am done. A label maker is my friend!!!
I'm not laughing, I'm right there with you on the sorting cardstock scraps. Did it a few weeks ago and it is awesome! I am not a compulsive organizer, as evidenced by the chaos I've been crafting in the past few months. But my mom gifted me a tower of drawers and the cardstock scraps are finally getting used.
My card stock is organized by color and each packet is in a 2 gallon Glad bag. The scraps for that color go back in the bag so they are not wasted .
I bought a rolling file cart from Office Max that has a pull up handle to store the paper and their dividers. The cart is the type that sales reps keep in their cars. It holds any size paper including 12" x 12" . I bought 12" x 12" chip board to make the dividers and taped a scrap of the paper as a stand up label. This way I can see the colors .
I make my cards at my dinette table. The handle makes it easy to roll the cart out of the closet when I need it
It will hold a lot of paper .
I couldn't find it on the Office Max site but here is a link to it. Mine has a lid
I love to be organised and I find that creating is easier, quicker and more enjoyable if I can find everything.
I think the most important thing to do when trying to find an organisational system is work out how you work. Do you choose by colour or by type of item? Eg. Do you look for red and take whatever works? Or do you think, " I need a flower" and look in the flowers to find one that works?
Then, are you a filer or a rummager. Do you like to flip through the catalogue or dig through the clearance basket?
I work by colour and I like flipping through things, so I've got everything sorted by colour in suspension files - CS, PP, scraps, even stickers, packs of paper flowers and rub ons that are colour themed. If it is flat, it is hanging.
Small items are in a fishing tackle box which has smaller removable tray/boxes. The top and one of the internal boxes are generic tools, another two have neutral embelisments (white, clear, black, metalics). The remaining tray has colour grouped embelishments. I have extra boxes for different colour groups so I can swap the trays in and out as I need if I'm going somewhere.
__________________ There is no such thing as lack of sleep, only caffeine deficiency.
How much time do you spend sorting and organizing this stuff rather than time using it?
I need to have a system so I can easily find things , but I feel I am spending too much time and money organizing it all.
This is no hobby for a compulsive organizer,
Sheesh
I would say 95% of my time is organizing or searching for better ways to organize. Unfortunately I am compulsive about organization. I also have to have everything in its place and clean before I can sit down and create. When I'm done and want to make something else. I have to clean it all up, but it all away and start over with a clean slate.
__________________ Penny ~ Scrappin' Moments Blog Goals ~ Jan 2011 Double-Layouts 5/4 ~ Blog Posts 1/2 ~ Quilts 1/1 ~ 60/60 Shower Invites
I would say 95% of my time is organizing or searching for better ways to organize. Unfortunately I am compulsive about organization. I also have to have everything in its place and clean before I can sit down and create. When I'm done and want to make something else. I have to clean it all up, but it all away and start over with a clean slate.
I have to put everything away when I finish a project because I work in my dinning room. If I am doing two cards at the same time I do leave the supplies out
It sound like more work but really it is not because I never have a scrap room to clean.
If I have a project that I can't finish in one go I put the card and the supplies in a project box and put everything else away such as paper cutter, score board, adhesives, etc.
If I would need to spend 95 % of my time organizing I would give up this hobby. I bought this stuff to use!
In the past I stored everything by color but in separate areas (brads in one area, buttons another, etc.). I recently switched to storing everything by color in one area and I love it!!!
I now store all the "pieces" in a 12 x 12 Iris project box - one for ech color including gold, silver, black, and white. I put all the small items (brads, button, clips, etc.) in divider boxes tht fit inside the 12 x12 box.
The project box also holds the applicable colored embossing powder, acrylic paint, 1/2 & 1/4 sheets of paper, and anything else for the color. I was hesitant to do this, but now I'm neater and don't feel the need to reorg.
I didn't store my glitters, mica powders, ribbon or flowers in the project box. I like the system I have and didnt want to change.
My room was a mess and what would have taken me about 4 hours took 1/2 the time because I wasn't stopping to reorg as I cleaned. I'd rather stamp than clean so anything that cuts down on cleanind is great.
Chuckle...I have spent hours and hours reorganising my stuff for the new SU catalog and what I realised yesterday is that all weekend and all last week I spent hours doing this...and I didnt make a single card...yikes...mind you, I do like looking at all the pretty papers...I could spend hours just doing that LOL :-)
I'm not an organized person, but if my stamp room is a mess, I can't create. I've spent the last 3 days re-organizing. One thing I'm trying this time around, is to get rid of my big (3' x 5') oval table. I have a desk that has a drop down area, that is about 2' x 2'. I'm interested to see, if, I don't have such a large area to spread out, and keep pushing things over here and over there, and just this small work area, that actually needs to be cleaned up between cards, will I be better about picking up after myself?!?! I like to keep my scraps all by color. My debate is just how small of a piece is worth keeping???
Karen you better get using your crafting goodies missy!!! hehehehehe otherwise what you dont use, you can send my way....LOL Im tease'n but it sounded good!!!!LOL
Karen you better get using your crafting goodies missy!!! hehehehehe otherwise what you dont use, you can send my way....LOL Im tease'n but it sounded good!!!!LOL
Hugs!!!
oh, so here you are - over here - LOL
I need to send you a PM -
__________________ Karen - proud owner of 3 cats and a 80 lb, German Shepard Owner of an unorganized scrappy place I CAN ONLY SHIP IN THE USA
I'm not an organized person, but if my stamp room is a mess, I can't create. I've spent the last 3 days re-organizing. One thing I'm trying this time around, is to get rid of my big (3' x 5') oval table. I have a desk that has a drop down area, that is about 2' x 2'. I'm interested to see, if, I don't have such a large area to spread out, and keep pushing things over here and over there, and just this small work area, that actually needs to be cleaned up between cards, will I be better about picking up after myself?!?! I like to keep my scraps all by color. My debate is just how small of a piece is worth keeping???
linda
Actually, it works for me. I have one of those sewing gateleg cutting tables and I use it for making cards. I fold one side up, use it (about 3x3 or a little larger) and then when I'm done it folds up to about 1' deep and 3' wide. That really helps keep the mess under control especially since if you don't put it down, you have to climb over our bed to get into it!
In the past I stored everything by color but in separate areas (brads in one area, buttons another, etc.). I recently switched to storing everything by color in one area and I love it!!!
I now store all the "pieces" in a 12 x 12 Iris project box - one for ech color including gold, silver, black, and white. I put all the small items (brads, button, clips, etc.) in divider boxes tht fit inside the 12 x12 box.
The project box also holds the applicable colored embossing powder, acrylic paint, 1/2 & 1/4 sheets of paper, and anything else for the color. I was hesitant to do this, but now I'm neater and don't feel the need to reorg.
OMG! I think you have nailed it! I, unlike many of the other people who have written here, am horrible at organization. In fact, I hate it. I can't do it. I have Organization Paralysis Syndrome, which means that I am incapable of organizing anything. I am embarrassed to say that I have a whole bedroom with a walk-in closet and lots of built-in cabinets that my husband has made for me which are half-empty. There is cr-p everywhere in my room because I am stymied whenever I even think about where to put stuff! Whenever I need to make a card, I use a 6x6 space on my table or the floor of my room, while I wade around looking for the stuff I want to use. At least, I am using my new stamps, since they are inevitably the only ones I can find.
OK, so things that are the same color go in the same drawer. Got it.
So what do you do with everything else? I got lots of drawer, cabinet and shelf space to fill and catalogs-full of designer paper, tools, multi-colored ribbon, etc. to put someplace. Give me your suggestions, PLEASE!! Oh, noble organizers. Help a stampin sister out.
OMG! I think you have nailed it! I, unlike many of the other people who have written here, am horrible at organization. In fact, I hate it. I can't do it. I have Organization Paralysis Syndrome, which means that I am incapable of organizing anything. I am embarrassed to say that I have a whole bedroom with a walk-in closet and lots of built-in cabinets that my husband has made for me which are half-empty. There is cr-p everywhere in my room because I am stymied whenever I even think about where to put stuff! Whenever I need to make a card, I use a 6x6 space on my table or the floor of my room, while I wade around looking for the stuff I want to use. At least, I am using my new stamps, since they are inevitably the only ones I can find.
OK, so things that are the same color go in the same drawer. Got it.
So what do you do with everything else? I got lots of drawer, cabinet and shelf space to fill and catalogs-full of designer paper, tools, multi-colored ribbon, etc. to put someplace. Give me your suggestions, PLEASE!! Oh, noble organizers. Help a stampin sister out.
You are too funny! Thisis what I do but it may not work for you -
Riboon - ribbon is wrapped on 4x6 cards that are stored in JexMax drawers: black/white; metallic; red' pink/green/orange/brown/yellow; blue/purple. You could leave the ribbon on spools and store in shoe boxes by color but i like the 4x6 cards because everything is the same size. Don't wrap the ribbon too tight or it will have creases in it. Ribbon that is multi-colored, I pick the predominate color or the color I like the best and store it by that color.
DSP - noncurrent-SU DSP is stored in display dynamic shelves (srapbook.com). One color per shelf - each shelf has a clear plastic divider with labels. I put solid color on the botton, a divider, decorative color top (exaple: pink then pink dotted paper; blu thenblue flowered paper, etc.)
DSP - current SU - stored in Jet Max 12x12 drawer by color
I have lots of pictures in my gallery under stamproom redo
OMG! I think you have nailed it! I, unlike many of the other people who have written here, am horrible at organization. In fact, I hate it. I can't do it. I have Organization Paralysis Syndrome, which means that I am incapable of organizing anything. I am embarrassed to say that I have a whole bedroom with a walk-in closet and lots of built-in cabinets that my husband has made for me which are half-empty. There is cr-p everywhere in my room because I am stymied whenever I even think about where to put stuff! Whenever I need to make a card, I use a 6x6 space on my table or the floor of my room, while I wade around looking for the stuff I want to use. At least, I am using my new stamps, since they are inevitably the only ones I can find.
OK, so things that are the same color go in the same drawer. Got it.
So what do you do with everything else? I got lots of drawer, cabinet and shelf space to fill and catalogs-full of designer paper, tools, multi-colored ribbon, etc. to put someplace. Give me your suggestions, PLEASE!! Oh, noble organizers. Help a stampin sister out.
Hi, so I don't know if my tips are going to be helpful, but here goes:
It really sounds to me like you are intimidated by the sheer volume of stuff. So, my first tip would be to make sense of what you have-- find an empty space to create piles of 'like' things. Cuz, you can't find an organization system that works for your needs until you know what you've got, how much you've got, what space you've got to house it and what storage containers/solutions are at your disposal.
Start slowly by going through your room, grabbing items and putting them in the appropriate pile until you've got it all in sorted piles (I suggest using post-it notes to label the pile is if it isn't obvious). Start with a general pile of like items and then seperate it into smaller more specific piles. Ex. pile of paper to 6x6, 12x12 , 8.5x11, pattern, solid, specialty or company/manufacturer (if you like).
Once you have all your like items in piles, you will get a visual and ideas will flow.
Since you already have cabinets and shelving, half the hard part is done-- that is, finding a home for the stuff you have. The next step is to figure out what supplies you want closest to your work surface- items you grab most often: like adhesive, scissors, bone folder, stylus, tweezer, piercer, etc..
Do you have a lot of desktop surface? Then you can keep a carousel type organizer or container filled with small oft-used tools right on your work surface. If you don't have extra desktop surface, then you might want to consider a storage unit right under or right next to your work surface, or maybe a pegboard or magnetic board system above or near your desktop.
Then you want to figure out what space is left for the items you use less often. The next steps will depend on what space and cabinet/shelf/wall area is left over after you put away the most used stuff and what containers you have to store. Storing things vertically gives you more bang for your buck spacewise.
At that point, I'd start considering what other people do to organize their items and based on the volume you've got and the space you are working with, you can figure out what you like and what'll work.
For ex: people generally tend to store Punches either on curtain rods or shallow shelves on walls, or in drawers. Do you have too many punches for a drawer? Are your drawers sturdy enough? Do you have enough wall space for rods? Do you like seeing them?
Also, start gathering/looking at any containers you have around your home and see if they might work for the items you have. Audition things until you find the right fit and use. For example-- I found long jars for canned fruit to be the perfect size for jell pens, ribbon scraps and flowers. A CD orgnizer was perfect for my CB folders. If you have cabinets with shelves and you want easy access to items in the back, consider putting your items in trays on the shelves.
You are already a creative person... so just let the ideas flow. Stare at the piles and then the storage containers, shelves etc. and try different things out until you find what works for you.
My storage solutions may not work, but this is what I do: I store most of my embellishments in plastic sorting boxes like you'd find in the Jewlery Isle in Michaels (one for rhinestones, one for metal embellishments, one for eyelets/brads etc.. I wrap ribbon around plastic floss cards and store them in an embroidery box (then use the ribbon iron as needed). I store my 8"x11" paper in hanging file folders in a file crate and put a sample of the paper as the file tab (I've seen others do that on here also). I store my 12" x 12" paper packs in a children's armoire on a shelf, and single sheets in an accordian style scrapbook paper tote (but admittedly I don't have as much paper as some do). I keep updating my system based on the volume of supplies/preferences, which I find change over time. I clearly don't cringe about orgnaization ;)
Good luck, and remember to take a breather every so often. In fact, a glass of wine might be just the thing. We crafters tend to have tons of supplies-- and if they aren't organized, it can overwhelm easily. Just dig in and tame the beast.
Gdoreen tips are great not only for organizing craft supplies for organizing anything.
When I moved I had to pack boxes with what would fit not necessarily with like items. I had to use every nano inch of my moving boxes.
Then when I unpacked, my library for example, I unpack all the books at once and sorted them into topic piles on the floor . Then I put them on the book shelves. I shelve my books by topic
I used this system for everything from crafts supplies to desk and medicine chest items.
Unpack , pile everything in like item piles and then put it away.
It looks like a huge mess as you are doing it , but it is really an efficient way to do it.
Gdoreen tips are great not only for organizing craft supplies for organizing anything.
When I moved I had to pack boxes with what would fit not necessarily with like items. I had to use every nano inch of my moving boxes.
Then when I unpacked, my library for example, I unpack all the books at once and sorted them into topic piles on the floor . Then I put them on the book shelves. I shelve my books by topic
I used this system for everything from crafts supplies to desk and medicine chest items.
Unpack , pile everything in like item piles and then put it away.
It looks like a huge mess as you are doing it , but it is really an efficient way to do it.
Sorting & organizing
