If you are like me ....if you have an unquenchable need to window shop and eventually buy crafty things.... you likely have a growing pile of new supplies just waiting for your next hour of free time.
I sat down to my craft table at 8:00am on New Years day (1/1/15) to clean up my crafty corner and put things away. My desk was piled high with half finished projects, scraps of card stock, sprinkles of glitter, tangled bakers' twine, and LOADS of products that I had purchased but had not yet used...
I wanted to start the new year fresh and organized. HA! *giggles* And, most importantly, I wanted to get a head start on one of my new year resolutions: actually USE the precious crafty items that I had purchased or received as gifts.
Step 1: clear disposable items, wipe up glitter flakes and take out trash. I don't know why I wait so long to get rid of the release paper from double sided foam tape and adhesive sheets. Oh and scraps of card stock.... how small does a scrap need to be before I feel ok with putting it in the trash?
Step 2: Sort like items, and put away. If there is no place for them - make an new box! (I made a few open boxes, with ribbon pulls to store most of the adhesives, Embossing powders, glitters, foam dimensionals, etc...) This took about 2 hours... I'm not sure why.
Step 3: The 1st half finished project found.... Panic sets in.... I stare at it for a full 60 seconds and try to decide if I should finish it now, or put it away for later. It wouldn't take much to finish... but it would side track me from my main task....clean & organize. On the other hand, if I put it away, who knows when I will finish it... Decision Made. I finished it.
Step 4: After finishing project, take pictures and post to Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest.... an hour later, I continue cleaning stuff up.
Step 5: Reach into my "New Product Box" to try to organize things. This is where I put all of my new products when I bring them home from the store...or receive them in the mail. When I have some free time, the goal is to sort the new products into my various organization systems. For example, clear mount/cling mount stamps are put into a
stamp cases, labeled and put on my shelf. I don't buy wood mount stamps. Embossing folders are sorted by style and put in one of my snazzy
embossing folder organizers. Dies are removed from packaging and placed in one of the 4
magnetic die storage cases... (it might be time for a new die storage system...Suggestions are appreciated! I'm looking for a portable option!) Ribbons and twine are put in a shoe box, copic refills are put in the
refill box, stamp pads and refills are put in the
color caddy, 8.5 x 11in card stock is sorted by the rainbow and put in the
magazine boxes. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the 12 x 12 card stock...
Step 6: Find an awesome sentiment on a
new stamp set from Technique Tuesday that would finish off one of my other half finished projects.... 20 min later, project is finished, pictures are taken and posted to Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest....
Step 7: Decided I wanted to die cut a bunch of frogs from my new
Hoppy the Frog die from Elizabeth Craft Designs so that I have them when I want to assemble a quick card.... Assembled 6, and then decided to actually make a few cards with them.... might as well. :) And hey, lets use a few of the other dies in the New Product Box too! I used the
Lorna Label and
Agatha Edges from Elizabeth Craft Designs and the
Happy Birthday Stamp & Dies from Simon Says Stamp.... and of course, my favorite Stampin Up card stock... and of course, pictures are taken and posted to Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest....
Step 7: get interrupted by a hungry husband.... it's dinner time, it's also almost 8:00pm.... time files when you're having fun!
