Organize Your Stuff Challenge - Week 28

Another Monday, another Challenge! This one may or may not apply to you - this week we're going to tackle card storage, both made cards and supplies. Most of our card-making gear is interchangeable with our scrapping stuff, so that's all settled. But there are a few odds and ends - like pre-folded cards - that are their own entity. We're going to get those in order this week, and find a good storage solution for any cards you may have lying around, waiting to be given to someone special (or if it's a nasty card, someone not so special. Don't we all do that?).

First off - card storage. I'm going to combine both pre-folded cards and made cards into the same category here, since their storage options are pretty much identical. If you don't have a large stash, then they might even be able to be stored in the same container, which would be pretty sweet. Some options include:

A clip-it-up type system
Accordion file, by theme
3-ring binder with page protectors
A mini album
A box, bin or basket with divider tabs by theme
A Rolodex-type file

Once you determine your stash size and which method would best suit your card collection, it's time to decide how you want to organize them. For made cards, you can divide by theme (ie, birthday, thanks, get well, etc), by month (Valentines in Feb, etc), or by person (mom, dad, David Duchovny). For pre-folded cards, you can divide by size, color, or style. Figure out which system works best for you and start filing away!

For my cards - I used to use a clip-it-up, but I found it took up too much desktop space for my liking. So I just filed all my cards by theme into the cheap-o photo boxes from Hobby Lobby. The top won't fit because the cards are larger, but that's ok - it sits on my shelf just fine and is easy to flip through when I need to find a card. If I make multiples of the same card to use up scraps, then I file them together in a ziploc bag.

For my card supplies - I know it's beyond easy to fold a card from scrap paper, but I'm addicted to the pre-folded cards in boxes! I have a cabinet devoted to my card making supplies and instead of shelves, I have 2 large bins that pull out. I cut the tops off all the boxes of cards and stacked them in there. All I have to do is grab the color of card I want and the matching envelope, and I'm good to go!

In closing, I want to add my 10 rules for organizing. I'm going to post these at the end of every challenge, because I think that they are very, very important. I want you to keep them in mind as you tackle each of these projects - they will make your life easier and the task less daunting.

1. Label your containers.

2. Be consistent in your methods.

3. Don't be too specific - your search for your items within your space should be short and simple.

4. Your organizational method should be easy to take out AND put away.

5. When organizing, break any large piles into smaller groupings. Have a 2 foot tall stack of paper to sort? Do it in 1" high chunks, it will be easier to handle mentally.

6. If it's something that you use on almost every project, then keep it within reach of your main scrap area.

7. Don't stress your containers. Get a new system or purge your stash.

8. For most items, product packaging adds bulk. Toss it. One exception - rub ons.

9. Repurpose when you can - almost anything can be painted or covered in paper/fabric.

10. THE GOLDEN RULE - FIRST choose an organizational method, THEN choose a container that fits your space and style. Always shop for containers with a list in hand - a beautiful container is simply clutter if it doesn't have a dedicated purpose in your space!

Your cards are all neat and ready to go! Join me next week for our grand finale - we're going to turn your neatly-organized scrap hole into a vision of creative grandeur! Ok, maybe not so much, but you won't feel like tossing your cookies every time you walk in there. See you then!

Stacy

Organize Your Stuff Challenge - Week 27

Happy Monday, scrappers! I know we're all knee-deep in turkey guts and stuffing right now, so this week's Challenge is something you can do anytime - font organization. And depending on the number of fonts you have, it may take quite a while (I know it took me about 4 months, eeek!).

Step One - stop downloading fonts. If you haven't gotten your fix yet, then go get it out of your system. Hit every free font site out there, download until your computer explodes, then proceed to step 2. It will be impossible to organize what you have if you keep adding to the mix.

Step Two - don't install your fonts. If you install every font you have, then your system will bog down. Keep it to the basics that your system needs, and then install/uninstall as you need the others.

Step Three - decide how anal you want to be about your organization. If you only have 50 or so fonts, a font folder is probably enough organization. But if you have into the thousands, then your best bet is to divide up your fonts into families (ie, serif, sans serif, grunge, antique, etc) or go with a font organizing program. There are a lot of free manager programs out there, the most popular being The Font Thing. This program rocks but will not work with Vista - but I've also come across the AMP Font Viewer that's free and Vista compatible, but I can't comment on the ease of use. Regardless of which one you use, now is the time to figure out how you want to organize your fonts, get your folders set up, download and install your free font managers, etc. Start making preparations.

Step Four - start organizing. Unzip any fonts that need it, move all your fonts into one location, make sure all your font files are valid and working. Then start moving them into their new homes.

Once you're done, you can easily see which ones you have using a font manager, or you can print out your fonts and store them in a binder for easy access. Also make a backup of your new system onto a CD - if your system crashes, it will NOT be fun to try to set all that up again!

Your font dilemma has now been solved! Go gorge yourself on pumpkin pie and get Grandpa out of the gravy, and I'll see you next week - we're going to get those cards and card-making supplies tamed!

Stacy

Organize Your Stuff Challenge - Week 26

Helllooooo, scrappers! Can you believe we only have 4 more weeks to go? You all are doing GREAT! This week we're going to tackle 2 completely unrelated topics, but it will be fun and easy. One will deal with the boring, organizing side, and the other will be a little more creative. So you can get your fix and make progress at the same time! What could be better than that? Other than David Duchovny pulling weeds out of your front yard, but that's another post entirely.

A quick update for all of you riding my tail about those negatives - I have not fallen as your leader. I now have 92% of my negatives labeled and filed. The rest will be done this week....I got sidetracked by the Cowboys losing this weekend, let me mourn a little and I'll get back to work.

Ok, let's move on before more distraction sets in.

First topic this week - now that our spaces are lovely, labeled, dust and clutter free - how are you going to keep it that way? If a personal attendant and maid are out of your budget, then my first suggestion is to look around your house and your life. We are constantly bringing things in from the outside - mail, groceries, things from work, things from the kid's school, you name it. Scrapbook supplies are just another thing on this list. Now, if your home looks like it should be on the show "Hoarders," then this exercise may not work for you. But if you DO have some of the areas above under control, what's the system that works for you? Figure that out, and then apply it to your scrapbook supplies! For me, there are 2 things that work. First, I have a designated space for all my papers that enter the house, whether they are things for school or bills. They each go in a certain bin to be filed at a later time, which is in my day planner on a bi-monthly basis. I applied this same system to my scrap supplies - and for me, this is key: the new supplies DO NOT ENTER MY WORKSPACE. Unless I intend on immediately using them on a project that is currently on my desk. Instead, they enter a file system that is located right by the door to my room:



I got this particular one at the Pottery Barn outlet, but you can find them at office supply stores and lots of catalogs - I've seen some nice ones at Ballard Designs. There are 2 units stacked here, and all are labeled (of course). I have spots for paper, magazines/ideas, stamps and embellies, and stickers and die cuts. When I get a package or go to the local scrapbook store, I immediately place my supplies into the proper files. Then, in my day planner, I have "clean scrapbook room" listed for every other Friday. It's no different than doing laundry, or cleaning toilets, or watering the plants. It's a chore that needs to be done, and by making it part of my usual weekly tasks (or bi-monthly in this case), I know that my scrap space will stay clean. It's been almost 2 years now and it WORKS.


Another option I've seen many scrappers do is have a goody basket - a large bin where you put all your new supplies for a while so you can bask in their glory and drool. Set a time limit, maybe a month or so, and use what you want from your new stash. Then recycle the bin - either on a time schedule or whenever you get even newer goodies. Put the now older items in their proper homes and make room for the new stuff. But make sure you do this regularly - you don't want this bin to be a catch-all that starts a new trend of disorganization!


One final tip on keeping the clutter at bay - and I will admit, it's the most boring task in the world but it makes all the difference. If you finish a project, clean it up. Completely - file your scraps, clean your stamps, put away your tools. Have a completely pristine workspace before starting your next task. It will prevent the clutter from snowballing and you hopefully will not have to re-take this challenge. Because - although I do love you - I don't want you back here again.


On to the second part of this week's Challenge - organizing your albums! I'm sure most of us have a hodgepodge of albums going on - mini albums, 12x12 in different styles, 8.5x11 albums from 1991, books, you name it. It can be tough to find a storage solution that accommodates them all. There are really 2 options here - keep them in one place or separate them. If you choose to have them all in one place, it doesn't necessarily need to be your scrap space. The living room would work just as well, a bookshelf in the hall, wherever you'd prefer. But it would be nice to have them in an area where family and friends could access them and appreciate them! Small baskets are another great option for mini books - I know many scrappers who keep baskets around the house and just rotate the books through as they make new ones. Kids love looking through the mini books as well. If you want to break them up - maybe have the newer or incomplete albums in your scrap space, some personal albums like wedding ones in your bedroom, some family albums in the living room - that works just as well. With hodgepodge albums, you can choose the album to fit the space and the decor - anything goes.


If you decide to have all your albums together, you also have the option of creating a unified look. I took this route myself and got rid of a lot of older (mostly postbound) albums that the love just wasn't there anymore. I replaced them with the American Crafts cloth albums for my main albums, and any specialty albums (especially trips) are in the modern line. I love how they take up the same space on the shelf and just look so darned neat together! (Ignore the postbound album on top that is NOT put away, it's a friend's album and doesn't reside in my room!).


Ali Edwards uses this same approach, but in a little more extreme: http://aliedwards.typepad.com/_a_/2008/05/q-a-albums.html - she also shows how to make those cool little circle tabs, they are SUPER easy to make.


Which brings me to the next topic - labeling your albums. There are so many ways to do this, the easiest is using a computer template so whatever new label you need, it's automatically identical to what you already have - no trying to find matchy-matchy supplies from a line 3 years ago. Keeping it simple helps too - not only in saving you time for more important projects, but also in maintaining that unified look.


Some other options:
If you're into Creative Memories, you can have the albums etched or use a spine charm: http://www.ehow.com/video_5226043_customize-scrapbook-album-covers.html
More ideas:
http://www.scrapbook.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/1499669/
http://www.scrapbook.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/1493201/

That's all for this week! So go figure out a good way to handle any future incoming supplies, decide what you want to do with your albums, and get labeling. I'll see you back here next week to tackle fonts - your computer will thank me. :)


Stacy

Organize Your Stuff Challenge - Week 25

Good morning, my scrappy friends! I won't lie to you - this week will bore the pants off of you. BUT - it will finally get one more thing off our "I really should do this, but I HATE doing this, so let me go watch tv instead" list. We're going to tackle our NEGATIVES (hey, come back, there's nothing good on tv right now, really!!!).

Unless you have your negatives all neat and orderly, then shoo. Go watch tv.

For the rest of us who have them shoved in shoeboxes, there are 2 main goals I want you to focus on in sorting your negatives. First - they need to be in some sort of order in case you accidentally mess up every photo you've ever had printed from them and you need to find a replacement fast, you'll be set. And second, they need to be in a safe storage method, away from light, heat, Kool-Aid fingers, and mouse droppings. Unless you plan on accessing these on a regular basis, it doesn't have to be user-friendly as much as your embellishment storage would be. And if you never, ever use a film camera anymore, it may not need to be expandable - just accommodate what you already have.

You will have one other decision to make - to store these separately or with your photos. Either way will work fine, it just depends on what suits you best.

Below are some links I'm come across for storage methods and ideas. Choose one that fits the space where you intend to store your negatives - if you don't plan on accessing these very often, then it doesn't have to be your scrap space, it could be a closet shelf. This is also one of those areas where I personally feel that pretty can take a back seat - if your negative storage isn't going to be seen, then don't splurge on a beautiful and elaborate storage system. Make do with what you have around the house, if possible. And, as always, the links I posted are intended to give you a visual idea of what it is I'm talking about - it doesn't mean I endorse the product or the store.

Sentimental Playground negative pockets: http://www.organizedphotos.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=TSP&Category_Code=O
Filmbin Box with envelopes: http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/item.action?itemGroupId=332
FoldLock sleeves: http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/item.action?itemGroupId=51
Negative sheets: http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/item.action?itemId=430
With photos in a Cropper Hopper negative/photo holder: http://www.cropperhopper.com/search.aspx?find=ch46-p
In acid-free envelopes
In storage sheets in a 3-ring binder: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/61728-REG/Vue_All_V8000_Negative_Saver_Archival_Storage.html

I will not be posting a photo this week of my negative storage because I, in the past, have always chosen the "watch tv" option and my negatives are crammed in 3 shoeboxes in my attic right now. Bad scrapper! Bad scrapper! I do, however, have a 50-pack of the Vue All sheets and a 3-ring binder waiting, so I will be enduring this painful journey along with you.

In closing, I want to add my 10 rules for organizing. I'm going to post these at the end of every challenge, because I think that they are very, very important. I want you to keep them in mind as you tackle each of these projects - they will make your life easier and the task less daunting.

1. Label your containers.
2. Be consistent in your methods.
3. Don't be too specific - your search for your items within your space should be short and simple.
4. Your organizational method should be easy to take out AND put away.
5. When organizing, break any large piles into smaller groupings. Have a 2 foot tall stack of paper to sort? Do it in 1" high chunks, it will be easier to handle mentally.
6. If it's something that you use on almost every project, then keep it within reach of your main scrap area.
7. Don't stress your containers. Get a new system or purge your stash.
8. For most items, product packaging adds bulk. Toss it. One exception - rub ons.
9. Repurpose when you can - almost anything can be painted or covered in paper/fabric.
10. THE GOLDEN RULE - FIRST choose an organizational method, THEN choose a container that fits your space and style. Always shop for containers with a list in hand - a beautiful container is simply clutter if it doesn't have a dedicated purpose in your space!

Hopefully we can all survive this together and make it through to week 26, when we'll tackle one of my favorite topics - keeping it neat and album organization! See you then!

Stacy

Organize Your Stuff Challenge - Week 24

Happy Monday! We're down to the 6 week countdown! This week we're going to tackle memorabilia - we all do it on trips, hoard things like they're going out of style. I'm not going to tell you to clear out your clutter and toss the sugar packets from that cheap motel you stayed at. We're going to get things organized in case you really DO want to scrap those sugar packets, you can find them!

There are 2 types of memorabilia to deal with - flat and bulky. The best way I've found to accommodate both is to find a system that works with your flat memorabilia, and then add a note card or a photo in there noting your bulky items (which are stored elsewhere) that accompany that event. That way, you can keep all your items together and organized but not lose small things like ticket stubs, or bend important papers, amongst the big things. If you're up for it, the photograph may be enough of a memory to scrap to allow you to get rid of the bulky item altogether - greatly simplifying your life!

The most logical way to organize your precious mementos is by theme or event. If you keep items from something that's ongoing, or repeated every year, like a family gathering or trip, then it might be best to organize by theme. If it's a one time deal, like the birth of a child, then organizing by event is the way to go. Keep in mind these can be combined, it doesn't have to be all or none. So go grab your bags and boxes of "stuff" and find a big clean floor space to dump them out at (keeping the sugar packets away from kids and pets, of course). Dig in and start sorting! At the end, you should have several piles of things - this is also the prime time to purge. Do you really need all 5 brochures from the same boat tour? Be realistic, you DO have photos!

Now that you know HOW to sort your memories, let's look at ways to house them. For bulky items, I suggest finding a really pretty box that you love. Hobby Lobby has a great selection of unique ones, and I love the little suitcases from the Paper Source: http://search.paper-source.com/index/_/N-/Ntt-suitcase. Have fun with it! For your flat items, possibilities include:

In hanging folders in a portable file box

In zip-top bags in decorative baskets

In a 3-ring binder in page protectors

In accordian files

In scrapbook albums

Memorabilia can be tricky if you're taking an acid-free approach to scrapbooking. Make sure to keep your newspapers in a plastic page protector or bag away from your other items. Use acid-neutralizing spray as needed. And for important documents, make copies and file away your originals.

I've found 2 systems to house my memorabilia. The first is for my flat items - I use a 3-ring binder with page protectors. Each protector holds one "event." I have each event labeled at the top, so when I go to scrap the pictures from my Cancun trip, I just flip to the "Cancun" page protector and take the whole deal out. And everything I need is in there!

For my bulkier items, I found a lovely box (half off! which makes it even prettier!) at Hobby Lobby that matches my room decor. Problem solved!

In closing, I want to add my 10 rules for organizing. I'm going to post these at the end of every challenge, because I think they are very, very important. I want you to keep them in mind as you tackle each of these projects - they will make your life easier and the task less daunting.

1. Label your containers.
2. Be consistent in your methods.
3. Don't be too specific - your search for your items within your space should be short and simple.
4. Your organizational method should be easy to take out AND put away.
5. When organizing, break any large piles into smaller groupings. Have a 2 foot tall stack of paper to sort? Do it in 1" high chunks, it will be easier to handle mentally.
6. If it's something that you use on almost every project, then keep it within reach of your main scrap area.
7. Don't stress your containers. Get a new system or purge your stash.
8. For most items, product packaging adds bulk. Toss it. With once exception - rub ons.
9. Repurpose when you can - almost anything can be painted or covered in paper/fabric.
10. THE GOLDEN RULE - FIRST choose an organizational method, THEN choose a container that fits your space and style. Always shop for containers with a list in hand - a beautiful container is simply clutter if it doesn't have a dedicated purpose in your space!

Your sugar packets are no longer in a box somewhere attracting ants! Congrats! Now go take out those trash bags full of stuff you found, and we'll focus on getting your negatives organized next week.

Stacy