Wednesday, November 10, 2010

The End: Are you organized yet?

After purging lots of supplies (4 boxes and 4 grocery bags full), reorganizing my space, storing my rubber stamps, and storing my dies, I've made a lot of progress.

But, it's never done.

New stuff arrives on a monthly basis (I love those Club Scrap kits!), and who can resist a purchase at the local scrapbook store?  I got some great gemstones, fall leaves, and a pen there this weekend.

So, why do I continue to purchase more, when I have plenty?  I've come up with a few guidelines to guide future purchases and help answer the question - should I really buy this?

  1. Replacing tools.  I use my black marker for a lot of journalling, and it's dry.  It's ok to buy a new black marker, because I'll get rid of the old one that doesn't do the job anymore. 
  2. Purchasing basics.  The gemstones were an item that I previously had and used up.  These are basic, and I still like them.  A little sparkly item goes a long way.   I also stock up on adhesive, since it's cheaper to buy ATG adhesive in bulk.
  3. Buying special items.   The leaves aren't something I need, but they fit in my style.  When I saw these, I could see them fitting on scrapbook pages, and cards that I'd like to make for Thanksgiving.
  4. Inspiring me.  My Club Scrap kits provide a monthly spark to my imagination.  If something sparks your imagination, it could be worth the purchase price just for that reason.
How will I fit these items in my home and continue to stay organized?  This is what I'm thinking...
  1. Go up!  My husband saw an opportunity for me to have more shelves in my room.  We'll be installing those shortly to provide much needed storage space for my finished scrapbooks.
  2. Purge as I go.  When a new item comes in, it either needs to fit in the space I have, or something else has to go.  I put these items in a box upstairs.  When the annual rummage sale time comes around, I can sell them, or put them back in my stash if I've changed my mind.
  3. Keep a clean desk.  I did this in the summer for a while, and what a difference it made! After a project is done, I'm going to clean my desk.  If the desk is clean, it's more inviting to work there, and provides room to sort and store new items as needed.
What guides your papercrafting purchases?  How do you stay organized?  What do you continue to struggle with in your craft space?  It's great to share ideas!  Hope you enjoyed this series.  Now that I'm organized, I can go back to crafting!

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