2011 ORGANIZATIONAL BOOT CAMP Week 5 After

So the littlest one was starting to sleep well again for something like two weeks. And then tonight...since he has gone to bed at 7:30 he has been up at least 5 times in 80 min. At first I thought it was his oldest brother getting ready for bed (he starts getting ready between 7:30 and 7:45). Nope, not it. Then I then I thought it was the neighborhood dogs barkings outside. Not it either. Maybe it's because he caught DH in the hallway going from big brother's room to the stairs. Finally I thought it was because he was use to sleeping with the lamp on but we had turned it off last night (and he slept the whole night) and again tonight. Really thought I was on to something because he after I turned it back on and sat with him for a few minutes he didn't cry when I left. He was quite for almost 30 minutes in fact. Then, just as I started to type this post, I hear his door and his cry. He'll cry for a minute maybe, get quite for a few minutes, and then try it again. I really wish I knew why and I pray that once he goes to sleep he'll stay that way until at least 6:30 tomorrow morning. I also pray that we won't have a repeat performance of last month with a three weeks sleeping nightmare. Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions would be great. Ok, it's morning now and he woke up around midnight, 4:30, 5:30, and 6...why oh why?

Now for what ya'll really want to see. My stamps in my craft space. After a week of going through them and trying to get them all together this is what I have come up with. As I am writing this up I already have another idea on how to improve this.

I have managed to get all stamps and clear blocks on this dresser top space by my desk. Even my cuttlebug has a spot here. I don't mind the CD cases for my stamps that I have, but I am hoping to find something different for my stamps that don't come that way. Currently I am intertaining the idea of binders. I just ordered an 5.5 x 8.5 binder for my stamp sets that come ready for a binder that size. For my Verve, Inkadinkado, and WMS stamps I am thinking about putting them on a sheet acetate and keeping them in a bigger binder. Right now they are in the basket you can see. I also want to find a better way to store my Unity stamps that I have (you can see that pile in front of the basket).


These are the only wood moutned stamps I own. I've been toying with unmounting these like I did all of my others (these were bought after the fact), but I just haven't done it yet.

2011 ORGANIZATIONAL BOOT CAMP Week 5 Before

This week's challenge is STAMPS. We are to organize or stamps in a way that works for you. I've got some ideas as right now they are just everywhere. I've got some in CD cases and others loose. Most of the time I am speanding more time searching for the stamps I need instead of using them. I would also like to be able to have them all on the dresser top so that they are easy for me to get to. I've got some ideas for this right, but I must be honest with what stamps to keep and what to send off to a new home.

Here are most of my stamps just thrown about the top of the dresser. Really no ryhme or reason. In fact, several sets just keep falling off. I also want to keep my aycrlics in a cute little something so they can be easier to get too as well.

In a container on the opposite side of my room are my Unity stamps. I need them to find a home with the rest of my stamps, lol.

2011 ORGANIZATIONAL BOOT CAMP Week 4 After

I can't believe week four of bootcamp is coming to an end. The craft room is currently looking worse than when I started. We got about four 3' shelves and three 2' shelves that need to be put up as well as a few hanging racks that need to be rehung since I took them down from their orginal location. I am really going through everything and setting aside LOTS of items for sale/give-away. I told DH that I can't really do much more until we get those shelves hung, so that's the plan for this weekend.


This week was to focus on our embellies. Well, I started and got what I could done but I've still got a ways to go. I does feel good to have a good start on it though. I've found embellies that I've forgotten about and others that need to go. Let's get one with the picture show then, lol



This is the top drawer in the dresser. I did end up putting all of my office supplies in here as well as specialty paper for the printer and labels. It is so much easier to go through everything in here now.

This is the second drawer. I got a basket for my PTI buttons and one for my bling. I've also stored some prima flowers in here. Still trying to decide if I want more baskets and what they could hold.

Here is the bottom drawer. I got a bigger basket to hold all of my TA glam, mist, etc as well as some alchol ink for some fun Tim Holtz technique. I plan on making little tags that will be 'colored' for the tops so that I can quickly see what colors to use. I'm still working on adding the rest of my supplies in here too (i.e. towels, tissue paper, masks, etc).

The bottom two drawers in the 6-drawer tower

The middle two drawers. I still need to work on my misc. drawer.

The top two drawers.

This shelf now holds my chipbaord alphas and some rub-ons and sticker letters.

Working on this little corner to get it ready for a wall mounted TV. That means the paints will need to find a new home and I still need to go through the brads and eyelets that are there.

Next week will be a big week as the shelves will be up and I'll have more room around me to clean, organize, and craft.

2011 Organizational Boot Camp Wk 4: Before

We're over the half-way hump with Scrappily Ever After's OBC and it isn't getting any easier. I do like that my room is starting to work more for me. I've gotten some baskets and shelves to help with storage and a BIG pile of for sale/give-away items happening. I'm also working on a wishlist for a few "big ticket" items (like a two drawer file cabinet and a TV/DVD wall mount unit).

This week's challenge is EMBELLISHMENTS. We are to take 15-20 minutes to assess our Embellishments. This could be a hard one for me as I tend to hoard and collect my embellies. If ribbon is part of this, then I really am in BIG trouble. How do I store my little treasures? They are also all grouped together but there is no rhyme or reason to any of them (except for my Tim Holtz collection). I keep lots of my embellies in the middle drawer of the chest of drawers as the first drawer has paper for the printers, labels, and such (maybe I should also store my envelopes and stamps in here...). I really don't know what's in the bottom drawer, so I guess it's time to find out, lol. They are really just thrown in there with a little bit of separation. I have more stored in the 6-drawer tower under my computer desk. The 1st drawer is office "stuff", the 2nd holds prima flowers, the 3rd has misc embellies, the 4th and 5th drawers are empty, and the 6th one has images that are colored and ready to be turned into a card or images that need to be colored. It's not really working for me as I truely don't remember what I have and when I do know I have a certain something I can't remember where it is. In fact, I have been known to buy something only to find that I already own it.

top big drawer with my printer and photo paper, labels and transparencies. I'm thinking my office supplies could go in here too.

buttons, bling, flowers, and I'm not sure what else. Does that mean I need to clean yet?
The drawer of no return. I really am not sure what all is in here. I know this needs to be cleaned out.

more buttons, brads, and chipboard letters. Some of my adhesive and embossing powder is here too.

a big plastic tub of chipboard of all kinds.

my two drawers full of Tim Holtz goodness. I keep thinking I'm going to create those amazing 12 tags he does every December, but I have yet to create even one.

more chipboard pieces and tattered angles letters and such

prima flowers, misc embellies, and colored images. two drawers are empty.

What could you do to store them more easily and accessably? What kind of containers do you use for storage? What can you repurpose that would work better? I've gotten a couple of baskets that I hope to keep like items together in the big drawer. As for the little drawers, I want to label what's in them and to feel free to use my items (in other words, no more hoarding them). I also would like to find a way to house my dies and embossing folders for easy access and have them close to my Cuttlebug machine. I have some bigger baskets laying around so maybe I can find a use for them. I think that's all, but as the week goes on I could change my mind, hehehe.

2011 ORGANIZATIONAL BOOT CAMP Week 3 After

We're finishing up week 3 of our 6 week bootcamp over at Scrappily Ever After and boy do I feel the burn. This week was to sort through our colors and I feel like I'm further behind than when I started, lol. For the most part, my coloring goodies are at least all gathered together in the same place. That was one of my goals.


So here's what my colors look like after spending a week going through them. Not what I want just yet, but I'm starting to know what I want. I also had my oldest go through my SU! pads and pick out 12 that he wanted me to keep for him and have put the rest (including their reinkers) aside to either sell or giveaway. I think before I go too much further I'm going to need to get a few more shelves for my walls and move some shelves around. Some more baskets would also be good and Michael's is having a sell on theirs so I do believe I'm spending my stamp budget on those this month, lol.

I have finished a project this week and will be posting that lovely tomorrow :)

2011 ORGANIZATIONAL BOOT CAMP Week 2 After

After going through my papers this is the end result. It's still not exactly what I want as my papers are still far from me and eachother, but it is a start. Any one have some good ideas about how to store paper so that one can go through them quickly and they won't get warped?

All of my color cardstock now fits in ONE file drawer. Now I need to think about where to put the paper as NONE of the other drawers are being used. Right now I'm leaning towards a two drawer filing cabinet that can go by the bins where my other paper and envelopes are stored. However, to do that I will need to save some money.

My loose patterned paper has now been sorted and put together while my paper packs are now in the bottom drawer. I like how these drawers are keeping my paper together but I don't like how hard it is to go through them to find the paper I want. Still working on a way to store them for easier access.

I have also gone through all of my 12x12 colored c/s and gotten it down do maybe 5 sheets of each color as I don't tend to use this size often anymore. I still scrapbook, but I'm starting to use a mix of sizes and even did some now. This is also where my chipboard is stored. At the moment I'm not really sure what I'll be doing with the empty shelves here. You should see the boxes I've got going for either selling or donating.

2011 ORGANIZATIONAL BOOT CAMP Week 3 Before

Time for my before shot for week three over at Scrappily Ever After's Organizational Bootcamp. This post is an easy one because all I had to do was take pictures of how and where I keep all of my inks, markers, penicls, etc (whatever we use to color with). Once that step is complete then answer the following questions:


Are those storage methods working for you?
How can you streamline storage in this area?



Then take abou 15-20 minutes today and make a list of what works and what you'd like to change.

copics stored onto of the laser printer. Um, yeah, I think they need a new home, lol.

some of my inkpads hidden among the mess as well as the mists I use to color with on the shelf.

My writing pens on my desk in a little turn-around caddy.

My SU! ink pads and some others as well as paints. I did miss another shelf that holds more paints.

Right now my ink pads are in several groupings and neither group is next to each other. I also have Copics that are groups together but not in a home. I would love to get rid of the stamp pads I don't use (which is really most of the SU! ones) and get all of my ink pads together in one home that I can get to easily. I also would like to have a place for my Copics to be somewhere close to the pads so that I can get to them quickly but not have them clutter my desk top. I would be really nice to have ALL coloring things together: pads, markers, reinkers, paints, and mists.

2011 ORGANIZATIONAL BOOT CAMP Week 2 Before

Time for my before shot for week two over at Scrappily Ever After's Organizational Bootcamp. This post is an easy one because all I had to do was take pictures of how and where I keep all of my paper and cardstock. I also needed to think about what I wanted to do with this space. What is sad about how I keep my paper is that it is taking 6 picutres to show you. I have paper in two main areas: the closet, you know, the place on the OPPOSITE from where I work in the room; and in two bins under the dreaded third table. I would LOVE to get all of my paper and cardstock together and in a place that's a lot easiser for me to get to.

This bin holds cardstock scraps. I might need a better way to store scraps.

This bin holds scraps AND full sheets as well as packets of designer paper. It's so full that when I open the bin the whole thing just wants to slide out. It's also hard to go through.

This picture hold more patterned paper but also 12 x 12 cardstock and chipboard.

In these holders are magazines and kits from when I've been in scrapbook clubs. What's really sad is that so far I really couldn't tell you what I have.

This is my 4-drawer fileing cabinet that has only three drawers being used to hold cardstock. The top drawers hold white, vanilla, black and other neutral colrs as well as specaility paper. The next two drawers hold colr cardstock from Stampin' Up.

The top of the cabinet holds my carstock from Papertry Ink as well as the sticky-back canvas I have.

I MUST go through all of this and really be honest with myself. Keep what I will really want, pair down the solids so that I don't have so much, and either sale or give away what is left over. I'm still working double time for camp, but I know I'll catch up and it will be SSSSOOOOO worth it.

2011 ORGANIZATIONAL BOOT CAMP Week 1 After

I am having to work double time in the boot camp since I took off a week to be with my family. I was able to get most of week 1's objective done: clean off your work space and start on the drawers, baskets, etc. I was able to clean off two of my three work tables (the thrid one is seldom used due to all of the "stuff" all over it). I was even able to move some plastic bins/drawers around after bring one that was used at school home (it's the black tower under the main work deask).

Here is the view from the closet (best I could get so ya'll could see both work tables at the same time). You can also see the six drawer tower under the desk with the comptur screen.

The project you see stacked on the desk is the one I am currently working on. Hoping to get a good bit of time to work on it this weekend. I like how my Scor-Pal (with the self healing mat) and my good Fiskars cutter can stay on the desktop for easy use. The pink mat is from Tattered Angels for when I use sprays and paints. My only complaint about it is that I wish it was bigger, lol. You are also able to see my sad, little photo set up for what I take pictures of cards, projects, and scrapbook pages. I really wish I had a permanent place for pictures that wasn't on my main work table. I'm also thinking I may need to rework the shelves I currently have in this little space.

The two 3-drawer towers were stacked on top of each other and under the desk originally. Since I started bootcamp I decided that would work better over to the left side of the desk as seen above. Time will tell, but for know they house misc. office supplies (that need to be cleaned out), sponges, chipboard, and at least two drawers of Tim Holtz goodness. By the time bootcamp ends I want to have all of the plastic drawers labled.

2011 ORGANIZATIONAL BOOT CAMP Day 1

PHOTO HEAVY

I getting fit this year. Well, at least my craft area is going to be getting into shape, lol. I am participating in Scrappily Ever After's 2011 Oraganizational Boot Camp. This will be going on for 6 weeks and today is Day 1. Every Monday I will post a picture of my craft area (or the part of the area I am to be working on) and on Friday I am to post the results of what I did from the challenge.

Here are the deets for today:
Today is all about objectives, so take 15-20 minutes (set a timer if your a person who gets really absorbed) and sit down somewhere comfortable and imagine what you want your craft area to look like at the end of boot camp. Think about what works for you and what doesn't work so well. Consider your problem areas and take time to note things that you love. Next, read back over that list and come up with a short list, maybe 3-5 objectives you have for your craft area. Don't forget to take a moment and snap a picture of your space, just the way it is, no cleaning up, and post your link on the main blog.

Where to start...Well for starters I would really like to get rid of the door that leads to the boys bathroom cause it rarely gets used and when I do go through there I have to walk to the other side to turn on the light. However, that isn't going to be happening any time soon. My biggest concern is organization for the space. In other words, I want a spot for everything and everything in its spot. I need to determine what I tend to use most every time and find a good way to keep them close at hand. My ribbons need a home that doesn't take up the space ti does now and my ink pads really need to be gone through and determined which I use and which I don't.

This just needs to be re-worked some how.

This is the table behind my computer table and workspace. It is suppose to be a workspace but as you can see it is FAR from it. I need to reclaim it.

I would like a small bookcase to go here that will house my stamps, ink pads, and printer better.

My main workspace right now and I can barely see the table. Not sure what I want to do here.

I want to be able to craft without leaving a trail behind me or having to keep my supplies on the floor while I work. The photo above are part of the supplies for a project I am currently working on.

I what my notes, inspirations, and other mis. papers and what-nots to have a place (even if that means their place is no longer in the craft room). I want this table to work on; not just for paper collecting.

This may be the neatest part in the room but there really isn't much sense to it. The bottom shelf is for my boys and their craft supplies,

Right now the above bookcase is the home to my tv and dvd as well as a few pieces of fabric and a box of pictures. Need to decide what else to store here.

The walk-in close that is home to my alterables, boxes, cardstock, and not sure what else. This needs to be revamped. I really need to decide what to store in here and how.

The file cabinet that is in the closet that only the first two drawers are being used. I need to use this more effeciently or get something else I thik.

That's it. That's my craft room. What you might not have seen is the little kids craft table that is in front of the closet and at the end of the long table against the wall that currently has piles of mis paper, ribbon, ink pads, sewing machine, cuttlebug, etc covering it. The table needs to stay as my boys do love it and use it but I need to find a better spot for it.

Are you ready to take the challenge and get your space into shape? Join us here.