Well, we're nearing the end. Some of you may already be finished organizing your scrap spaces, and they're now beautiful works of art. I know we dropped some along the way... LOL. Perhaps every now and then, we'll have a "preventative maintenance" challenge! LOL. Or perhaps we can do a pretty-up-your-space challenge. LOL. I know that I kinda want a new theme... I know, I know, strange. ;-)
So here is what we have left...
STAMPING
Clear stamps
Rubber stamps
Acrylic blocks
Stamp cleaners
EXTRAS
Paint
Stickles
Mod-Podge
Distressing Tools (file set, sanders, etc)
Mini Albums
Cards
Bookmarks
I saw in a lot of the photos in Flickr that these things seem to be the most difficult for people to find homes for. A lot just piled on shelves in front of *other* things that are neatly organized. Tee hee.
I created this rule for things like that. Goes like this... if you have more of two of something, it needs its own home (box, container, etc.). Not really a "rule," more of a guideline. Tee hee. And it's really nothing at all... just something I like to tell myself to stay more organized in my house.
For these things, you COULD just use one big box and label it "Craft Supplies," or "Paint 'N' Things." ;-) You may not have enough room for each thing to have its own small box or container. The Dollar Store is a great place to find small containers for CHEAP. Dirt cheap. I'm talking like... ONE dollar! ;-) (I'm in a silly mood today...)
Stamps are fun to organize. TONS of different ways. Lately people are coming up with new and fun ideas to organize their clear stamps. And you can organize by manufacturer (I DO like to keep all my SC stamps together...) or theme.
Clear stamps go really well in a binder with clear sheet protectors. I bought a box of transparencies from the office supply store, and I use those to stick the stamps on, and then I slide those in to page protectors. Really easy, no hassle kind of system. You can also stamp the stamps on a white sheet of paper to stick behind the stamps, so you know what's in there and where it goes. I tend to just use the original packaging for that. I think I'm just a hoarder of stamps, really. I rarely use them, but I'm glad i have them on hand... you know, just in case... :D
If you're pretty much done with your space, and you have just little "extras" on the shelves and piles of fabric and piles of paint and stuff like that, and you're not sure what to do with it. Throw it all in a big box. You heard me! Just grab a big box (go get a clear, plastic box a la Rubbermaid or go to UPS and get a big cardboard box). Write the comments on a sheet of paper and tape it to the top or the side, so you know what's in there.
You want to do this little trick at the end for several reasons:
1. It will get all this stuff out of the way to make your space look clean and pretty.
2. It will all be in one place, so you can sort through it in spurts (if you would like...).
3. You may find that all these items *should* be together.
4. While looking at all of it, you'll decide that certain things you KNOW you want in a certain place or a certain item you want all by its lonesome.
5. It will get all this stuff out of the way to make your space look clean and pretty. (Okay, I already said this one, but it's really important!)
If there's one thing you take way from this challenge, it's this: Everything needs a home. A *labeled* home. Even if it shares a home with something else, it should have a *designated* home.
I've learned that if things like to pile up in one certain place (for me, it's next to my adhesives and next to my pens), it's good to have a *catch-all* place. I have a small plate (like a saucer) next to my pens and scissors that catches itty-bitty embellishments and photos and shards of paper that I didn't use or I forgot to put back with the kit or whatever. I like this little dish. It's messy in that little dish, but it's *contained mess*, and that makes me happy. 
And then next to my adhesives, I was noticing that things were starting to "pile" up as well. So I added a paper sorter (you can get them at Michaels or Joann... it's like a white box with 4 or 5 shelves to place paper). I stick stuff like alpha/embellishment packaging I'm not sure what to do with right then (why can't I throw that stuff away??!?!). Or photos I decided not to use on *that* project. Or papers I *wanted* to use on that project, but didn't. Things like that. It's just a temporary home or catch-all, and i think that EVERY scrapper needs to have at least one of these designated spaces by her (or his) workspace. Something to think about.
Hmm... did I forget anything?! That's all I have to say about that.
BUT... do you have any questions? Or comments? Or anything that is particular challenging you in your space?
Oh, how I do wish I could just fly to everyone's home and do it for you. Seriously, I'm talking to a professional organizer friend of mine (she works at The Container Store with me), and she said if she gets any scrappy/crafty clients, she'll just send them to me, and I was like, "YES, PLEASE!" I'd love to just be let loose in a craft room. Just give me time and a credit card (tee hee, okay, and a budget...), and I'll have at! :D
You guys all did great at this challenge! And I really hope that you upload photos to Flickr, so we can all see those beautiful spaces!
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