Sharing My Scrappy Space

So, it’s my last blog hop as an official CropChocolate Design Team member.  If you are just starting, make sure you hop back to Amber’s blog to join in on all the fun (and to get in on all the giveaways).  Here’s a list of all the ladies involved in today’s hop:

• Amber  http://ambaju.blogspot.com/
• Paula Irvine   http://craftycutsbypaula.blogspot.com/
• Paula McClane  http://scrapaddictsattic.blogspot.com/
• Beth Dewalt  http://engineeringmemories.blogspot.com
• Jamie Gracz http://littlemisscrafter.blogspot.com
• Michele Barnott McKay http://laughingsunshinecreations.blogspot.com
• Corrie Wagner   http://www.corriescrafts.blogspot.com/
• DeeDee Catronhttp://umwowstudio.com/
• Jenn Koss  http://moon-scraps.blogspot.com/
• Karen Hanson   https://scrappycanuck.wordpress.com/ (That’s ME!)

 

But if you have already been hopping – WELCOME!  You made it to the last stop.  So, on to business…

When the team said they want to take on “organization” as a topic, my heart sank.  Here’s the thing – I would love to be organized – just ask my husband…I LOVE lists, and timelines make my heart pitter-patter!!!  But when it comes to my scrappy space, I’m not.  I blame it entirely on two issues.  The first is where I scrap – I am a kitchen table scrapper.  I have a happy little corner in the kitchen that houses my goodies and my work space (hang in there, I’ll share it in a minute), and everyone in my family has access.  Which leads me to issue #2 – who I live with – namely, the following:

 

The only thing better than getting in mommy’s crafting stuff is….

…Eating it????

And remember – this is only ONE little gal of two!  🙂  So, I’m cutting myself some slack and sharing with you what I do have going for me – a great little space with room for everything that I need that is in the heart of my home, surrounded (and sometimes invaded) by the people I love! For those of you who are kitchen table scrappers, I do have some tips just for you (I’ll call them KTSTs – Kitchen Table Scrapper Tips) – because let’s be honest, we can’t all have an amazing space dedicated just to scrappiness!

So, here is my little storage area – almost everything I scrap with is located right here.  Really (4 shelves, a drawer and my colourful rolling contraption).  Just to the left of the picture is our kitchen table…okay, my scrappy table, and when I can clear enough space – our kitchen table!  I do try to clean it off when I finish a project, but let’s just say that my hubby is pretty patient!  So, here is KTST #1 – Cut yourself some slack and make sure your kitchen table has a leaf in it!  That way, you don’t have to put everything away before your project is finished to make room for family meals. Just slide it to the side! 😉  Picnics are great, but maybe not for every meal!

KTST #2 (and this is a painful one) – Keep your stash contained.  If you start overflowing your space, no matter how small it might be, purge, purge, PURGE!!!  There is always something you can get rid of – that paper pack you haven’t touched, or those embellies that you’ve had for over a year, the tool that is a pretty and “should” be useful – so do it, and don’t look back.   Drop off a few items at your local school or church, and I can guarentee that you will feel like a hero!

There is even room in there for all the crafty stuff for my girls – and they have almost as much as me!

Each drawer is labelled and dedicated to a type of product or tool

Baskets in my drawer make taking out the tools I need a breeze!

This is my entire paper collection – bagged by collection. 

I feel like I am letting you peek inside my medicine cabinet – this is probably more exciting though!

KTST #3  – If you need to store your paper vertically, and do not have one of the fancy systems to keep things organized, try something as simple as clothes pegs.  I have my paper grouped by manufacturer – with each collection in a separate baggie.  The clothes pegs help me identify very quickly, what I am looking at and where things go.  Large pegs are for companies for which I have more than one collection, and the smaller ones are for companies that I currently only have one collection.  Whether you group by theme, collection, or colour, the pegs can really help you see what you have in one quick glance.  And they are cheap.  And they are easy to find around your house!

Speaking of things to find around your house – here’s KTST #4 – Use the tools you already have – they may not be made for scrapbooking, but they will work just as well, especially in a pinch.  And the best part is, when you are finished, you don’t have to find room for them in your scrappy storage space!  Here are some of my “go to” favourites:

– Need to clean a Cricut mat (or other sticky surface)?  Get out your spatula or cutting board scrapper!  Two or three passes, and every bit of paper is cleared off!
– Need to tie a bow or make a twine pompom? Use a fork.  Different sizes for different size bows or pompoms!
– No bone folder for tight creases?  Fold it by hand and run your rolling pin over top!
– Use those handy toothpicks – they are perfect for everything…in my space, for rolling flowers of course!
– And last but not least – need a non-stick matt for spraying or inking? Get out the silicone baking sheet.  They are not huge, but will do the trick!

So, while my space will never grace the pages of our favourite scrapbook publications, I still love it!  I hope you had a bit of fun peaking into my world, and try not to give me too much of a hard time! 😉  Oh, and since I need to put my money where my mouth is – I did a bit of a purge, purge, PURGE, just for all of you!  Leave a comment below, and I will enter you into a draw to win one of the 3 – 6X6 paper collection (and yes, that is Little Black Dress, and yes, that one does hurt a bit)!  Once you’ve done that,  head on back to The Crop – we always love seeing you over there!

Thanks for stopping by everyone!