Not a lot of time for crafting lately...

but I have had a chance to write another article for Craft Critique. The theme for the next week or two is storage, so I reviewed one of my all-time favourites, the Iris 12x12 Scrapbook Case (photo at right). Pop on over there and leave us a comment telling us what you think. Now when I say that I haven't had a lot of time for crafting, that's the truth, but I will admit that I've got a couple of pages in progress right now that I'll share soon. They just need a few finishing touches and they'll be good to go. Stay tuned!

What Inspires Me?

At the post office yesterday I did not find my package of Gina K stamps as I expected, but instead it was a box from Amazon. This was a bit of a surprise given that the expected date of delivery on my Amazon order was Feb 13, but it was exciting to say the least. You see, after reading Nancy's review on Scrapbook Update, I decided that "The Organized and Inspired Scrapbooker" by Wendy Smedley & Aby Garvey would be a must read for me. My scrap area is disorganized to say the least (except for my awesome 12x12 paper storage cabinet - see it here), and I've been finding lately that the disorganization was hampering me. I am spending far too much time looking for tools, accessories and other page elements that I know are here somewhere, but just don't know exactly where. So I have started reading -- and I am so far NOT disappointed. But, it has (already) led me to ask myself a very serious question. "What Inspires Me to Scrapbook?" At the beginning of Chapter 2, Inspiration is defined as: "...ultimately what motivates each of us to scrapbook. Your big-picture inspiration is the grand idea or philosophy or spark that inspired you to begin scrapbooking in the first place - and that keeps you going today." So here's my dilemna. I truly believe that 'inspiration' for me, is not a static concept. As I think back to when I began scrapbooking (about 13 years ago I would guess) and why I did it, I think, like many people, my inspiration was to protect my photographs, place them in a 'safe' environment & to tell the stories behind the images so that my children, and their children would know from who and whence they came. Today, these objectives are still important to me yes, but I think that it is more of a 'me' force that is driving me right now. What I mean is, that the creative process makes 'me' feel fulfilled. Creating a page is more about expressing 'myself', than it is about leaving stories for the future. I can and do recognize that I was always intrigued by the creative aspect of scrapbooking else I never would have started, and that today the protection or preservation of my memories is still important, but I think that my focus has shifted significantly from one to the other. In looking back at this page that I did over a year ago, I can see clearly where my focus or 'inspiration' was then, and it is the same today (so the evolution is not particularly recent). The very first point on the page is that I scrapbook for MYSELF. Yes, there are references to the stories and leaving them behind, but I think it is clear that for me it is the desire to create which drives me. (Also, note that this what you see is not an 'organized' space by any means, it is somewhat tidy yes, but not organized in a functional way, which is why I need this book.) With that said, I don't think that this 'dilemna' will stop me from using the information presented in the book, but it has indeed made me stop and think, and recognize that as a craft, my inspiration has evolved and in all likelihood will continue to do so. This can also partly explain why when I look back at the first pages that I created that they are so different in style than the ones I create today. My scrapbooking style has clearly evolved over time which I'm sure in part is a result of my shift in focus. I think what will be important for me as I work through the exercises in the book and attempt to organize, will be to use my current point of 'inspiration' as the driving force behind how and why I do things. Am I wrong?

Got Stickers?

Since it's still pretty cold in my basement, I still haven't finished my layout, and haven't been able to work on much else. Instead, I thought I would share something really cool (no pun intended) that I found out there in the blogosphere. I think I just might have to make one of these....although I don't have a big sticker stash so I wonder what I could use it for? Check out Outta This Funk for instructions on how to make a really cool organizational system similar to the Clip-it-Up, but this one doesn't take up any desktop real estate and is waaaayyyy cheap to make yourself. It's also one of the best picture tutorials I've every seen!

Paper Storage Problem Solved

So I think I've finally found the ultimate paper storage solution. Yup, that's right....storage for my 12 x 12 paper which keeps it tidy, safe from wrinkles and curls, and most importantly accessible. I've had it for quite a while now actually (several months anyway), and now that I've had time to work with it, I've decided it's definately a keeper. As you can see from the picture, it's really quite simple actually. It's a 3 drawer lateral file cabinet that I bought from Staples. Shopping with tape measure in hand, I discovered that the top 2 drawers were deep enough to house 12 x 12 paper in hanging folders. Now since hanging folders are only 9 inches or so deep, this might not immediately make sense, but with this particular unit, there is actually more than 3 inches of space above the folder rails that allows for the paper to fit. The paper does stick out of the folder of course -- but that just makes it easier for me to see what I've got. Here's a picture of an open drawer so you can see what I mean. Inside, I have patterned paper (kits and single sheets) in folders organized by colour. I use the ROYGBIV mnemonic to sort. (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet), with folders in front to house scraps! As I said, I've been working with it this way for several months now and it definately works for me. I can see exactly what I have, everything is safe from damage, and it is CLOSED storage, thus is just a whole lot nicer to look at than my old wire cube shelves. I don't keep cardstock in there though as I like to keep this on my desk in Cropper Hopper vertical storage units. Again, I sort cardstock by ROGYBIV, and this makes it really easy to select colours that match my photos -- and because I use so much of it, I want to keep it literally within arms reach. Stay tuned to here more about how I organize my stuff. We're soon to be renovating our basement and I'll have a great space to call my own and I want it to both look great and be functional. It's funny when my stuff is organized and my table is clear, it calls out to me to get creative. My goal as I design my space is to come up with storage solutions that will minimize clutter and help me to keep things tidy. If you have a great storage solution for me....don't be shy, do share.