Project Life Storage

I saw this video on Youtube by Inki Quill about how she organised her Project Life cards, and it inspired me to organise mine.  After my recent de-stash I ran out of time to organise my cards and I think if they are easier to find then I will make more inroads into them. Win-win!

On UKScrappers another crafter recommended a re-purposed tray from Poundland (originally for father's day) to store PL cards, but my local shop had run out when I got there. Disappointment all round.

 Seeking solace I headed to Ikea, and found a couple of 'Tjena' boxes in the sale; reduced as yellow is not everyone's choice of colour.  They do sell other colours too at full price, but I went down the bargain route!

To make the boxes strong enough to hold my cards I used both wet and hot glue to put them together...

...and made use of large amouts of washi tape to secure the edges of the lids and add a little decoration.

I planned to use the smaller of the two boxes for 6x4" cards, but it was a little wide and would waste storage space,

so I made a partition (from a cereal box covered in the wide washi tape) to store a set of 3x2" cards too.

The larger box came with 12 partitions large enough for 3x2" cards...

..so I sorted them mainly by colour, using washi tape on top of each partition so I know which colour is in which space.  There's also a little room for a few die cuts made from the cards.

The smaller box has all my 6x4" cards sorted by colour, and the space at the side holds 3x2" journalling cards.

So now I can find my PL cards I MUST use them on 12x12 pages and pocket pages too! And as the box is still full, no more buying Project Life cards for me :)

Stash tidy update

If you read this post from the beginning of half term you might recall that I planned to sort my stash and bedroom during that week.  The stash did get sorted, but it took way longer than I expected (probably due to the fact that I bagged up 5 bags to donate to both the scouts and to school) so the bedroom will have to wait until the summer holiday.

 I thought I would show you how my stash is organised in the dining part of my kitchen as I spent the best part of  week sorting it out; I am lucky to have a handy husband so much of it is made to measure by him.

Firstly this die storage was made by him to match the size of the Sizzix dies, it means I can see exactly what I have and as it is nearly full, maybe not buy any more.

At the bottom are thin dies in folders, 12" dies and boxes of buttons, washi tapes and bakers twine.

The top shelf of this cupboard stores my Minc and Big Shot Extra and a few embossing folders.  At the bottom are the craft supplies my children used when they were small: I couldn't face getting rid of these: Hama beads; face paints; googly eyes.

Here are the paper shelves for my 12x12 papers, so much better organised now I can see what I have and not be encouraged to buy any more.

Cropper hoppers contain white, black and kraft 12x12 card along with mirror card.
The Ikea drawers (all labelled now) contain a mix of craft goodies: embossing powders; mists; Thickers; stickers; etc,etc.

And under the 12x12 shelves is this big unit with my card blanks, tool box, 6x6 paper, Sizzlits, punches and fun foam (I cut a lot of my own 'Thickers' using dies).

I do store regularly used craft materials in my craft bags in the corner, so I don't need to pack this for crafting on the go.  I only add the papers and photos I need on the morning of the crop.

This is a very old Papermania craft bag, used to store alphabet stamps,

and finally Really Useful Boxes with 12x12 folders to store older papers (I try to take out and use at least one set per month).

The storage I have shown you is in within reach of the kitchen table ( where I craft).  The only other stash (there's more?!) is my Christmas crafting box (stored under the stairs and only out from October to January) and a few rarely used items (Bind it All; Decopatch; etc) are in the Utility.
Finished scrapbooks; some are in the children's bedrooms, Christmas journals in the dining room, and other albums in the study. Luckily, my husband has a little crafty obsession of his own that fills the garage (wood turning), so he is very understanding!

I can see this post making  a scrapbook layout :)  It's not a matching, or particularly attractive space, but I can now find everything! So, now you have seen my tidied stash, what does yours look like?

Time for a Blitz

Half term is here, and as we will be staying at home I am going to use the opportunity to sort both my crafty stash, and my bedroom.
I ordered two sets of shelves for my 12x12 papers today and was pleased to find they were reduced by 10%! Kev was going to make me a set, but when he looked at the price of these, he said he couldn't get the timber for the price, so just to order them.

 These are similar to the set I ordered, but are far less to buy, and made in the UK. My thinking about getting them is that if I can see my papers i will use them (and maybe stop buying more...!) The drawers can also be decorated-if I have time- to look amazing.  More stash being used sounds good to me.

Second on the list for the holiday is to sort our bedroom and clear a lot of clothes/shoes etc, ready for decorating in the summer. Maybe if I empty my wardrobe I will be able to put away some of the things I am currently having to store under the bed!

 Think I will be busy next week.