Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Part II: Organizing Papers

Yesterday I showed you my new way of storing my full sheets of 12x12", in these delicious plexiglas holders hung on my new slatwall.

Today, let's talk about what to do with all of those pesky but very useful tons of scraps we all collect, often down to the smallest bit.   

(Incidentally -- What's the smallest bit you'll save?  I've heard some say a 2"x2" square. But I'll save long thin strips too, as sometimes that can be used as a border or embellishment. If I have small or odd shaped bits, I might punch them into petals, leaves or circles and store them that way to make pretty flowers or other embellies along the way.)

Anywho, this is how I store my paper scraps. While I'm working, I'll drop the pieces of paper into a dresser drawer that's been designated as holder of these bits. About every other week, I go through the drawer and sort them paper by color.  When I'm done, I put them in a 12x12" plastic "memory keeper" I get at Michael's. 

These files are stored in my usual ROYGBV arrangement. ROYGBV?  Yup, colors of the rainbow -- red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet.  I add in white in the beginning, and add some shades (e.g., pink), as well as tan and brown, grey and silver, and black.  Stacked in my cubes, they're easy to find this way.

Now I admit that this isn't the best way to store those stacks and stacks of papers we buy -- so I'm looking for suggestions.

This sounds rather Seussical, to have stacks of stacks, and some with packs ... next to my racks ...

...but there is some (albeit not much) rhyme to how I have these stacks organized.  The pink one (second from the top) has all of my baby paper in it -- near the top because I'm working on Charlotte's albums (eventually).  At the top are the papers I'm using at the moment -- Halloween, for banners I'm making for the Labor of Love Halloween Hop (see upper right corner for Hop info, coming in September). 

I have tons of other paper too, but no pictures to show at the moment.  Perhaps I'll make that another post another day ... but for tomorrow, I have some more organizational tips to show. Sneak peek: it has to do with a FISH.

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