A few words about organizing and catching up on gifts

I want to begin by showing some lovely art I have received from two friends who have posted these gifts to their blogs.

The first came from Dianne, my gifted artist friend at Art Beneath the Cottonwoods and it is stunning.  If you want to see it in all its beauty,

here is a direct link to all the pages in the book, as well as a tutorial of how she made it.  What intrigued me were the circles she added to the "tags" inside the pockets.  Even my arthritic hands were able to remove those hidden beauties!

The second gift came from my dear blogging "buddy" Marlynn at Honeysuckle Breeze.

This book screams recycling from the covers to the beautiful pages.  I can't photograph the inside because of my sucky camera, but trust me, this is one beauty.

And PLEASE DO NOT PIN either of these books from my blog, since I have shared these photos from their blogs.

Marlynn wrote that I had helped her organize because I kept repeating things such as "like items with like items."  That's one of my mantras.

I've also been giving advice to Janet at Tattered 'N Worn, who is in the process of organizing her studio.  So, when I put my Christmas decorations away, I thought of Janet.  And since Janet said my advice was helpful, and Marlynn has taken my "words of wisdom" to heart, I thought I would share some ideas here.  Unfortunately, the camera I used to take the photos with is far from ideal.

I was explaining to Janet that you need a staging area for your items.  You can't do much unless you can take inventory of what you have, and an area to do that in.  In my case, it's my kitchen table.

What initially looks like a mess will soon be manageable as soon as you know how much space (or in my case number of boxes) you need for "like items."    In your craft room/studio, it is called zones.   Zones are specific and distinct areas of your craft room you designate for specific and individual tasks.

Next, you will designate the specific tools or products you assign to each zone.  Be sure to draw a diagram, then take measurements, because it's much easier to move things on paper, than to physically move them.  Some of you may recall I didn't follow my own advice when I was working on my basement hallway, and as a result, I threw my back out of whack for several weeks.

Now it's time to purge.  Get rid of anything you will never use again.  By getting rid  of these things it frees up space for things you really LOVE and use each year.  And try to remember sentiment doesn't count for much when purging.  If I held onto everything someone has given me in my lifetime, I'd have a bigger mess on my kitchen table every day, instead of just a few hours.  Of course, purging also includes saving/keeping, pitching, and donating.  Don't throw anything away, including craft supplies, that someone could use.  Donate them to worthy causes like schools, daycare centers, church groups, and women's shelters.

The items you have decided to keep should go into boxes that are placed near the zone you have designated for them to live.  Keep your staging area as clear as possible.  As donate and pitch boxes fill, get them out of your craft room.  This will free the room and you will feel real progress. 

You can see my "dead" camera with its battery charger on the table among the trees.  This is one of those purge items I had to deal with, since it was no longer capable of recharging.

To organize,  I had planned to show that the fake pine trees all go into bags, then into a large container, which frees up a LOT of room.  That leads to the concept of dealing with big items first.   When those were safely away, the next things were the stockings and holders, which were like items and are always kept together in my boxes.  Your system may vary, though.

As I was planning how to show what to deal with first, my camera started beeping, which meant I had to get to a computer to remove them before they were history.   Note Bleubeard's "better side" got caught in the final photo, too, as he was helping me.

Of course, remember that this will be an ongoing process.  Your new and improved craft space is not something that you will keep forever, because as media changes, so do your art habits.  Be prepared to change things around if an area isn't working for you.

I hope this has been helpful to a few of you who struggle with organization.  Of course, before you do anything else, you must decide if you are a crafter who prefers to work in clutter, where everything is out on your work table or bench,

or if you prefer a clean, uncluttered table or work bench that you clean after each art session.

Please let me know if any of this has been helpful and be sure to visit both Dianne and Marlynn.  They (their blogs, and their mixed media art) deserve it!!