The Organization Fairy Came to Visit

So, do you ever get REALLY frustrated when you KNOW you have that particular... (insert whatever craft supply you want) and you can't find it? I went to the plastic tub where I keep my embossing folders, and ended up literally dumping the whole lot on the floor in my attempt to search through them to find THE ONE. So, out of total frustration, I pleaded a wish to the ether that the Organization Fairy would visit me and figure out a way so that I can find whatever desired embossing folder is eluding me at any given moment.

And, whatya know. She actually showed up.

After 5 hours of preparation...my embossing folders are now UBER organized (at least the A2 sized ones). They now live in the top drawer of my Ikea gatefold worktable. They fit perfectly. I have them sorted in a way that makes sense to me (more or less).

• I started out by cutting white cardstock into 5" x 6 1/2" pieces for dividers. 
• Then, I cut offset tabs into them (by hand). 
• One by one, I ran each divider through the Big Shot with its corresponding embossing folder so that I'd have a real-life reference on what it looks like.
• I wrote the name of each folder, its manufacturer, and item # on each divider.

This is how it turned out:

I'm so stinkin' HAPPY!!! I can actually find whatever one I need now!!! And, before you ask....there are  100 folders in there. I counted them....had to. I needed to know how many dividers to make.

I know I know...I have an embossing-folder fetish.  Well, a fetish is better than an obsession, amiright?

But, I have an embossing folder for just about EVERY crafty theme and style.

The rest of my embossing folders (large ones, strips, and small ones) are in a smallish plastic tub. There aren't TOO many of those, so they can all live there happily ever after.

The Long and Winding Road

Hidy Ho, crafty peeps!

So, I've been hermitted away in my studio for the past 3 days.

Creating?

No.

Organizing.

AGONIZING organizing.

Ribbons.

So, I guess that would be... 

Agonizing Organza Organizing.

And, since I did it without preservatives, additives, or wearing any makeup...that would be  

Organic Agonizing Organza Organizing. 

I am SO ELATED to be finished...that one might even say (now that I'm done)...it was  

Orgasmic Organic Agonizing Organza Organizing.

But, I digress.

I got the idea from my bestee, Jodi -- who (on many occasions) has led me down numerous "primrose-laden paths" over the years. This was no exception. What can I say? She inspires me ... like the Pied Piper. That, plus the fact that I got SICK AND TIRED of rummaging through my chest-o-ribbon to find the perfect shade to go with whatever my current project is at the moment. And then having several spools scattered about my studio waiting to be re-chested.

I had a 4-drawer dresser FILLED with spools of ribbon. Nothing obsessive about me. No siree. It's just every time I go to Michaels...there is this GIANT bin of ribbon outside their front entrance... beckoning me, like sirens call to sailors off the rocky shore. I can't remember when the last trip to Michaels didn't include at least one spool of ribbon coming home with me. Maybe I should open my studio as a home for orphaned ribbon.

Anyway, Jodi found this awesome idea for how to neatly store ribbon, so I thought I would tackle my Mt. Everest-sized pile of spooled ribbon. Sounded easy enough...all you need is:

• Foam core board (or mat board  or corrugated cardboard) cut into 2 x 2.5 inch pieces.
• small rubber bands (the ones for hair, or those kids' bracelet weaving ones)
• Something to store your ribbon in...(I chose 12 x 12 plastic scrapbooking paper cases by Iris--sold at Michaels--the same ones I put my patterned paper in)
• Box knife
• scissors
• pen
• ruler/yardstick (I actually used both)
• Strong hands
• Ibuprofen (you try cutting/winding a bazillion ribbon cards)
• Lots of time
• Mindless movies in the DVD player (I chose the Stargate SG1 series)
• Chocolate

I had NO IDEA that I had amassed SO MUCH RIBBON. When all was said and done, I had wound over 500 cards of ribbon. I'm not kidding. Basically, it works out to about 1 spool : 1 card (except for the really wide/bulky stuff ... and the rolls that had like 30 yards of ribbon on them --those took several cards).

500 STINKING CARDS

I measured and marked the foam core into 2 x 2.5 inch rectangles. Then I cut them all out. FYI, foam core REALLY dulls your box knife blade FAST. I went through 3 blades (and yes, I turned each around to use the other side). After I cut about 200 of these, my hands needed a break, so I switched to winding the ribbon (not much of a break is it?). This is how I transferred the ribbon from the spools to each card (notice how neatly and precisely I wound it). Let's just say I got REALLY good at winding this stuff by the end. I can now, confidently, go to China and get a job in a ribbon factory for 20 cents an hour.

Now, OF COURSE  I (roughly) arranged it all in rainbow order. DUH. How else would I do it? I ended up with 4 boxes total. Each box holds about 150 cards of ribbon. I have one for warm colors, one for cool colors, one for neutrals and one for multi-colored, metallic, and miscellaneous wide ribbon.

Here is the "cool colors" box.

Here are all the finished boxes. 

This is what ~600 spools of ribbon looks like.

 

So...does ANYONE have suggestions for doing something creative with 500 empty ribbon spools?  ANYONE???

The Unveiling of...The Torrey Zone.

I live by the adage "I'm not messy...I'm creative"...but, to gaze upon the ferocious chaosity that was once my studio, one would probably think to oneself, "Come on, Torrey...NOBODY is THAT creative." As many of you may (or not) know, I have recently OVERHAULED my studio. I just couldn't stand the clutter anymore. Now, let me preface this unveiling with the fact that my newly-overhauled studio is NOT like those beautiful matchy-matchy Martha Stewart Pottery Barn rooms. There is NOTHING "designer" about it. It's hodge-podge and filled with bits of stuff I love. It's functional but NOTHING matches...and I like it that way. After all...how many of us actually have the funds to devote to a designer studio??? Sure, I wouldn't turn one down if it were handed to me...but I like my quirky, funky studio. It's a reflection of who I am--complex, diverse...creative.

(Okay Sherman, set the "Way-Back" machine to a couple of years ago).

BEFORE

 ...this is what my studio here in Texas USED to look like before I went on my Martha-Stewart-organizing frenzy: piles of stuff EVERYWHERE and just the tiniest of pathways to my chair (see that little patch of carpeting? That's the path). Now, you have to understand...having a disaster area as a studio is not new for me. Au contraire. As a matter of fact, in 2003 Memory Makers put out a book titled ""How to Organize Your Scrapbook Workspace". If you turn to page 10 of that book, you'll find a photo of my studio back when I lived in Colorado. Was it neat and tidy? Heck no. I was the "before" picture. The editors approached me and asked (very nicely) if I would lend evidence of my messiness as a beacon of hope to all those in need of organization. I agreed and thus became the literal poster child of a train-wreck studio. *sigh*...the things I do to help other artists feel like they're not alone. I'm selfless like that.

When I moved to Texas, I had the best of intentions on getting my studio organized...but a month after I got down here, I ended up with a severe injury that left me bedridden for several months--unable to walk. So my studio NEVER got unpacked properly. This led to a MASSIVE pile of disorganized chaos. I could NEVER find anything (gee, ya think?). It was completely...STIFLING. I now cringe at the sight of this.

 So, I made a goal for myself--to FINALLY clean out and organize my studio before my sister and nephews arrived for a visit on June 1. From the ground up. Every drawer, every shelf...everything.

I started by taking accurate measurements of every piece of "furniture" in the room--every table, bookcase, storage tower, cubby thing...everything (even the room itself). I found a free "room arranging" program online that allowed me to figure out the most optimal placement of all my "stuff".

I boxed up EVERYTHING and hauled it to the living room and hallway. I then enlisted the help of my dear hubby, Jonathan (DHJ). DHJ helped me drag all the furniture into place and then he built me some lovely shelves on the east and west walls. With as much stuff as I have, I had no choice but to go vertical. Then box, by painstaking box, I unloaded EVERYTHING. Then I labeled EVERYTHING.

Without further ado...here is the final result--the unveiling, if you will, of...
the TORREY ZONE (aka the Labora-Torrey).

The doorway into the Labora-Torrey

A painted metal Poison Dart frog perches on the door jam as a flutter of 3-D butterflies gently flies off into the distance. I recently took the door off. It was getting in the way. Maybe I'll hang retro hippie beads-groovy baby, groovy.

Enter, the Torrey Zone

Standing in the doorway of the Labora-Torrey, this is what you see when you first walk in. I will start the tour from the immediate left--the SOUTH WALL--and continue clock-wise around the room.
I feel like a tour guide at Disneyland.

 "We're walking, people....and we're stopping here at the SOUTH WALL."
(makes stewardess-like hand motions)

South Wall

From L to R--Tools, Books, Stamps

• On the far left is the hanging "shoe" organizer that holds tools like heat guns, Cropadiles, crimpers, light boxes, wood-burning tools, acetylene torches, C-4 (just kidding...I don't have a light box) .
• The bookcase in the middle houses my "library" of craft-related books and magazines--most of which feature my artwork, and several of them I've actually written. How cool is that?
• The right bookcase is where all my mounted rubber stamps live. I have them divided into plastic shoe boxes according to "theme" (Asian, Animals, People, Retro, Travel, Food, Flowers...etc.)

South Wall...complete view

 Next to my stamps lives my "pantry". Its face is covered in bits of inspiration. The left side of the front is plastered with a bunch of "tags" from a tag swap I was in. The right side hosts various bits and pieces of things I love. On the top are my "tool boxes" (each filled with specific things). On the right side, of the pantry itself, is home to my Martha Stewart and border punches-- all neatly hung on Ikea rails. 

Pantry-inside

Here's what you'll find on the inside:

L to R, Top to Bottom

• die cutting systems/dies, embossing folders/plates, stencils
• Letter embellishments, fancy buttons, Bedazzler/rhinestones, polymer clay, tools, oven
• Metal and their tooling supplies, glue gun, binder punch, Dremel, adhesive machines
• Stickers, bulk OMS, punches

Closet

 And here is the closet which is just to the right of the pantry. It holds overflow and stuff like spray paints, glues, more stickers, glass, Dymo label makers and a giant roll of yellow "caution" tape. What? Doesn't everyone have a giant roll of "caution" tape?

It is a walk-in closet, so you can't see the spaces on the left and right sides from this photo. On the left side is frames and misc. boxes (tucked out of view). On the right side is an Iris cart filled with fibers and beads. You'll notice, I took the door clean off of this too. Who needs doors?

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 Moving around now to the WEST WALL. The west wall is where all my Iris Carts and the "wall o' paper" reside.

West Wall corner

 New shelves built by DHJ!!! Buttons and ribbons (and UTEE) on the shelves. There is a loose shelf resting on top of the Iris carts. On it you'll find my spinning cube o' paint--acrylic on this side, fabric on the back. Next to it, my Wizard and most-used Spellbinders Nestability dies. Yeah, that's a giant Peep on the top shelf. Doesn't everyone have one in their studio? Oh yeah...see that black case on the middle left shelf way in the back? That's where my Copics live. Hee hee hee.

West wall- complete view

Iris carts on left hold everthing from embellishments, doo-dads and whatchamacallits, to adhesive runners and refills. The cart just to the left of the TV holds my scrap paper. The one under the TV holds my pens, pencils, markers, paints--colorants of all kinds. Next to the Iris carts is my "wall o' paper". Since this picture was taken, I have TOTALLY rearranged this unit because I got an AWESOME deal on plastic paper boxes. Can you say "buh BYE pizza boxes? (more on that in a minute). OH!!! And there's Einstein. He watches over everything I create. He's my guardian angel. I also have Tibetan prayer flags watching over me too. Not that I'm Tibetan.

Wall o' Paper

Here is my newly revised wall o' paper. I admit it, I LOVE paper. Try as I might, I could just NEVER become a digital artist. I luvs mah paperz 2 much. I recently scored 20 clear-plastic paper cases (from Michaels). It was SUCH a good deal, I couldn't NOT do it. I filled them with all the color-arranged patterned paper I had previously stowed in pizza boxes--badly deteriorating pizza boxes I might add.

• Top shelf is 12 x 12 patterned paper arranged by color and a basket of small scraps. 
• Second shelf is 12 x 12 cardstock. 
• Third shelf is 8.5 x 11 cardstock and patterned paper and small paper pads.
• Bottom shelf is white-core cardstock and large paper pads--most of which are by DCWV (Die Cuts With a View for those not in the know).
• On the ends of the bottom 3 shelves are boxes of patterned paper arranged by manufacturer/theme.

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Now, we continue on the clockwise journey to the NORTH WALL...the workhorse and heart of my studio.

North Wall

Here is where my work surfaces are. I have 2 tables--in an "L" configuration. Here is where all my most-used tools/supplies are housed, like:

• Blank cards/envelopes
• scissors
• rhinestones/gems
• glitter
• acrylic stuff
• alcohol inks
• tags
• corner and hole punches
• adhesive dispensers
• pens/pencils
• tape
• distressing equip.

My Work Surface

Here's where I create--on my lovely Ikea gate-leg table. I can fold out the left leaf to accommodate at least one (maybe 2) additional crafty friends. There are my buddies, Hoops and Yoyo, keeping me company (it looks like they've had too much caffeine). I have all my Prismacolor pencils stored in this wine rack with plastic cups. It's TERRIFIC! I picked up the idea from an organization issue of Better Homes and Garden. Hi Einstein...I see you! (see? He's always watching).

Ribbons, inks, and more stuff...OH MY

Hmmm, this photo seems to be listing to the right. Or maybe I was.

To the left,  in the black Iris cart, are my artificial flowers, wooden stuff and metal stuff. That's a tub of unsorted stamps on top of the iris cart. The top part of the "Chester drawers" thing  are two shoe-cubby storage units that I picked up at an estate sale. I found boxes on Ebay that just fit in their cubbyholes. I attached wooden knobs as pulls on each "drawer". I store my stamping ink and stamping paraphernalia in the bottom cubby. In the top cubby, I have my sewing notions and other miscellaneous things. I haven't printed out all their labels yet as you can see.

Ribbon galore

In the "Chester drawers" (that's actually what I thought they were called when I was a kid--and I wondered who Chester was and why would they name drawers after him). On the bottom, I stow my ribbon--4 drawers total--arranged by color of course. This is what each drawer looks like inside.

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Last stop...the EAST WALL. This is where my computer and Cricut are.

East Wall

My computer table is on the left. Cricut station on the right. These are my new shelves that my DHJ installed for me!!! Aren't they WONDERFUL? The bottom shelf holds a bunch of pretties and inspiration...stuff that makes me happy.. The middle shelf holds albums, wire/tools, 3-ring binders of unmounted acrylic stamps (a work in progress) and foam stamps. The top shelf has my alterable stuff, some craft books from when I was a kid (Family Creative Workshop) and empty bottles. The sunflower box has all my sewing patterns.

Cricut Station

The cart my Cricut is sitting on is an old dentist tool chest from the 1950s. I found it at a garage sale, and it begged me to come live in my studio. I keep all my Cricut cartridges in the bottom 2 drawers (I have over 30 of them...but if you talk to my husband...I only have 3, got it?). I also keep brads and eyelets in here along with a drawer filled with Cricut paraphernalia. And I actually have 3 or 4 drawers that are still empty. Guess I need to get MORE stuff. Hee hee hee.

Thus ends the tour of the Torrey Zone.

Admit it...y'all are just ITCHING to come play with me in the Labora-Torrey now, aren't you???? 

So what's keeping you?

(I'm serious...I want playmates)