What To Do With Paper Scraps

 

  I am experiencing an emotional dilemma concerning keeping or throwing away paper scraps. Let me begin by explaining that I have a very elegant organizing system for paper scraps that I purchased from Totally Tiffany. It is a system that I highly recommend for those who, like me, don't like to waste.

     So now, you might ask, what is the problem then? The problem is two fold. Majorly, every folder is  completely full. The scraps that I am looking at right now are quite small. It should be an easy decision then, but it is not.

     The problem is the shape of the scraps. They are perfect strips that could be used on the inside of cards as embellishments.

     I was hoping that if I started writing this post the answer would come to me. And I fully expected the answer to be, "Throw them away!"

     But that is not what happened. I recently wrote that I started a box of A2 pre embellished card fronts. They caught my eye as I was writing this post and that gave me the answer. I am going to start another container of perfect embellishments.

     What prompted this decision is a book I just started reading "the life-changing magic of tidying up" by marie kondo, which was loaned to me by a friend who has been in my house and knows how much I needed it.

     So, you ask, how did that help with the decision to keep the scraps? The major theme of the book is to keep only those things that, when you hold them in your hands, make you feel joy! And as I was writing this post I remembered that when I picked up those scraps that is what I felt. I would rather throw away some ragedy edged piece of paper than a perfectly shaped strip that could quickly and easily be used to enhance a card.

     The decision to make a special box instead of utilizing the larger system is so that they will be close by where I am working and will be seen and easily accessed.

Let me know if this post inspired you about how to think about the scrap issues you are facing!

Musings On My New Craftroom Rules

As a result of using the CraftMyLife App helping me to get VERY organized I have come up with some, much needed, rules to help me continue to have an organized and more productive way of crafting.

One of the first ideas that came to mind, when I was trying to locate something that I had just used, was to have a tool tray. I thought about how, before surgery, a tray, is loaded with all of the expected surgical tools that would be needed. Besides knowing where everything is I now have a larger work area.

If you follow me then you know I teach a monthly card class. Due to the quarantine, we have not been meeting and the group has decided to delay that for at least another month. I thought I would make up some card kits from all of the leftovers I have from prior classes and send them out to the group members. This was a lesson in frustration as there was no demonstration card in most of the kits. So my new rule is to either finish making the leftover cards right away while the technique is still fresh in my mind or put all of the leftover pieces in my RGBIV files to be used randomly.

Lastly, I realized that I have too many little bags and containers of embellishments that would probably never get used if I didn't find a way to store them. This was a real forehead-slapping moment as I have a ScrapRack from Totally Tiffany! Now all the little tchotchkes are safely stored.

Oh Yeah, I forgot one last thing. I must clean my work area after each project !!!!

HOW COLORMYLIFE ORGANIZING APP HELPED ME SOLVE A NAGGING PROBLEM

    Several months ago I came across a small rectangular label die that did not appear to go with any of my sets. I took it to my craft group to see if I had accidentally taken it from one of them, but no-one claimed it. So I took it back home and, frankly, forgot about it.
   
     Tonight, while I was continuing to organize my craft supplies in my newly acquired organizing app, COLORMYLIFE, I realized that the die did not match any of my sets. It is a Spellbinders die and had a number stamped on it.

I took a chance and googled it and, lo and behold, it turns out the die belongs to a hot foil set that I own. I was so happy to be able to return it to its rightful place and was also reminded that I need to catalog those dies also.

I cannot stress enough how much I love the COLORMYLIFE APP. 

OMG The BEST Craft Organizing Tool EVER

Before I tell you about the BEST Craft Organizing Tool EVER I want to give a shoutout to Slayernite Crafts for her post on AIRTABLE. I did download and start using it before I learned about the one which inspired this post.

The name of the BEST Craft Organizing Tool EVER is COLORMYLIFE and I learned of it through Justine Hovey on YOUTUBE. The app is downloaded to your smartphone and can catalog all of your stamps, dies, inks, cardstock, etc. Many popular items are already in the app and are easily loaded into your database. Justine's Youtube made it very easy to navigate the app so I highly recommend watching it.

Please don't take this as a bash against AIRTABLE because that program is actually meant for a different kind of use, but Slayernite Crafts had adapted it for her own purpose.

I won't go on and on, but strongly suggest, if you want an elegant way to catalog your supplies and find what you need quickly COLORMYLIFE is definitely worth looking into. Also, since you will have it on your phone you can quickly determine if you already have items that catch your eye while shopping. I know I have unneeded multiples of a few items.

I would love feedback if you try the app.

A FUNNY CRAFTING STORY

I was pleased to participate in a card-making event for children in foster care. Below is a photo of the cards I made for girls.

I also made some boys cards and cards for medical workers. When I was done and mailed them off I began cleaning my craft area. When I had finished cleaning and organizing everything I realized that I had not seen the flower die set I used for the cards on the bottom row. I have spent weeks searching and finally had to believe that it had somehow been thrown away. I have been in mourning ever since and trying to accept that with equanimity.

Today I was working in Cricut Design Space and trying to figure out how to share my work. I watched several YouTubes showing how to do that but when it came time to hit the share button I could not locate the link. Cricut kept saying it was saved to the clipboard. Well, I have been searching for days for the dang clipboard to no avail. And then the magic happened and I was successful. 

YIPPEE !!!

So I went back into Design Space to find some other designs I wanted to share and kept seeing an item that I wasn't sure why I had it. It was a line drawing of a flower spray. Lo and behold when I finally fully opened the design it was the flower set that I had been searching for. It was never a physical die. 

I have been laughing for an hour.🤣🤣

THE QUARANTINE HAS ALLOWED ME TO GET ORGANIZED. HOW HAS IT AFFECTED YOUR LIFE ?

     While I hope that all are well, I know that many are not. Some have lost family members, friends, jobs, etc. This is a tragedy that will long be remembered. For me though, so far, I don't personally know anyone who has been so badly affected and feel blessed to be able to say that. Also, there are many who are as stressed by the quarantine itself. Again, I feel blessed to say that I am the opposite of stressed.
     I have accomplished more during this quarantine than I can remember at any other time in my life. For the first week or so I did almost nothing but sleep. And then the adrenaline kicked in. I cleaned and organized four rooms in my house. The room I struggle with the most is my former living room which is now my craft room. During the cleaning marathon, I got all of the large items arranged. While I was very pleased with my accomplishment I found I was still struggling to find things.
     I took a break from the cleaning and organizing to make cards for #BEARLYART for children in foster care and for health care workers. I was so proud of my ability to make three dozen cards in just a couple of days. (then I saw where someone posted they had made hundreds of cards in the same amount of time) Darn those overachievers!

CRICUT CUTIE LIFTED MY SPIRITS

I am trying very hard to keep up with my crafting dreams of publishing a rich library of informative Youtubes, blog posts, and Facebook pages all while attending to multiple medical issues. My daughter, who also had serious medical problems, had been using meditations to help her find positivity in her life. She has been sharing these meditations with me and I have been using them also. Even though my health is improving I have been busy with doctors' appointments and physical therapy. I also needed to prepare for Card Class. So today was the first time in a while that I was able to just play. Thanks to Terrie Wytosick I was able to make a Cricut Cutie and resize it to fit my Easy Press.