My July Progress in my 2018 Organization Resolution

Back at the end of December, 2017, I blogged about the mess my craft space was in, and how I hoped that, in 2018, I would make some progress in getting it all put back together and neatened up. I posted my January progress here. My February progress report on that organization is here. My March organization efforts can be found here. My April report is here. And my May report is here,  and my June report is here.

On July 10, I set about eliminating the zip-lock bag storage system I was using for my Idea-ology metal ephemera. I used an ArtBin storage box like the one i used to store  paper ephemera and layered all the packets in it:

Over the July 14 weekend, a "mystery" package of Stitches Glitter glues arrived from Ranger. After packing, it was clear that they would NOT fit in the drawer with my other "Stickles" bottles:

so I pulled out one of my spare "Alcohol Ink" storage tins and it was perfect!

Some don't have color names on them and one doesn't even have a label at all but I did arrange them in a more-or-less rainbow order. Labeling not necessary (IMO) because it's pretty clear what colors they are from above...

​On July 26, I decided to do something about my punches. I keep them in a bin in the bottom of a cabinet and if I want to find a particular punch (usually circle punches or corner rounders), I have to pull out that bin, and then go through the tangled mess of punches before I find the one I want. Here is what it looked like before I tackled the mess:

On the left, the bin with the majority of my punches... the black "Go-bag" to the right holds a number of smaller punches I have rarely, if ever used, and being as they are in that bag, they are out of sight, out of mind. The box behind the bag is a border punch set, never used...

I decided to sort punches by "style" (that is, circles, squares, corners, borders, patterns, etc.) and put them in some Totally Tiffany Punch and Stamp Sets. (I ordered two sets and what came wasn't as described.. Instead, I got two 1.5" and one 2" bags in the set instead of one each 1", 1.5" and 2". OK, I guess, as I didn't have all that many small punches and they worked in the 1.5" bags. Sure wish they had some deeper ones, though, because there simply was no way to get those mega punches in those bags).

I sorted and bagged...

Corner punches

The Totally Tiffany suggestion is to "xerox" the layout in each bag so that, one one punch is removed, it is clear where it fit in the jog-saw puzzle of a full bag.I decided to put that off for the time being. Instead, I continued to sort and bag until I had five bags in total:

I had NO idea I had so many circle punches!

​The mega punches and some Fiskars order punches, however, remain in the bin, but at least they are only one layer deep...

The bin went back in the cabinet; the bags are still on my cutting table awaiting a place where they can be stashed; and the go-bag for punches is now living with my cropper hopper go-bag...

On July 27, I decided to start tackling the disaster next to my chair. Behold, a tangled pile of assorted paper types' all piled on one another in front of my 8.5 x 11 baer files. Every time I need solid paper, I have to move all of this first. 

And if I want anything like 12x12 or 8x8  Tim Holtz or Graphic45 pads, or 6x6 patterned paper pads, I have to dig.  ​

I I pulled out all the Totally Tiffany paper storage items I had and got to work, sorting. Now, all the patterned 6x6 (except the Graphic 45 pads) are in Totally Tiffany 6x6 paper handlers (there is one more on order), and all my 12x12 collections are in five file boxes that hold 12 x 12 paper, also from Totally Tiffany.

Piled loosely on top of the rest as are the odd bags of paper shapes, specialty 4.25 x.5.5 papers, matching card/envelope sets, etc. Packs of grunge board and chip board are still stacked by the 12 x 12 collections. 

I had 8x8 paper handlers on order and these arrived on July 28...so the 8x8 Graphic45 pads are now neatly contained: 

Still a hot mess, but at least getting to the 8.5 x 11 solids is a little easier. The 12 x 12's no longer slip and slide and fall over when I sort through them and I have a pretty good idea what is in each file. I will alphabetize, consolidate and tab these files in th coming weeks. And, eventually, all these files will have a home of their own (I HOPE).

Next up, that cardboard box full of blending tools, pens and watercolors... which means I need to tackle the cabinet where I keep markers, paints and pencils first... Aaargh! Organization always seems to result in chaos before it gets resolved and I seem to be in mid-chaos right now!

But I digress. Financial records are calling my name (I'm six months behind! EEEEW!).]

​And, as of August 1,I had all my records up to date, and  receipts filed! Woo Hoo!