Project Scrap Organization: Brainstorming for the Perfect Space

So as you can see, I obviously fell off the organizational bandwagon since I first blogged about participating in Wookiemouse’s challenge waaaaay back in June of 2009. In my defense though, I’ve been purging through all of my possessions, not just scrappy stuff, like mad as if I were planning on moving out of the country. In this past year and a half, I’ve found so many wonderful non-profit organizations that would allow me to have a more direct impact towards those in need while fulfilling my own need to purge.

Clothes the Deal: They collect professional career clothing to empower women from battered shelters by providing appropriate dress so they interview for professional level positions.

Sierra Club / Adventure 16 Skid Row Hike for the Homeless: We collect and distribute warm clothing, blankets, food, tarps etc at midnight in Downtown LA to people and shelters we encounter.

From Our Hearts: They collect fully handmade cards, including card fronts that they will convert, for our troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Flip Swap: Their objective is to renew the (cell phone) equipment's life-cycle by enabling the re-use or recycling of exhausted products in order to prevent congestion of eWaste in our landfills.

Of course, I’ve given TONS away to Goodwill and libraries too in addition to participating in several successful Scrap Yard Sales which has turned my junk into cash. Wheee! To quote one of Oprah’s shows, it’s absolutely amazing to create so much (head and emotional) space by clearing out so much clutter.

So, I’m back to my crafting space now that I have more room to function in, so I'm picking up where I left off from last year.

This is what annoys me the most:

• Lack of table space – cluttered with lamp base, laptop, printer, etc. No room to really spread out papers/projects.
• Lack of floor space due to #1
• Frequently used items are not within arms reach
• Although, most items have been sorted, categorized, in identical storage and labeled, they are not housed together. They are spread out over 3 separate rooms and 2 floors of the house: all like items are not upstairs in one place with me.
  
• Not really using the Expedit for best efficiency. Out of 25 cubed spaces, I’m only using 7 of them for oft used items.
• Not enough lighting.
• Space Audit – Cluttered, no table/floor space, frequently used items are not within reach, and

So, this week, the challenge is to figure out why the areas I've previously identified are hindering your scrapping, and what to do about them.

** VERDICT ** I need to build my storage as such to achieve my goal of uncluttered space/room.

Here’s my “To Do” task list to tackle on the weekends based on the above observations:

1. Clear out all non essentials/boxes/clothes/furniture from the room/floor
2. Clear out closets and put in vertical Bonde shelving to put all cardstock, pp’s and monthly kits in there.
3. Make Expedit central area for most oft used items
4. Put all stamps in one area
5. Move in Ikea long desk
6. Determine WHAT my most frequently used items are? What items WOULD be used more if I made them more accessible?

As I envision my perfect space, what do I see?

• Everything in One Room
• Everything has a home and is in it's place
• Everything is off the floor and table top surfaces are completely clear

In Summary, I need it to be functional for myself, all in one place, and less frustrating for the whole family.

I've put a lot of thought into how I create and my creating process.

• I work best in an L shaped set up with the return to my right since I'm right handed. (I know this since my desk in the office is an L shape with the return to the left and it drives me crazy!! It's funny because I have two office chairs to my right which are serving as desks to hold my files / papers.) Then, behind me, I'd prefer for my Expedit Unit and my closet to form yet another L shape, so that when the two pieces are "put together," I'll have a perfectly square unit with all my oft used items within reach.
  

As much as I'd like to leave budget and space constraints out of this, I've mulled over my wants and constraints for several weeks. Here are my conclusions:

• Perform an organization tote/furniture inventory
• Determine which organization furniture to retire
• Audit every single cube / drawer to see what’s in each one. Declutter it.

My Most Often Used Items:

• Big Shot and accessories
• Dies (Sizzix, QK, SB, etc) & Embossing Folders & 6x6 Books ------I need a Die Station!
• Punches – I like them in Iris Carts – no dust!
• Laptop
• Photo Printer, Photo Paper and Plug
• Alpha Stickers – especially Thickers, Tiny MM alphas & Glitter Stickers – these can go underneath my desk in the metal Container Store rolling boxes? I should have two.
• Stamping stuff – inks, Stamping Acrylic Blocks, Baby Wipes
• Journaling spots/Bling
• Flowers (2 cubes)
• Glitter/Buttons
• Albums /Completed Page Storage
  

Items I'd use if they were MORE ACCESSIBLE:

• My Printer
  
• Cricut Machine
• Sewing Machine
• Patterned paper if it was more accessible
• Chipboard Letters and anything else that’s on top of the dresser that hasn’t been within reach
• All loose wood stamps need to be together one a book shelf.
• Patterned Paper, Cardstock, Class and Monthly Kits

Yep, this process is sooooo darn overwhelming!!! Here's a picture of my half cleaned out closet on it's way to being transformed into having IKEA Bonde shelves installed. :)

I agree with Wookiemouse's next step which is to empty out the entire room in order to 1) further sort by 2) touching each item one time 3) to put them in their final homes, etc.

NOTE: Follow along my organization journey every other Monday here on my Scrap Room Organization Page on my blog.