Organization...

Trying to get my jewelry and craft supplies under control has been an ongoing process in my life. Last week, I tore apart one of my supply drawers looking for one silver plated finding...By the end of the day, I had the entire silver plated findings drawer emptied on the floor. In a flurry, I ran out to Walmart and bought a few more organizing cases that fit in the drawers and have it so organized. It is exciting to me to open the drawer and be able to see what I'm looking for... and also have all of my headpins in one place, all earwires in one area, etc, etc.

I think I'm on a roll, so I'll keep organizing and see where that leads me!

New year, new year, new year...

Getting organized is one of those things that always gets set into my goals - always well-intended, but not always followed through. This year, I want to look at it in smaller doses... like organizing the little area of my life that sparks my interest at the moment. So far it is working... I was able to attack my closet this past weekend and already see my year looking good.

I want it!

This evening I was fiddling around with my artfire account when my eye got caught by an ad...

The Sew Essentials Quilter's Design Table:

I was drooling before my mouse even clicked on the picture.

Open dimensions: 56-1/4''x29-3/4''; Closed 47''x15-7/8''x29-3/4''

Designed for quilters, this Quilter's Design table has a fold out table with 1'' grids for extra work space as well as a roll-out serger storage shelf. Locking casters for added security.

Yes, I know, I just bought all of that furniture from Ikea - but this table even matches... once I finish the last 7 boxes, I'll be measuring to see if I can fit this in there, too.

Creating the New Workspace - Day 1

So Day 1 is done...

For those of you who don't know, my husband and I have a bonus area over the garage. There is a long skinny room that will be my studio and a small office off to the side that is my husband's office. (His office makeover is actually a surprise for him... and good thing my family finds my blog too boring to read.) So here's his office, sans furniture, everything pulled off the walls and all edges taped.
And here's my big long room with my wide stripe taped up.

Before taping, I also put together my first piece of Ikea furniture. It is this small set of drawers here. I really like the set and am so surprised at how well it rolls around on the carpet. I can't wait until it is all done!

The path to organization...

begins in a car ride to Charlotte, North Carolina.

Or at least that is how I am finally attacking this year's goal of getting my jewelry-making stuff organized.Last Sunday, a friend and I drove to Charlotte to visit Ikea and have my new office all decked out. Not everything fit in the car, so the rest is being delivered on the 18th, but here's what made it home with me. See all of those glass jars? They are spice containers... I bought 28 packages of spice containers along with the stuff to hang them on the wall. I figure that will keep the beads within sight, but oranized, too.

More rainbows...

Continuing with my rainbow theme from yesterday.... I have now organized my paper scraps into a pretty little rainbow. I was thinking I was almost out of my paper scraps last week, so when out shopping I bought 2 more packs of scrap cardstock. I was surprised because the paper from Walmart was better than the paper from an actual arts and craft store. Normally, the cardstock scrap packs at Walmart are about 80% carstock and the rest is just regular paper. I was severly disappointed in the other package (I wish I had kept the packaging so I would know the brand) - maybe 1 in 10 pieces of paper were actually card stock versus colored printer paper. Nothing against Walmart, but normally I like to think that the smaller guy has better quality - just not this time.

Creating rainbows

I have a lot of satin ribbon scraps and was having trouble keeping them flat (I kept getting wrinkles in them no matter how I rolled them, folded them around a small pillow, etc, etc). I thought I had this brilliant idea by hanging them all on a hanger in color order, but this has turned out not to be the best tool...
For the first couple of days, the hanger looked perfect - like a beautiful rainbow of my colorful ribbons. Now my hanger is sagging in the middle and all of the thicker ribbon has slid to the middle, ruining my pretty rainbow.

I guess I need to try this again with two hangers or come upwith another way to store the ribbon.