Two Years in the Making. . .Croptober #9

So if you've read along with me for any amount of time you know my struggles, frustration and apathy for my scrap-space, sometimes referred to as my studio - in the hopes a name change would motivate me to get it in order.  I have posted the hideousness of it all - the pigsty that is has been.  I share the overall space with the kids, so their stuff is on the other side of the room, and their computer sits on the other half of my desk space.  I've written of the purging I've done.  The organizing.  And the, what seemed to be, the endless search for a set up that worked best for how I work.  I've had realizations along the way - the big one, organizing isn't something you can do and be finished with.  It is a process, as it should be, where if something doesn't work, don't force it - just try something else.  Organizing is not a one-size-fits-all deal.  My personal not, would be:  don't let the endless project of organizing become be the reason you don't scrapbook.

 

As I posted earlier this week, I took advantage of a no-soccer weekend and took the weekend off for myself (basically I blew off my chores) and dealt with my space.  I did A. LOT.  In the end I have a clean space, organized the way that I hope will work for me.  I actually want to be down here.  Now to just get window coverings up and a couple other things that I've been waiting to do and it'll be good. 

 

There are still some odds ends that need dealing with, but I'm okay with dealing with them as time allows.  Below is the before (top photo - which I had to search for because I had no idea I'd started this project in January of 2011!) and the after (bottom photo):

 

 

 

 

 

 

I purged these kits and papers a while ago, read that as like a year ago, and then used quite a few during 28 Cards in 28 Days at Big Picture Classes earlier this year.  I could probably purge more, but for now I'm good with living with the amount I have - I think I'm just purged out, frankly.

 

 

 

Horizontal spaces suck.  They just are catch-alls.  This is where layouts came to die, school work was buried and all manner of miscellaneous crap was dumped.  The drawers each hold a child's memorabilia.  The larger drawer hoards contains my collection of October Afternoon and Scenic Route.  The remaining items in the "after" shot is my Take 12 album; I wanted to work on it, but having no ink to print the photos sorta stopped that plan before it started.  The other items are unfinished layouts, so they are going in my "crop out of the house" tote upstairs; otherwise they'll just sit and never get finished.

 

 

 

Not much changed here, but it is the corner my IKEA cubes are now in.  The cubes hold all my embellishments, some of my smaller tools and my unfilled albums.  The two canvas bins hold more kits, but even those have been purged and are not as jam-packed as they were just six months ago.  The shelves hold developed photos that I sort into larger photo boxes, and actually I did put away two boxes of photos after I took the "after" picture.  I'm not sure I'm sold on the small shelves on top of the cubes, but that's where they are living for now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having it finished, finally, feels fantastic.  Is it magazine worthy?  Hardly.  But for me that's never been the point or the goal?  It's something that works for me.  And it's someplace that inspires me.  Case-in-point, I finally made move on a home decor piece for Halloween that has been sitting around for a couple of years.  I have most of the pieces cut out, so it's a matter of how to finish it.  Maybe my next "ditch" day will be to take on some unfinished projects - December Daily 2011, Take 12.

 

I'm inspired, and so should you be.  Today's Croptober challenge is to use something from your stash you've put off using and combine it with this sketch from PageMaps

 

 

Remember, one layout is all it takes to gain you entry into the weekly drawing.  This week, it's Authentique's Gathering line.  Layouts or cards are due Sunday evening.

 

Happy Thursday,