Organization Born Out Of Frustration

 Maybe you've had this experience, or maybe I'm the only one. You're ready to sit down and work on a craft project, and you're even slightly inspired. You're sure this is going to be a wonderful experience with a creative outcome.

Then you try to find the supplies you need, and it's all downhill from there.

That was my experience this week, and I couldn't believe how quickly my inspiration was zapped. I couldn't have made a card to save my life - it was that bad.


So instead of making a paper craft, I made a decision. No longer would I sit here swamped in stuff when it could be used for an actual, creative project. But how could I do that when I wasn't even sure what I had? Good question, self. Let's just pull it all out and see what's actually here.


I was shocked and a little embarrassed at everything I found. I had embellishments I don't remember buying and some I know I've had since my very first scrapbooking party more than 15 years ago. That's not something I would share with just anyone, mind you.


And don't get me started about the stickers. There's a tote underneath this table that has two more bags with nothing but stickers in it. Average 2-3 stickers per card and I'll be making greeting cards in my Old Lady Rocking Chair!


And I've saved every single leftover die cut I've ever purchased - apparently. Many of them are the last one or two of a set, but they have to be good for something. Right? Please say yes.


That was just what was pulled out on the tables from drawers, totes and envelopes. This is the shelves on the other side of the room. Most of this is supplies, ink and tools, so I don't feel so bad about this section. I think I'll just look here and keep my back to the other side of the room.


After pulling out all the paper, this was the look on Molly's face. I think she's questioning my sanity, but she's going to sit right here with me while I get to work. I would love to see the majority of this stuff used in fun and interesting ways, and now that it's out where I can see it, I think I'm going to get that inspiration back. If you need me, you know where I'll be.

But don't expect to see the tops of the tables any time soon.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Holland Creme - That Amazing White Stuff In Donuts

Image
I remember going to the grocery store every Saturday morning when I was growing up, and my favorite place in the entire store was the donut case. All the glazed, powdered and filled baked goods drew me like a magnet. My favorites, far and away, were the ones filled with that beautiful white, fluffy creme. At the time I didn't know it was called Holland Creme - I just knew it was the most amazing concoction ever. Ever. Here is my version of this sweet treat. You can make your own fried donuts and fill them, or like I did here, you can cut a crevice into store-bought donuts with a knife and fill them with creme in a piping bag. Either way, you're going to love it. Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup shortening 1 cup butter 1 Tbsp vanilla 7 cups powdered sugar 1. Make a simple syrup by combining sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium heat until boiling, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool complet...
Read more

Recovering An Old Card Table And Making It Usable Again

Image
This card table recover project has been on my to-do list for months. I've been using it as my workspace in the craft room for quite some time, and it sees a lot of abuse. Here it is now, with a neutral cover on it so I can take better pictures for my tutorials. There were dents and dings in the old blue covering from metal tools. And yes, I've used my embossing heat tool on it several times, leaving pretty good scars. The padding underneath the blue cover also made it difficult to keep paper crafts flat when adhering them together, so it was time for something new. That's where a simple vinyl tablecloth comes in handy. The process to recover the table is pretty simple, but I learned a couple of lessons the hard way. I share them with you now. First, don't do this on any surface but a carpet. I tried it on the deck int he sunshine to get better pictures, but all it did was tear up the cover. Second, get a second pair of hands to help you kee...
Read more

Crafts For Teen Girls To Make

Image
In our teen girls Bible study, we're studying our way through the Proverbs 31 woman and it's been such a blessing to me, as I hope it's been to them. Every month we spend an afternoon or an evening together studying Scripture, making something amazing in the kitchen and creating something that corresponds to the verse we're in. Choosing the crafts each time can be a challenge for several reasons. It needs to be something they can completely finish (or do most of) because once they leave they're probably not going to work on it themselves - that's just the nature of teenagers. Remember? It also needs to be a project that keeps they're attention, is age-appropriate and is cool enough that they'll want to keep it or give it to someone special. But hey, no pressure on the Bible study leader, right? Here are just a few of the projects we've done together in the year we've been meeting. * This month's craft will be the adorable cross stit...
Read more