into this....
(after some serious purging, of course!)
The Why: I use Project Life to keep my scrapbooks simple, in theory. Project Life combines the simplicity of a photo album with the flexibility and creativity of a scrapbook. The problem is that I had collected so many scrapbooking items that getting out my supplies was an ordeal, and sorting through my options was overwhelming.
I love the strategy of creating limits for our stuff. By having a single bin for my scrapbooking supplies, I not only make scrapbooking simpler and more fun, I also prevent myself from buying more than I need, since I can only keep what will easily fit in the bin!
I have to actually use my craft supplies before I can shop for more.What a novel idea!
The How: I have a general look that I'm going for in my scrapbooks and use many of the same items over and over again. I use a lot of brown kraft paper and white pens, paper doilies and labels. So I just went through my craft stash looking for items that go well with my scrapbooking style. I basically created a customized kit that is full of things that delight me.
The most time consuming part was to go through photos and only keep the good ones that I actually plan to scrapbook. My new rule is that if a photo isn't good enough for the scrapbook, it isn't worth keeping!
The Verdict:
I did it! I created a compact little kit full of scrapbooking supplies that I love to use. It's easy to take out and use, and then put away when I'm done.
Having a little container full of embellishments I love is really so much more fun than the huge selection I had before. I open this happy little container and start dreaming of the possibilities!
Last night I was eager to use my new little scrapbooking station and loved that even when everything was laid out on the coffee table in a jumble, I was still able to see and use everything!
The scrapbooks sit on a shelf in my living room. One of them holds my unused page protectors.
We are doing one small thing (almost) every day for a year to create a simpler, quieter, more intentional life. Take a moment to read all About Us, check out The Rules of our year long project and sign up for our RSS feed or "like" us on facebook so that you can follow our journey to radical simplicity!
Hah - I'd love to have your "before" pile as my "after" pile. I'm trying to figure out how to get rid of scrap supplies I know I won't use. (I actually just got Project Life to scrap the pictures from my hubby and me, before we got the digital camera. But then I plan to do digital photo books with the rest of the pictures since then.) The only suggestion I've had is "the kids will love them - let them use them". But they're still in my house that way!!! Nice work getting yours sorted!
ReplyDeleteHilarie I just saw this and wondered if you still had your scrapbooking stuff. If so I have a suggestion. I took all my stuff to the Department of Child Services office in the county I work in and they were more than happy to have the stuff. They work with kids on doing life books so they need all the scrapbooking stuff they can get.
DeleteProject Life is great!!!! I stopped buying supplies because it was getting way to overwhelming! The only thing I buy now are page protectors! Pixie
ReplyDeleteI should do that with my art and craft supplies...Both me and my husband are a bit of arts'n'crafts hoarders...add a board game addiction to the mix and I'm glad we live in a 2-bedroom flat...any place we occupy gets filled with this stuff anyway!!
ReplyDeleteok- TOTALLY convicted! on EVERY.SINGLE.POSSIBLE.LEVEL!
ReplyDeleteyou got me girl. i have scads and scads of donated stuff and piles of pictures and not one single completed book! no baby books for the 5 children (oldest aged 13!) not a completed wedding album (celebrating 16 years in a few weeks). the only thing i have is a memory box for my 3 miscarriages and one giant memory box for my stillborn daughter! yeah, i need to seriously take this one to heart! ;P thanks for the conviction!!! hahahaah
i've got to go check out project life!
inspired again by your post!
ReplyDeleteMy scrapbook pile is more like a crap-book pile. I'm exhausted just looking at it.
I would be so much more inclined to actually put pages together if I weren't so overwhelmed each time I look at my stash.
ha ha , love the "crap-book" pile :)
DeleteI really like this post... or rather, I really need this post. I am also trying to get rid of things. We are hindered by all the stuff. I like that you help me to navigate through it all. I often feel overwhelmed and then I work so slowly. Thank you for sharing your life with me. God bless you.
ReplyDeleteYES! I don't understand why we think we "need" oodles and oodles of stuff to make our memories more special! Scrapbooking has become overwhelming and tedious because of all of the tools and techniques and the things we "could" do.
ReplyDeleteThank You!
Seriously need to know how you manage to keep your scrapbooks on the bottom shelf in your living room without your littlest ones having their way with them! I have 2 year old twins and a 1 yr old and here they would get ripped, crumpled and possibly eaten...lol.
ReplyDeleteI've never been one to do much baby proofing. (Except for the major safety concerns, like the safety plugs for wall outlets!) I keep breakable things on the coffee table, scrapbooks at kid height, and there aren't any child proof latches on our kitchen cabinets. I find that my kids learn pretty quickly what the boundaries are, what they may and may not touch. But Maybe I have particularly agreeable kids?! lol.
Deletedo you have any particular system or do you just explain over and over? :)
DeleteI guess I just tell them over and over again. It's just for a short season while they are learning the boundaries.
DeleteI'm just starting at scrapbooking next week so I'll keep this all in mind so that I don't get overwhelmed in the future.
ReplyDeleteWhere would be a good place to donate all my old scrapbook supplies to? I don't want to give them to Goodwill or Salvation Army, I'd rather give them to a place that would use them for free.
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't gotten rid of your scrapbook supplies trying taking them to your counties child protective services office. The office I took them too loved it because the adoption specialist uses them to help adopted kids make life books.
DeleteI don't scrapbook, but I do knit and crochet and have multiple works in progress. Will adapt this to complete all WIP before buying any more thread or yarn no matter how good a price or how beautiful the color or yarn!
ReplyDeleteI did not know you scrapbooked! :)
ReplyDeleteThis project is a great idea. I have a few scrapbooking things in about 4 places, it would be nice to have them all together.
Ieva
What a great idea! I have never been a big scrapbooker but I was huge into stamping at one point in time. I made a lot of birthday cards, christmas cards, etc. I got overwhelmed with the amount of stuff that accumulated and I gave it all away to a friend. Kind of wish I would have thought to just to limit myself instead of getting rid of it all :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm mostly guilty of buying too much paper. I was in a page of the month club for 2 years, and although I really enjoyed it, I couldn't stay in it because of all the leftovers! I'm now going to try to go a year without buying any supplies except glue, ink, etc. I bet I'll be more than fine. (I love the stuff I have too much to just cull.)
ReplyDeleteAs an artist there is a fine line between having an eye for free stuff and being a hoarder. You know you are in trouble when you see a commercial for "Hoarders" and you think:" Are they getting rid of that? I could really work with it." I do a lot of multimedia work and finding space for all the odds and ends, the rows of books, the glues, the wire, the clay, the findings etc. is crazy making. Organization is key to seeing what you have. I am a visual person and I need to see my supplies. I have tall, clear storage towers to see my supplies. The problem is that they spill out and become stale once they hit the table. Paring down and actually using what I have is my current dilemma. It is my biggest fear factor in delcuttering. I design and make rugs out of discarded wool and old t-shirts. It is always threatening to overwhelm but I have yet to figure out what to let go of as the next project may call for those materials. I don't have the answer yet but I will target it for problem solving.
ReplyDeleteFor people looking to donate scrapbooking supplies I know many church women's programs have scrapbooking as an optional class and would love to have your leftovers.
ReplyDelete