Organize Your Scrap Space - 2010 Edition - Week 5 It's All About the Photos

[party of 3]

I think that might have been me!

 

[morgansmom2000]

I think that might have been me!

Or your phone.

 

[party of 3]

do you hear church bells???

 

[ddavis860]

You guys are cracking me up!!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

OK, so how do I broach the subject with DH about either packing up the furniture in the dining room or getting rid of it.
Honestly it's not our taste but I don't think he's ready to get rid of it, especially with the first anniversary of his mother's death coming up right after her b'day.

Well Dh said today nothing in the house was sacred. Well gee thanks, guess my albums aren't important. You have no idea how bad I wanted to say the get rid of the dining room furniture, but I held my tongue. That's a fight for another day.

BAMB - how long is it til the birthday/first aniversary? If its not long I'd wait til a few weeks after, otherwise I'd go down the "I can see its making you sad having so many of your mom's things where you can see them, but I understand why they are special to you. Why don't we store them for a bit til we decide what we want to do/have room to display them in a better setting?" route. Not knowing your DH I don't know if he's fall for tht - but my DH can rarely reciognise sneaky! (He's so unsentimental he wouldn't keep much "in memory" of anyone, but its hard to get rid of furniture with a "value" to echange for stuff with no resale value but great practicality - like space to put my scrap stuff in

Her birthday would have been January 26 and her death date is January 29. Too much to ask right now.
I did suggest storing the furniture in the storage unit so we can have a place to stage stuff from our room to do the built ins. He's chewing on that one for a bit before commenting.

 

[hopemax]

OK, so how do I broach the subject with DH about either packing up the furniture in the dining room or getting rid of it.
Honestly it's not our taste but I don't think he's ready to get rid of it, especially with the first anniversary of his mother's death coming up right after her b'day.

Well, in my house it's just better to beg forgiveness than ask permission. However, I know from my Dad that men losing their moms complicates things.

I have been out of the loop, but are your long term plans, now, to stay in Blink? I would probably approach it as part of a more detailed talk about the future. Are these pieces that, even though they aren't your style, would be something that he would like to give to Princess Blink someday? Do you, or will you have the ability, sooner rather than later, to store them? And I think it is important for you to have your own space. If not the dining room, have you ever seen the Scrap Shack on the Cricut messageboards?
http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=5743897

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

No we don't intend on staying in Blink forever. I need a bigger house and if I'm going to move again it's going to be my forever house which is not here. (to darn cold)
However saying that, we have decided that if we move abroad (total potential for this with the new job) we would leave all furnishings behind and either store the important stuff or get rid of everything and start fresh.
I'm not sure if DD or the boys for that matter would want anything. I just don't want to make them feel like they have to keep it to make DH happy.

I do have the ability to store them off site. We have a 10 x 10 storage unit that has MIL's other furniture in it. It is climate controlled so the furniture would be fine.

Love the Scrap Shack! That is great, I just don't know how I could keep mice out. They are sooo bad here because of the farm land around us. I can't even keep them out of the house. But yes, and separate space would be awesome.

We are going to build the first of 2 additions on the house this year (I hope). A permanent office for DH and a bedroom over it for DS13. Then I can reclaim part of the basement or the end of the living room.

I could do something in the basement if I could empty it, dehumidify it more (we have a plumbed in dehumidifier) and deal with the little water issue we have left. We also have a loft over the garage but the garage is detached and has no heat/AC. I would need to insulate and get heat out there.
But we are considering tearing down the garage to build the second addition and a new garage that my car will actually fit in.

Sorry, I feel like I'm monopolizing the thread!

 

[joyah]

Buffy you're not monoplizing the thread at all.
My BF and I were just discussing the issue of scrap rooms last night ( and no I'm not admitting to how much alcohol was consummed during this session). Both of our houses are small. Mines 1486 sqft and hers is maybe 1200ish She is lucky though cause she has the space to have and actual room we're guessing it's probably 10x10. She is a SU rep so lots of stamps to store. She has decided to rip out the carpet and all the xtra funiture that been put in there and start from scratch.
I on the other hand am stuck. until the boys will give up their play room I have no space. It's not feesable to do a 2 story addition and I have no place to put the office. So the best I can come up with is to put the futon into the playroom and gain 3' on 1 wall and 6 feet on the back wall. Since this is a loft there is a 3' solid wall along the front.

Lets see if anyone ca tackle my space. On the right as you come in the door is the 3' wall first thing is a built in bookcase, right nest to that is the boys scrap desk. Coming out of the wall into the room is my cupboard dad built to house the scrap stuff This piece is VERY functional because the boys can acess the top the cuttlebug/kids and their stuff is on theie side and cricut is on my side. then comes my chair and table which comes out of the wall and runs along the side wall of the house. My table seems to work well it is the sauder sewing table all the scrapbacks hide behind the door with the extra top up. next to that is an old pantry it works for small supplies and picture boxes. Next is an old small table that holds the laptop and I sit on one corner of the futon which runs along the back wall. Then is a small end table the boys use but is totally in my way I used to have it like a coffe table in front of the futon then a filing cabinet. the rest of the back wall and wrapped around the corner is Toms office area desk and computer. Then comes his bookcase file. This is his childhood bookcase so I CAN NOT get rid of it. and with about 2' your back at the door. At the end of the cabinet dad made is a small table that holds my sewing machine. it works cause I don't have to keep pulling it out and it's right at the flat surface for the quilt peicing and I put out a tabletop iron board on my scrap table.

So what do you all think?

 

[PinballFamily]

Didn't you tell us you only started scrapping a year or so ago! I can't imagine using your supplies in a decade.

Rebecca

Yep - I moved scrap stuff into this room almost exactly one year ago to the day. Did my first scrap pages a week or so later. When we get into a new interest...we get pretty manic!

To be fair...I didn't just decide to take over the dining room. To move the scrap stuff in, we had to move five or six (real - arcade size) pinball machines out of the room. They're now in the basement - it has been a long time since the room was a real *dining room*!!!!

We know we're a strange family...but, boy do we have fun!

 

[PinballFamily]

LOL, I noticed the liquor in the cabinet, I want to see pages after you've dipped into that!!

What sharp little peepers you have there, Miss Buffy!!!

We don't visit that cabinet often (now, maybe *that's* my problem!!!) - so I forget those bottles are in there!

Cheers!!!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Buffy you're not monoplizing the thread at all.
My BF and I were just discussing the issue of scrap rooms last night ( and no I'm not admitting to how much alcohol was consummed during this session). Both of our houses are small. Mines 1486 sqft and hers is maybe 1200ish She is lucky though cause she has the space to have and actual room we're guessing it's probably 10x10. She is a SU rep so lots of stamps to store. She has decided to rip out the carpet and all the xtra funiture that been put in there and start from scratch.
I on the other hand am stuck. until the boys will give up their play room I have no space. It's not feesable to do a 2 story addition and I have no place to put the office. So the best I can come up with is to put the futon into the playroom and gain 3' on 1 wall and 6 feet on the back wall. Since this is a loft there is a 3' solid wall along the front.

Lets see if anyone ca tackle my space. On the right as you come in the door is the 3' wall first thing is a built in bookcase, right nest to that is the boys scrap desk. Coming out of the wall into the room is my cupboard dad built to house the scrap stuff This piece is VERY functional because the boys can acess the top the cuttlebug/kids and their stuff is on theie side and cricut is on my side. then comes my chair and table which comes out of the wall and runs along the side wall of the house. My table seems to work well it is the sauder sewing table all the scrapbacks hide behind the door with the extra top up. next to that is an old pantry it works for small supplies and picture boxes. Next is an old small table that holds the laptop and I sit on one corner of the futon which runs along the back wall. Then is a small end table the boys use but is totally in my way I used to have it like a coffe table in front of the futon then a filing cabinet. the rest of the back wall and wrapped around the corner is Toms office area desk and computer. Then comes his bookcase file. This is his childhood bookcase so I CAN NOT get rid of it. and with about 2' your back at the door. At the end of the cabinet dad made is a small table that holds my sewing machine. it works cause I don't have to keep pulling it out and it's right at the flat surface for the quilt peicing and I put out a tabletop iron board on my scrap table.

So what do you all think?

I need pics, I'm a visual learner.

Our house is 1100 sq feet. 2 bedroom, 3 rooms downstairs (living, dining, kitchen) so I feel your pain! I'm where your friend is, I'm just going to have to pack it all up, rip it apart and start over.

 

[joyah]

Okay Buffy you asked for it. I was clean till I started pulling things to try and organize better and I have 2 quilts out that are in process . Let me go find the camera and up load some

Pam I'm in awe. please come organize my house.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I will be on the lookout. I have to go put laundry away now and take DH to the airport so take your time!

 

[ddavis860]

Yeah, I need pics too.

Coming from a tiny 2br, 1 potty house, I so know the need to repurpose and get creative with stuff!

 

[hopemax]

I need pics and floorplan. In general, as well as using vertical space, make sure you are using the center of the room too. I tend not to put couches against walls, takes up too much real estate. But the same principle for work spaces. If there is room to put work spaces in the center of the room, and then have storage options on the actual walls. What are the dimensions of your office?

 

[PinballFamily]

PBF- I totally bow down to your organization and vision! Just beautiful!

So please tell me how you mounted the wire cube sides on the plastic drawers... Heck, how did you mount them on the desks too? I have an excess of these things, and never thought of using them in that way

What are the little shelves holding the stickles?

Where did you get that amazing chrome wheeling tall cart?

I so want to come and play with you guys!!

Ok, Deb, thanks for your compliments - and these are all good questions.

I'll try to explain how each thing came about - basically, I play around with stuff and cannibalize parts and things to get a result I need.

First: mounting pegboard, the rhinestone magnetic board, and stuff onto the wooden desks. Easy - each piece is just mounted with a couple of wood screws directly into the desk. Depending upon where you would put it, you might need the little plastic spacer cylinders (they fit around the screw) to hold the board about 1/4 inch away from the desk, so the pegboard hooks fit in. I cut down my pegboard to the sizes I needed (although the home center big box stores will also cut the sizes you need - mine just came out of the basement) and put the hooks in. I did make the little shelves the Cricut carts are on out of 4" wide craft wood (Ms/ACM, etc. have this).

Second: the wire cube sides. I bought three of these - forget the brand...Cropper Hopper? - to be my primary paper storage racks

http://www.organize-it-online.com/itm_paperstorage.html

at ACM with 50% off coupons (54.99 to 27.50). I kind of used parts of them where I needed to actually build my paper storage racks, and spread the extra wire sides around the room and used them to hold other things. I used some of the wire panels on the plastic storage shelf tower. This close-up shows how I got it on the plastic.

I used two 2" high bolts and two nuts. I put two big old dollops of "Goop" brand glue (love this stuff!) on top of the plastic storage tower. I pushed a bolt and nut (I don't think you can - but maybe you can see the nut at the very bottom of each bolt?) into each glue blob and I let it cure for about a week. I zip-tied three of the wire grids together, strung monofilament fishing line through the top corner squares and hung the rack from the bolts. This storage works really well for very light items - I've got quite a bit of pop-dots, felt border embellishments, etc. on it and it has been holding up beautifully for many many months. The fishing line is barely visible in the photo.

Third, the baskets holding the stickles. This is one of my newest brainstorms - just a few weeks old. I hate not using *any* space in this room! But, the room's heating duct is under the computer table, so I couldn't put a pegboard sheet on the side of the computer table, as it would block too much of the warm air coming out. So, my excess wire grids again to the rescue! Four of them are zip-tied together into a square. The little clear drawer organizer trays are by Interdesign (the "Linus" line). They are available at pretty much any Ace Hardware. The 2" wide ones hold two rows of Stickles perfectly. Each of the clear trays is held onto the wire frame by two white zip-ties - more clearly shown in the close-up below. Not as pretty as I'd like, but absolutely functional.

And last...my newest creation (I sound like Dr. Frankenstein!!!)...the tall chrome shelf tower. This space also had a raft of challenges - it is only about 14" square, but 8+ feet tall. And I needed to access three sides of the rack...and it needed to spin and move out (the house thermostat is behind it)...and it needed to be sturdy enough to hold a lot of supplies...and I needed to hang lots of embellishments from it easily. Whew - I searched EVERYWHERE for something to meet my needs - nuttin'. Finally, I found an individual shelf (with four legs) on Amazon and used a bunch of them to create the tower I needed:

http://www.amazon.com/Whitmor-6054-...2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1263152994&sr=8-2

Each shelf was $13 and could easily be screwed together to make a variety of storage shapes. I bought eight (for the shelves), but used only six of the sets of legs to get the functionality and height I needed. It didn't come with any casters, but the (unused) casters that came with my wire paper storage racks above, FIT PERFECTLY and securely into the bottom of the tower legs! I LOVE THIS TOWER! It holds everything I need it to and I can spin it around to store and get to all my embellishments hanging all over it from dozens of little S-hooks (again, Ace Hardware).

I want you to come play with us, too! (Us Delaware girls have to stick together!) Let me know if any of this isn't clear - I'll try to explain better.

I love that little (ok...not-so-little!) Scrap Shack! Hmmmm...now that I've annexed the dining room a square foot at a time, maybe I can move out into the back yard! (Insert evil cackle laugh...!)

 

[ddavis860]

Thanks so much for taking all that time to explain! I never thought about using the sides of those plastic drawers...very cool idea! I like seeing all my things, or I forget about them.

I love that wire rack! I'm so getting some of those... Jumping off the ban wagon for a min to get some...

OK, back to cleaning up my Crap Room...DS17 gave me a lecture. He helped me get a plan for the layout of the areas of the room , then says "OK Mom, Get to it"

 

[hopemax]

I gotta ask...How did you get so many Stickles? Did you order them online, store going out of business...I thought I had a lot, mostly thanks to AZ Rita . But I think I have maybe 1 basket's worth or maybe 2. How many of each color do you have?

 

[PinballFamily]

Here's the list pasted from "My Scrap Crap" list I update regularly and walk around with in my wallet. The number in () is the quantity I have:

Stickles &
Liquid/Dimensional Pearls
Baby Blue (3)
Black Diamond (5)
Butterscotch (DP – 1 oz.)
Candy Cane (3)
Champagne (5)
Christmas Red (4)
Cotton Candy (3)
Crystal (5)
Dark Blue (2)
Diamond (1)
Emerald Green (LP)
Espresso (DP – 1 oz.)
Eucalyptus (1)
Faded Jeans (1)
Frayed Burlap (1)
Frosted Lace (3)
Fired Brick (1)
Fruit Punch (1)
Gold (2)
Gold (LP)
Grape (5)
Green (3)
Gunmetal (1)
Holly (1)
Icicle (3)
Lime Green (4)
Magenta (1)
Mermaid (5)
Milled Lavender (1)
Orange Peel (5)
Peeled Paint (1)
Pink (2)
Purple (1)
Ruby Slippers (5)
Scattered Straw (1)
Sequins (6)
Silver (1)
Silver Ice (1) (Lg. Ice Stickles 1oz)
Spiced Marmalade (1)
Stardust (3)
Starry Nights (3)
Tiara (4)
Turquoise (1)
Vintage Photo (1)
Walnut Stain (1)
Waterfall (4)
Wild Plum (DP – 1 oz.)
Worn Lipstick (1)
Yellow (4)

The real (fun!) story of how 90% these were acquired:
I didn't know about Stickles a year ago. TinkerBean did and had some, but I thought "Sheesh..$2 bucks a bottle...that stuff better be good!" and didn't have any. When the two of us wandered into our local ACM one day last Feb or March, we noticed MANY of the Stickles 3-packs hanging from pegs on an end cap. There seemed to be several different color combo sets. We hadn't *ever* seen Stickles there before (or since). They did not have a price on them, but I had one ACM 50% off coupon and took a package to the register to see how much they were. The guy scanned it and I was told the 3-packs were on clearance for $1 each! TB and I raced back to the end cap, and TOTALLY cleared it off in about five seconds flat. I got 37 packs and I think she got about 30! That was the beginning of my Stickles addiction. I've bought a few more individual colors at CKC and LSSs, but mostly just to fill in...ahem...gaps in the collection!

 

[joyah]

Pam you need to move north for about a week and tackle my room!! the up close pics are amazing I'm a farm girl and I would never have come up with those solutions. Although I'm pretty handy with duct tape and bailing twine.


Okay ladies you asked for them so here they are.

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this pic is as you walk in the door on your right is the bookcase, the boys scrap desk and the back side of the cabinet dad built

[/IMG]
this is the small sewing table at the end of the cabinet

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this is the work area I love it because all I have to do is turn around and everything is right there in easy reach

[/IMG]
a picture of the actual desk. the baskets and box hold the inprocess stuff normally, they need to be cleaned. and I think you can see why I would have fallen off the wagon if I'd included pictures in the monthly budget. The end of the desk holds another of dad's creations My stamp pad box.

[/IMG]
a better shot of the box

[/IMG]
cabinet holds extra supplies and picture backlog. completed albums still in the crate from xmas they need to go back to the living room. the side of my computer table and the corner from which I talk to all of you.

[/IMG]
fouton and burried table

[/IMG]
Tom's corner of the world and your back to the door

[/IMG]
floor plan the room is 12 x12 ish
so this is my PTA room I just need a bigger room or less stuff.
My other issue is if I take out the futon I'm going to need a chair for the laptop area and there are a bunch of Projects under the futon, heritage that I'm still gathering, back log of all the old pics (I really should move them to the top of our closet.