My scrap space

I'm on an organizing spree.  Seriously ..... one of my goals for this month was to touch EVERYTHING in my bedroom.  I know that sounds weird but our bedroom is the place where many things go when I don't know what to do with them or don't want the kids to mess with them.  Our bedroom is a decent size but not so much when it's stuffed full of clutter.  So I wanted to go through EVERYTHING in there.  I don't have a long attention span for big projects so one area a day:  one drawer, one surface, one whatever.  I've kept up.  I've gottten rid of a lot of things.  My scrap space is in our bedroom.  I know .... people are gasping but I actually like it there. 

We have a little spot with a window ... it was big enough for Reese's crib and when she moved out, I moved in. It's 4 feet long and 5 feet wide, yes, very small.  It's tight I have a table that we discovered in Dad's attic a stool to sit on.

This is a little piano bench across from where I'm sitting that holds some items waiting to be put away or used.

Underneath that piano bench is this paper rack.  I made this from this idea.  I like it.

I bought these stacked drawers for my embelllishments at Target.  It's not pretty but it does the job.  It sits right next to my stool and I keep my most used tools and things I would take to a crop (if I ever went to one) in that bag.

This is the drawer in the table.  Some fun stuff in here.

A lot of stuff stored under the table including another paper rack and a set of 3 plastic drawers.  Keeping things labeled helps me find it easier.

I have another stack of the Target drawers for embellishments under my sewing table.  Keeping my sewing machine out all the time has been life changing for me in sewing and scrapbooking ..... I probably use my sewing machine every single day .... before when I had to drag it out I wouldn't I hate doing that.  My sewing table is around the corner from my scrap desk. 

This is part of the top of the table.  Seeing this reminds me that I have to go through some more stuff.  That's an old drawer I bought and turned on it's side.  I love my frame inspiration board although it needs to get cleaned off too.

I love old jars and other containers to keep some stuff handy.  I think it's true that you will use more of your stuff if you see it rather than in a drawer. But since my space is limited I just have to rotate or limit what can be out.

More stuff out on the table.  I have photos in that blue breadbox.

When we drywalled our bedroom a few years ago, we discovered this empty space so we put shelves in.  They are perfect for some canvas bins and hold thickers, paint, chipboard pieces in bags, and my punches.
Someday I would love to have a little more space to spread out and more vintage looking containers but until then it works for me and my goal of scrapping 10 minutes a day has been productive.

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Another One

This 10 minutes a day this is really getting me back into scrapbooking, in a whole new way: I'm faster and using supplies I was previously hoarding (why I don't know). This is a sketch from A Million Memories. This is for my 2009 photo of the day album again. I have scrapped 14 photos for that album this week, I'll be done in no time at this rate, ha ha!

Having Strength in 2011

Here's how I plan to incorporate my word for the year into my life in 2011.

I am so glad that I made a layout about it.  I can't even remember last year's word.  I am going to hang this up front and center in our bedroom when it can be a daily reminder of what I want to achieve!

These little embellishments were a last minute thought but I think I love those labels the most as they seem to have great meaning to what I hope this year brings!

Creative Strength

One of the ways I plan to use my word for the year, "Strength", is to flex and strength my creative muscles.  I really haven't done much in the past 8 months, just a handful of layouts, mostly ones that were for gifts.  I love to make stuff even when it doesn't turn out.  I plan on working creatively at least 10 minutes every single day, NO MATTER WHAT!  So far I've done it, so 4 days into it and I have 4 layouts completely done too.  I have been working way more than 10 minutes a day, but I know that won't always happen.  I've also decided I have to finish my 2009 picture of the day album ... no, that's not a typo ... 2009 is right.  I did take all the photos and 90% of the photos are printed.  I also am trying to get back to challenges and sketches.  I saw this challenge sketch at the Stuck blog so here's my layout.

I only have 199 photos left to scrap for my 2009 photo of the day album ...

One Little Word

Christmas is gone (this year I say "Yay!") and 2011 is here (which I say "Yay!" to also) .  I always pick one word as my theme word for the year, I don't take it lightly.  Sometimes it's hard to pick and sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's easy to keep using that word throughout the year and sometimes I have actually forgotten what my word was.  It was a hard year for me, with my father dying.  I feel like I am finally on my way to climbing back up the enormous mountain that I fell down in April.  I still have a ways to go but I think I can see the peak at this point.  As I thinking about my word for the year, the word "inspiration" kept jumping out at me in various places, however it just doesn't seem to fit for me right now not that I can use some inspiration as this point in time but inspiration is not my word this time.  To be honest ,I didn't even know what my word would be when I started this post but as I type it seems clear to me right now.  My word for the year is:

STRENGTH

"You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."