Scrapbook Saturday

A friend of mine, Beth Ann recently moved into a condo. I offered to help her. She suggested that we tackle her sewing/craft room. She has a really nice space with a huge closet full of shelves. I wish I'd taken a picture of the room before and then after, but I didn't think about it. 

The room was full of boxes. BA thought that would scare me. Hello, does she even know me? There's nothing I like better than making order out of chaos!

First, I need to say that BA owns a "concierge moving company." That means she will handle every aspect of your move from getting rid of what you don't want to packing, moving and unpacking while overseeing all of it. All you have to do is get out of the way. But she was lamenting to me that when it came to her own move, she was having trouble. I said it really boiled down to the fact that she was just plain tired at the end of the day to tackle her own job. Think the cobbler and his family's shoes. Same thing--except she has plenty of shoes (wink wink)!

As I was working at her house, I learned two new things about myself at 72 doing what I did with ease in my younger years:

1. Up and down, bending over, hurts my back. Not in any kind of debilitating way, but I definitely felt it. I ended up getting a chair and sitting next to a box while unpacking.

2. I was sweating bullets--as in sopping wet. The room was air-conditioned, so it wasn't hot. It was more to do with the fact that I was doing something that I hadn't done in a long time--the up and down, moving around one place to the next and then back again. It all added up to sweat--lots of it. I've said it a hundred times, I'm a "sweater"--and not the kind you wear--well actually I guess I do wear it!

I also remembered two old things about myself:

1. I still work fast.

2. I still love it!

Since I only had 2 1/2 hours to spare that day, I took ALL of her needlepoint floss, ribbons and fibers home with me to organize in front of the tv. That's my favorite way to do some things--kill two birds with one stone.

All of the fibers were haphazardly in the two big bins below and in the tote.

This is what it looked like when I finished.

Everything it sorted by colors, placed in ziplock floss bags and slipped on to giant rings--like binder rings but about 4". It's so easy to pull out the ring with whatever color you need and find something. It ended up costing her about $15.00 in supplies. I've done it this way for myself and Connie. It works. But the thing is, when I'm looking for something in particular, rarely do I have it! Oh well, at least I can tell quickly that I don't have something instead of searching for hours.

I wanted to add that project here before I got in to my scrapbooking. Actually it's a lead in to my organized scrapbook "stuff!"

It was time to put together some more scrapbook kits. So, it starts like this:

These pink binders hold photos. I call them my planning binders. Each page inside holds a set of photos along with any notes or ideas I have about them. They are labeled by: Family/Friends (that big one on the left), Barb and Misc. I pulled a bunch (17) out of the family and friends binder.

This is what that looks like. There are notes about layout ideas, titles, journaling or techniques I might want to try. 

Then the fun begins. I start pulling together papers and embellishments for each set.

When I finish, they go into plastic sleeves. I usually do it each time I finish planning one layout. But, I wanted you to see what the kits look like before I put them away.

These are the sleeves.

And this is what they look like all stacked up. 

Being organized is the only way to go for me. When my layouts are ready to go, I can do little things as I go along--like make the title or do the journaling. That makes for efficient scrapbooking. 

I started scrapbooking (which has turned into storytelling) all the way back in 1999. So, it's been 25 years and I'm not tired of it yet!

Okay, back to moving and organizing. I was supposed to help Connie. The day I planned to go over to the new house, she called and said that Jack had Covid! Since Amanda is moving in with them, that by the time I get over there, it will all be done!! I do have a date for the 7th to help with putting things on the walls. I can't wait!