October 25, 2011

MFT Creative Chat - Patterned Paper Organization!


Hi everyone!  Happy Tuesday!

It's time for the MFT Creative Chat. The My Favorite Things Design Team Creative Chat is a monthly feature, where we are challenged to explore our creative spaces and share valuable organizational methods, tools, and shopping strategies with you. You'll be able to peek into our creative spaces, ask questions, and share your own ideas in the MFT forum.  This month, we were asked the following questions:  

How do you store and organize your patterned paper?   
How do you store your scrap patterned paper? 

Organization is one of my most favorite topics, and since I have a small addiction to patterned paper (grin), I am super excited to show you how I organize my collection!

A few years back my parents renovated their kitchen, and gave me their old cabinets and countertops for my stamp room.  This was a huge blessing for me and has provided me with LOTS of room for storage.  Here is a glimpse into one of my patterned paper cabinets.

This is the cabinet I go into each and every time I stamp.  I have two cabinets of patterned paper storage, and I separate them by brand...this cabinet features the brands I reach for most often.  The only houses papers that I still reach for occassionally (like Basic Grey), but not too often.

I have mostly 6X6 and 8X8 paper pads.  On the odd occassion that I purchase 12X12 paper, I always cut it down to 6x6 and store it as I do the paper pads.  I use photo boxes that I purchase from the big box craft stores when they are on sale or when I have a coupon.


In this cabinet I have my My Minds Eye papers (two boxes worth...love MME), Authentique & Crate Paper, Echo Park Papers, Cosmo Cricket and Miscellaneous (this is mostly comprised of Lily Bee, Jillibean Soup and some other companies).  Perhaps you notice something behind each of my pads...well, that is how I store my scraps!  I have a basket which holds my October Afternoon pads...those suckers don't fit into my photo boxes.
 

I use greeting card size envelopes from Staples and attach one to the back of each paper pad to hold the scraps.  This way, my paper pads stay neat and I don't lose even the tiniest bit of paper that I just may need for a project.  I prefer white envelopes (when the OCD kicks in), but lately I've been only been able to find these bright envelopes.  I try and match the envelope to the papers also (see...OCD).


I attach the envelopes to the back of the paper pad with double sided tape (I use XPress It Tape).


Here is a look at my My Minds Eye Rosy paper pad with an envelope attached to the back.  You can see all my scraps nice and neat.  Love that.


Visit Kim's Blog for a full list of designers that have taken up the challenge and get ready to delve into the minds of our creative team!

Thanks SO much for stopping by!  I can't wait to go check out how the other girls store and organize their papers!

Jodi

20 comments:

  1. NOW I get the envelope thing. That makes sense and would be a lot better than all my scraps falling out all the time. LOL Hmmm, something to think about. Thanks for sharing, Jodi. :) Make room for those 4 new pads you have coming. ;)

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  2. A-HA!!!!! I am in the same boat with Jody! Now I get it!!!!! So much better seeing them in the pictures. LOVE, the envelope idea for the scraps, I am so going to do that!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

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  3. Greta idea with the envelope (matching at that LOL!)behind the pad for scraps! Can only imagine how much fun you have playing with all your papers ;)

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  4. ohhhh I saw some paper pads there I don't have yet LOL!!!!!! Love your envelope idea which you will see on my video I have started to use too :)

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  5. Wow, thats just such an awesome idea with the envelopes attached to the back of the pads - I always find scraps of a cut pad in between other papers and never figured out how to stop it. Thanks for sharing these awesome tips!

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  6. Love that idea for keeping your scraps in the envelopes!
    Perfect for storing them handy with the pad ;)
    Rx

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  7. I think I love you more now after reading this. I already started sorting my dies in one of those little draw systems that you have and now I'm defintely going to start doing this with the envelopes. I LOVE 6x6 paper but I hate managing the scraps. I'm totally going to overhall my craft desk this weekend. (My husband might love you a little bit now too... since I'm going to clean that thing up, lol.)

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  8. Ahh, love the envelope idea! Now I just need some kind of shelving.

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  9. Your idea to store scraps in an envelope attached to the back of the paper pad is so perfect! I'm off to do that right away! Thanks!

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  10. Someone just told me about the envelopes! I'm getting some too!

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  11. ooh,the envelope idea is fantastic!!! Thanks for sharing! Love how organized you are!!

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  12. Such a brilliant idea to use the envelopes! TFS :)

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  13. I am home sick today, and just saw your envelope idea - brilliant, and I am doing that today!!

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  14. Geez, Jodi, you're a genius with the envie idea - lol! I'm forever dropping my tiny scraps when I reach for a paper pad! This is a great feature that MFT is doing to feature different organizational tips!

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  15. Thanks for all the organizational tips. I love paper too!!!!

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  16. Great organization Jodi! Love that you have a box for each brand of paper! Loving the envelope for scraps too!

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  17. Such a neat idea Jodi! Love all of your yummy papers! :o)

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  18. Oh my Aching Bacon! This is a fabulous idea Jodi! I LOVE your envelope idea! Thanks so much for sharing! :D

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  19. LOVE the envelope idea...I will be implementing that very soon! Thanks for the continual inspiration ;o)

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  20. Jen Shults mentioned your paper storage system in her TE Studio post so I had to come check it out. I'm in LOVE! I think I need to redo how I store my paper (right now they are in 12x12 31 "bins" and not very easy to access. The envelopes are a really fantastic idea since I'm not one to throw out ANY scraps!

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Thanks SO much for stopping by and leaving me some ♥!