Yes, I have a shirt that says, “Paper is my weakness.” That’s why OCD with Amy D needs several blogs just to show how I organize my paper!
After last week’s blog, follower – TaffysMommy – commented about how she organizes her paper; and it made my OCD tingle! TaffysMommy organizes her solid card stock in Roy G Biv (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet) and then white, off white/ecru/ivory, tan, brown, black, gray/silver. This is also how Create and Craft’s very own Joe Rotella organizes his solid card stock! Great minds think alike!
TaffysMommy also wanted to know how I organize my print paper. She is currently working on organizing her print paper and is taking a couple of approaches. First, and I have to say I LOVE this, she is organizing her paper by categories using the same categories she has for her stickers. LOVE IT! Check out her categories: Alphabets, Angels & Fairies, Animals, Babies/Children, Backgrounds/Borders/Frames, Beach/Tropical/Nautical, Birds, Birthdays, Bugs/Butterflies, Celebrations & Congrats (accomplishments), Christian, Christmas/Winter, Design Elements/Flourishes, Easter/Spring, Encouragement/Coping, Thanksgiving/Fall, Family, Father’s Day, Feminine, Florals/Trees/Botanicals, Friendship, Halloween, Handmade By, Journaling, Love/Anniversary/Valentine/Weddings, Masculine, Mixed & Misc., Mother’s Day, Music, Numbers, Patriotic, Sentiments/Quotes, Sports, St. Pat’s Day, Sympathy, Tags, Thank You, Tiny Stamps, Travel/Recreation, Words. For those patterns that do not fall in one of these categories, she is using the Roy G Biv format with the prominent color dictating where the paper goes.
TaffysMommy, I am dying to know how you store your paper. Do you have tons of shelves? Do you have wire racks? Do you use crates? Please comment and let us know. I am truly impressed with your system!
As for how I organize, it is fairly simple as I mainly scrapbook vacations, my dogs, and Christmas. My main categories are Travel, Disney, Ireland, Dogs, Christmas, and Misc; and I use the Art Bin plastic storage containers which I stack in the closet.
The containers make it really easy for cropping. If I am working on a vacation, all I have to do is grab my Travel container, my embellishment bag, and a couple of solid card stock pads. Each container is even labeled for the times when I forget that I keep the paper for my favorite place (Disney!) in the bin that’s my favorite color (purple!).
When I’m cropping, I open the container and stand the paper up. This allows me to quickly flip through the options to find exactly what I need.
For those of you paying attention, you’ll remember I said “main categories”. After all, this is OCD with Amy D! Within each container, there are sub categories which are separated by chipboard. For example, within Travel, there is. . .
Road Trip – all manner of road signs, roads, maps, etc.
Nature – trees, fall leaves, mountains, etc.
General Travel – state specific, location specific, cameras, etc.
Beach/Ocean – water, sand, palm trees, etc.
Create and Craft followers, how do you organize your patterned paper? How do you store it? I want to know, and I would like to share it with everyone. Thanks to TaffysMommy for sharing last week!
Tune in next week when OCD with Amy D tackles the dreaded . . . paper scraps!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
You are too funny!! You know we need help with our organization! And scraps – mercy – do we have those! I can't throw out paper. Especially now!
I learned this neat little trick about using paper scraps and USArtQuest PPA to make new sheets of "quilted" paper, and… well… enough about that – it's a future post! Thanks for sharing!
Quilted paper?! OMG! I have to see that! I know scraps are a challenge for most people. I've thought about spending an entire crop with a card map book, my bin of scraps, and a sheet of sentiment stamps to see just how many cards I can make with my scraps. Nancy Schmelzer did a great class on making cards with your scraps. Hmmmmm . . . wheels are turning . . .
Amy, I'm with you…I need to see that paper quilting! Now Amy, this is the most paper I have ever seen anyone have next to my sister. LOL Love this post!