Room to Scrap

After spending several years scrapbooking at my dining room table, I was thrilled when we moved to a new house with an extra room. I knew right away that this was going to be my new scrap room! After a couple of months though, it became apparent that this room was definitely not planned to be utilized this way. Bring your own fan if you want to scrap with me in the summer. And if you want to scrap with me in the winter you will need to bring your own heater! Don’t forget to turn off the kitchen lights and the dishwasher if you use the heater since they are all on the same circuit. Other than those few minor inconveniences, this room is a total blessing!

My room is located at the back of the house with the windows facing the backyard. During the day I can work and see what my kids are up to. There is also a sliding glass door which opens onto the back porch. This allows me to quickly answer the back door should an unexpected visitor show up, or rush outside if I need to break up an occasional skirmish. The scrap room opens up to our computer room/living room, so I can always see what my kids are doing on the computer or watching on the television.

My desk:
At my desk I have a desktop calendar which helps me keep track of all my scrapbooking assignments and projects. This area is also used to keep track of bills, paperwork and scrapbook ideas. Two Iris carts are underneath the desk where hanging files and assignments for the current month are stored.

My work table:
I have an 8’ work table where I keep my paper cutter, table-top lamp, and small embellishment toolbox. There are normally anywhere from two to three projects going on at once on the table so it can look pretty messy. Underneath there are two 6-drawer Iris carts where my scraps are organized by color. Off to the side of the table is a small shelf with two baskets that are filled with adhesives and paper embellishments such as tags and mini-file folders. My unmounted stamps are kept in a binder using the E-Z Mount system by Sunday International.

My storage:
The wall behind my worktable is where most of my scrapbooking items are stored. An old dresser holds stickers, folders, photos to file, and transparencies. I have a small cabinet that holds miscellaneous tools such as a Xyron, light box, punches, and cameras. Wire cubes make up a cardstock rack. Some slats were turned vertical in order to store page protectors and cardboard for mailing.

On top of the small cabinet there are vertical paper holders by Cropper Hopper. I use this system to organize all of my patterned paper. My patterned paper is divided by manufacturer in clear file folders. Matching stickers are also placed in the files with the patterned paper. This makes it easy for me to find everything that coordinates with a particular line.

One of my favorite storage solutions is my Craft-Mates binder which holds my brads. Since mini-brads are my favorite small embellishment, I have a large collection. The binder holds six containers also made by Craft-Mates. These containers have a special clasp on them that you need to push in order to lift the lids, which prevents many spills! I love that I can carry my entire brad collection with me and that I can easily see what is available for a project.

Though my room lacks any sense of real décor, I love to surround myself with things that make me smile. Many of my layouts are framed and hung around the room. Photos of my family sit on my desk and shelves. Homemade cards and tags made for me by others are displayed on my bulletin board. I truly love that I have room to scrap!