One of the problems with working, or not working, on a number of different projects at once, is storage. One minute I might buy a fabulous handmade book from Erika Van Horne for Flourish and Blotts.
The following month I will be tempted by something delicious from the wonderful Eve of After Dark Miniatures, because I just love her work and know I will always be able to find a place for something of hers!!
Then along comes Miniatura which means a visit to the stand of Annie Willis of Fine Design who makes the most realistic of owls. A must for Diagon Alley!
Then I get an email from Sally of Miss Sally's World, a cauldron full of frogs is now available.......Who could resist? Not me, obviously!
Too much football on television results in an Etsy browsing session and discover that one of my favourite sellers, the delightful and talented Peiwen of OiseaudeNim, has a towering, magical plate of witchy spaghetti. Just the perfect wizardly lunch.
I have been storing each piece in boxes for each project. Quite simply books go in the box labelled "Flourish and Blotts", potion bottles in the box labelled "Apothecary" or cauldrons in "Potage's Cauldron Shop".
All sounds very simple......except I have now got to a point where I can't remember what owls (flying or standing), potion bottles ( empty, full, fimo, glass, round, tall, tiny......), or toadstools (red, spotted, tall, short, dirty......) I actually have.
Which has lead me to have a complete sort out because I can never find what I am looking for when I do need a scroll, or a book or that pumpkin with the squinty eye that I bought two years ago at Kensington, or was it Miniatura......????
So this has been the state of my work room this week. I have moved out three 'finished' projects to create space for Diagon Alley.
I will clear away all the rubbish that has made a home for itself on my desk this Summer.
I have invested in some new storage boxes - my goodness, they seemed outrageously expensive, I am sure I could have built an extension cheaper!! - so I can see each individual piece. I have an animal box, a potions (filled) box, a spooky props box.......and so on. You get the idea.
I will still use my Fairy cartons for more specific and larger pieces. Tomorrow it will all be finished and I will be able to sit and contemplate actually making something.
Now all I need to do is remember where I packed the puppy.......
Wow! You have a big job to do. I love your puppy! Hope you find her.
ReplyDeleteHaha Janice, I wish I had your storage problems ;) What an amazing work space you have! Lily is looking utterly adorable.
ReplyDeleteLOL Janice, you wore Lily out.
ReplyDeleteI can't get the cauldron of frogs off my mind, they are awesome.
You have a beautiful space to work in.
Hugs,
Victoria
I Find I am having a Similar problem..... I buy things for one of my unfinished projects.... so they MUST go SOMEWHERE...... I am far less organized than you are.....so I really am NOT sure what I have and what I just think I Might have Somewhere....... I'm going to have to try sorting out and storing for each project..... and Maybe not starting any NEW projects for a while!!!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your Puppy picture!
And of Course, You've got some WONDERFUL treasures for when the projects are ready! I can't imagine Waiting til they ARE ready before starting to buy what goes in them!
*lol*...I know exactly what your are talking about. I also have several on-going project and a lot of new popping up all the time. Love the bottle you´ve bought, and the frogs in cauldron... I really wanted to buy that one. Love it!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant organisation! Well worth every penny spent! I love your buys too, especially the cauldron full of frogs. That is amazing!
ReplyDeleteJanice, I share your dilemma's! I too am in the midst of having a massive clear out and tidy up. I need to be better orgainised, because I start off all okay, but over time and as the buys mount up and I am unorganised again and I am back to square one and I don't know where things are! The summer house was done a few weeks ago, but now I have to do my craft room. Even if my craft room was entirely devoted to mini's I don't think I would be as orgainised as you.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree about the scandalous prices of storage, methinks IKEA is the cheapest (I have quite a few from there).
Your room is fab...it may stay like that a while! :oP
Michelle xxx
Had great fun reading this post, as my workspace is such a mess! :D
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right, storage boxes are absurdly expensive (which is also a good excuse to procrastinate the organization time) :P
Hugs,
Mij
Ps: cute puppy indeed! :)
Hi Susan, I am terribly lucky to be able to plan so far in advance but mostly I have a very understanding husband! Too many ideas and never enough time!!
ReplyDeleteHi Victoria. Sally's work is wonderfully quirky. I have had to wait a long time for her to make another batch of frogs but they were worth the wait.
ReplyDeleteHi Annie and Christine, I am hoping that this type of storage will make sure I only buy what I really need. The frightening thing was it made me realise how huge my Diagon Alley really is!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Daydreamer, this project is very long term and I have been collecting for it for about two years now. The trouble is I still have an awful long way to go!!
ReplyDeleteI am soooo lucky to have my little room though.
Hi Michelle, I am really pleased to have done this. Separating in types has helped a lot as i can see where I need to concentrate on. I am hoping it will stop me from silly impulse buys.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite strange though how some pieces just seem to have disappeared. I am sure I have been buying owls forever but I only have four 'proper' ones....how can that be right!?
Love my new boxes.
Ummm, if you're not too busy could you come over and reorganise all my craft stuff?? I used to know where everything was (at least pretty much so) before I moved altho even then it wasn't too rigorously organised, but in the frenzy of packing to move all kinds of things got popped into all kinds of inappropriate boxes (the only criteria was they they would fit!! - any notions of kind with kind, except that they were all related to dollhouse stuff in some way - went totally out the window!!) -consequently I can't find anything now. I'm contemplating emptying all the boxes out onto the garage floor and having a total reorganisation from scratch but so far I just haven't summoned up the courage ...
ReplyDeleteHaha, look at her in her cute pink collar :)
ReplyDelete