Craft Room Clear Out Continued

This pile is just some of the things that were covering my desk and workspace.  I have been trying to find homes for all this randomness.

My desk now looks a lot more usable.  However I still have many piles and boxes to be sorted.  I'll get there one day.  I will.

More Sorting and Destashing

I freed up two more containers today by getting rid of some yarn and incomplete crochet and knitting projects.

There was over 30 orange and yellow crochet squares that were going to be my son's cot blanket.  I never did get to stitch them together - he is 20 now!!!  In addition to this I had started about four crochet blankets, a couple of scarves and other random projects that were incomplete.

Feeling pleased at having the will to give up over 20 years of projects ( if I haven't finished them as of now I never will) I trundled off to the town centre to hand them into a charity shop.  I explained that as well as various yarn I had a number of incomplete projects in the bags.  Three of the shops weren't interested.  I felt quite embarrassed as they told me they wouldn't accept unfinished items.  They said however they would take the yarn. I told them that I would only give the yarn to a shop that accepted the whole bundle!  I felt quite stroppy and nearly suggested that they finish up the projects rather than huddle around the till gossiping together!  Don't you think that a lot of charities seem so uncharitable nowadays?

Eventually I found a shop that was happy to take my donation.  I hope they are true to their word and will see that it is put to good use and that it doesn't end up in land fill. They did tell me that they have a lady that comes to the shop who buys up unfinished items and wool.  I hope they were not just humouring me.

Unburdened of these woolly items (and a little sad to let them go) I now have an accessible space to use for my papercrafting tools.

Craft Stuff

I have a lot of  'stuff' especially crafty stuff.  It is really getting me down.  I am in a catch 22 situation in that I want to make things but am unable to do so whilst I am surrounded with chaos. The chaos leads me into a downward spiral and then I don't feel like getting things sorted out. I have just bought another six 35 Litre Really Useful boxes to store my stuff - I now have 15 in total.  They are spread between the computer/craft room, hallway and bedroom.  In addition to this I have four 9L boxes, two 5L boxes, eight 4L boxes, one 3L box, two 1.6L boxes and a small unit of sixteen 0.3L boxes and a huge 64L box.  That is just the boxes I have in the Really Useful range!

I can't just 'get rid' of  'stuff' as it still needs to be sorted into what to keep and what to give/throw away and even then I have to see if it goes in recycling or normal refuse collection.  I want to keep most of it but need to find a way for the most effective way to organise my supplies.  I would love to have a clear desk space but yet again, I need the extra space to store things on top!

Today I tackled this mammoth sorting out job again.  I have a long way to go but at least I have set the ball rolling once more.  I have cardboard boxes full of random paper pieces and coloured envelopes.  My sister inquired why I sent her a shop bought Birthday card rather than make one knowing that I have all these card making materials.  She has a point.

What annoys me mostly about trying to reorganise my stuff/room is the length of time it is taking.  When I watch television shows about hoarders it only takes a couple of days to clear an entire house!  Sometimes I wish I had a skip parked outside and someone else to make the decision for me on what and what not to keep.

Just sorting out one box today I found loads of dressmakers pins loose in the bottom of a plastic bag.  I could have just thrown them away but I started to think how this would impact on the environment and could envisage wildlife looking like walking pincushions if they should frequent a rubbish tip where the pins would have been strewn.  I collected them all up and put into yet another small container.  It would have been so useful to have a magnet for this arduous task.

I wish I could focus on one area of craft. Papercraft is my first love but I feel shackled to all the jewellery making, fabric, wool and other crafts that surround me.

Organising Paper Craft Scraps

Although I made a start on organising my craft supplies earlier in the year, I came to a standstill and never finished the job.  The task was so daunting that I put it to the back of my mind.  In the bedroom there is a huge laundry bag full of over spill from the craft room blocking one of the fitted wardrobes.  Today I decided to sort out that bag once and for all!

I used Ziploc bags to categorise my card and paper scraps into colour families.

This will make it so much easier to see what I have before buying any more paper stock.

I have grouped them as blue, purple, pink, red, green, yellow, orange, brown, neutral, black and metallic.  Later on I can sub divide them further but feel that is a good start.

Thank you for the messages and suggestions yesterday.  In the evening I watched Last Night at the Proms on the t.v rather than the usual X-factor or Strictly Come Dancing.  I found the music moving and rousing and it lifted my low mood.  I slept well ( no nightmares for once) and woke up feeling in a good frame of mind.  Also, I have found a project that I can't wait to start but will leave that to talk about another time.  Sorting and having a tidy up really does bring me clarity of thought.

Sorry the photos are unclear today.  Probably forgot to use macro on the camera!

Change is in the Air

The Linden tree outside my house is beginning to lose its leaves.  With the prediction of a storm forecast for tomorrow afternoon I doubt there will be many leaves left on the branches by Sunday.  I was glad to get the chance to view the tree again before it is laid bare for winter.

My last post here was about the steps I took in order to get myself back on track with relation to how I viewed myself and my well-being.  To know that I am doing all I can do to take care of my mind and my body with nurturing and good nutrition has been a catalyst for improving other areas of my life.

Once I had 'cracked' where I wanted my life to go with emphasis on self improvement and self love, I was able to take charge of other things such as my home environment and make changes there that would have a positive impact on my (and others) life.  I had a big clear out in the summer and decluttered quite a few rooms.  Things then came to a standstill for a while (but that is OK) and I started to make small changes starting with the kitchen.  I had a sort out of the kitchen food drawers getting rid of out of date herbs and spices that I had been hanging onto for years!  Now I am much more discerning about my choice of flavourings and can gradually build up my new stock.  I bought a couple of large white rectangular plastic 'baskets 'and now my condiments, 'super-foods', and store cupboard packets are all within easy reach inside them.  Before making this change I had a chaotic 'system' of having everything loose inside the drawer.

Another change I have made has been meal prep for the week.  So, on a Sunday I decide what things I want to eat for the next few days and I do some preparation in advance.  During the week, when I cook the evening meals I always keep some aside for my lunch box.  Having systems in place is helping my life flow much more easily.

I think the key to organisation is keeping on top of things.  During my 'inertia' phase I was unable to make headway in sorting out my life.  Now I make a point of seeing what needs to be sorted and I sort it!

Once I got started with organising my life the momentum just kept things rolling!  At last after many years of a life on hold, I am making progress towards an environment that matches the life I want to lead.

The Linden tree above is a metaphor for my life right now.  The leaves that are spent fall off and new leaf buds emerge the following spring.  Life is all about change, renewal and rebirth.  The changing seasons is natures's way of showing us that nothing is static.  Everything needs to change and grow.