Scrapbookers Inner Circle

Even More-is-More Gals Can Be Practical

Another way to “have it all” in a small space is to put together a community of scrapbook friends who are willing to trade tools and unique supplies. If you really want to try that peach colored glitter (when you already have a perfectly good light orange glitter) maybe you could justify the purchase and the space utilization if you know you are going to trade those unused glitters with a friend.  And the bonus is that she probably has some other element that would go to waste if she didn’t pass it on. 

Reality check: Go on a Craft Diet

My life-loving, miraculously organized friend aside, just because you want to try it all, doesn’t mean you have to go whole hog with every trendy color scheme and sticker collection.  Think of it like being on a diet of sorts:  there’s no need to cut out what you love altogether.  You really can have it all, just limit your portion sizes.  In other words, acquire what you fancy; just not all of it at once.  The best way to do this is to organize your time. Limit your choices to two or three projects at a time, or take a strict linear approach and restrain your project resources to one book or card set at a time.

The Case Study

Just to prove that space doesn’t matter when it comes to “where your heart is,” I’m going to tell you about a friend of mine who had a serious scrapbooking bug.   I use the word bug kindly because hers was more like a sickness.  To give you an idea of her, ahem, passion for accumulation: she purchased some wedding-themed supplies several years after she and her husband tied the knot and after she had already made her own wedding scrapbook.  I happened to be along on this particular shopping spree, and I wondered aloud if she was making something special for someone she knew.  “No. I just love these.  I’m sure my daughter will get married someday, and then I’ll be glad I have these things!”  I politely refrained from remarking that she didn’t’ have a daughter, because her inevitable answer would have been “Oh, but I will!”

Know and Use What You Have – Choose What to Keep

There is a great organization system call the “elfa” system which is built right onto your wall to your specifications. If your scrapbook hobby is truly an integral part of your life, it might be a good idea to designate a hallway, or the wall of one bedroom or office just for keeping (and using!) your supplies.

Reducing

If you are sincere about reducing your inventory, the first step is to NOT purchase more than you need in the first place.  Buy what you love and ignore the rest.  Stay away from the huge slabs of paper and the stamps in every theme.  If you are part of a scrap booking group, convince members to purchase just one die cut or rubber stamp font each, and then respectfully rotate and borrow from one another.  I’m sure your goodwill in organizing such a system will be appreciated by all. 

The Greenie

The most horrifying sight to the Greenie is a trash can full of perfectly good scraps.  You are heartbroken when a jar of glitter glue dries up before you’ve used it all.  You’ve been known to keep an old greeting card because you’re sure the image on the front could fit into a layout some day.  In a way, you are the truest of scrapbookers because you know the meaning of “scraps,” and you value the smallest one.  You see something desirable in almost everything and feel obliged to either use it yourself or pass it along to someone who will.