I’m so sorry for the delay in posting. I got rather busy with work, the business, getting the yard in shape, the garden ready for planting (and some planting done), and life in general.

I wanted to show you how I organize my stuff that’s “out in the open” in my bookshelf and in my desk. I have plans drawn up for a really cool big, red bookshelf to replace the small brown Sauder one that’s currently in the space. I “kinda” ran out of money for the red bookshelf during our remodel because I chose a more expensive faucet set for the tub/shower/sink in the master bath AND ended up putting in a granite counter top… so, I guess I didn’t really “run out” of cash, I “reallocated it” … lol! Anyway… some time this summer when we find some time, Brent and I will build the big red bookshelf! Until then, this is what I have in the space and it is working fabulously for me.

BOOKSHELF ORGANIZATION:

The current bookshelf sits at the end of my desk. Here’s a view of it from down the hall that goes to the rest of the basement. My closet is on the left. You’ll see the first photo again in the next post when I put it all together for the full view. 🙂

{Click on photos for large views”}

The bookshelf is a GREAT example of how I like to have things visible/open/out in the open but contained and everything has a home.

I have gobs of ribbon because I “*think* I might be addicted…. It’s stored in 3 places: extra weird ribbons and fibers in the closet, scrap pieces and tiny spool in a jar (coming next post), and spooled ribbon in the RibbonStak from Stamper Storage. I have not decided on a color to paint it yet, because it depends on the red bookshelf making it in the room… so it sits in here naked… next to the lovely white Magpie storage from Quickutz. I flipped the silver boxes upside down and use it to contain a variety of items such as: mini metal alpha charms (for jewelry, crazy ladies, and papercrafting), a large grommet setter, extra shuttles and blades for paper cutters, metal rimmed tags, etc. There’s a jar of beads, an old soda bottle that holds my red buttons and some red silk flowers that I snip off to use on cards and a metal bucket with odds n ends blingy things like sticky rhinestones, etc.

Movin’ on down the bookshelf…. to my “cutting station”. Some folks have a dedicated table/space to cut with their Cricut/Wishblade/Silhouette, etc…. I haven’t decided what I want for an electronic cutter yet {well sorta leaning towards the freedom of a Silhouette} so I just cut and emboss everything with my Cuttlebug and a little elbow grease. The Cuttlebug fits neatly between two baskets {recycled from the family/media room} which hold my various cutting and embossing dies {Nesties, Sizzix, and Cuttlebug} and odds & ends stamps. I was having a hard time keeping track of what CB embossing folders I had… could never remember their names, so I looked them up online and wrote my name and the name of the folder on each folder with Sharpie. Works great now! I keep the Nesties banded together by shape.

I store my CTMH square packaged stamps in an AWESOME set of drawers that Brent built for me for Christmas. Again, no color decided yet and I’m searching for the perfect drawer pull handles for the fronts. These are amazing little drawers… I think the super packed middle drawer holds 23 sets of stamps. That’s a lot in one little space! I’m out of space for these stamps already and thankfully there are pieces for a second set of drawers cut out in the workshop.

There are several white photo boxes on the next shelf down that hold a variety of extra goodies. I like being able to pull out a box and set it on my desk while I’m working, then toss all the goodies back in the box and put it neatly on the shelf. Closed and contained! I store my embossing powders, adhesives, etc in them. {It’s funny, glue sticks are awful for scrapbooking and I really don’t like them, yet I have a zillion of them… lol!}

Bottom shelf – My paper is all neatly stored in Cropper Hopper vertical boxes. I sort most by color and by brand in individual 12×12 file folders. Patterned papers are stored together by general theme; polka dots, stripes, vintage, wedding, red patterned, pink patterned, etc. I keep my CTMH kits/packs in the plastic bags they came in. It helps me keep track of what goes with what. 🙂 {I need to do some purging of the paper collection… there’s paper in that collection that I will probably never use!}

DESK/WORK SPACE ORGANIZATION & SET UP:

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE my humongous desk and work station. Brent and I built it several years ago to fit this wonky space. It has a bunch of drawers and cubbies for all kinds of great organization. The far end is used for computing and Stamper Storage business work, but the end closest to the closet and bookshelf is my fun creative space.

The InkStak is a custom build by my sweet husband, Brent. Regular InkStaks can be customized at Stamper Storage, but this one is super special. Brent custom built the trim on this sweet baby and picked out “just the right pink” paint. {I tell you, I am the most handicapped paint color chooser on the planet.} This InkStak holds 90 inkpads and 60 + markers {or 10 more inkpads to total 100 inkpads, which is likely going to be happening soon and the markers will find a new home!} I love my InkStak, the inkpads slide out easily and stack nice and neatly. Currently mine are sorted by color and brand with StazOn, etc down at the far right. I love being able to reach up and grab a color, then reach up and put it right back away so that I don’t have piles of inkpads all over the place while working.

A bar and bucket rack from Ikea hangs below my InkStak. I saw this in the store and immediately knew I had to have it! Bought it, took it home, and waited until I had a place for it to go… lol! It sat in the closet for nearly a year!

The buckets hold all sorts of crafty tools and supplies. They are visible and easily accessible, yet contained neatly to appease my “need for neat”… hehe! The scissors and knives are stored point down in a bucket of white beans. The beans seem to help keep the points sharp and from banging against each other. I love having my “most often used” tools, liquid glues, and gadgets easily accessible here.

There’s a drawer and cabinet in the desk to the left of my creative station. Here I’ve organized more fun gizmos…

I keep my punches and decorative scissors in a bucket/basket {which I have outgrown since this photo and need to rethink} in the base cabinet.

The drawer holds adhesives that I m currently using, acrylic blocks {under the double scrubber}, heat gun, sponges, 12” trimmer, glitter and beads. The glitter and beads needed to be stored as close to the creative station as possible to keep the “glitter dust” confined… Brent is really good about everything in our home {including the dog} being covered in glitter from time to time, but I gotta keep it to a minimum… “:)

Oh, and I have this HUMONGOUS drawer in the center of the desk spanning a double door base cabinet where the computer and printer live.…. I can’t seem to keep it neat. What’s the matter with me? Keeping it real here…

And that, my friends, is how the bookshelf and desk are organized. I tried to pare down supplies and make it an efficient working space. I hope you’ve found something here that has inspired you for organizing your space!

Next Up: The whole shabang… Part 5: How it all fits together in my small space.