Scrap Area

Originally uploaded by Noell.

Even if it is just a table large enough that you can leave an in-progess layout on indefinitely; even if you have to keep all the supplies in a mobile carrier that needs to be put away, you will get faster.

My home is pretty small. I thought I had a good system before when I was working on our kitchen table. I had a large wheeled-tote and most of my supplies (except for stamps and ink) fit nicely. Because it was so organized it only took me a few minutes to get set up and then put my stuff away when I was done. It seemed like the perfect system for my small home.

Last summer I found a week in my schedule with fewer than usual obligations. I decided I was going to devote that week to “catching up” on my scrapbooking. I pulled out a folding table I had bought for the kids’ birthday parties and set it up right in the walkway of my living room. It was definitely not something I could do long-term, but we could manage it for just one week.

That one week changed everything. I was in love. I was hooked. There is nothing like having an in-progress layout laying in full view while you go about your responsibilities around the house. Housecleaning and laundrey folding are perfect times for brilliant ideas to unfold. So is sleeping. I could get up in the morning, walk by my table, glance at the page I was working on and know exactly what I needed to do next.

If I had an extra ten minutes before it was time to get the kids from school I could sit down and move things around and make good progress. What is amazing about having in-progess layouts before you at all times is that you don’t have to designate a scrapbooking time and then force your muse to work according to your schedule.

Have you done that? Have you pulled out your stuff and then just sat there, not knowing what to do? For some people (and myself before I got a scrapbook area) a lot of scrapbooking time is lost to sitting and thinking.

When you have your own area for your projects to sit indefinitely, you don’t have to commit to your alotted scrapbooking time when your muse is sleeping. You can do other things. And then when that burst of inspiration comes (and it will if your project is sitting in view) you can dash over to the table and work side-by-side with your elusive muse.

Having had that table set up for the week, I knew it was a much better system. But I couldn’t stay set up where I was. And my house is small. There was no spare space. I’m super lucky to have a supportive husband. He saw how much I loved having my own table and he suggested we move that table into the corner of our bedroom. I told him there was no way it would fit.

There is an important key here to make note of: most of us have more space than we realize. There was space on both sides of my dresser. We moved the dresser over to one side of the wall, and sure enough, there was just enough space to fit my 6×11 ft. folding table. Storage for my supplies could go above and below. There was even a little space to the side to put an old end table and my painter’s easel!

I love my scrap area. It’s not glamorous. But it inspires me all day long. It was one of the biggest factors in cutting down scrapbooking time. Most of the brainstorming part of scrapbooking now happens while I am driving, exercising, or getting household chores done. My actual time at the table is mainly about putting it together.

I realize not everybody actually has undiscovered space for a table as big as mine (although I bet many do). I am sure, though, that most everyone can find space for a table just large enough to hold their layouts. If nothing else, make your supplies mobile but have a permanent table to keep layouts on. Always have something in sight that you can work on mentally until you have time to do it physically.