A Storage Solution for Small Leftover Paper Scraps

The smaller your paper scraps are, the harder it is to store them. They accumulate quickly; tossing them haphazardly into a box makes it nearly impossible to find a specific paper easily later on.

Here's the strategy that works for me: I now store leftover remnants from each collage, mixed media piece, or other project that I do in a single zip top food storage bag. (Every grocery store in America sells these bags in a number of sizes.)

I just grab a bag in the appropriate size and put all my scraps from that one project into it.

You'll notice each bag will tend to have a predominant color. If you group your collage papers by color, as I do, you'll find this makes assigning the bags to the right box or bin quite easy. Bagged, those pesky scraps are so much easier to handle and sort through. The next time you need a scrap from a particular project, or in a specific color, you'll be able to find what you need in just minutes.

©2016 Lynn Edwards

Reorganizing the Studio -- Again

Some artists have studios that are models of efficiency from day one. Not mine. After occupying my 240 square foot studio for the past few years, I've decided I need to make some changes. Addressing storage issues is at the top of my list. If I can't find a way to solve them soon I'm going to go bonkers.

If I did nothing but paint, there would be no need to re-arrange things. Everything could stay just as it is. The way the studio is set up right now works great for a painter. But also working in collage and mixed media as I do, as well as home decor items, jewelry, greeting cards and even mosaics on occasion, it's obvious my current arrangement is a disaster.

How can I tell? Easy. There are so many piles of "stuff" all over the place that it's impossible to find an open horizontal surface when I need one. Dozens of cardboard boxes and bags filled with "stuff" are everywhere I look. Unfortunately, unless I actually examine the contents, I have no idea what's in them much less where to house them. So they accumulate -- on the worktables, the floor, on top of cabinets, in odd nooks and crannies -- in short, everywhere.

The collage paper are the worst. Despite a large collection of lidded storage containers and a multi-bin wire storage unit intended to house them, collage papers are scattered everywhere. Looking for a tool or a tube of paint that's gone missing is like conducting an archeological dig. First you divide the room into a grid, then start excavating. If you're lucky you'll find what you're looking for the same day. If not, it'll turn up a week or a month later when you're searching for something else.

This is crazy making times ten. Something's gotta give. So now you know what I'll be doing for the next couple of weeks: working like mad to create order from chaos.Wish me luck, and if you haven't heard from me by Friday, you might want to call in the bloodhounds.

©2016 Lynn Edwards