To organize or not to organize... that is the question!

I started out with a tote that I stored my scrapook materials in. Then I bought a few little boxes. Soon I commandeered a bookshelf in the guestroom, and the next thing I know... I had taken over the entire room. How is it that this innocent hobby became an obsession, an obsession that requires massive amounts of storage and work space?



With all of the goodies out there available for scrappers, finding a good way to store all the pretties we "need" can be a challenge. From large, 12x12 papers to tiny little brads and snippets of ribbon, the range of storage needs are vast. And if you are like me (read pack rat), I take the "scrap" in "scrapbooking" seriously. I can't bear to toss my pretty scraps! One never knows if, the next time you go shopping, that particular paper will be gone. Sold out. No reordering in sight! Perish the thought! So I have baskets full of scraps. I tell myself that I will most definately use them for cards. Or tags. Or future piecings. If I just had one more drawer to store the latest scraps I saved....

And ribbon. Oh, ribbon... wherefore art thou so unruly? Why does the ricrac insist upon hiding in a tangle under a spool of polkadotted grossgrain?

Whether you have a box on a shelf or an entire wing of your house to scrap in (hey- a girl can dream), what are some of the best organizing tips you have found? Maybe you have a foolproof way to store your ribbon. An ingenious way to sort your Primas? A method for managing mismatched scraps? A system for keeping your workspace tidy? Share your tips!

What's Hot, What's Not...

Recently, the designers at BTDL were doing some much needed Spring Cleaning. No, we weren't washing windows. Or dusting. And we were definatelynot doing laundry... we were organizing our scrap spaces! If you are like us, you have your stash of papers, tools, embellishments, ribbons, adhesive, chipboard... well, the list goes on. So many fun products, so little time!

And how times have changed! A few years ago (OK, more than a few) fancy edged scissors were all the rage. Crinkle edges, lacy edges, zig-zag edges, swirly edges, "torn" edges... And who could forget shape templates? Square or rectangular photos were passe, and every photo had to be a circle, or heart-shaped, or star shaped, or cloud-shaped...

Trends come and go, and will even come back again. What trends do you see as "hot" right now?