Three Things : On My Table

Ali, have you seen the latest on the proposed new FTC rules regarding product endorsements and reviews? The 3 things post reminded me about the reading I did yesterday over on Scrapbook Update. Here's a link:
http://www.scrapbookupdate.com/scrapnancy/2009/04/proposed-ftc-regulation-change-could-affect-scrapbook-marketing.html
This is my 1st comment on your blog - You inspire me with your creativity and realistic approach to all parts of your life! Thanks so much for sharing with us.

Both of my scrapping desks are currently in a state of dismay, but I did get some creative things done last week in there! BTW, you will love the scalloped MS punch! My favorite way to use it is to take vintage flashcards and punch the edge.

My craft room is in a shambles as we are peeling wallpaper and preparing to roll on primer to paint my craft room! I can envision what it will look like when it's done, but right now I have my "must haves" in a rolling cart so that I can still create while we are re-doing my room!

Ali - I have been working in something I call "scrapbook bytes" - on the same realm as "sound bytes" - just little minutes here and there to work on a project or create a card or two. I'm working on about 1/8 of the table because of the mess. I'm stepping over piles of paper, my scraps aren't hitting the trashcan, and it's getting out of hand!!! I plan to really clean my room this weekend and I'll probably find a lot of things that I'll be able to use soon!!!
Jenell

my scrapbook area is normally in our unfinished basement- however, the winters in MT are cold & so i move my stuff up to our dining room. it's a mess right now...trying to get class samples ready...going to start teaching again. feels good to have new stuff to play with.

My husband and I share a space and if I go too long without cleaning up he starts telling me that going into the "office" makes him depressed. So, he was feeling mighty depressed last weekend, so I spent almost all of Saturday sorting, purging and reorganizing! I'm just waiting for those clear paper trays to come from scrapbook.com and my area will be completely reorganized!
But yes, I know about the mess. It's hard to keep on top of it. The other problem I have is with mail. Even with reducing the number of catalogs and stuff I receive, the volume of mail we get seems ridiculous.

My work table is filled with things I've been working on for my scrappin' retreat this weekend. I have table numbers that I made, menus for our guests to choose from, welcome gifts, welcome packets, rooming lists, massage schedule, door prizes, scraps of paper from the welcome sign I made and the start of class kits for both of the classes I'll be teaching. I hope to be able to see the actual table again after the event is over!
escapetocreate.com

My desk is never really clean, except for the time company is coming and I throw everything on top into a box to store in the garage! Tim Holtz said he always puts everything away, every night, but if I did, I'd never finish anything. When you have little kids, you find moments to steal away to the desk to put a little paint here, or a little item there. If everything were put away, I would lose those moments, and thus lose art time!

Someone once told me to take a look at the teacher's desk when making the choice of whom to choose as a teacher. If it was neat and tidy, were they spending more time being neat and tidy or more time teaching? So, glad you are spending more time with Anna!

OH! I love the MS punch. I just bought that last week. LOVE IT LOVE IT!!!

So, this is probably a silly question...how do I get a photo of myself in the little square like many of you have? Thanks for the help!!:)

My area is definitely a mess. My word for the year is simplify and therefore I'm thinking organizing and purging would help me do that. It's amazing what we find when we start digging.

okay i admit it, my desk is always a mess! I'm usually surrounded by paper, paints, inks and pens, with a small square do actually do the work on. Time is so precious when you have four-year-old twin boys that tidying up always seems to be a want to rather than a do!

Ali I know I just left a comment, but whenever someone complains about a messy desk I'm always reminded of the quote:
"If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is an empty desk a sign of . . .?"
KazT

The bigger the mess, the better the project;) I am in the middle of a creative mess right now too! I have had time in the past few days to sit down and actually scrapbook:) It has been great, but the mess is a bit out of control right now - I want to leave it as is so I can just jump right back in later!! Love todays 3 things, especially the Martha punch!!!

Try a I may I alway seem to be working in a mess. On my desk everyday are pens, post it notes, scrapbooking books and magazines, photographs and my computer and wacom pad and pen.

On my desk is one of my 3 up albums that I store photos in--I put more pictures in last night while watching a little TV; some picture coasters that I got for Christmas that I actually want to put pictures in and use; and finally my gratitude spinner! I started mine like yours--have a section for each of us and now I am adding twice a month a challenge I am doing called His Holy Name 09 challenge and I am making my pages 4x6 and adding them to my spinner--I am slightly behind so I have it here so I can get these done!! Oh and by the way your desk is NOT a mess!! Mine was on Saturday when my youngest daughter surprised me and came home from college and needed to sleep in my scraproom!! :)

hey Mel, let me tell you, you're not the only one. I create, and create, and create until my scrap space (aka hole in the wall basement - smile) is overflowing with stuff, and piles and ribbon, and what seems like trillions of little itty bits of paper strewn all over the place. Then I visit the two peas gallery and seem some pretty awesome, snazzy and TIDY scrapspaces and think, my gawd, I'm awful... but you know what, I think there's more of 'us' than 'them'. Laugh. I've learned to just let it all go and clean it all up when my brain can't take it anymore, I call it messy chaos creative block. Geesh, if it were tidy all the time, I'm sure we wouldn't be having as much fun as we do creating. Right?
Have a great night.
Francesca

I just got done cleaning up my mess so that I can start making a mess all over again. What a fun and wonderful cycle.

I know that feeling of "studio heaps" so well :)
And when the time is right, it feels so ding dang good to go through the heaps. You will find little treasures in there! :)