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So.... I've been re-thinking some of my stamp and die storage.... and I've caved and I'm starting to put things in those plastic sleeves/envelopes... but just wanted to let you all know... these on Amazon are exactly like the Avery Elle large ones... and they're just a tad cheaper and with Prime, the shipping is free...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072H ... UTF8&psc=1

I just got a package of both types yesterday and they're identical other than the label on the package. I was using DVD cases with a magnetic sheet in them for most of my dies, but I think I'll be switching to these envelopes so I'll save a bit more room... I moved a bunch of stamps into this kind of packaging, but I'm not sure yet if it saves me room compared to having them on 8.5x11 page protectors in binders on the shelves. I'll have to see how many sets are in a binder.... but switching all of those will not be for the faint of heart.... I have a lot of binders full of stamps. BUT.... I think it'll make them more functional... I keep taking things out of the binders and then it's a pain to put them back in... so they wind up stacked in a plastic bin, anyway. Might as well have them start out in one. LOL

I have to make more available space in the craft room though.... and stamps and dies take up the 2nd biggest amount of space.. paper takes up the most. OMG where has all this paper come from??? LOL

OK.... so the room has just been a big storage box since I jumbled things up preparing for Matthew. In the past couple days, I've been bringing back all the things I was using to craft out in the living room. I still have the Arizona project stuff in another room.... I'm not going to drag it all back in ... just what I'll be working on. Still lots of sorting and throwing away of stuff in the upper cabinets... lots of non-crafty stuff up in those.

So.... here are some before photos....

And here are a couple "after" photos.... after just a couple days' worth of work. Whoohhhooooo I can move the chair all around the room, now.

Those racks of paper are not all of the paper.... there are some plastic totes down low - full of paper.... plus there are now two containers of cardstock. I don't need ANY.MORE.PAPER. LOL

And.... no... that room doesn't really have carpeting.... that's a carpet remnant.... and.... no... those are not my scraproom cabinets. Those are the base cabinets that are supposed to be in the kitchen.... they're upside down so they dried quicker after Arthur got them wet.... the huge counter in the kitchen is supported on 2x4s and Mike still hasn't quite figured out how he wants to put it all back together. And yes.... I'm insane.

Doesn't it feel wonderful? I know it's a lot of work but it just feels to good to see all your precious supplies where you can get to them. I always think of Peter whatever-his-last-name-is on that older TV show asking why if it's so important to you, then why don't you honor it with proper storage? (extreme paraphrase)

I do hope you get your kitchen sometime in the near future. It's important.

Boy, you made great progress. When I saw the first photo I thought you were doomed! Lol

Great job!

Just saw the forecast on Hurricane Irma.... I may need to just start boxing everything up in plastic totes again.... sure hope it stays out to sea... she looks like she's going to wind up being a very big storm with higher winds than Harvey.... what is UP with this weather??

Oh no Debi, I hope Irma just piddles out. Meanwhile you've done a fantastic job with your craft room! I've ordered a different brand of those plastic envelopes on Amazon but they are the same size, price as yours and same quality of Avery Elle. I prefer using them to binders which I used to store my cling stamps in...mainly CS sets. But I hated them. The binders were too heavy to handle, if the cling was getting stale they fell off and out of the binder and if there are matching dies involved I like to keep the stamp/die sets together. So the plastic envelopes are perfect for both situations.

Wow! What an amazing amount of progress you've made! It looks fantastic. I can totally relate to that feeling of accomplishment when you can actually move a chair in the room. That was one of the happiest things with my recent re-org. I had so much less stuff on the floor, that I could wheel my chair around the room and grab things without getting up. Yeah, I'm THAT lazy.

I really hope you don't have to box everything back up again!, But I do think if I had that much paper, I'd definitely want to go to the trouble to keep it safe, regardless of where it all came from. I have an unnatural affection for paper, I think. I might have about as much as you have. That would be the one thing in my craft room that I'd go to the most trouble to protect. However, I don't think that anything shy of an absolute biblical event would cause my scrap room to flood. We're far more susceptible to tornado damage than flood damage. That's my biggest fear - that someday we'll get hit by a tornado that's bad enough to relocate my finished scrapbooks all over the county. I'm hoping that the tornado that hit us a few years ago is the worst damage we'll have to experience. And I hope for you that Irma keeps herself under control and stays well out of your way.

Julie I'm laughing about being able to roll your chair rather than getting up. I might be worse. If I can't reach it with my long arms (and I have orangutan arms) I may choose an alternative. It's got to be pretty much smack in front of me.

I've tried having everything within arm's reach, but I have too much stuff to fit into that space. So being able to whiz around my room in a rolling chair is the next best thing. I need to make more of an effort to keep things off the floor though, because when certain areas are blocked and I can't roll up to them, the stuff in them might as well not even exist.

Getting hardwoods was one of the best things I've done in my scrapbook/guest room. I can see all those tiny scraps after a crafting binge and get them picked up. I can move my chair around (although not much room at all for that). I can find those little pieces that jump out of my hand and disappear on the floor.

We think we're protected from major flooding being that we're so close to the interstate but our yard can flood rather easily (good old NC clay). My big fear with Irma looming is that we have two massive leaning trees. The power company (bless their hearts) says they're not a threat. We got them to put that statement in writing, finally. The bases are rotting and the root balls have lifted significantly. Both lean over power/phone/cable lines. Honestly, at least a 20 degree lean. At least they won't fall on our house! If we get hit by a tornado, I'd be devastated to lose my albums. How tragic would that be?

There's only a small amount of paper on the floor - just in case it does ever flood. It's mostly old CS partial kits anyway.

All that being said, I think I should clear out the freezer (it's past time anyway) and start stocking up on ice. Joel's checking the chainsaw supplies and then I just need to make sure our important papers binder is up to date. Legal stuff - not scrapbook papers. Chances are, Irma's not going to be the last major storm this year.

I've tried the "arm's reach" idea as well. Sadly, I don't have enough self-control to limit what I feel needs to be with arm's reach. Now it's just items I use every.single.time. Adhesive, acrylic stamp blocks, scissors, trimmer, bin-o-embellishments, enamel dots, black/brown/grey ink pads, label, circle, & star punches, and date & roller stamps. It's really still too much (the punches could easily go back in the punches bin). Oh - and my basket of scraps. In my dream (someday) scrapbook room? I'll have plenty of room to zoom around in my rolling chair!

So.... it looks like Irma might stay offshore.... keeping fingers crossed and saying LOTS of prayers. And thinking a bit more globally, I don't think the Hatteras Island economy can stand another time frame without tourist income... so sure hope we don't have to evacuate anyone.

If I do have to evacuate and head inland.... I may head toward the Chapel Hill area since I know someone there.... wink wink!!

I don't know where Irma will hit but I pray not the USA. We have had enough.

Veering back to cleanup and purging.... I saw a post on FB from a young lady who's working with some retired folks to teach them some crafts and was in need of ideas... so I've contacted her and I'm going to be putting a box together.. culling out my supply of patterned papers... whoohhhooooo They'll go to good use with her group... and she also teaches kids at another organization... so either way.... she'll be able to put some of this huge stash of paper to good use...

I keep buying paper packs at Tuesday Morning and they're a super deal... but even with sharing them, I can't use up all those pages of one print... even if I make a ton of cards from them.... so... while I'm sorting in the next couple days, I'm going to toss some stuff in a box and get it out to her. Yay!!!

That sounds perfect Debi. I'm sure she'll receive your supplies with surprise when she sees your cool stuff.

I was such a good girl yesterday. I dropped in at a Tuesday Morning but didn't buy a thing! Looked at paper pads and mentally smacked myself. I really miss my neighborhood TM but my paper collecting has dropped way, way down.