Messy or Clean?

A few days ago I asked the question in the Scraptastic Club forum...messy or clean? And several of the forum readers/Scraptastic Club members responded with peaks at their spaces...their REAL spaces, not the tidied up version. I really loved seeing everyone's everyday work areas, so as promised I shared mine, and decided to do so on my blog as well. Here it is, but be forewarned! This is my everyday. :)

Almost everything I use is right here...on my desk...within arms reach. But it sure can get a mess! Right now I'm in the middle of picking through my papers and scraps for two different projects. Here's a look at my organized chaos.




And here's a head-on view of my work area:




Stacking trays on the left hold some of my patterned papers, but that isn't the half of it. Having a deep space below my work surface really comes in handy for a paper addict like me. Larger collections and Scraptastic kits are kept in a milk crate underneath my desk, along with Iris boxes in themes such as Summer, Travel, School, Halloween, and Christmas. Stamping supplies reside down below as well.

Also on top of my desk are my letter stickers. Stickers from Basic Grey, Jillibean Soup and October Afternoon are kept upright alongside the paper trays. Here also reside my spray inks, most-used ink pads, and newest stamps from Scraptastic. 

The 3-drawer storage in the center holds lots and lots and lots of chipboard, as well as my lesser used tools and punches. My new washi tape holder (modeled after the one made by Susan Stringfellow and described here) will need to be moved so that I can access the drawers. It needs a permanent home.  

The revolving unit on top of the 3-drawer storage holds things that I reach for everyday: pens, pencils, exacto knife, rulers, my ATG, and more. Alongside it are favorite border punches and stick pins. Hanging up are my wood veneer.

Finally, the storage cube on the right holds so much miscellany that it is spilling out into other containers. Here is where I keep journaling spots, bingo cards, library cards, labels, tabs, and all manner of bits and pieces. A little container holds flowers. Another holds fabric tapes, and tags. Finally, there is one plastic shoebox in which I have tightly squeezed all of my Thickers. They are in serious need of a thinning out! On top of it all are my photos. 

While a dedicated scraproom is a dream, I have to say that this set-up works out well for me. I am in a corner of our family room, not too far from the kitchen, and in the midst of all our family's happenings. It's a good place to be.