Paper Purging

[mpizzazz]

...or Return To The Pizza Boxes!

I've been dreading going through my 12 paper drawers containing 12 x 12, 8.5 x 11, and scraps by each color. Yesterday I decided to make a start and it went very quickly. While I loved the CS kits back in the day and they were perfect for many of the photos we took on trips and at home, I quickly realized yesterday that those monochromatic papers with brownish/grayish tones don't appeal to me anymore.

Yesterday afternoon and this morning, I did 6 drawers which you see empty in the first photo and condensed what I want to keep into 3 pizza boxes. Mostly I'm keeping brighter, clearer multicolored patterns from various manufacturers.

I'm just going to leave it in the pizza boxes in a closet in their new home. I'll have enough pizza boxes so the themed papers like Christmas, etc can also live in them. And, yes, these are pizza boxes I saved from kits I received back in the 2000s. I knew when we moved I'd pack the paper in them.

6 empty drawers.JPG (36.49 KiB) Viewed 429 times

Pizza Boxes.JPG (56.25 KiB) Viewed 429 times

[pamcook]

You’re brilliant.

[nchoney]

Great job, Marianne!! I pulled out a bunch of CS papers to use with photos of Chevie. But I'm making sure not to only use those browns and other dark colors. Used a lot with Arizona photos. But, I'm with you on wanting brighter colors.

[Keitha]

Coincidentally, I've been paper purging the last few days as well. Last week I went through the boxes of UFOs to purge and condense and found a couple of poly envelopes of product that needed to get integrated into my paper carts. Trouble was the paper carts were full to overflowing. While I didn't intend for paper to be next on the hit list, I decided to do at least enough to be able to file the additional papers. I, too, am finding it fairly quick sorting as apparently like everyone else I've been influenced by the colours and patterns in recent years and much of what was there no longer appeals to me. I completely emptied the file called Tim Holtz; his grungy look has never been my favourite, and they don't mix well with what I like now. The few sheets I kept will get filed by theme; I also kept a few of the kraft resist papers in case I want kraft paper. I've done half of one cart, so a quarter of my paper. Although I now have room to get the rest in there I'll carry on, although for now am leaving my file categories as is (mostly by theme, a few by manufacturer). At some later point I'll revisit those choices as I know it'll be more efficient for me to find things with a few changes.
I found a few 12x12 paper pads - TH I'm talking to you - and am dismantling them as I come across them and purging the papers I know I won't use. I've realized I don't think of them like other patterned paper, so the papers need to get separated and filed just like all the others. I plan to do the same thing with all the 6x6 paper pads when I get to those, and will sort the keepers by theme as I do 12x12 papers, even though they'll live in a box for papers 8x8 and smaller.

[mpizzazz]

Today I did the black/gray and the white drawers and they will each get their own boxes. The white drawer includes all the cardstock for cards bases and some unusual white surfaces like canvas, vellum, etc.

Only ones left are the cream and brown drawers and I don't think I'll keep too much of that. I know there is Tim stuff in there and some other distressed looking pads that I'll donate most of it.

Unfortunately, there is more tucked away in the various pizza boxes dedicated to each heritage family album I have started and not finished.

[pbp908]

I think the only TH I kept are a few kraft pages and the solid color stock. I broke down the color stock pads last week and integrated them into my regular card stock.

I really need to go back through and purge some more. I keep finding more and more that I don't really care for anymore.

[mpizzazz]

I finished today and ended up with 7 pizza boxes from 12 drawers of paper. Then I did other paper files like travel, beach, Christmas, baby, etc. More paper to go! I hope all that CS paper finds someone who loves it at the Creative Reuse Shop.