This is perfect - thank you. I have just decided that it's time collected all my made backgrounds from where they have been hiding .. all over the place
I grabbed all my backgrounds and cut them into 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8, then I eliminated the ugly ones. Presto… not second guessing. The most beautiful ones I put them aside, so I had 4 piles that I ordered by size and one pile the most beautiful ones. Until it gets crowded again… 😂😂
One of my favorite cards was made with the ugliest background - but it was cut into strips and adhered with “white space” between them, and they transformed! It’s like when making a tiny gel print book in a class went to throw out the scrap paper I cleaned the brayer on and the instructor yelled across the room not to throw it out. Part of it became the book cover. Of course with this way of thinking, we’d never throw anything out so ignore me.
Hi Tiffany. I recently purged my backgrounds, inks, paints, stencils… all of it! I was able to give away or throw away soooo much stuff. Now I know what I have and where it is. It feels so much better to be organized and now I can use what I have. Thanks for sharing about the envelopes. Such a great way to store all your painty papers. 💕💕💕
I always appreciate any ideas to improve the management of background or collage papers. Sorting by type (medium) makes sense for many people. I mix media on my backgrounds, which would complicate that. I analyze how I visualize what I want-how I define what I'm looking for. So for me, one consideration is how I'm apt to use them-a background layer on a card is different from something used in collage (which is often on thinner substrates). I'm often interested in whether the background is light, medium, or dark, so that might be my second sort. Particularly in the mid-range brightness section, is it busy or calm? Bright or subdued? With that sorted, I might organize further by hue. I do find sorting paper/cardstock is complicated. Even solids are difficult when you like complex colors-tones, tints, shades, and blends of primary and secondary hues. Sorting prints is several magnitudes of complexity more difficult when you're considering theme or style (e.g., loose watercolor v. detailed floral v. geometric) and color combos and things like foiling, flocking, or other effects. I tend to think (as your goal for one bin suggests) that while creating batches of backgrounds can be efficient and iterative, using them before beginning a new batch (or at least looking through them to determine what's missing) is generally a good practice.
I love creating them and embarrassed to say how many I have collected over the years. Thanks for the tips. I think I might sort mine by color family...someday.
Thanks for the motivation! Brain differences are fun. As soon as you said categories, my mind went to: soft/light, bold, neutrals, lines, leaves (so many), etc. I look for color/design when looking. Since I also die cut from backgrounds, the size wouldn’t necessarily be on my radar. (I’m not at all saying this is better!)
I might do sub categories..... We will see how this works. If I feel annoyed by having to flip through all of them, I will for sure be doing something similar to what you suggested. Thank you!
@@Tiffany.SolorioI love how you set up your system! It’s like organizing stamps and dies. Some categorize by company, others theme, and themes vary. I have a leaf category because you can never have too many leaves, but for someone with two leaf stamps it makes no sense. (And I would send that person some leaf stamps.) 🤪
Great tip. However for me, when sorting/finding backgrounds, the medium/substrate used does not matter as much as the predominant color of the background. Therefore I sort all my backgrounds by color family (RYOGBIV + Beige/Tan/Brown + Black/Grey/White). I have one folder for each color family plus an extra folder called “To Be Sorted (TBS)”. I use the TBS folder while I am creating a bunch of backgrounds so they are collected together/organized while I am working. I then go back later and sort/move them to the correct color family folder.
If I would just start crafting, I would buy only one kit a month and nothing else and play with it till my next kit comes.. Now, just like many of us I have SO MUCH stuff it would be enough for a group of crafters. BY THE WAY, does anyone know where I can donate used, in good condition dies and stamps?
If your local public library does adult crafting, they would love them! If they don't, think about senior centers, nursing homes... Some mental health facilities may welcome craft supplies, if they encourage crafting to relieve PTSD and other disorders.
![SMASH IT WITH STENCILS! 25 SUPER TECHNIQUES for Making Clean and Simple Cards! [2024/134]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/m2d_gAA2gRs/mqdefault.jpg)
![SMASH IT WITH STENCILS! 25 SUPER TECHNIQUES for Making Clean and Simple Cards! [2024/134]](/img/tr.png)
📢 Grab your free 28 classes today! tiffymorgan--papercraftersgetorganized.thrivecart.com/fastaction2024/63cc340fbbb9f/
This is perfect - thank you. I have just decided that it's time collected all my made backgrounds from where they have been hiding .. all over the place
I grabbed all my backgrounds and cut them into 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8, then I eliminated the ugly ones. Presto… not second guessing. The most beautiful ones I put them aside, so I had 4 piles that I ordered by size and one pile the most beautiful ones. Until it gets crowded again… 😂😂
One of my favorite cards was made with the ugliest background - but it was cut into strips and adhered with “white space” between them, and they transformed! It’s like when making a tiny gel print book in a class went to throw out the scrap paper I cleaned the brayer on and the instructor yelled across the room not to throw it out. Part of it became the book cover.
Of course with this way of thinking, we’d never throw anything out so ignore me.
Hi Tiffany. I recently purged my backgrounds, inks, paints, stencils… all of it! I was able to give away or throw away soooo much stuff. Now I know what I have and where it is. It feels so much better to be organized and now I can use what I have. Thanks for sharing about the envelopes. Such a great way to store all your painty papers. 💕💕💕
I always appreciate any ideas to improve the management of background or collage papers.
Sorting by type (medium) makes sense for many people. I mix media on my backgrounds, which would complicate that. I analyze how I visualize what I want-how I define what I'm looking for. So for me, one consideration is how I'm apt to use them-a background layer on a card is different from something used in collage (which is often on thinner substrates). I'm often interested in whether the background is light, medium, or dark, so that might be my second sort. Particularly in the mid-range brightness section, is it busy or calm? Bright or subdued? With that sorted, I might organize further by hue.
I do find sorting paper/cardstock is complicated. Even solids are difficult when you like complex colors-tones, tints, shades, and blends of primary and secondary hues. Sorting prints is several magnitudes of complexity more difficult when you're considering theme or style (e.g., loose watercolor v. detailed floral v. geometric) and color combos and things like foiling, flocking, or other effects.
I tend to think (as your goal for one bin suggests) that while creating batches of backgrounds can be efficient and iterative, using them before beginning a new batch (or at least looking through them to determine what's missing) is generally a good practice.
I see several of your backgrounds that I love!
I love creating them and embarrassed to say how many I have collected over the years. Thanks for the tips. I think I might sort mine by color family...someday.
That is actually a good way to sort them.... If this doesn't work for me I will try that.
This was a great video. I think I’m gonna do this.
Thanks for the motivation! Brain differences are fun. As soon as you said categories, my mind went to: soft/light, bold, neutrals, lines, leaves (so many), etc. I look for color/design when looking. Since I also die cut from backgrounds, the size wouldn’t necessarily be on my radar. (I’m not at all saying this is better!)
I might do sub categories..... We will see how this works. If I feel annoyed by having to flip through all of them, I will for sure be doing something similar to what you suggested. Thank you!
@@Tiffany.SolorioI love how you set up your system! It’s like organizing stamps and dies. Some categorize by company, others theme, and themes vary. I have a leaf category because you can never have too many leaves, but for someone with two leaf stamps it makes no sense. (And I would send that person some leaf stamps.) 🤪
Great tip. However for me, when sorting/finding backgrounds, the medium/substrate used does not matter as much as the predominant color of the background. Therefore I sort all my backgrounds by color family (RYOGBIV + Beige/Tan/Brown + Black/Grey/White). I have one folder for each color family plus an extra folder called “To Be Sorted (TBS)”. I use the TBS folder while I am creating a bunch of backgrounds so they are collected together/organized while I am working. I then go back later and sort/move them to the correct color family folder.
It never occurred to me to organize my backgrounds, they are all crammed into a file folder, now I want to straighten them up!
If I would just start crafting, I would buy only one kit a month and nothing else and play with it till my next kit comes.. Now, just like many of us I have SO MUCH stuff it would be enough for a group of crafters. BY THE WAY, does anyone know where I can donate used, in good condition dies and stamps?
If your local public library does adult crafting, they would love them! If they don't, think about senior centers, nursing homes... Some mental health facilities may welcome craft supplies, if they encourage crafting to relieve PTSD and other disorders.