Gossamer Blue // August Inspiration Blog Hop

 

This month’s inspiration is derived from the idea that necessity is the mother of invention. Usually, when I cannot find what I need – I make my own!

Organization is an art and a necessity. Some of us can handle the chaos that life dishes out and others require the structure so we can control the chaos. I happen to be the latter.

So when my first 4 kits arrived as a new DT member for Gossamer Blue, I knew I needed some sort of order to control all those goodies. My first order of business: storage.

I needed to:
a) keep track of which supplies belonged with which kit;
b) write down what projects I wanted to work on;
c) keep everything together and easily accessible.

I really want the Alex cart from IKEA but I have to wait on that for now, so I found a solution that was less expensive and took up a lot less space. This wire/mesh file box from target fit the criteria perfectly!

It’s slightly wider than 12″ so storing full pages of cardstock is no problem. And it’s see-thru so it’s not hidden from my view.

The next thing to tackle was planning out projects. And this is where I had to veer out on my own because none of the planners out there were what I was looking for. So I created my own planner pages and tabs to fit inside the Heidi Swapp planner that I snagged for 50% off.

I will not be getting into the planner decorating thing, but I do like the idea of using some pieces from the kits to decorate and keep me inspired to work on projects each month.

I’ll be using the cute paper letters from the Life Pages Add-On #3 to note the month on my custom tabbed divider that I cut from this Simple Stories wood plank patterned paper using my silhouette.

The next step is to take photos of all the kit contents and print them as small images to add to my planner page.

This way I can always refer back to this page if I am unsure of which kit something belongs in. To the right of the photo boxes are lines so I can write in the supplies and manufacturers.

The opposite page is a project list, a brainstorming area and a perpetual calendar so I can write down the dates my blog posts are due and what projects I want to make and when they are complete.

 

The finished tab divider is so fun and summery – it’s kept me inspired all month while working on all my summer layouts.

On the flip-side of the divider I kept the small pocket inserts that came in the original planner and added a few little embellishments that popped off the pink stripe. 

The first planner page I made will be so helpful each month – I can feel it!

And here is the reference page – not completed – but it gives you a better idea of the setup. 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little bit of extra inspiration!

But wait – there’s more! Check out all the girls’ blogs to gather oodles of inspiration!

Alex Hunter
Anabelle O’Malley
Andrea Gray  <<< you are here
Brenda Smith
Brenda Weaver
Diane Payne
Emily Spahn
Erin Taylor
Eyoung Lee
Felicitas Mayer
France Wisniewski
Heather Leopard
Jill Cornell
Jill Keller
Kasia Przybyt
Kathleen Graumuller
Kellie Winnell
Kelly Xenos
Laura Rahel Crosby
Michelle Wedertz
Michiko Kato
Olatz Garaiyurrebaso
Patricia Roebuck
Rebecca Luminarias
Sian Fair
Stephanie Buice
Yana Smakula

Happy creating,
Andrea