R & R Project

If you remember I was recovering from a very bad sunburn in the beginning of May and didn't feel like doing to much but if anyone knows me I can't just sit around.  So I came up with a project that I could do standing up which didn't cause any pain to the terrible sunburn.  I decided to put my scrapbooking papers, that were in an accordian file, into a three ring binder.  I am not your traditional scrapper so I don't need to keep my pages sized at 12x12. I already had done this project with some papers I had when I was big into card making and loved how easy it was to look for the papers I needed.   So onto the project.....

This is one of the reasons I decided to do the three ring binders, the mess of all the previous projects papers.  I would keep them in a pile and just keep adding to it until it was to much and silly to cut up another sheet when I know I had used it before but not finding it in the pile!

This is what I originally had my papers in and did love it until you cut up a page and have these little pieces and don't know where to put them (Sorry I didn't think to take a picture with all the papers in it). I was putting them just in the same pocket but found that they were getting smashed.  I tried zip lock baggies but didn't like that.

I usually took out a page or two from the original pad and put it in the accordion file so I would know in what order the papers came in for later if they got to messed up.  Pretty anal I know but that is just one of my quirks.  So the the first thing I did was lay out a line and put it in the order.  One pad I had taken the whole thing apart so I did the best I could to put it in order.  In the future I will put it directly into the three ring binder so it will stay in order.  The reason for this is because they all coordinate together so doing a project is easier choose the right papers.

I bought a 100 count box of sheet protectors from Staples and I ran out before the project was done, but luckily I found some from another project and used them.  I would measure how wide the sheet protector was and decrease it just a little so the papers will go in easily and cut.  I would cut all the same papers up and put them in the sheet protector and then flip it over and do the next coordinating paper and put this in the same sheet protector.  I did this 200 times since there were two coordinating papers for each sheet. Whew!!  It took me about three days but I finished the project and just love it!!!

Since I keep the covers of the pads when I buy them, I cut them to the size I needed and put it in as the cover of the binder.  This way I know which binder has what papers.

Here is the side view of the three binders I completed.

This is how thick it turned out to be.

When you cut the 12x12 sheet it will stick out of the sheet protector by a inch or two but that really doesn't bother me and doesn't it look pretty sticking out. I know you could use a 12x12 photo album and use those sheet protectors and not have to cut or have them sticking out but that would get expensive and I am all about keeping it cheap but cute, but if you are a tradional scrapper this might be an idea for you if you don't mind the cost.   I know it does look a lot like the accordion file it used to be in but much easier.

Also, one of the benefits of having it this way is when you have all those odd shapes leftover from a project you just put them in the sheet protector.  I find that I use more of my leftovers because they are with the large sheets instead of in a basket with all the other leftovers.  Digging through the basket just wasn't the best solution for me and neither was my pile.

So now I have 5 binders all organized and I just love it!!!!! Being organized really makes you feel good and what to keep on organizing!!  Now I just have two more pads to finish but that will be for another day.

One of the last things I did was to put a piece of scrapbooking paper on the spine of the binder so that it looks pretty sitting on the shelf.  I used cordinating paper to whats in the binder so I know which one to grab.  It was a long project but sooooo worth it!  Thanks for stopping by, you know I just love our visits.

xo

barb

Accept challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.

author: George Patton