Organize Your Nooks AND Your Crannies
I remember a time when all my seed bead tubes fit into a shoe box ... LOL! That lasted about 12 hours and 1 peyote-stitched cuff later--Seed Bead Tsunami! The seed bead storm hit and it's been wailing ever since. After getting past the first 3-row-struggle (key to every peyote stitch student's success), some switch in my brain flipped and I could see all the possibilities of this beading stitch from the beautiful colors each combination created (NOT the same as holding up seed bead tubes next to each other), to the exciting little fringe edges with my beloved Crystal Passions® bicones. My imagination could NOT stop, along with my debit card. My, oh, my, how can a tiny little shopping bag add up to so many zeros in a few brief moments I wondered over and over again? But, you see, I just HAD to purchase that particular shade of rose ... (can you relate)?
The Thrill of the Chase
This was the exciting start of a new relationship, the honeymoon phase, as you will--my bead nirvana ...
Then, the ear-piercing squeal of the brakes was heard worldwide as I ran out of ka-ching in my bead budget AND space to store these beady babies. So the search was on for seed bead storage solutions. Oh, and also my rhinestones, and my hot-fix, and my Crystal Passions pearls, well, you get the picture! So I started with the crannies in my studio and pulled all the unorganized stuff out (which was most everything) so I could evaluate what components and sizes needed housing.
I have many organizers that I love (and so does my vacuum cleaner, less spills=less vacuuming) because they lock tightly. For traveling my fave is the Plano® Storage Systems tote and Plano organizers are perfect for taking to demos; they keep me looking so organized and official so even if I mess up I just direct everyone to my fancy schmancy totes and they nod in admiration, oooing and ahhhing while I recompose myself!
Tasty Beads
I promise to do my part in the land of multi-tasking. So, I've come up with this brilliant (in my humble opinion) idea of using Talenti gelato containers for storing beads like my silk beads and crystal cupchain. They're easily stackable (as you can see in the picture) and since they come filled with gelato it's best to dispose of the contents before storage (yummy for your tummy, sea salt caramel is my fave).
What about those crannies?
Recently I jumped online to the FMG website and fell in love with Elizabeth Ward's Bead Storage Solutions™. Elizabeth started the company Blue Moon® and knows how to store beads like nobody's business! I consider her a nook and cranny expert and can't wait to try out her new system.
Do you have a fave storage system? Any tips to share with me and our readers?
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