Mixed Media Arts

» Jennifer Hollowell - What are your favorite organizational tools?

In response to What are your favorite organizational tools? posted by upsidedownsarah:

I couldn't imagine purging anything! I have so much "odd stuff" that I find a use for eventually, particularly in mixed media art projects. I'm the person people usually dump stuff on when they "edit" their spaces.

» upsidedownsarah - What are your favorite organizational tools?

In response to What are your favorite organizational tools? posted by Poemwriter1:

I'm not much of a purger either. I rarely get rid of anything. You never know when you might need that gizmo or scrap! I get free stuff off of Freecycle too. I got a ton of fabric that way. I try to keep things in categories when I organize them. I have a big drawer of random tools, a drawer for cutting and wire working tools, a drawer for adhesives, a drawer for stamp pads, and so on and so on. It works fairly well. I am somewhat organized, but not compulsive, so it's pretty comfortable for me.

-- posted by upsidedownsarah

» Jennifer Hollowell - What are your favorite organizational tools?

In response to What are your favorite organizational tools? posted by upsidedownsarah:

Comfort certainly is the key when it comes to good organizing. What works for one artist might not work for another. However, it's hard for some not to get hung up on following the lead of others who might be a little too organized or a little under organized for their own tastes and needs. Know what I mean?

» upsidedownsarah - What are your favorite organizational tools?

In response to What are your favorite organizational tools? posted by Poemwriter1:

Yes. As with so many other things in life, one must try out various things in order to find out what works best. Your mileage may vary.

I am cleaning out my studio now. Some things are getting tossed (not much admittedly), some are getting passed on to others, and most of the rest of it is either being stored or categorized or rearranged somehow. I got in another half hour on it tonight. I hope to be done with it by the end of the long weekend (Sunday night). Since I have five days off (woohoo!!!) I ought to be able to knock that off, plus make some progress on my other artistic goals.

-- posted by upsidedownsarah

» Jennifer Hollowell - What are your favorite organizational tools?

In response to What are your favorite organizational tools? posted by upsidedownsarah:

That's great! I *really* need to do that, too. There's a lot of things I've managed to aquire through "randomness swaps" over at nervousness.org - some of the swappers on there send things that really ARE rubbish, but receive things that are nice from genuine swappers. It's frustrating. LOL That's okay, though.

» upsidedownsarah - swaps

In response to What are your favorite organizational tools? posted by Poemwriter1:

That's why I don't do many swaps any more. Between swaps that never get sent back, swaps that are delayed because a swapper doesn't do what they say they will, and swaps that are just crap, I'm really burned out on them. I have done some good swaps too with people who really cared, but I would rather take the postage money and go to a resale shop and find some cool old stuff of my own choice. Again, your mileage may vary.

-- posted by upsidedownsarah

» Jennifer Hollowell - swaps

In response to swaps posted by upsidedownsarah:

I agree! I *loved* mail art and other swaps so much that I was doing projects on a daily basis because I had signed up for so much. Then, when the quality of work and quality of swaps declined (rather rapidly, I might add), I was also burned out by them. It was SO frustrating to give up something I loved so much because others were just going through the motions, keeping things, or expecting nice things in exchange for crap. Ugh.

» upsidedownsarah - swaps

In response to swaps posted by Poemwriter1:

I am on a number of email lists for mixed media artists, and this is a common problem. Some of the other artists have sworn off swaps entirely. It's very sad.

I have come to the conclusion that I like my own work too much to want to send it away unless it is something I have specially made for someone else, to their preferences. I do have a few ATCs left I made to trade, and a few collage/assemblage pieces I would trade (they are nice, not crap, but not to everyone's taste). I just took over what used to be my son's room (he turned 18 and is on his own now), so I have four blank walls to decorate. I've started hanging stuff in there. The hard thing is to know how to hang some of it. I have some stuff done on canvas board. I think I will E6000 a loop of ribbon to each one to hang it from.

-- posted by upsidedownsarah

» Jennifer Hollowell - swaps

In response to swaps posted by upsidedownsarah:

I don't know why, but I have a hard time hanging anything I've made. Even when I give it away as a gift . . . I have a hard time seeing it on display, also. I have no idea why. LOL

» upsidedownsarah - swaps

In response to swaps posted by Poemwriter1:

It felt weird at first for me, too. But I got over it and now it makes me happy to see things on display. Over our stairs we have Day By Day, something my husband and I designed and I made (a collage/assemblage kinda thing). At first it made me feel funny seeing it there. Now I love it. And now I am filling up the walls in my studio with all kinds of things. It feels more like my space with my work hanging up. Plus it makes me happy to know it is being enjoyed (at least by me) instead of being stacked up in a portfolio or on a shelf.

-- posted by upsidedownsarah