Letting Go Part 2

How about letting go of clutter? Do you have a lot of half finished pieces and components lying about in the studio taking up space while you’re working on a last minute order that just got phoned in? Here’s a nifty idea: Find little storage baskets that nestle into each other. These I got at Walmart. They are made by Mainstay. They come in 4 x 6 (3 pack) and 6 x 9 sizes (2 pack) for a dollar! Then, to keep the precious cargo from sliding all over the place, I got a package of one of those non-slip rug pads. The thin ones, NOT the ones that are thick with the really big holes in them. They come in all sizes, so depending on how many baskets you need, buy accordingly.

• Use the bottom of basket to trace and cut out a little non-slip pad for the bottom of the basket so your components stay put.
• Do many pads because you can layer the pads in each basket with each layer holding the piece you’re working on.
  
• For example, I have to assemble 8 pieces of style #123. I get my basket, lay a pad, then put the components (beads, stones, clasps, name tag, ect) for one piece of style #123.
• Before I layer another pad over that, take a scrap piece of paper and write style #123, what order it’s pertaining to (the store’s name), and write “1 piece of 8”.
• Then layer another pad on top of that, adding that piece of scrap with the info on top of each piece/layer.

Depending on how big the pieces are, layer as much as you need and start another basket. It will end with all your pieces, the top layer having the paper stating style #123, “8 pieces of 8” and the store info. Then these baskets just pile on top of each other and put a copy of your store invoice /order sheet on top of that so that you know that those pile of baskets are filled with all the components of all the jewelry that is needed for store abc. They take up little space and when you need, grab baskets and work on it, peeling layer by layer.