Hoard, Sort, Play, Create, Repeat - Step Two: Sorting

Out with the old. Rethink the new. That's how I started 2011. I just came back from a Goodwill and consignment store drop off and feel like I've both literally and figuratively shed some 2010 baggage. It's funny how much can build up around you when you're not paying attention.

Letting go can be difficult, especially for folks like me who love the thrill of the hunt and can fondly remember the circumstances and stories behind every found object. Since I make jewelry from old/used junk, I can always find an excuse to go out and get more. I'm quickly learning that less can mean more.

"Lucky You" upcycled necklace made from vintage child's magnet and old pendant.

Being a teacher, I had a good 10 day stretch off. Toward the end of my break, I went on a purge and organize mode. This doesn't happen very often. I said goodbye to many things, including:

• old clothes and housewares
• untouched craft supplies that I was keeping around "just in case".
• a teeth collection (medical models, dentures, plaster casts, etc.) - I am officially not creepy anymore.
• piles of old programs, maps, brochures, ticket stubs, and other vacation ephemera.

The last remaining pair of teeth from my dental collection.

Fear not - not much went in the trash. Most found a good new home or was consigned. The biggest relief for me was weeding out and organizing my jewelry supply collection. I think I touched every bead, little plastic bag, and component. I never thought in a million years that I would get rid of jewelry making supplies, but it happened!

I went to my local craft store and purchase a few more plastic organizing boxes. Items were sorted by material or purpose and labeled with masking tape. Everything was stacked up in crates on a table in my living room and TADA! Organization!

The biggest thing that came out of this process was inspiration and many "oh ya, I totally forgot I had that" moments. I feel like I've rediscovered my collection and can plan new pieces with a clearer head. For the year ahead, I must remember to stop and sort every once in a while. From this past purge and shuffle, I've learned:

There's a fine line between gathering inspiration from objects and gathering dust from objects.

What is your favorite tip for staying organized?

Hoard, Sort, Play, Create, Repeat - Step One: Hoarding

My creative process can be summed up in these 5 words.

It all begins with hoarding.

This weekend I was doing what I typically do on sunny Saturdays and Sundays: tag saling. I get up early, look at listings online, map out the best route, throw some bags in the car, set up the GPS, and go. Sidekicks often include a record-loving husband or fellow junk-loving friends.

If I’m not doing this, chances are, I’m going to a flea market, thrift store, consignment shop, or daydreaming about doing one of the above. I don’t know if it’s the thrill of the hunt, the love of junk, the passion for reusing, the wacky conversations with all sorts of people, or a slight touch of “Grey Gardens”, but I cannot passively lie in bed on the weekends knowing there is stuff out there waiting to be discovered!

This is where the seeds of ideas come from:

A pop of color on a plastic thimble.

A rusty drawer pull with filigree detail.

A deck of vintage playing cards with parading animals.

These items beckon to me from the insides of filthy shoes boxes and inspire me to create. They capture my curiosity, and compel me to buy. This isn’t difficult to do when the grand total for a heap of junk comes to $3.

I know there is a fine line between collecting and hoarding. I justify my hunting and gathering by turning the old into new. The thimble and drawer pulls are necklaces-to-be. With a few alterations, playing cards become my business cards. And sometimes one can find two totally unrelated things that will magically blend together creating a match made in heaven. My favorite example:

Murky chicken snow globe + creepy doll head with no skullcap = just plain wow.

Although I’m just a few stacks of newspapers short from being on Hoarders, I am attempting to provide a second life for things no longer used. Simultaneously, I am keeping A & E producers and folks in hazmat suits from knocking at my door. 

At the rate in which I’m gathering, I know it’s improbable that all my stuff will be reused but this doesn’t stop me from being a weekend wares warrior.  I find comfort in knowing that someday when I’m gone, there will be one hell of an estate sale:

ESTATE SALE– Over 50 years of accumulation. House filled to the brim. Costume jewelry, vintage clothing, buttons, keys, thimbles, stamps, playing cards, games, school supplies, ephemera, dentistry collectibles, kitschy art, Pyrex bowls, doll components, records, toys, planters, Halloween collection, boxes of craft supplies, old electronics. Too much to list! Fill a bag for $10. Early birds will be tarred and feathered.

Okay, fess up. What do you hoard?