While writing the previous Two Thing post about my inspiration journal, I had an inspiration!I've been battling the problem of what to do with all these pieces of magazines for future collaging that I've been saving. It drives me crazy because there doesn't seem to be a neat way to store all those "snippettes" and to be able to find what I'm looking for later.
I used to put my cutouts in a magnetic photo album. But after a while, the cutout and the magnetic page would meld together, making it impossible to remove the image without tearing it. Of course, I learned this the hard way.
What about doing another spiral journal for collage material? Like my Inspiration journal, I could paste the pictures with a glue stick. If you've used glue sticks you know how they pretty much peel off easily after a few days. Besides, if I pasted the cutouts on only one side of the page and for some reason it didn't peel off, I could still cut it out. That's something I couldn't do with the magnetic pages.
I could even organize the images by either creating multiple notebooks, or by organizing individual pages by some theme. Now that I think about it, I suppose you wouldn't even have to do it in a spiral, you could just have folders with themed, loose pages with the images glued to them. Hm.
Anyone tried this? Any other ideas?
5 comments:
I was just thinking of something like this yesterday! Too bad I got rid of most of mags I really wanted to work on a collage yesterday. *sigh*
Maybe a 3 ring binder with page protectors? or some other kind of insert?
This one stumps me too. I tend to put whole pages rather than cut images in folders or boxes, but it does make it really hard to go through them. But I prefer to cut out the images only when I decide to use the page, and if there's something left, I put the page back in the box.
I also store some things in those transparent sleeves that you can put in binders, but only when I'm focused enough to do it.
I like this idea, Debi. I was just thinking about this today and wondering how the magnetic pages would work. You have saved me some grief. I have a collage I want to do, but since Bill needs extra help now I am pretty busy so it will just have to wait. But I can categorize my stuff using your method and so will be ready to go just as soon as I get a few minutes.
After trying several methods (like dumping all the pages into a large basket or box), I went to Austin's very own container store and I bought plastic boxes which they refer to as "magazine boxes." They are clear, they stack up really nicely, they have an easy way to lock and open, they are sturdy, and they are not really ugly (no yellowing over time too).
Like Rima, I tear a whole page and most of the times I keep the rest of the magazine in a basket because I cannot trust myself top just go throught it once and throw it out. There were many times when I went back and noticed something I had left out earlier...
I kind of simplify my sorting in roughly 4 categories: humans, nature, decorative, and miscellaneous. Out of these, I use 3 additional boxes: one to put the stuff (regardless of the category) which inspires me the most to create a collage or a painting, one to put my current work in (thus de-cluttering my desk), and a third one where the stuff I cannot categorize (drawings, junk, ephemera,etc.) can be stuck in.
Also, my son uses these boxes (they come in 2 sizes I think) to store sheets of music...
Hope this was helpful!
I realise from reading all these - that I shouldn't take up collage - which I've been really tempted to do - as I only learnt to throw away old magazines in the last couple of years - and have felt the difference.
I don't know the technicalities, but could you scan images where texture of the paper isn't important? then you can store them however you like in a variety of categories - add your photos to the collection.
I know from past experience that the tidiest ways of paper storage seem to end up with different leaves stuck together or difficult to handle. I agree with Rima, you have to be focussed to file - you can also use hanging files in a filing cabinet or drawer if you really are organised. Boxes are good if you have space to get them in order - and if you have the discipline not to stack them too high... or put things on top of them.
I think it is more the access to them once filed that is the problem.
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