It is, perhaps, a little early for a Spring Clean in my craft room, but it is definitely time for a good reorganisation. Mostly because my desk is currently covered in magazines, stamp sets and crafty gifts which haven't found a home yet. And various non-crafty things which also need a home, and my desk is where they were dumped "for the time being". Naturally.

But, if I am to get back to my crafting, to find inspiration, I need a clear desk. Especially if I am to attempt more complicated sorts of cards and papercraft than what I normally make. I expect I'll need far more space. I only need a small corner of the mat for the 6x4 cards which are my normal size. Maybe a bit more if I need to die-cut something.

Before...
...After

Besides, Christmas gave me a new-to-me toy for my craft room, which needs a space of its own: an Adana printing press, recovered from amongst the junk in a shed. Only a little one, a 5x3, but it still needs a home, along with the letters and other stamps which came with it. But it's been oiled and the rust mostly removed, and all its parts work smoothly again.

Well, most of its parts: it needs new rollers – it appears the ones which were originally part of it might have melted over the years. At least, the box they were in had the spindles and a lot of something red which we initially thought was ink, but was the right colour to perhaps have been the rollers. Once upon a time. For the moment, I shall use a small brayer to put ink on the stamps. I'm also trying to find a 5x3 acrylic stamping block, so I can use my other stamps with it, though it seems to be an elusive size.

Of course, even with a weekend in my craft room organising, it still isn't quite right. It's better – much better. And it's mostly there now. But I expect I shall continue tinkering at the edges, as I find more convenient places for storing things.

It feels very empty now. And yet I haven't cleared that much stuff. Just tidied up everything that was on the floor, which helps.

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