It's a conglomeration of relcosable bags, cardboard boxes, bowls, Tupperware, multi-compartment bead boxes and 35mm film containers. They are in closets & drawers, on my desk, under my desk, in the spare room, in my bedroom, in my office, in Akrobins and portable file boxes. And, understandably, I can never find what I want when I want it.
Now that I'm looking into purchasing a software package to help me keep track of completed pieces and pricing them, I realize how BAD my inventory & tracking system really is. How am I ever going to back track the mess I have made into a coherent & cohesive system? I have a daunting task ahead of me.
Other jewelry makers I've consulted seem to agree that sorting all your beads by colour works best, with a bin or box for each one. Apparently, there are some good YouTube videos on bead organizing that someone suggested I should check out too. I need all the help I can find, so I'll be watching those this week, for sure.
Moving forward though, I'm putting purchases directly onto a spreadsheet, with a breakdown of cost per bead, number of beads on the strand and where I bought them. So, when I do get the software package it will be easy to plug all the information into it.
I'm going to be organized in 2012, whether I like it or not. *smile*
hahaa! Totally with you on this! I have the divided plastic bins and colors in each, but I'm not that great at putting them back (SO not showing my table! snork!) and I'm really bad at keeping track of what beads I bought where and how many per strand. Good luck (we're both going to need it)!
ReplyDeleteI have everything sorted by color. But I still cannot find anything. So what I am going to do is keep the beads sorted by color in their ziplock bags, and store the findings together by type. As in, jumprings in one drawer, headpins in one, earwires in another.
ReplyDeleteI do try to enter each purchase in my spreadsheet as soon as possible (ASAP is so elusive, right, that "possible" bit ;-)), but I am still in a mess. My husband helped me make spreadsheets related so that I can enter everything I used for a piece and would get the final cost from it automatically. But I am STILL in a mess...always too late to make my entries. Can't wait to get rich and famous so I can hire someone to do this for me ;)
Am going to be following you to see how you sort this all out.
Kashmira....don't tell me that! Please let me live with the illusion that I will get it all under control one day. LOL
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Bonnie. How is your organization coming? Did you get a software program?
ReplyDeleteI have to clean up my scrapbook room and move my beads upstairs and it is a daunting task.