So I've had a look at where I have things at the moment and the next step is to identify stuff that's really annoying me, what do I groan over every time I need to get to it, what do I really hate and importantly - is there anything that could be dangerous in my craft space?  This will give me somewhere to start and I hope begin the purging and re-organising process - this will help me stick to the important stuff and not get lost in making new piles (I hope).  Now I may end up needing to move things around in my space as this progresses, my room is a work in progress.  These are the things I will begin with in my Craft Room Cleanse - because as nice as it is to make things pretty - the look in most cases is not what's bugging me most.  So I am making this list and I will then be working my way through and tackling these things that are annoying me most.

My goal is to improve things,

not just move things!

Is there anything  potentially dangerous in your craft room?

• Nest of cables and power cords running next to computer - need to be tidied up, easy to trip over, pull computer off desk
• Copic Tower - dangerous to both humans, cats and supplies where it currently is - need to move it, or re-home components/supplies - really don't have the space on desk to have it where it is
• Piles on floor, hubby kicks plastic bins/containers, cats chewing on papers and supplies - need to get these things off the floor
• I can't open draws or get to most things in my tall skinny draws without moving other items, I have my pre-folded card and Tim Holtz dies in there so I'm in and out of them constantly - a little worried I might knock my laptop off the desk - need to move these draws to a new location

Space or Organisation Problems

Ink Pads

• Finding a Distress ink pad amongst the stacks of pads on my draw takes forever - I have to remove each stack to check whats there every time!  This needs to change
• I have some of my regularly used pads on my desk, some in a large draw, others in small draws that I can't open when things are on the desk in front of the draws.  Need to move, reorganise and think about this one.

Papers

• Paper folders have so much crammed in they are often uncomfortable heavy to lift - need to reassess how I'm storing my paper and card
• Paper further away from where I work than I'd like - needs to be closer
• Pre-folded cards in draw unit I have trouble getting to
• Takes more time than I'd like to find the paper I'm looking for - need to re sort and maybe a new sorting system
• Paper stored in every bookshelf in room - need to consolidate

Desk

• I can't open my draws on the desk to access stamps or supplies, without moving other items - need to clear the space on my desk so draws can open
• Every time I want to get to my journal ideas folder, I have to clean off the desk in front of it - need to clean desk (hmm this messy desk is on there as a nuisance twice!)
• I'm beginning to HATE having to move one pile to locate another, so much stuff on desk I'm losing things - currently just moving piles on desk to floor when running out of room :O(
• Small cutting mat annoying me, need to move every time I want to heat things, spray things or use craft mat(little stuff I know, but it means the grubby mat goes on the floor, starts a new pile, shoved in an open draw - you get the idea)

Pens/Pencils/Markers

• Finding the right water-brush on a draw of pens takes longer than I want it to - need to separate stationary supplies and organise these better
• Pencils/markers/pens all in together and it takes far too long to locate the pen I want - need to sort pens into brand or use somehow and have them easier to access.

Sprays

• I have that many sprays that I'm finding it difficult to locate the exact colour in my draw which holds around 100 - need to see if I can find a better way to organise these and maybe different spot to store them

Stamps

• I'm finding my stamps are getting the EzMount squashed from being packed on a shelf too tightly - need to buy more folders and take over another shelf to increase storage space
• Stamps on loop tape are rarely used as getting to the loop tape blocks is annoying - either remount stamps or move loop tape blocks to more easily accessed location
• Mounted stamps are taking over my desk, I don't have space to store any more.

Embellishments

• I have 8 draws of ribbons and lace, only 2 of which are sorted onto ribbon cards - need to finish organising ribbons
• I have some embellishments I never knew were there as my embellishment draws are VERY poorly organised - need to redo contents, label and resort - would also be good if they were all together

Art Supplies (Paints, Mediums etc.)

• Art supplies currently in many different draws, not really organised - have to look in about 3 places to find something - need a better system
• Re-inkers in 3 different places, can never remember which lot is where - need to label and store together

It's not 'Pretty' Issues

Come on be honest, the way your space looks matters as well, if you think it looks ugly and drab then you're not going to really enjoy being in there.  If you feel that it's a nice space that makes you feel creative - then you're likely to want to be in there more and will probably end up being more creative.  So what are the cosmetic things I don't like about my room (you've seen what I'd like and what I have to work with - vastly different spaces), so here's where I compromise, forget my dream room - what do I dislike most about what I have.

• Bare white walls - not very arty or inspiring
• Drab brown desk - biggest thing in room, very blah
• Different coloured and styled storage units, all stored all over the place
• No real colour theme or unity - looks pretty messy (though that could also be the stuff everywhere!)
• Mementos stored on bookshelves in front of items I need to get to - need their own homes.
• Storage very bland and boring, nothing fun or pretty

So that's the main areas that I'd like to improve - some of the changes I need to make to fix these things are small - others more involved - but now I know what's annoying me most about my craft space I can start to fix it up. I'm going to make a checklist and work my way through this stuff.  As I'll go I'll post my 'dream' solutions so we can all drool together, plus some good ideas, and also the solution I ended up choosing for my room.

Yippee - I really can't wait to begin, I may even have been waking up at night hatching ideas about how to improve and reorganise!  I have resisted for the moment and have not raced out to buy storage I've seen online (in spite of how amazingly good some of it looks!) - so on to figuring out how to make this room work for me....  wheeeeeeeee...