question about binders for all your interests

[snrvanbeek]

Hi, I've just read the book Refuse to choose and am happy to find out that I'm a scanner. I read about purchasing three ring binders for your different interests and I really like this idea. So I've bought a number of them and just wanted some advice. Do I take one binder for "crocheting" and in this binder I put several tabs for the different projects that I want to crochet? Is this the best way to go you think?

I'm still trying to figure out what works best for me to get to all the things that I want to do, this is my main problem. I've got so many scattered projects in very different areas and I really feel like I accomplish nothing because I do too little of this and too little of that. I'm going to read the book again and see what I come up with. But I thought I'd start with the binders first... Oh, and I've also started the Scanner daybook, that's a lot of fun although I find it hard to take time to write in this (because I "should" be doing a whole lot things more important...).

Thanks for the great book and this forum!
Sharon
(from the Netherlands)

[BarbaraSher]

You never really know what you'll need until you've worked with your binders for awhile. For this reason, I always get binders with front and side 'windows' of plastic. Then I can change the contents and slide in a new title whenever I like.

So start with crocheting and have sections for each project for now (I often use small post-its as dividers because they're so fast and easy -- and changeable) and see how you like it.

When a binder gets too big, you can decide if you want a *huge* 3-ring binder (get a 'D-ring' if you want the pages to turn easily) or a number of smaller ones.

I love binders. I've found places where I can buy window binders in lots of lovely colors. If you want to know where, you'll have to email my assistant (I'm overseas right now -- about to run the Scanner's Retreat in Puglia, Italy next week and don't have the info at hand). To do that, go to barbarasher.com and scroll to the bottom of the page. There you'll find a link to contact me, and Andrea answers my emails while I'm gone.

Carry on, fellow Scanner. And welcome home.

[lorilaine]

In the past I've thought about doing something along this line, maybe, only with boxes... having a box---shoe box size or bigger---for each project. then whenever I would find something needed for that project or might be a good idea for it, I could just throw it in the appropriate box, if I wasn't currently working on it and then all the bits would be in one area for that particular project. The other idea was clipboards, maybe that could hang on the wall and be very visible and in focus. I haven't tried the clipboard idea yet, and have started a couple of boxes, but haven't fully employed them yet. Having a hard time deciding... and I don't have a nice shelf system for all the project boxes, but I think that might end up being what works, though like the binder idea as well. I have actually done binders for other things, but then again, they're not on shelves, so they get out of sight and forgotten. I guess that's what I need to work on, making sure things are always visible....

[BarbaraSher]

Shoe boxes or metal or plastic 'tubs' from stationery stores are fine, too. I use them for subjects that are made up of scraps and books and items --things that don't fit in a binder. I don't go for clipboards. They're expensive if you buy a lot of them, and hanging them on the wall only works if you have very few sheets of paper clipped in. Othewise they slip out and on to the floor in an unhappy re-establishment of the confusion you had already taken care of. Most demoralizing.

If paper fits in a clipboard, it can go in a binder. I still like binders best of all. I recycle them easily when I move or toss what's in them, because I buy the kind with 'windows' on the outside and can change the name in the spine and on the front and back. They're easy to toss in a tote bag if I want to work away from my home.

[vtlass01]

Are you still here?

Darbi

[BarbaraSher]

Define your terms. Who do you mean by 'you?'

If you mean me, yes, I'm always here when there's a new post.

I get notified whenever there's a post. There's something you can check below so you do too.