Autumn Cleanup

There's something about domestic chores - they make me feel really settled sometimes.  When I'm in the mood, that is!  A friend of mind suggested that I post some pictures of the tools of my craft on Pinterest, so I played around with that thought for a while...  The trouble was, my bench was in such a shockingly messy state that I couldn't photograph any single thing with it like that!

Before

 So, reluctantly, it was time for a clean up.

I started by taking all the short ends of glass that need to be used up (did I tell you I never waste glass?) and sorting them out...there are all sorts of "treasures" in here from silvered ivory stringers, twisties, encased canes...

Then I took all the longer lengths and laid them out in another place...  There are THAT MANY??  REALLY?  I suppose I should sort these and use them up - sometimes I threaten myself with not allowing me to take a new rod till all of the old ones are used up..

.  

YEAH RIGHT!

Then I had all this clear space so I laid out the tools that were also in that same spot...

So, here we have them - this is what I use most of the time, though there are a couple in there that I hardly ever use, and there's a set of brass picks that aren't in this shot that I use all the time, too.

So then it was time for a cup of tea and a quick bead or two before I headed home.

and after....

I have to say that once I relaxed into it I quite enjoyed the process and now I feel quite super charged and ready to make another mess ;).

I need to find a new container for my hot tools, though...somehow the plastic box doesn't quite cut it.

Perhaps I should make a regular practice of taking photos of my work areas so I am forced to tidy up.

OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW!!!