Time Well Spent

Call me anal if you must, but that's okay because when it comes to organization, I am a bit anal. I got my first copic markers about a year ago after fence sitting for about 6 months. I knew it would be a big expense and I had to decide if I would really use them, and more importantly, if I could 'master' them. When I finally decided to take the plunge I bought the Copic Ciao. I toyed between the full set of Copic Ciao's and the much anticipated colors that Ellen was going to carry. Shortly before Ellen came out with her colors Eclectic Paperie had a deal that I couldn't pass up and jumped into the Ciao's.

Now I'm a girl who has to have it all when it comes to colors! I LOVE to read about everyone's favorite combos but I'm my own person in that respect and need to decide what colors work for ME and I need the whole selection to decide upon. So since buying the set of Ciao's I've been filling the gaps with Sketch markers. I LOVE the sketch markers, not because they are better, because they are NOT...just because I can more easily find the color I'm looking for because the color is labelled on the end of the marker. Like just about everyone who uses copics, I have made a chart with all the colors on it and identified each as being a sketch or a ciao so I can find it more quickly. However, when it came to finding a ciao I was always pulling several out of the case to find the one I am looking for...why...because the color wasn't identified on the end of the cap!

How did I overcome this...well, I spent almost two hours labelling the top of each ciao cap with the color number using the fine tip of an IdentiPen.

So yes, you can call me a bit anal, but I'm much happier now that I have all my markers identified easily so I can quickly find then!

Here are some pics of what I have done.

Labelled Ciao markers.

My Sketch markers that I keep in cups.

The chart that I live and breath by. In case you are just dying to know, the highlighted numbers are the markers that I have in sketch and the little asterisks indicate I own a reinker for that color. If the color box is 'empty' it means I don't have that color yet.

May you all organize your Copic markers, whatever they may be, in a way that makes you happy!