change of latitude

SO - 5 days before Christmas I started moving my studio downstairs.  {YES, I realize I'm crazy.}  I finally have things {mostly} organized and picture worthy.  I don't have nearly as much natural light because it is our basement, and there is only one small window.  I'm working on lighting and how to take good pictures in the dark.
The books have been down there since we moved in - most of them are from my teaching days and from my childhood.  However, I will own it.  I LOVE children's books.  I have a LOT of books.  We have a good library in our town, but we rarely visit it because we hardly have time to read the books we do have!  Anyway, back to the studio.
When we moved in we had some flooding issues and replaced the carpet with the foam squares.  I love it, and think it will be nice bright fun flooring for the craft room.

The green chair is my "dreaming chair" - perfect for reading a book, reading a magazine, sketching, or working with the kids at their craft table.  The quilt is one made by my grandma - it is poofy and warm and I LOVE it!!!

The kids craft table is in perfect view of my work space, but all their supplies are on their side.  There are two plastic drawer storage units holding their supplies, and a cardboard box full of boxes, toilet paper tubes, and other fun recyclable bits perfect for random creations.  I have two task lights by my cutting table and drawing table, and my sewing machine is at a right angle to the wall.  Behind my tables is a shorter bookshelf to hold sewing books, business paperwork, and information for my sewing machine.  Lots of other supplies are mixed in with the bookshelves on the far wall.

Behind my work table there is a ledge.  On it sits different projects and works-in-progress.  Above it is my shelf of ribbon.  Underneath the ribbon shelf is a cork strip holding the order forms.  Looks like I better get busy!!

My stash.  Yeah.  I better get busy sewing!!!  There are more empty tubes, rolls of freezer paper and contact paper.  There's also a few electronic components and speakers from when this used to be shelving for our TV room.  Not everything is in its perfect spot yet... but electronic components are my husband's arena.

The last shot is just for fun - my collection of Sharpie markers sitting on my drawing table.  I love Sharpies.  Bright. Bold. So versatile.  LOVE them.

I'm really happy with the set-up, and I feel like I'm on the brink of really getting going again.  It's not necessarily the perfect set-up, I wish the walls weren't that weird textured stuff so I could paint them, storage isn't perfect, but it's MY space and I'll keep adding little touches to make it more creative and inspiring.
Color & inspiration - where do you find it?

craft room redo

I've updated a little, reorganized, moved furniture and I am loving it!  Here's the new and improved studio!  You may note a big pile of fabric on the far wall - it's supposed to be put away on the shelves underneath.  But I wouldn't want you to think I could actually have it all organized at once?!!!!  The piano is just to the right around the corner, and the display shelf is still on the wall there.  The fabric shelves in the middle of the room have some of the small things like burp cloths, hairclips, etc. in tubs on top.  The cutting table is against the far wall under the ribbons.  I keep some of my paperwork stuff in a vertical file on the wall.  Scrapbooking stuff is in tubs underneath that table.  Kids' messy stuff is next to the cutting table.  Their craft table is right in between my sewing table and the kitchen table in the next room.

Here's the other side of the fabric shelves - I got a new table to hold both machines.  Woo-hoo!

This is now my dreaming table.  It houses my tub of colored pencils, my tub of Sharpies, and a tub of index cards for little notes and sketches.  It's also my music center - gotta have tunes to craft to!  It's next to the shelves that hold some of my idea books, portfolio, patterns, etc.

Just a shot of some of the pretty stuff on top of the bookshelf.  So many cute things to use on my next project!

display space

My front room has slowly morphed from a not-really used room, to my creative space. It has the piano and a hutch too, but more importantly - it is my craft space. It houses my shelves, tables, sewing machine, fabric, and other assorted goodies.
Because it's the first room people see, I have to be a little aware of what it looks like if someone just stops by. Sometimes I just say oh well, but when I need to clean up I do - and I turn it into a consultation space for meeting with customers.
Recently, we added a display shelf. (I can't take all the credit - all I did was pick out the shelf. My hubby did the install.)
I love how deep it is - no problem holding my fuzzy cubes, hooded towels, and lovey blankets. I love it that people can see the goodies when they walk in the door, rather than having to dig around in a plastic tub. And my favorite part - the shelf brackets. I chose them with those squares for a couple reasons - I don't really love the whole country look anyway, and figured the little squares would be great for hanging some of my items. I kind of feel like the top of the shelf is pretty crowded though, so I guess I better start selling some things!!!!

organize this!

ugh. My fabric stash is getting out of control. I have a workshop coming up this Friday night, and although it's not at my home - I felt the need to get my stash and MYSELF organized! I know this one shelf doesn't look that bad, but multiply it by three and you get frustration.
SO I took out each color and sorted through. Folded nicely. Not perfectly - but at least I can fit it five piles across the shelf now.
And then all the "too small" scraps, left over binding pieces, squares, triangles, and bits went into this basket. Perfect for a small applique piece, my son's crafting moments, and paper piecing.

How do you take care of your stash? (Whatever it may be - fabric, scrapbooking papers, yarn?)

making room

I've been busy. But I finally have some pictures to share. I'm being brave. Not so brave I guess - it's my front room so anyone who comes over has seen the insanity. Just most people don't see it when it's this bad. You'll see the vacuum cleaner, exersaucer, piles of fabric shoved wherever. You may also notice the piano bench next to the vacuum cleaner. Yes, the piano is in the front room too. It's my creative space, and since I'm really the only one (at this point) who plays the piano, it works out pretty well.

This was in progress, but still. I needed help! I had to organize and make room for my new toy, coming later this week. Luckily I had some sleepy kids and a helpful husband.

ahhh... much better. Tulle in one tub, stabilizer in another, ribbons in another, and square scraps for a special project in another.

And my fabric stash. I make a lot of blankets for friends, and try to buy fabric on sale and have choices so they get exactly what they want. But this is getting ridiculous. Gotta stop buying and start sewing!

Where all the magic happens. I didn't include my son's little craft corner, but it's next to my light colored table. That way (theoretically?!!) we can craft together. It hasn't quite happened that way yet, I usually end up sitting next to him in a really small chair doing whatever he's doing. Or we end up at the kitchen table. But we're working up to it!
The tubs underneath the dark table are for my paper crafting. They hold scissors, punches, stamps, etc. It's not a perfect system, but it works for me. When I do paper crafts I usually would spread the tubs out all over the table, so why was I keeping them on the shelf anyway? This way, I put them on the table to work and voila, I have leg room to sit at the table. Duh?!!!

Now if only my new toy was here....
patience Beth, patience....