Hi friends
Here we are into the New Year and my new pressie is still not here yet. It should get to my door tomorrow. So as soon as I get it and manage to understand it I will show you the machine and the link to get get yourself one if you so desire to get on board with me and other friends who has gotten that bug of a yet, new machine. It complements the rest of my craft studio accessories and equipment so wonderfully.
With excitement, here is the moment so many of you have waited for, but before I unveil my new craft room pictures I must tell you that it is not all the way finished the way I want it so Mark and I are calling it work in progress so when I get updated corners of it I will gladly share my improvements with you.
Here we go continuing our room visit. This is when I come in. The first bins are for my punches (some of them) one of my Chinese furniture pieces next to it, storing all my flowers of all makes plus other neat things. Then a book shelf storing my similar to Copic pens but these are called "Touch" 50 cents each in China. Then a table where I store one of my IKEA drawer chests and another shelving unit sitting on the top of my IKEA table. You will see more of it on other pictures.
Sorry the picture is not clear but you see the main area of two tables joined together for my work area. I have an excellent view to the birds I am feeding just outside of my window, they come and say hello many times a day. Continuing on to better photos.
Next, you can see where my PC is and my KNK cutting machine, printer and my trusty literature and magazines I am keeping preciously for neat ideas. My chair that I had missed so much while in China. Below the printer is where my new toy is doing to sit tomorrow. So as soon as I have the shelf painted and looking decent I will share the whole wall with you again. But I will show you the machine alone first.
Here you can see I have my armoire Hubby made for me 4 years ago which stores so much card stock and different papers. It is a very simple armoire because I wanted it to look nice in whatever decor I may choose to add it to. I have another design in mind that will eventually join this one or simply replace this one, this one will have a perfect room for it not to worry. I have more of my punches which I have changed all the labels on since I took this picture. My old Sizzix collection stacked in the left corner and to the right you see another shelving unit where I store all of my greeting stamps, so it is behind me and always so handy as they are all (now) put by themes. The decoration of my room is not yet done the way I am waiting it to be. Curtains and wall hanging is not a done deal.
Now this completes the circular tour of my unfinished craft studio. But you are now facing the wall of the first photo I have posted on top. Since I took those pictures I have made a few more changes to some of it. We also have done more shelving in the closet on one side so I can't show you yet since the other side is still a big mess. I am adding and removing as I go and again, I pick what is actual for me to use. I will soon show you a picture of my new toy coming in tomorrow. I will also add some cards I make with it so you can too want one and put it on your wish list. (This clock will change LOL)
I wanted to show you some of our Christmas cards while I was taking pictures you might recognize yours in the bunch. (see my trusty little frog friend)
We are now leaving my Craft Studio where there are 5 steps at the end of this floor, a door and the rest of this hallway. You can also see where my closet is. Here below the cards you can see where I stored all my 168 colors of my pen "Touch" in black drawers. It is all stored by colors. I didn't take pictures of the restroom I have to the right hand side of the armoire. We all know what a restroom looks like LOL. This concludes my tour for today.
******************
I do realize that a craft studio for any use you may need one for, will be different and should be different. I say that because your way to work in it might be different than mine, so what works wonderfully for me might definitely not work for you. So a craft studio is a personal environment that is made just for you according to your needs.
Lately I was looking all over on line to see what people use to store their ink pads, paper punches, ribbons and die cuts we have learned to collect in the last few years...But I came back to realize that I will have to make my own shelving around me which carries all of the products I use the most when card making. So I have to learn how to design plans LOL. Not good at that since I am such a visual, I see my things there before it is drawn up. But Hubby wants a plan LOL so I will give him plans hee hee. So this is why I am saying it is work in progress.
We have put this room together with the furniture I already had and some of it has been added to it since we were in China. The drawer chests are newly added and I am so much in awe with it since you can store efficiently so many different items such as glue, tapes, ink pads re-inkers, colored pencils and H2O's as well as my collection of embossing powders and Flower soft. My acrylic stamps are also in there as well.
So my best recommendation to you if you are wanting to create a small space if it is not a complete room, I would start with a table and what has worked for me for years was to use small bookshelves around me as I was using my Cuttlebug on top of the shelves it was always the perfect height for me. But make a selection on what you use every time you make cards. What is it that you use all the time? Then you want to find a way to minimize the space it is using and remember efficiency in a small space will give you a lot of neat creativity moments than if you did have your own craft studio. Now you will be able to call it your Corner Studio which is just as good if not BETTER!
Another tid bit of trick I found out from my own collections, is that for instance if you have a load of the same like (pointing at self) a collection of paper punches...I have seen so many different displays of them over time but because I have more than I can display on the walls that I don't have, I simply store in the Office Depot or Staples stores 4 or 5 drawer see through plastic bins. I added some labels to each drawer naming the drawer "all flowers" or 'all shapes" after doing an inventory of what I had I could tell what names I would call my drawers and one ended up being called, you guessed it...."Miscellaneous" We all have one of them.
As time goes by, our craft studios are growing and the needs are changing rapidly. So it is wonderful to be able to always leave room for improvement and never call your craft area a done deal!
I hope it was worth all the wait and you enjoyed my Craft Studio as it was a few weeks ago and always changing. I will add more as I go but if you find yourself having a question or two about my settings please do feel free to write and ask away I will reply as soon as I can. Click here
Make it a fun day because this one will never come back!
Make it memorable because it is fun food for the future ahead!
Make yourself adorable because all your friends will enjoy staying in touch with you!
(A SPECIAL THANK YOU to my wonderful man for all the continuous help be brings to my life)
