CREATOR'S CORNER - Ardyth

 Good morning, everyone!

I've been inspired by today's guest for a couple of years now.  I love how she offers a tip in each of her videos. She is also the reason I got inspired by the stencil wheel from Penguin Palace. Check out their videos on their YouTube Channel. 

Here's a bit about Ardyth:

Ardyth is a cardmaker from Toronto, Canada. She loves clean design and bold colours, and especially enjoys getting more from all her crafty supplies by using them in unexpected ways to create something completely different!

Let's step inside her studio before we learn more about Ardyth.

Notice all the essential tools at her finger tips and that natural light!

What got you started on the creative path?

I started card making at a Stampin’ Up! Party in 2006. I love the idea of a small project that makes me happy, and can be shared to bring happiness to someone else! 

How has your creativity evolved?

When I started, I wanted to try it all! Over time, I’ve figured out what my style is, and I’m more selective in what I buy. I notice that I’ve moved from cards that were primarily stamping/colouring to messier background techniques (stencil, gel plate etc) with die-cut sentiments. Maybe that will change again….

What do you enjoy most about your creative path?

I love that feeling I get when a project turns out even better than my expectations. I love that there’s always something new to learn, whether it’s new products or skills. And of course, I love all the crafty friends I’ve made through the years.

What inspires you?

I get my inspiration pretty much anywhere. I love to work with bold colours and geometrics, and while I love lots of white space, I’m pretty happy to use messy techniques as well.Rather than rushing to purchase new products, I love to 'get the look' of any inspiration, using products I already have. I developed a simple, 5-step LIMES method to help analyze an inspiration piece and then translate it into something completely unique. It's easy to remember, easy to use and easy to create something that is beautifully your own!

When did you move from hobby to business and what initiated the transition?

For me the transition was very slow and organic. I was more focused on expanding my skills when I started my YouTube channel in 2017, and that’s grown to become a revenue generator, as well as a good resume, for anyone who is looking to work with me.

What do you love most about your space and would you change anything?

I’m lucky to have a small ‘extra’ bedroom as my craft space. Over the years it has changed as the products I needed to store changed (remember wooden stamps?!) or different functionality (I do all my card photography and YouTube video editing in it as well!) and I love how adaptable it has been with minimal changes in furnishing. The only thing I would change is better air conditioning in the summer!

What 3 things do you feel are important when planning a space?

This is a hard one for me - I’ve been in my room for so long and it’s evolved slowly over the years - most of what I have is ‘leftover’ furniture from other areas of the house, with a desk, and a couple of extra pieces specifically purchased for a crafty space.

* Know what you’ve got, and what you use most.

* Keep containers/furniture flexible when you can, so that they can serve multiple uses and last as trends change. 

* Invest in the basic tools that you’ll use for years - ‘trendy’ tools like stencils, stamps and dies will come and go, but trimmers, stamp positioners, die cutting machines are things you only want to have to purchase once so quality is key.

What is your best organization tip?

Know what works for you - some of us like things to be visible, some like them put away and out of sight, some don’t need to be organized at all, they just ‘know’ where everything is.

I’m someone who likes to have a place for everything, but I also like it to be visible, so I have lots of open shelves and cubbies. If I can’t see it, I’ll forget to use it. But if it’s not put away, I start to feel claustrophobic and not at all creative.

What is your best tip for anyone wanting to turn their craft into a business?

Be yourself in this industry, you are the brand you’re trying to sell and if you’re authentic, you’ll find your customers.

Don’t be afraid to invest in the learning you need to do it well - there are so many resources available to coach you in designing and producing a product or service, marketing and delivering those products, and also the back-end - including the financial part of running a business. Finding help can reduce frustration and shorten the time to success!

Great tips and advice, Ardyth. Thank you so much for joining me this month. It's been a pleasure sharing your talent with my followers. 

Hey folks, be sure to check out Ardyth's links down below and LIKE/ FOLLOW. 

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   YouTube   IG   

FREE RESOURCES

Creative Blessings!

~Kelly

CREATOR'S CORNER - Tiffany Solorio

 Good morning, crafty friends!

I am super excited for today's guest. Tiffany Solorio is my go-to creator when I want to play with my Lindy's Magicals. 

Before we go any further - I want to remind you of the Card Maker Summit THIS WEEKEND! If you've not signed up yet, please use Tiffany's Link HERE and come join the fun. Need more info about Card Maker Summit - Check out THIS VIDEO from Tiffany.

Okay.. let's get to know Tiffany:

I am a mom of 2 and I love creating. I started back in 2008 (ish) when I went to a Stampin' Up! meeting. I was hooked from the beginning. Even though my style has changed my love for learning new techniques and helping others to create has not changed. 

Here is one of the shots of Tiffany's inspiring space:

Thank you for joining us in the studio today, Tiffany. I can't wait to share your talent with my readers!

1 – What got you started on the creative path?

 I was invited to a Stampin' Up! party by a mom in a mommy and me playgroup I was in. I was hooked right a way!

2 – How has your creativity evolved?

It has taken so many turns. I fell in love with stamping. I made cards at first and then dabbled in a little scrapbooking. I then quickly found my love for mixed media and altered projects. After many years of creating 3d projects and more in depth projects I came back to card making, 

3 – What do you enjoy most about your creative path?

I am going to get a little vulnerable, which I don’t often do. When I was young I always felt artistic or the urge to be creative. But I was never able to draw or paint “correctly” and I always got bad grades in art class. In high school I remember the teacher telling me I wasn’t trying hard enough and I would almost fail each year but I stuck with it because I loved expressing myself through art. I also loved cooking and was actually pretty good at it and I thought maybe that is the “art form” I was supposed to pursue. I almost went to culinary school but life took me a different way. In 2008 I found paper crafting and over the years I obsessed in learning new techniques. People would often call me an artist but I felt so uncomfortable when people would call my projects art. Or tell me I am a good artist. It wasn’t until this year 2023 that I finally embraced the fact that I am an artist. 

4 – What inspires you?

I am inspired by so much every day! A color can inspire a project or the sunset can make me want to get in my room to create. 

5 – When did you move from hobby to business and what initiated the transition?

It was kind of by accident or maybe a natural progression. I have been creating YouTube video since 2008. Back then there was no money in it at all. I was always on some sort of design team but they didn’t pay. Just offered free products. It wasn’t until 2020 I took a course on how to build a better YouTube channel and my whole mindset shifted because I started implementing these things and I could see the potential. I started getting paid sponsorships and was asked to join summits and teach classes. 

6 – What do you love most about your space and would you change anything?

Recently I purged a lot of stuff out of my room and no matter what drawer I open or bin I dig in everything inspires me in my room. I think that is the thing I love most. For too many years I was so unorganized and I felt overwhelmed. I don’t have that feeling anymore. I would only want to somehow add a little hangout area for my kids. They often sit in my room with me but there is no couch or anything. 

7 – What 3 things do you feel are important when planning a space?

Don’t compare your space to other peoples

Make it functional but also have things out that inspire you. 

Keep your most used supplies closest to you

8 – What is your best organization tip?

I think the thing I stress the most is before you organize you have to purge. Not just a few items but have an honest conversation with yourself about what you haven’t used and won’t use in the future. 

9 – What is your best tip for anyone wanting to turn their craft into a business? 

Have multiple revenue streams and always learn how you can do better, whether that is with marketing, YouTube videos or other things. 

As you may have realized from these Creator's Corner interviews, getting to our 'Dream Studio' is much like finding Planner Peace. There is a process we must travel to find what works for us. Dream Studio is NOT about size but how we work with the what we have.

Tiffany gives us a tour of her dream studio in this vide:

I hope you've enjoyed this visit with Tiffany Solorio. Remember to check out the Card Maker Summit details coming up this weekend. This event is FREE (however, you can purchase lifetime access)

Here are some ways you can connect with Tiffany:

WEBSTIE   YOUTUBE   INSTAGRAM   REDBUBBLE

Creative Blessings!

~ Kelly

WOYWW #715 & #KCDFebJJ23 Week 3 Challenge

 Good morning, crafty friends!

Wow... just rolling into 8 a.m. and I thought I was running late this morning. 

First off, this is my 'desk' for the week:

This is my filming corner and the desk should be to the left in front of those shelves but I've taken everything out of the space that I can to make room for improvements. I have cube storage units to put together today then I'm hoping (if I measured correctly) that 4 of them will fit below that window ledge (that I still need to clear off before I start).

As part of this whole studio redo, I took one day last week to sort gather all of my bling and sort out. 

This is just a small portion of what I have:

Back in 2021 I ordered THESE bags from Amazon with the plan to store all of my stamp sets in. I'm hoping to finally get to that project next month.

In the mean time, I took 55 of them, lined each with a piece of poster board for stability and put each bling type in their own bag.  This way I can store them in a photo box and flip through to find what I need. I may still pull the basic colors from the scrap rack and add them to here since when working on a project, unless it's theme specific, I may not know what I want to use.

I chose not to cut the sealing edge off in case I want to use the 'empty' bag for something else later. They are sized for 5x7 cards.

Week 3 Stick Pull for the February challenge:

In tomorrow's video we'll be making doilies for our journals. They can also be used on cards. No crochet hook/ thread required. Intriqued? 

That's it for my desk (and story) this week. Who's Miss Julia and why am I here?  When you are done visiting me in the Ozarks, please hop on over to Stamping Ground for all the details. Miss Julia has a long list of other studios you can peek into. No standing on an up-turned milk pail to look in the window. We open the doors wide and welcome you.  Please leave your number and you'll be among the first on my list.

  Creative Blessings!

~ Kelly

CREATOR'S CORNER - Gayle Agostinelli

Good morning, friends!

If you work in mixed media or make junk journals, then you are probably familiar with today's guest. 

Gayle Agostinelli

Gayle is one of the most creative ladies that I follow on YouTube. I think one of her favorite things to work with are 'make aheads'. These are basic items you can make up ahead of time to either just pop into a journal as needed or, with a little extra embellishments, can be tailor-made to a specific project.  Let's hear from Gayle!

In 2016, my business transitioned from a bricks and mortar vintage shop, CinnamonT, to an online Etsy shop, CinnamonT.  I began my YouTube channel at the same time to share mixed media and junk journal making videos.  My guiding principal with my YouTube was to share kindness as well as creativity.

Gayle has such a sweet voice, highlighting her 'kindness'. 

Here's one shot of Gayle's studio:

Welcome, Gayle!

1 – What got you started on the creative path?

I’ve always created for as long as I can remember.  I did the usual kid art, drawing , cutting snowflakes and making clothes for my Barbies.  My parents always praised and showcased my creations.  I loved having their approval of what I was making!

2 – How has your creativity evolved?

I did decoupage and wood burning as a teenager.  Then crocheting and quilt making as a young adult.  I made my kids’ clothes as they were growing up.  I tried scrapbooking my kid’s photos, but it was too precise for me and I gave it up.  After the kids left home, I began jewelry making and mixed media art.  When I first saw junk journals on YouTube, I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy it (remembering my failed attempt at scrapbooking), but what I found was I could incorporate every craft I ever done into the making of journals.  I love it!

3 – What do you enjoy most about your creative path?

I’d have to say I enjoy the incredible community of creatives that I’ve discovered through my YouTube channel.  They are my friends and my crafting buddies!  I didn’t realize when I first started my channel how incredibly important they would become in my life.

4 – What inspires you? 

That’s a tough one as SO many things inspire me!  The world around me inspires me.  Nature inspires me.  Funny story…I used the restroom at my hairdresser’s and the wallpaper was incredible hues of purple and grey.  I went straight home and took out my gelli plate to make some prints with the color combination in the wallpaper!  There is inspiration everywhere, if we are open to seeing it!

5 – When did you move from hobby to business and what initiated the transition?

As mentioned in my bio, 2016 was the year I went online.  I retired from my career in 2016.  When space and time open in your life, there is room for something wonderful to come in.  For me, it was time to devote to my art full time.  When my husband looked at all the mixed media canvases and journals I was making and said in dismay, “are we going to have these all over the house?”, I decided I’d better open an Etsy shop and sell my work!

6 – What do you love most about your space and would you change anything?

I just rearranged my craft room to have my journal making area under a window and have the space to pull everything I need during a video close to me.  Best thing I’ve ever done!  I also have a separate filming area for mixed media.  I love having the two areas to film!  I can leave the mixed media area all painty and messy without the possibility of ruining one of my journals.  My craft room is my happy place and, yes, I love it!

7 – What 3 things do you feel are important when planning a space?

1.      A place for everything and everything in it’s place.  I can’t create with chaos around me.

2.     Having what you need as close at hand as possible.

3.     Having good storage containers such as project boxes, project cart, bins, shelves, rolling carts, etc.  With good storage options, keeping like with like is so much easier.

8 – What is your best organization tip?

Tidy up often.  I tidy my work space at the end of every crafting session.  And I do a major tidy and sort after I complete a project.  I love to start every day’s work with a clean slate of a tidy work space!  I also put things away as I’m working, so my work space doesn’t get out of control.

9 – What is your best tip for anyone wanting to turn their craft into a business?

Work hard and be yourself.  It takes time and effort to create a successful business of any kind.  If you begin an online business, give it time to grow and don’t give up because it doesn’t happen overnight.  Engage in others’ online presence to support and learn from them.  Put your good energy out in the world and good things will come back to you.

Thank you, Gayle, for joining me in Creator's Corner today. You are always a pleasure. 

For a complete walk-through of Gayle's studio and her methods for organization, check out this pair of videos: 

Part One - the tour:

Part Two - at arm's length (within reach):

You can catch up with Gayle by clicking on any of the links below:

WEBSITE   ETSY   PATREON   YouTube  FACEBOOK   INSTAGRAM

MERCH SHOP 

Please remember to check out those links and subscribe to her channels. You'll love the content!

Creative Blessings!

~ Kelly

 

 

 

CREATOR'S CORNER - Anais Chartschenko

 Good morning, everyone!

Today, I'm launching a brand new series. Because of all that's been going on here at home, I may not get this rolling as fast as I'd like but I hope to introduce you to a creator the 4th Thursday of each month!

Aside from introducing you to a creator, we'll peek inside their studio and see WHERE they create all the things and maybe get an organization tip or two along the way.

Let me introduce you to Anais Chartschenko:

Anais Chartschenko

I had to do some switching around on the guest list and the more I thought about it, the more I thought Anais was the perfect person to kick this off. Why? Because she has just been involved with an amazing children's book project I'll tell you more about in a minute. 

I first met Anais earlier this month through a mutual friend on twitter, Gregg McBride. A man talented in his own right on so many levels. I feel blessed to now only call him friend but to have met this lovely lady in cyberspace, as well.

Here's a bit about Anais:

Anaïs Chartschenko bee-lieves that persistence and enthusiasm can transform into talent and luck. After being told by an English teacher that she couldn't write, she went on to publish multiple books (The Weightless One and Sailing Toward Us). She was advised she shouldn't dream of pursuing something as complex as opera, and so she learned to sing arias in several languages. She was informed quite firmly that being an illustrator was out of the question―yet this is her first illustrated children's book. People also said she would never grow to be 5 feet tall...well, can't win 'em all! 

How Fun!  Anais is the perfect example of "don't tell me what I can't do!" She'll show you it can be done - well, except for the getting taller part ;-)

Let's jump into the Q & A:

What got you started on the creative path?

There was never any other path for me. I wrote stories, drew pictures, and started banging on a piano as a child. I probably gave a lot of people headaches.

How has your creativity evolved?

I learned discipline. Without that, it is very difficult to turn creativity into a long-lasting habit. 

What do you enjoy most about your creative path?

The best part of being on the creative path are all the other artists you meet along the way. I've met other writers I admire like Jacopo della Quercia, JD Estrada, Eva Leigh, and Assaph Mehr.  I've played music with all sorts of musicians. I study opera with Kristina Jones, a world traveled leading lady opera singer. Knowing her has made my life richer, and of course made me a better artist.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by a lot of things, probably the same things that inspire most artists. Art, music, literature, life. For Biron the Bee Who Couldn't, a children's book I illustrated, written by Gregg McBride, I looked at a lot of nature photography. I read and watched everything bee related that I could so that I could design a bee that was unique to our book. I thought about the art I love looking at again and again, like the Sandman comics by Neil Gaiman- particularly artists David Mack and Dave McKean- and Yoshitaka Amano's artwork (Final Fantasy, Vampire Hunter D).

I try to blend all my inspiration together to create something new.

NOTE: To find out more about Gregg McBride and their book - Biron the Bee Who Couldn't - check out the feature on them on my author blog - CLICK HERE:

When did you move from hobby to business and what initiated the transition?

My first job as a teenager was painting cars for demolition derby. I painted a giant squirrel on the roof of a tow truck so people in the stands could see it. It was as fun for me as it was for the driver to plan the design of their car.  I've done different jobs in the arts over the years. Part of the reason is that it was the area I excelled at and the other factor is I was willing to do off the beaten path projects. 

What do you love most about your space and would you change anything?

I love that I always have a fully stocked tea and coffee cupboard. I don't have a dedicated office. I set up shop at my kitchen table, a nice round glass table that lets me zone out on the tile below. I like that the room has nice windows, and I have aloe vera growing around me complete with garden gnomes. It is a miniature indoor garden. I have written books there, so it works out alright.

I would like to get a sit-stand desk with adjustable height. I've also seen crafting closets like Create Room which I think would be nice for storing art supplies. 

What 3 things do you feel are important when planning a space?

I mostly think about practical considerations. I want to have enough outlets. I want to have a space to put my tea cup. I want to be close to the bathroom. 

What is your best organization tip?

I'm not very organized. It is something I have to work at. I try to keep all my music books together, all my paints together, and so on. That helps when looking for things. I have a journal I use for keeping track of word count deadlines and that sort of thing. I folders for each book I write with all the content relevant to each book in its folder- character sheets, setting, research, manuscript versions, ect. Having them in groups like that saves time for me.

What is your best tip for anyone wanting to turn their craft into a business?

It as a business. People in the arts are often expected to give away their work for free. They are given the promise of exposure or reminded art is created from passion. But exposure and passion don't pay the bills. Know the value of your work.

You will find Anais Chartschenko by following any of the social medai links below:

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   INSTAGRAM   TWITTER   YOUTUBE

I'm not sure who our guest will be next month so stay tuned. I may not have blog posts next week. That will be Bob's last week home and we've had almost no time for just the two of us in two months. I do have a special announcement coming up July 1 as well as a slew of projects for the entire month so don't go too far!

Creative Blessings!

~Kelly

WOYWW #640

 Hi everyone!

Sorry I'm coming in the door late, and I may not get to some of you until next Tuesday after Bob leaves but I'll do my best. 

I've been absent just a few weeks but I've been busy trying to find the studio. While I'm not finished yet, I've made great strides as you'll see from the photos.

Let's start with the work table. You may recall this is 4' x 8 ft and where I work on large projects. When Bob is home, this also serves as my computer space:

I've been trying to get September blog posts written. So far today, I've managed this one and filming 2 videos... which leads to this:

This area isn't completely finished but I can work on a project and film at the same time. We also bought me a new office chair that fits the height of the table.  More on this area at a later date but it's almost finished!

Talk about finished... this is what the sofa looked like when I started this whole process. The stamp sets still need to be cataloged. They're in a tub at the moment. Cataloging is my project for next week. 

I had to move the stamp sets to a tub temporarily as my BIL/ SIL came for a 4-day visit and needed a place to sleep.  Now that it's cleared, Spirit kitty has decided it's a good place to nap:

That's it for my desk (and story) this week. Who's Miss Julia and why am I here?  When you are done visiting me in the Ozarks, please hop on over to Stamping Ground  for all the details. Miss Julia has a long list of other studios you can peek into. No standing on an up-turned milk pail to look in the window. We open the doors wide and welcome you.  Please leave your number and you'll be among the first on my list. 

Creative Blessings!

~ Kelly 

FRIDAY FREEBIE - Time to Finish this MESS!!

Good morning, everyone!

I had planned to have a picture of the studio - near emptied - this morning but it's been a crazy week. I've been up since 5 this morning, emptying out the studio. Putting stuff back once the rug is shampooed will be a feat but I must get it done this weekend.

Bob will be home in less than a week and he'd really like the living room to look like a living room again.  Therefore, my plan for this weekend is to work in the studio. My only interruption will be a 10,000 word marathon on the book tomorrow. But cleaning on stretch breaks is possible.

As you can see, I've moved everything out that I can. I'm going to vacuum the floor then tear the scraprack down. Tiffany Spaulding and I came to the conclusion I had way too many spinders on the triple base. So I've taken all of my Alpha/ quote pages and moved them to one of the 12 x 12 scrapbook folios on the mixed media cart. Onlyl thing left on the Scraprack will be THEMES and COLORS when I'm finished.

this item is available on ebay but PAY ATTENTION TO THE SHIPPING!

As you'll see in the finished walk-through of the studio (coming soon!), I have seven of these portfolios on the tool cart which holds all of my mixed media ephemera (with the exception of Tim Holts - he has his own special place - and my paint chips)

From there, it's shampoo the carpet so that Monday I can move everything back in. Tuesday I'll breathe then Wednesday I'll clean the rest of the house like a mad woman before Bob gets home in the evening. LOL

I hope you'll come back tomorrow for our special APRIL REINDEER CLUB meeting!

~Creative Blessings!

WOYWW #482 - pictures

Welcome, friends!
Several pictures to show you, some based on comments from last week. Let's start with why you are here:

My space as I left it last night. I did all the prep work for a planner video I need to film this morning. I'll need to clean this morning before I start on cards.

Last week I showed you my new book ends unit and explained the unit had been made from cutting up a storage drawer from my old stamp cabinet.

This is the unit. The drawer is one of the deeper drawers - bottom right:

I turned the drawer so you could see how this came from a drawer. The back piece was either the drawer front or back. The underlayment piece  at the bottom.. was the bottom of the drawer. Bob cut the drawer in half according to how tall I wanted the item to be, then angled the sides of the drawer frame to create the book end. No additional nailing/ gluing/ etc involved. This could be done with any drawer from a nightstand or bureau.  Because I wanted this a certain height to accommodate the DVD cases I store embellishments in, that underlayment base is actually the back of the unit. 

Next we discussed carpet vs laminate.

I would really have preferred hardwood but Bob wasn't keen on putting that in. Didn't feel confident in doing so - silly man. Laminate was my second choice as that is what we have throughout the house. Because of the dimension of the room, we would have had a lot of waste. You know that wasn't going to happen! LOL So flare square carpet it is. If I think I'll be doing a lot of wet/ paint stuff, I can put down a drop cloth or work outside on the picnic table. This is really easy to clean... well, except for the glitter that gets in the pattern grooves.  

Lastly, pictures of happy mail. I went on a shopping spree a week ago last Saturday. Darn Tim Holtz and his new toys. I've managed to not buy anything every year when he does his fall releases. This year, I decided I wanted a few things. The antique wardrobe where I had my Yule tree last December will be a perfect vignette for a Halloween display. I'm still waiting on my big order from Simon Says Stamps. Many of the new items were not releasing until the 22nd.  However, JoAnns had TH items on sale 40 or 50% off... can't remember now but they also had $2.99 shipping on the entire order!

Well, the first thing that went into my cart:

I've been waiting on this since he showed it off in January. Some of you  may have ordered this. I don't want to think what you would have paid in shipping. Tempted to take mine to the PO just to see LOL

Well, since the shipping was already taken care of, I had to add a few more things:

Not holiday related items but things that were not checked off in my app.

Finally, I went over to Stampendous for these little jewels:

I have one but Tim said these will be discontinued, when they are gone, they are gone forever. Then he showed one of his new ideology hands holding the lantern and I had to have a couple more while I had the opportunity. Stampendous is the only place I found them still in stock.

Okay... one more thing - not stamping related.. kind of:

This is a 6-box Holiday sampler of tea from Bigelow Tea company. A small family-owned company shipping all over the world. My heroine in An Ozarks Christmas enjoys her hot tea in the evening. I found little pocket booklets made from scrapbook paper that would work great for giveaways. So I ordered 3 of the sampler gift boxes. I contacted Bigelow and they wanted to help with my promotion so they gave me a generous discount. I will tuck a tea bag (individually wrapped) into the giveaway as well as adhering one into the inside cover of each book I autograph for the hotels. 

That's it for my desk this week. Who's Miss Julia and why am I here?  When you are done visiting me in the Ozarks, please hop on over to Stamping Ground  for all the details. Miss Julia has a long list of other studios you can peek into. No standing on an up-turned milk pail to look in the window. We open the doors wide and welcome you.  Please leave your number and you'll be among the first on my list. 

Creative Blessings!

~Kelly

WOYWW #320 - Cardboard!

Exciting, eh? This is one of about 20+ boxes I have on hand from the carpet squares we bought for the office. They measure about 18.5" square and maybe 2" deep. Now that they are empty and the carpet is in place, I could not bear to part with this really good cardboard. Not when I finally have a spot to actually work on mixed media, art journals, etc. So I put two of the boxes aside. One to hold full 18" square pieces and one to hold the top portion of the box. (see the top has a hole cut in the upper corner)

So why am I showing you cardboard? Because this is what is on my desk and every week near 100 bloggers join in the snoop of each others workspaces courtesy of Miss Julia at StampingGround. You are welcome to join us! I'm sure what you have on your desk is way more exciting than mine!

So here is what one of the boxes looks like in progress....

I am trimming all of the excess away, retaining the 2 larger pieces. The boxes I'm storing them in will stand on end in the mixed media area of the art studio. Keeping these larger pieces is having me take a look at the variety of pieces I have downstairs that will probably get taken to recycling.

I should have something with a bit more color next week. 

Creative Blessings!

FRIDAY FREEBIE - The Build Part 8

To see a  larger version, click on the picture. 

Welcome to the Creative Dreams Studio. Sorry this is a day late. After I turned in my article yesterday I went into 'relax' mode. So let's talk space.

I have 16' x 30' to work with.  You enter the studio from off the dining room (North Wall) (See door opening on right side of graph)

Before I take you on a tour, let me explain some of my markings. The ORANGE dots denote approximate placement of the recessed light fictures. That Wagon Wheel looking spot over the sewing island is the ceiling fan /w light.  The RED Xs and Squares denote either outlets or switches throughout the room. As I type this, I realize I've mismarked outlets and switches. I probably should have had at least one full cup of coffee before re-drawing this floor plan this morning. LOL However, we do have switches and plug-ins placed around the room to match the specific task areas. The two red Xs within the confines of the sewing island are actually in the floor. 

So let's tour the room. Turn right when you enter the studio. That big cabinet is the repurposed entertainment center I currently have in the basement. This holds my loose block stamps, embellishments and will go through some modifications to become my Project Life station.

Circle around to the left, (WEST wall) I have a spacious work area below that 36x36 window. Air and natural light to craft by! The TV/ VCR/ DVD will be to my left so I can watch movies or follow along on many of my art videos. The island that stretches out from that will be my cutting/ embossing area - holding my Cricut and Vagabond. I plan to have shelves underneath. On the studio side they will hold all of my slabs. On the side facing out into the room I will store my mixed media/ art journaling books. At the end of that cutting area I will have my ScrapRack.

Okay, backing out of the craft area, we'll continue along that same wall. Three tall bookshelves flank the sofa and that 48x48 window. The windowsill will be built out to hide a compartment behind the sofa (think tall window seat with storage). I will keep the bedding for the sofabed in those shrink bags and stored here. 

Although it does not look like I have much room between the front of the sofa and my large sewing island, that big island is on casters and rolls easily. I am looking forward to having this surface to work on again. Plenty of room to lay out mixed media items to dry or cut fabric. 

Past those last three book cases you turn to the left again. (SOUTH Wall) That bare space on the wall is designated for hanging a LARGE picture quilt I made years ago. The original quilt is 10x10 so once I'm in the studio I'll have to figure out how to deconstruct the quilt down to a size that will fit that space WITHOUT losing any of the precious signatures I have. In front of that wall space is where my vintage singer sewing cabinet will be placed. I want to put my simple brother machine in the cabinet so it is handy for straight stitching on either fabric or paper.

The AC/ Heating unit is in the wall up above the row of 3-shelf book cases that connect to my desk. My vintage vanity - turned - desk sits under the window.  To the left of that, coming around (EAST wall)  is a large 6-drawer dresser I bought at auction. The top is perfect for the printer and laying out manuscript pages in progress.

At the end of the dresser, I'll have a lateral filing cabinet. The top of which is where I will display my Denver Broncos collection including an autographed ball from John Elway and a poster of him my daughter got me for my birthday eons ago. I've always wanted a lateral filing cabinet. No trying to reach into the very back for files and I am still a hard copy person when it comes to research.

Another tall book case then my vintage wardrobe for housing my spiritual items. I am still looking for a low table to go below that window. On the left side of that window as we get closer to the doorway again... I have an old rubber stamp display shelving unit my friend, Carla Bazenhow, rescued from me years ago when Michaels changed their display out. The shelving has adjustable glass shelves. This will be my paint storage. All of my Folk Art paints and their coordinating misters. A 2-drawer filing cabinet will fit in the base to store glue, gesso, and other mixed media mediums.

Next to that will be my 8-drawer cabinet that I use to store my SU 12x12. I'll have room on top for my 8.5x11 SU Cardstock and my 12x12 DP collections. Above the cabinet, I want to put a shelf to store the altered books where I keep my SU embellishments. 

Last on that wall is my 2-door Mixed Media art cabinet. I like how I have this cabinet arranged right now but think some things will change.

One last thing - a shelf will go all around the room on top of the book cases. Over the Mixed Media and SU cabinet, I will keep my retired SU catalogs. I will also have the space to display my Girl Scout memorabilia. A section of the shelf over the long wall of book cases (sofa wall) is where I will put my Antique/ Vintage book collection.

So there you go. Although it seems like a large space, this is both an office and a studio. A place to be creative, to enjoy items I currently have in storage and to get work done! Everything will be in one spot. When I need to take a stretch break from the computer, I can apply a coat of gesso or mod podge to a project in progress. Or curl up on the sofa while I listen to the newest CD I am reviewing, without having to sit at the desk. 

And anyone is welcome to come play once it is finished :-)

Creative Blessings!

Kelly