Where I play

So many of you have asked to see photos of my studio and I hope you won't be disappointed!  I've lived in this tiny bungalow for almost 2 years now....and it's taken me that long to get my art supplies organized.  But I think I'm there!!!  Keep in mind that this is a 9x11 bedroom!  And I have it about as jammed full as you can, but there's still space for me and 1 other person to play!

This is looking in through the door.  The window is on the north side of the house.  I use the Jetmax cubes that Michael's carries.  

It's pretty hard to photo such a small room, so this would be the next section going to the right of the first shot.  The cubes give me so much storage and I've got my dolls in glass cases on top of them.  Mom's paintings on the walls.  There's a very small TV hooked up to netflix.  We also have all of our DVDs on the home network so I can watch any movie on this little TV.

I have my desktop covered with non-stick craft sheet.  I love this because I can simply ink all over the place!

This would be the south wall (closet)

and the rest of the wall to the right of the closet.  I added slat board pieces to the walls, something new for me.  It made my ribbon storage so much fun and now it's out in the open where I can see it.  The row of CD cases are clear acrylic stamps.  The 2-tiered "lantern" is made from paper that's been folded and cut.

below the ribbons, more cubes for storage.  My bow-it-all and a zutter cutter are out in the open where I can easily access them.  The black tray is another ribbon holder system.

 

Going back to the left, there's a small section that's behind the closet doors when they are open.  I put slat wall there with 3" shelves coming out.  It is a perfect place to store all my silk dye inks and supplies!

inside the closet I put up 2 of those 9 cube storage things.  Each cube here is a foot square.  With the fabric boxes on top, I get so much storage in this closet it's hard to believe!  I have tons of fabric in these cubes and all of my doll repair supplies.  On the top are doll wigs, shoes, hats, clothes...so much stuff.  But it's all nicely organized and out of sight!

Now over to the west wall.  More slat wall with a shelf going across the top.  The netting has twinkle lights in it...just for fun.  I mean, if you are going to play....why not play where it's fun?  I just love looking up at all the little dolls and things on this shelf!

The other end of the wall.  I found paper trays to put in the slat wall and love it!  My cricut is out on top, but when I move it, this becomes my photo staging area.

And I love these flat files.  Boy!  Do they every hold a ton of stamps and other items!

Here's the top part of the west wall.  I have plenty of space to use my die cut system on the big shelf.  Love that!  And the old laptop is our media server for the house.

and here's the bottom part of that wall.  Tons of storage.  The 12x12 files along the bottom hold my genealogy files.

Back to the north wall, I have my sewing desk set up and ready to go.  The glare doesn't show the beauty of the gorgeous stained glass window Colleen made for me years ago.  I'll have to photo that in the dark one of these days.

You really have to look everywhere in this room.  For instance, under the desk, on the left side is a metal panel with magnetic bins stuck to it.  They house eyelets, snaps, all kinds of "littles" for sewing.  I love that idea because I can just pull them off and use them and when done, stick them back on!

Here's a close up - not even a foot wide, but fit that space just perfect!

So here are some of my storage solutions.  I do love stickles but had no idea I had this many bottles of clear stickles until I got them all in one spot!  That red button - all my lights are on a single switch - just press that and they all come on at once.  You need great lighting in a room this small and crowded!

If you can see in the upper left of this shot - I've got buttons stored in glass jars.

I used plain steel rods for my ribbon spools and twisted velcro strips at the ends to hold them in place.  So far it seems to be working just fine.

Of course, there's always going to be a skeptic who will think the insides of my drawers are a mess.  Nope, for once they are completely organized!  This drawer holds just my silk ribbons.  I love using them when I'm restoring an old doll - so I need lots!  :o)

The flat files hold stamps, inks, glitter, H20's and oversized paper.  This is my distress ink pad drawer.  Well, a few other things tossed in there for now.

They are the perfect place for wood mounted stamps



The top drawer was deep enough to put almost all of my cling back stamps on cards cut to fit the height of the drawer.  I love this system for storing my cling back stamps.  Between these and whats in the CD cases, I have over 1000 stamps - and that's after downsizing!

I love the little divider trays you can get to go into the jetmax cubes.  Makes it handy to sort out my reinkers, inks and dyes.

I also use them to sort flowers.  But I love the little clear buckets as I can simply pull them out to go with me to a crop.

In the deeper drawers (the cubes have either 2 or 3 drawers per cube) I'm storing my misters and other products.

Finally, I've borrowed this idea from Jenn Dove.  I'm using magazine holders to sort leftover scraps of paper by color groups - great for card backgrounds!

So there you have it - my studio in a nutshell.  Next up - I'm going to insulate the 8x12 shed out back that I'm calling a "cottage" and convert it into a room for my outdoor crafts.  That will include dichroic glass, metal clay - all the things that need to be fired in a kiln.  I already have the glass saw and grinder set up and plan to try out the kiln tomorrow.  It's going to be a great space for the crafts I don't want to do inside the house!  After all, this is just a bedroom!  :o)

Hope you've enjoyed the virtual tour.  If you have questions, feel free to ask.  I have now used these jetmax cubes for about 6 years.  I loved the configuration in our old home, but I think what I love most is that you can make them work in any space you have!  And no, jetmax doesn't pay me to say that!  LOL!!!

Finally - the new studio

And it's almost done. OK, is a studio "ever" done???  But I am happy with what we've got done (Colleen helped me with this, too) and am most happy that I can walk away, close the door and leave the mess!

The room faces north.  Wonderful light, but no direct sunlight, so no heat.  This should be a commercial for Jetmax!  Most of my cubes are along the wall on the left.  There's a double desk in the middle of the room.  Another desk from Jetmax cubes on the right under the TV, some behind the door and more in the closet.  I've been collecting the cubes for 3 years.  Mostly on Thanksgiving day when they are 55% off.  That made the older ones ($29.99) about $15 each.  They are light enough that I can move them any time I need to.

Ok, because I shot directly into the bright daylight, it doesn't look too bright inside in this photo - stick with me!

This is from the door going in, there's a small bath on the right and that's a huge walk-in closet on the back right (on the angle.)  Note the flood lights and the alcove lighting.  Plus 2 ott-lites on my desk.  The walls are a very pale blue except the one on the left.  Excellent to view color in any of my art projects.

Don't you love the dress forms and baby dresses?  Nothing is new, just pulled from other dust-catching corners throughout the house.  They are perfect against the dark blue wall.  I split the paint at the right end to cover the cord cover coming down from the ceiling.  Gives the nook it's own place in the room and covers the cord.  These dress forms are from Hobby Lobby.  They come black and I spray them white.  Usually get them on the clearance aisle at 66% off.

Kerry hung a flat panel TV with a built in DVD on one of those mounts that swivel up and down and from side to side.  The chair at the table turns around to the desk under the TV and with the mirror on the right, I can use this as a makeup desk.  I'm old.  I need to sit a lot.  LOL!!!

It's such a perfect reading nook.  I found a memory foam queen pad on Craigslist and cut 24" off for the bench.  (what was left was perfect to go on a twin size bed)  Then I sewed up a duvet and used it like a pillowcase over the foam.  Most of the pillows are from thrift stores as well.  Bleach.  The perfect solution to everything white!  One friend came over and sat down, looked out the window and declared that she is going to do this in her home.  I think that's the ultimate compliment!  The window scarf....$1.99 at Goodwill.

This is the wall that's not done.  I'm going to do swirls in raised plaster painting in white.  When they get done I'll post photos.  For now, it's a daybed.  When my back gets to hurting, I just take a break, put the heating pad on the pillows, turn the TV that direction and take a rest!  The daybed cover was made by cutting off the ends of a queen duvet.  The 2 jetmax cubes face the bed and provide storage for anyone sleeping there.  I should also mention this is an adjustable bed, so if you need a recliner to sit in...you can adjust this to fit yourself perfectly!

Behind the door to the room - more cubes.  The one on the top is the double cube for the cricut and opens upwards so nothing can go on top of it.  This turned out to be the perfect spot with the little drawer shelf above it.  OK....those drawers are empty.  Can you believe that?  Guess I need to find more stuff!!!

 Inside the walk in closet, I decided to put up shelving and use the fabric cubes you get at Target.  Only I found 6 cubes on craigslist for $10.  Amazing deal!  I used my p-touch to label everything.  And it beats taking up space for a dresser - that would probably be too heavy for me to move!  I used 4 more jentmax cubes in here to create a sewing table and put the paper cubes so when I close the door, I don't see that "mess".  Clothes are hanging at the end of the closet on a double rack and there are more shelves on the other side.  The closet is bigger than some rooms at 5' x 7.5'

Next blog (in a couple of days) I'm going to show you that the difference is in the detail when designing your studio.  There are a ton of little tricks you can do to maximize space and just make life a little easier.

In the meantime....I'm in to white right now.  This was one of those dressform notepads that you've seen everywhere.  Again, 99 cents at the thrift store.  It was red and gold.  I recovered the front and back using paper, lace and ribbons.    It's perfect hanging on the back of the ott-lite.

Then, the blog after that, I think we'll talk about re-designing your closet using thrift store finds!  Can you tell I'm having a blast on a budget?  Kerry and I just figured out that with paint, new bookcases from Ikea, new window coverings...and then all my thrift store finds, we've spent about $400 and have a whole new house!  Maybe I really should come up with a book (or a DIY show) titled "How'd you find that?"

My "new" studio

Kerry has bets going that I'll be changing it again in 6 months. But I'm not so sure this time around. I was looking for something that will work in my future years as we downsize our lives. We know we are going to be in a one floor house in the next few years....and I just happen to think this would look fine in any room!

I already had the desk set up. A "gift" from the Basement Babes. Notice, it's a double desk, a chair on each side, 12" mats on each side, so if just one person comes to play, this is where we sit.

But it could also work for a dining table for myself and Kerry in a small house. (See, I really am thinking ahead!) That blue thing on the back of the chair......a heating pad! It's supposed to wrap around your back....I just wrapped it around my chair! The power snaps off at the pad, so when I'm not using it, there's no cable.

Yes, the drink holder has conveniently become my paper towel holder! This side of the desk has 12 drawers.....I love drawers!! Note the steps underthe other desk? Yes, that's a double step with a drawer in the bottom....but it has turned out to be the pefect footrest....exactly what I needed! I have 3 ottlites set up over the 2 desks....got them all at 80% off. Gotta love the clearance row at Hobby Lobby!!!

That second desk along the window is mystudy desk - you can see my tape machine there. But under it, the cubes hold paper. That's my patterned paper. Over to the left of my steps is the solid color cardstock. Lots of paper I need to start using up. Can you ever have too much paper???

This wall unit is made up of 16 cubes plus 2 to support the desk on the window wall. No, it doesn't come like this. I had to buy brackets and drill holes to make the desk along the window.....but it is exactly what I wanted. I like having a u-shaped work area like this. Everything at my fingertips. Come to think of it - I have always liked having u-shaped kitchens as well!


Gotta love those glass front cubes. I did have to look for them. I got everything the day after Thanksgiving for 55% off! That made each cube $13.49. I was able to sell my old wall for enough to cover the new wall!!! So it was free....just a little hard labor!

Of course, then there was the "journey" to find white all swing lamps. Any idea how difficult that is? Try to find them! They only come in bronze, copper, gold, pewter, silver.....but not white! Finally found them online - 3way bulbs, so loads of light which is exactly what I wanted!

And I love that I have a place to display my current work. These are my projects from 8 Nights of Lights....and I'm sure this shelf top will change throughout the year.
Now, why would Kerry think I would change this? LOLOL!!!! I happen to think it's perfect. But then, we'll see how I feel in July!!!

In case you want to do this as well, these are the Jetmax cubes from Michaels. I've seen them half off lots, but only once have I found them at 55% off. It will take 28 cubes and 2 sets of desk tops to put this together. You'll have 1 desktop left over. Hmmm.....next project.....

LOL!!!

SOLD!!!!! My scrapbook wall - up for sale!

Yes, I've been busy! I'm downsizing, moving stuff back to the basement, so my "Heidi Swapp" scrapbook wall is going up for sale!

It started like this...just a few innocent storage bins!



and 3 harmless bookcases:



and it grew into a whole entire wall:



LOL!!! And then I moved that wall to a shorter wall:



And now it's all up for sale!



for all the details, just go to my ad at Craigslist!


and as soon as I get it all ready, I'll share my new space right here! Just a couple more things to figure out....anyone know where to get a six inch extension cord? LOL!!!

Mom always said....

"if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all!" Pretty good advice! I don't mind people linking to my blog to show others what I'm doing. But I think it's hilarious when they start making comments on their "private" websites and forums about my work. In reference to my recent blog on decorating my bins:

"she must have lots of free time"

Well, yes I do! I worked for 33 years and I retired in 2002 and all I have now is "free" time! It's absolutely wonderful!!!

"less time making it pretty and more time scrappin!"

I really want to ask that writer - have you scrapped enough to have been published 121 times? LOLOL!!! I personally think maybe I scrap too much!

"waste of time and pretty paper"

Well, it took me 2 hours to cut the paper and drop it in the drawers. Yes, I waste a lot of time - watching 2 hour movies, watching old reruns of the Golden Girls and Designing Women on TV. I'm retired! I'm allowed to "waste" time!

Waste of pretty paper? Well, in my opinion, I guess I could have painted the walls or painted the drawers and "wasted" paint on decorating, but I opted to use a gorgeous line of paper that inspires me when I look at it! And I bought it at wholesale prices, so it didn't cost me what a gallon of paint would cost! OK, the last gallon of paint I bought cost $32.00!! Maybe that's why I opted for paper this time!!!

People make such fun assumptions about someone else's life!

Blog software allows me to determine where hits come from. When I get a notice that is it an "uncommon use" I often go check out where the hits are coming from. That's how I see what you are writing about me!

We all spend an incredible amount of our day reading blogs, reading posts in yahoo groups and writing comments in forums.

I spent 2 hours decorating my studio! Hmmm....I think I'd better not say another word - mom might give me more advice! LOL!

Can I just light a match?

I'm sorting through boxes and piles of craft supplies....and I think it would be easier to just light a match and burn the whole place down!



Now really, isn't this what your mess looks like? LOLOL!!!



OK, I am really trying to do a good thing here. I'm trying to get all of my little 3 drawer bins that are 10" wide empty so I can take them down to mom to help organize her new place. (I love it when I post this stuff, she reads it, then emails me that she doesn't need it....way too late!)



Now, on a very good day, this is what it is supposed to look like. Well....obviously I've had ONE good day....whenever it was that I took this photo!



So my question of the day is.....how messy do you let your play place get before you decide it's a pigpen and force yourself to clean it up? I think today may just be the day for me!!!

Saturday, June 21, 2008. There's a neighborhood garage sale in my addition. I think I may just have to put half of this stuff out in the driveway and see if I can downsize the fast, quick and easy way! Anyone feel like a road trip to Colorado???

And I wonder why I hurt!!!

You know, there are days when I just wonder what goes on in my head! I had a perfectly lovely studio. But it was set up in pods. I had tables for metal clay, tables for scrapbooking, and tables for classes. Whenever I had a large group over, we would be split up among the 3 groups of tables and someone asked if I could rearrange my studio so we could all sit in one large group!

Sure! Not problem! Piece of Cake!

And I should have had myself committed to the local looney bin about that time! LOLOL!!!

My studio is in our unfinished basement. You will see...it's great! When you first enter, our "old" mac desktop with the 22" monitor is set up for everyone to use. And in the event you don't like an apple....there's a pc laptop right beside it! You can print your 12x12 layouts, too!



And this is what I wanted....12 students/friends/family can sit around the huge square. There's space in the center for all to walk around and see what everyone else is working on. And look at those chairs...all padded...all on wheels. Over 800 square feet of play space here!



So, taking a tour, behind the computers, I tucked one kiln under the stairs. Note the huge fire extinguisher! No plans to use it, but we also have a first aid kit hanging on the wall which is fully stocked...just in case I try to burn myself or the house down!



The second kiln is next to that. I only run one kiln at a time for safety reasons, but I can run them back to back.



My bookcase wall separates my studio from the other half of the basement where Kerry has all of his N-Scale trains set up. He said he wanted a playhouse...I think we are well on our way!



This is my sewing nook, doll repair center, and vintage clothing restoration workstation. Loads of unfinished projects piling up over here!



My diecut/punch/cutting table. 2 Wizards, a Bind-it-All, Big Shot, Cuttlebug, Purple Cows cutters, heavy duty ancient government cutter which I love, and tons of paper punches.



Next to that is my sidekick, and bins filled with cutting mats, embossing pads, dies....just more fun stuff to play with!



I've completely redone the wall behind me. Unmounted all of my rubber stamps....over 2000 of them and put them on EZMount (love that stuff) and into CD cases that are labeled by type.



Here's another angle looking at the play place where I can host classes, workshops, playdates and more! Even have a huge space heater in the center for when it gets too cold down here. Trust me....that thing puts out so much heat we have to turn it off after 30 minutes!



I love having all the drawers behind me. I can spin around, pull out what I need...it's all at my fingertips! Great workstation!



You can see the big TV on the right that Kerry gifted to the studio (yeah!) My sis is here this week. Together, we moved those paper racks without taking the paper off! We took everything off the pegboard wall and repositioned it. We moved a very heavy 5 drawer steel flat file (those things have to weigh a ton!) and we wonder why we hurt! I sure couldn't have done all this without her! But I have to admit...we are way too old to do this much work! LOL!



This is my new metal clay/polymer clay/jewelry making workstation. And my photo center.



And I have room across from me for Colleen to play when she comes down...or if I only have a couple of students....that's going to be their workstation.



Next to that is my glass cutting workstation. Glass saw, grinder and drill...I think we pretty much have all the toys down here!



And now that you've made the circle around my studio...here's my "wall of cards"....some of the wonderful cards that my creative pals send me.



Now that I'm done with my studio, I'm off to finish the guest bedroom....painting Lucy McGoo on the wall. I'm hoping to have a fun place for my out-of-town friends to stay when they come to play! When are you going to come play???

I have no idea where this burst of energy is coming from, but I'm loving it! Yet I keep wondering....why do I hurt?

LOL!