She Said Create!

Summer is in full swing here in middle Tennessee and NOW I remember why I want to move! Hot, humid, storms, bugs...need I say more. Oh well, Fall will soon be here and all will be well in my world once more....

But in the meantime, I'm preparing for two upcoming shows for Fall and Christmas that I'm excited about! I love doing shows because I not only get to sell my art to people who appreciate it, but I also get to meet other vendors that are so nice. It's really fun! I may be adding a third show somewhere in between but we'll see because that means you have to have an awful lot of stuff made and right now I've got a little glitch in the process.

A few weeks ago we came upon 4 stray tiny, tiny kittens that were dumped in the bushes down the road from us. Sad I know. They were wet from the rain, shivering, and shaking in the road so we picked them up and are caring for them. In my house. In my craft room. They've since perked up and are tearing around, into everything and well, being kittens. Adorable.

So I've had to relocate my work area. And it's not working. Hmmm...not much area to choose from to set up in this small house. Tried the 3rd bedroom, not working. Dining room? Maybe. Better get it figured out really quick cause I've got to get to making things!
What will I be making? Monster dolls, maybe some voodoo dolls too. Lots and lots of painted items. Some clay sculptures. Maybe some stitchings. And jewelry. Yes I know, I have a love/hate relationship with it but I really do like making it! LOL! I get fueled and inspired by other jewelry artisans and it gets my own creativity flowing.

Back to my craft area. Oh how I wish I just had ONE BIG craft studio! I've just GOT to figure this out!

A shed turned into craft room? Like it!

She shed craft room

LOVE!

Wow, that'd be amazing!

This could work....

I may have to settle with just working on my dining room table for awhile. Sigh............

Craft Studio Revamp..in Progress

I can't stand it! I'm running out of space and my so-called organization is looking very unorganized. Being the annoying perfectionist that I am, I can't work in chaos. Soooooo.....I'm in the process of going through ideas and pictures of really cool craft rooms/studios to decide what I want to do with mine. I thought I had it just how I wanted it last year, but then taking on yet another hobby did me in.

One roadblock is that I don't want to put in any permanent type fixtures such as cabinetry - like wall or base cabinets in the room because I know this isn't my "forever" house and I'm sure as heck not dragging cabinets with me back across country, so I may hold off doing something awesome like that till I get where I'm going.

In the meantime, I AM building a center island work area out of 2x4's which I'll be staining a medium pine or a pecan tone, and then I think I'll paint the legs white and maybe add some other decor to them. I've got a "vision" of how I'd like it to turn out. Now whether it will or not remains to be seen. All I know is I need a place to spread out all my jewelry stuff; tools, hammers, beads, bobs, findings, chain, and all the rest of my stash.

Something like this - sort of

My art includes sculpting, jewelry making, painting and sewing, so I really need stations to accommodate all of them. I also have my tech area with computer and printer, which really I don't want to have in my craft area, but I need it for orders and to list on Etsy, etc.

Here's a few pics I found online. I like either the whole room or elements of each.

Stunning aren't they? I'm really drawn to white cabinetry, especially with the cottage panels on the fronts. So fresh and pretty, bright and just inspiring. Let's see what I come up with! Oh if only there was an IKEA close by......

Creating your Crafty Space

Life is good, my mind is clear, and my heart is happy, so I'm ready to get back into creating again! Making art is such a huge part of who I am, that my studio needs to reflect my personality and be a place where I just love to spend lots of time. So with that, I've been looking at ways I can freshen up my favorite spot!


Sweet a la shabby chic
While I look for inspiration in all sorts of places: magazines, books, my favorite blogs, craft stores, just anywhere where I can get the juices flowing, I also look to my creative space. Here are just a few of some of my favorite art spaces that I've been collecting. Maybe you too can use some of these great ideas to incorporate into your own creative haven!


When designing your creative space, I think the first thing to think about, at least for me, is will this space inspire my creativity? And speaking for myself, one of the most important elements is ambiance. Being surrounded by beautiful things; a chandelier perhaps, or maybe jars of gorgeous beads, even some twinkly lights trimming a window or ceiling. And color. Lots of brightly displayed color pencils and markers, glitters, paints, fabrics, ribbons. You get the idea! Don't forget wall color. Paint the space with your favorite colors! I've seen incredibly luxurious studios with delicious shades of peaches and creams, or fun spaces with turquoise, lavenders, and pinks. Whatever your heart desires!
So colorful!



Let's talk about organization for a minute. Another reason you are even creating this wonderful space is so you can find things. Am I right? Invest in cabinets, shelving, little boxes, jars, wire baskets, wicker baskets, cork boards, decorative hooks, even garden pots that can hold brushes or pencils. I love those new slim "ledges" - mini versions of shelves, that can display collections - another great source of inspiration! Garage sales and flea markets are a great place to find old hutches, desks, bookcases for your storage needs. And don't feel you have to have everything match either. That's the fun of creating a space just for you! You can do whatever you love.



I think this is a great use of space; re-purpose the closet in your craft room or studio into another working space. Say for sewing, or scrapbooking. Add shelving, maybe a cabinet, a flip down table onto the wall, and voila! another space-saving working area.

Great closet space
A few ideas that I've used: I bought a large cork board and painted the frame red with white polka dots (festive!). I'd been gathering ideas; newspaper clippings, photos of cottages I loved, gardens I wanted to recreate, pictures of gorgeous bracelets I wanted to try making, cute note tags I received with gifts, postcards, patterns I wanted to buy, etc. All this "stuff" I put into a manila folder. Now I just pin them up to my cork board and look there for added inspiration. So great!

Another idea? For my last craft show, I made some displays for my wood Christmas ornaments to hang from. One of them was a section of chicken wire framed with 2x4's and mounted on legs. I took off the leg portion and mounted the framed chicken wire section on one of the walls to display some of my finished items or things I am currently working on. I use little wooden clothespins to hold things onto the wire.

For me, my favorite craft rooms seem to be the ones that resemble kitchens. Not sure why that is? But I love all the cabinetry and countertops. I love everything to have it's spot, so I think it'd be a dream to have a space like that. I am also a BIG fan of recessed lighting. I think how it illuminates my kitchen work area so well, that it would be wonderful to have it in my craft studio also. (Note to self: Add to bucket list!). Take a peek at some of my favorites:






Gotta love the chandelier!


Other ideas to incorporate:

Wall words or favorite sayings: Create, Dream, I Make Things......
Collections (I have my snowman collection on the top of all my bookcases that hold my supplies)
Good music
Twinkly lights or fun novelty lighting (I use pumpkin lights during the Fall)
Candles
Chalk board

Ready..Set...Craft!

I've been working on my craft room or my "studio", whatever you'd like to call it. I call it my craft room :) I don't know about you, but I can't work in a mess. Everything has to be tidy and put in it's place before I can begin or get my head cleared enough to just focus on creating something.

I love this room. I've lined the walls with bookcases and can spread all my goodies out and organize how I want things. They sort of stare you in the face too! It's very colorful and makes me feel like I have my own craft store. LOL! I'm a "collector". I might not do anything with some craft supply for years, but darn it - I gotta have it!

The paint is sort of a Tuscan yellow color; very warm and inviting. I've tossed in splashes of red and black also, and then outlined the window with little white and orange lights that I turn on at night to give a lovely glow to the room.

Even though I'm still busy in school, it's not nearly as demanding as it has been so I want to be ready to start making stuff when the urge hits! LOL!

Speaking of urges, I'm going to be taking a jewelry class at the end of August as I'd been wanting to learn for some time, and I thought I might incorporate some items into my store, or maybe do a separate selling blog. Not sure yet. I've got some visions of Fall-type jewelry, but don't know how to make them. I've heard it's pretty easy once you know how, so I'm really excited to get going!