Studio Tour... glad you could come on over!

welcome! what a great excuse to dust! i just love seeing how other creative folks organize and sort to create inspiring and functional spaces... here is mine... located on the second story of our home -this room for years was the teenage hang out - movie room. not to say they don't still hang out here... it's become a great gathering place in our home... for four legged family members as well... let me introduce - stug - our "hunting dog" that would prefer a banjo and moonshine on the front porch...say hello stug not overly impressed... is he... but he is a lover... thinks he is a lap dog ... he's a little big for that. i'm gonna walk past him and start our tour at the end of the room. I keep my laptop and printer here. i store gel mediums and nasty chemicals in the chest - soldering stuff on the left - oh and yummy beads. it's handy to set up my soldering on the table with the window close for ventilation. good light.

a tray of all kinds of wonderful

this is my favorite place to work - good light from the windows and enough space for friends to join me...

journal in progress... well started at least

collecting cups of color....

turn to your left now.... the picture cuts out tv - but you know what those look like. these shelves have been great.... deeper and taller on the bottom and then they get smaller towards the top - and it holds a ton of stuff! an old wire shopping cart holds my larger papers...

books by color... inspired by sally jean alexander's studio

velvet boxes i found on my last day in portland at the wonderful Madison Park Antiques... run there when you can.... trims and bundles of unopened letters... yummy

i was thrilled to find one of pottery barns discontinued post card racks.... it is great for storing bits of paper and ephemera... easy to access and see... old cabinet card also a purchase from Madison Park Antiques

glove boxes - tie boxes - i've seem them called different things... i just call them wonderful!
take a peek at the old image on the lid of the bottom one....

do you want to see inside?

silly question....

bits of bling

vintage bubbles anyone? not sure if that was it's purpose... but i like the idea of it

the next picture is then looking back to where i was standing to take the first picture... little nooks that never really functioned before... are now perfect little "stations" for different activities. in the beginning... i was just down on this end... but as i'm sure you can relate to... i just needed more room.

i love sitting in this spot... my place to ponder... surrounded by inspiration and things i really enjoy... bits that inspire me... pictures of friends... small art works and event cards are kept on the magnetic chalkboard... the wire basket is like a staging area for my next project - currently it holds the pages for kecia's marie antoinette round robin... cannot wait to get working on them.

an old crock is a great way to keep your tools handy... i keep grips and sand paper in the crock and then my various jewelry pliers around the edge... easy to see which you need to grab. the frogs are great for holding paint brushes, and the old book press is a new find... isn't it cute!

these are a few of my favorite things

window nook... a little organized and a little mess... it happens

well... every creative girl needs a little patron on hand.... wink wink

i have a hard time not giving a home to these sweet cases when i see them... they are so sturdy and a great size to travel with and good lookin to boot. right now i'm gathering stuff for journalfest in the top one... marie antoinette page stuff in the second... and "fall trip to east coast" in the bottom - that trip will probably require one or two more before i'm ready...

an old laundry cart holds my rug hooking... the bulk of my wool now stays at the cabin studio... i'll show you that someday. the watchmakers cabinet has been a life saver... 52 drawers of varying sizes... with the original hardware... gotta love it...

a little peek inside - sorry - i didn't get a very good picture of this... it is by far my favorite "organizer"

I mentioned i have a hard time not giving these little wonderfuls a home...

i did get my chandelier up - a nice little hint of light

ok we have almost gone full circle - i have a little sitting area - a great place to stitch - visit - read or watch a movie

so set your compass north and come pay me a visit anytime!