The Craft Room Clutter Project

I finally tackled my new craft room and got it organized.  I received a lot of advice from some friends on Facebook.  The advice was very motivating and turned out to be just the key to getting the job done.

The craft project I rewarded myself with after I was finished.

Tips included lighting candles, making coffee, using small boxes, watching "Hoarders" on TV and checking out inspiration on Pinterest.  I tried them all.  I did not sit and watch "Hoarders," but I had it on in the background on my computer (its really hard to sit and watch).  It put the mess in my craft room in perspective.  For a while I have been shutting the door and avoiding the room.  This mess, however was really not as big and overwhelming as it felt.  I also heard phrases like "you can't live like this" and "this is really unhealthy" while watching it.  Hearing those phrases kept me motivated.

I searched Pinterest for inspiration.  I love all the colors in this photo! Very inspiring.

Source: saturatedcanary.blogspot.com via Erinn on Pinterest

...And After a few hours, the room began to come together!

An intimate corner...Finished paintings hung up, finished pillows adorn the chair.  Frequently used items on a vintage TV tray with a frequent project underneath.  A spinning carousel keeps acrylic paints in line.  Square shelving from Target keeps everything in its place.  I have a whole section devoted to wedding projects.  

Useful tools kept in sight and in reach.

Fabrics are folded and sorted by color.

A shoe caddy on the back of the door keeps supplies in their place.

I took an old cork board and covered it with fabric to give it a new look.  We have a "Temporary Workspace" in the craft room, meaning that the table is to always be kept clear unless in use.  The "No Fear" tag in the top corner of the board is a piece of inspiration that was given to me by my high school dance coach.  I keep it there because it really meant a lot to me.  Useful and often used tools are hung up within sight and easy to access on a regular basis.

It feels so good now that its organized!

Inspiration Tuesday

I splurged and bought myself a kitschy little stamp.  I love stamps but never use them.  As an artist I have always felt pressure to use my own artwork for everything.  I love this stamp because every time I use it I think about how important it really is to enjoy today.  What a great, cheerful reminder!

My new studio is starting to spiff up!  The sun was shining, which is unusual for a typical January in West Michigan so I shot a few photos in hopes to cheer you up.  Happy Tuesday!

Bright New Spin

Our new living room is finally decorated.  Renting a home can have limitations on how one can decorate.  The walls are white and the carpet is forest green.  I really was not fond of the carpet color.  It is a color I would never choose for anything and it is really dark so it weights down the whole room.  The overbearing carpet makes me miss the nice hardwood floors that we had in our old place.  I did not let the carpet get me down.  Instead I used creative problem solving skills to balance it out.  

Calder Pillow by Funamals can be found at Minty Keen.
Bike Pillow by artgoodies.

The first improvement were the curtains.  I refused to spend a dime on them, so I created big hobo curtains like i did for my laundry room, only for the living room I used much brighter fabric scraps.  Many of the scraps came from my Mother and and Aunt's sewing rooms as well as my own after lots of projects were finished.  I added a three tiered hanging basket, draped with green tool and vines placed in the bottom.
 

Once again, I was too cheap to buy curtain rods and didn't really want to go out in a snow storm. I also thought there must be a way to hang curtains with whatever is laying around in the house.  We have a plastic bin that we keep any and all loose and unused power chords, cables and chargers in.  Many of them are from electronics long gone.  I found a few chords we don't use and strung the curtains on them.  I stapled the cables to the wall.  The plugs add character.

With even smaller fabric scraps, I tied them together to make a multicolored garland to string across the wall opposite the big windows.  This project only took me about a half an hour from start to hanging.

My potted plants are displayed in a community together on a coffee table in front of the window.  The front window in the living room is the best source of light.  Many of my plants are snatched up freebies found at my side job-rescued from an almost definite fate in the trash.  A small wooden shelf and a tall pillar painted red adds varying level to my homage to mother nature.

One perk of being an artist is that there is always spare artwork around.  Above our $60.00 vintage couch I hung my piece "Beach Blissed Seals."  It arrived home with some other pieces after a month long stay in my gallery showing "Don't Think, Don't Blink."  It will probably live here until it is sold or taken to a gallery.  My fiance Cam currently has a gallery showing "I Thought I heard a Stranger."  What doesn't sell or go to galleries will come home and our work may get switched around.  One thing is for certain; around here the artwork on the walls never stays in one spot for long.

"One Small Discovery" on Etsy

Here is another piece from my recent show "Don't Think, Don't Blink."  It too has currently found a spot in the corner of our living room.  It goes nicely with our lamp with the lace shade which Cam picked up somewhere at a thrift shop.  I love the warmth that this corner gives off.

Not everything is for looks.  Our living room has to function too.  Here is a table set up to keep things organized.  A small display holds Cam's laptop and our most recent reading material.  Right now we are reading the Catechism which we are studying in our classes to prepare us for marriage.  The woven piece by Rose Beerhorst houses our remotes so we can always find them.  The coasters were a gift from my cousin, Sara.  The phone doesn't really work, its just for decoration.

Woven cozy by Rose Beerhorst.

We have a lot of dvds and I must say I am pretty proud of our awesome selection.  I took all of our favorite, and most frequently used and put them into this vintage suitcase for easy access.  

Dog Pillow by K Studio

Our fake, handmade fireplace is a'glowin making our house feel very cozy.  The rocking chair is a piece carried down from several generations.  It was my Great Great Uncle Cal's, I believe.  I look forward to rocking my children in it--and I have already rocked my nephew in it a few times :)  There are a few simple details on our tv stand.  Since using such bright colors makes it have more of a feminine feel, many elements were added to balance it out.  Cam's vintage film projector is on display with a few toy soldiers guarding it.

The other side of our "mantel" has Cam's favorite Buddha Statue and my clarinet lamp...made out of a real clarinet that my Dad gave me as a kid.  My Dad would never admit it, but we have similar tastes.

Loving the new cozy space.  Since our studio is in our house, it is nice to have a place to relax.  We are definitely not afraid of color!

Mayhem to Management

My pup Mr. Mikey fell asleep like this in the middle of the floor!

Last week got away from me.  Ever have a day to get something done and then all of a sudden people change your entire day's plans all at once?  That is what happened to me and it spiraled out of control from there leaving me exhausted, frustrated and unsure which end was up.  Currently I am really stressed about my upcoming fall season.  I expect it to be busy with almost every weekend booked with a show through November.  Over the weekend I added a seventh location in South Haven, Michigan.  I feel the need to scramble now to make sure I am prepared for the coming months.

Eventually I ended up realizing that half of it comes from the un-organization that is the result of my frenzied week!  And if a picture of my computer screen says anything about how things have gotten away around here, one can only imagine the state of the studio!

So I cleaned things up and then I sat down and began to plan the next few months out.  I pulled up my icalendar and started adding everything into it.  It also allows you to put alarms on events which is great when you need to be reminded in advance for things like appointments and paying bills.  My doctor told me last week that it was time to make a few changes in my life, and that includes enough sleep, exercise and time to myself.  I was also reminded that my house plants need to be watered and my boyfriend needs attention once in a while too.  This means that I need to schedule all of the tasks that need to be done as well as blocks of time for exercise, laundry, grocery shopping, emailing clients, phone calls, the boyfriend, and sometimes even sleeping.  All activities must be written down to ensure that they get tended to--and yes basics like sleep and leisure have to been written in or I'll forget!

This week is already looking pretty busy!

Now that my schedule is more organized, I am feeling much more refreshed and I have calmed down.

Order with a "Ribbitting" Twist

At home I keep a stack of my business cards near my desk in this vintage soap dish.  It is a super fun way to store them.   If you are bored with organization, find a way to spice it up!