Workbench Wednesday...Something Extremely Rare....

This is actually a post from my on-going studio redo.

I have been busy trying to get it all cleaned up and organized as you know.

Here is a look at the workbench last week:

YIKES!

Wait, there is more...

And more....

and more

and more.

Sigh.

So it has been months of working and then just piling.

Time to get this done.

Even I can't create in this mess.

So on one of the hottest days of the summer so far, I worked and worked and worked.

Lucky for me my awesome husband put up a ceiling fan for me 2 years ago.  

It was not too bad standing right under the fan.

I am pleased to show you the workbench now...

Drum roll please........

Wow!  What a difference!

Of course, just moments after finishing it, I want to create.

Gets me excited to start again.

You can see I was dipping beads.

So enjoy a couple more photos and know a clean workbench is a rare sight indeed in this studio. 

If you are a neat artist, enjoy!

If not, don't worry!  

I am sure by next week there will be some level of chaos for you to enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by...

Another little corner of the studio....

I am showing you another corner of the studio...

This one was an easy clean up....

Mostly there was just a lot of stuff on the floor.  So now it is all up and away...

I will warn you...

I have so much stuff...

My primary studio style is....

PILES. 

I try to make them neat piles.

But it is really just "piles" none the less.

This is the corner to the left of my garage door.

See?

PILES.

The shelf hold jewelry and bead supplies.  

The bins hold bangles, headbands and such.

  Then there are lots and lots of bead boxes.

There is also a shelf in the corner with household supplies.

It is, after all, a garage.

Here is a closer look at my jewelry supply shelf.

Bangles and Beads and Magazines...Oh My!

Turning a bit to the left, you can see more storage.

The plastic drawer units above hold supplies:tape, glue, brushes, extra jewelry bits, paper punches, etc...

Then there are all those necklaces and bracelets....

The rack with the hats on top is actually one of those revolving paint racks. 

 If you look closely, you can see the paint under all those chains. 

 I just added some S hooks and hung the chains on those.

Whenever we go to the mall, I check stores for clearance jewelry.

The stuff for a buck or two.

I discovered it's much cheaper than buying chains at the craft store.  

I end up with some cool components.

This is actually a wall mounted tie rack.  

I think it is about as full as it can get.

Some really blingy stuff.

Not really my style but after I take them apart and rework them, they are.

Gotta love the Sombreros to the left.

I bought them for a picture booth at a party.  They live here until the next party.

OLE!

A little to the left, is my Remington Typewriter and my chalkboard from the pet store in town when it went out of business.

Please disregard the dust.

Again, it is a garage....

That typewriter is heavy.

A dealer at my favorite flea market warned me.

He only charged me $5 because he said it was so heavy.

He said, "For that price, I am not helping you carry it..."

"No problem," I said.

Then I must have made a face when I went to lift it and he quickly offered to help.

I told him I was OK.

I get super powers for lifting and carrying when I am junking.

This chalk board sign still has the special from the pet store on it.

Dwarf hamsters $3.50.

I could not bear to erase it.

It was a part of our town's history.

Many years ago, we bought tons of fish and supplies here.

I sold them baby guinea pigs for awhile.

I miss having a local pet shop.

Ok, no more stalling....

I need to get to work.

Thanks for stopping by.

Studio Reorganization...Making Headway....

So last week I showed you the top of my cupboards. 

They were overflowing with yarn.

  

I know, scary.

So over the weekend, I got the top of the cupboards looking better.

First, I got all of it down.

I cleaned out a bunch of neat containers...inside and out.

I put a couple dryer sheets in each to make sure they did not start to smell funky.

I sorted the yarn and stuffed those containers full.

Pinks and Purples.

Neutrals...

Heavy, thick wool yarn.

Blues....

Pure wool yarn.

How does someone who does not knit have so much yarn?!

Then I reorganized the tops of the cupboards with the new storage.

These cool suitcases without handles came from a junking trip last week.  

They have a couple small cracks but up there no one will see the damaged parts.

I rolled some burlap bags up and put them on top so I didn't waste any space.

Next I took the mason jars of buttons and gave them a new base.

I used an antique tin tray to corral them in one area.

Underneath I gave the tray support with some scrap wood blocks.

 I had to make sure the next suitcase did not stick out because of the ceiling fan.

This cool old cardboard suitcase was hidden under the dry sink in another part of the studio.

  I like it better here.

More burlap sacks, some dyed burlap and some cool rolls of corrugated paper.

   

Next is another tray of mason jars.

  There are some zippers and other goodies in these as well as buttons.

Last, but not least is an old blue round suitcase with a tin of buttons on top, an old typewriter case, and a basket I got junking a couple weekends ago.

They are all full of yarn.

Whew.

Looks better. 

Just another couple photos so you can see the change.

You can see my fair ribbons on the cupboard doors.

Every summer we enter lots of goodies in the county fair....

mostly flowers and herbs...

flower arrangements....

sewing projects....

crafts...

and art pieces....

It is a ton of fun.

I love my ribbons.

The premiums check usually goes for some sort of fun new supplies.

At one point while I was working on this, my daughter came out and gave me the look that says,

"Why, with this whole mess, are you doing that?"

Easy.

Because this is a small area that I can see an improvement quickly.

I can also see if from everywhere in the studio so when I feel overwhelmed, it is a glimmer of hope.

See....you only see what I show you....

Here is what she sees......

Yup!

I have some work to do.

  I will show you more later.

Thanks for stopping by.....

Reorganizing the Studio

I am lucky enough to have several spaces devoted primarily to my art.

This is good....

and bad.

I have lots of stuff.

I like to do lots of things so I am always on the lookout for supplies or possible projects.

I reorganize each year. 

This year I am determined to get my spaces looking good. 

I want to sort out what I can really use and cull the rest.

This is my goal.  

We will see how it goes.

To stay on track, I am going to show you the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Here is my first challenge.

Above the cupboards in my garage, I keep my yarn and fibers.

When I started, they were in little plastic baskets and looked nice.

Then time went by.

I bought more yarn.

And more yarn.

And more yarn.

Now they look like this.

Sigh. 

 So I am rethinking how I am going to store things up there and show you the results as soon as it is done.

  Stay tuned.

Thanks for stopping by.

Workbench Wednesday: Warning! Some images may be disturbing...

If you are an organized person, please be warned that the following images may be disturbing to you...

I am not an organized artist.

I want to be...

I try to be...

But I don't think it is part of who I am....

My creative muse works best in utter chaos

for it is there that she sees and combines new elements to make something special....

Each week I will try to show you what is on the workbench.

There will be scattered bits of lace

glitter sparkling on each surface

scraps of paper and fabric mixed among the images.

I apologize...

It is how I usually work.

A few times of year I clean it up for parties.  It takes weeks.

You will see why over time.

 And yet, I want to share this with you because maybe you are the same way.

Maybe it will be freeing for you  (and your significant other) to know that you (and he or she) are not alone.

There is no shame in that which brings you joy and beauty to the world.

And I want to share it for those of you that work neatly.  

It is good for you to see it as well.  

Maybe you will try it just a bit....pieces of this project left out instead of whisked away immediately.

The next project begins and you see some of the last projects pieces lying there...

Hmmmmm...you think.  That is just what this piece needs.

And it is.

And it may not have happened if you had not left the pieces there.

Thanks for stopping by...  I better go clean up a bit....