My Craft Space

Welcome!  I thought it was about time I invited you all in to my craft space for a look around...  :-)  

Just a warning, this is a photo heavy post.

When we starting planning our house a couple of years ago, the idea was that I was going to have a built-in desk/cupboard in the study for my gear.  As we got further into the planning, I was getting more and more into stamping, and my *ahem* collection of gear was growing...

I'm very fortunate to have a husband who has been able to see that crafting for me has literally been a life-saver.  There have been countless times when my health hasn't been great, and being able to "lose myself" in this hobby, was is a much needed time out from myself, not to mention one of the very few things I get enjoyment from.  

So... I've kind of taken over the study!!   We all spend time in here though.  Quite recently, my husband came across our four year old daughter sitting at my desk with her finger tapping her cheek thoughtfully... then she asked "Dad, can you please pass me a block?".  ;-)  She knows all the ins and outs!

Anyway, on to the tour!

Craft Space Layout 

This is my built-in workspace (the original version just consisted of this bit...).  My husband has made a couple of modifications over the past year as I've been figuring out the best arrangement for everything.  He installed the roll-away shelf under the desk, the shelf that the TV is sitting on, and the ink storage system.  :-)

The chest of drawers was originally from our bedroom, but we didn't need the extra drawer space once we moved in here.  More about the drawers further down.  I've also moved a desk and chair in for Olivia, because she loves crafting as much as I do.  She still kicks me off my desk though...  ;-)

The bookshelves house my stamps and Big Shot dies, and the table in the corner is permanently set up for photographing cards, as well as cutting card stock and using the Big Shot.  I posted a little while ago about the light tent/set-up I used to use for my photos, but since upgrading my camera, I'm able to take much better photos in lower light settings.  So this works just as well.

And we're back around to the beginning.  You can see a punch stand that my husband made tucked away there...

So... want some more details?  Read on!

Fabric Covered Decor

We went to Ikea on a recent trip to the mainland, and one of the best things we bought was some great fabric.  Great quality, and an even better price.  I had something else in mind for the fabric I've used here, but the colour wasn't quite right... but it was perfect for making a few accents for my craft space!  I found this fabulous tutorial on covering the frame of a notice board, the only difference is that I covered a noticeboard that already had the cork inserted.  It made it a little tricky to get the fabric under the inside edge, but I managed!

The simplest room accent to do is a covered canvas.  I just bought some inexpensive art canvases from a discount store, cut the fabric to size, then used a staple gun to attach the fabric firmly at the back.  Easy!

Not as easy, was covering this desk chair.  I originally planned to make a slip cover, but the curves made it difficult.  So I pulled it apart instead.  I'm thrilled with how well it turned out.

Inspiration Showcase Canvas

You've probably seen this one before - the canvas I made from Jennifer McGuire's Inspiration Showcase on-line class.  I love how this turned out! 

Prismacolor Pencils

My babies...

Prismacolor Sampler

This is a sampler I started working on recently.  I originally started doing one in a book, but found it was awkward for me.  So having sample on a ring made a lot more sense.  I've used the same image, Gorjuss Dropped, on all sheets (many more to come!) so I can see at a glance the way the highlights work with different colour combinations.  They're laminated too... that's the ex-teacher in me!

Ink Storage

This in the ink storage my husband built for me.  We planned it together, and decided that having the individual slots for each colour was more effort than it was worth, so hubby bought some thicker materials so the shelves could hold more weight.  And this way, I can fit five Stampin' Up! ink pads across, or six Distress Inks.  I can even fit seven across when it comes to Versamark and Memento inks!

Card Stock Storage

One of the things I really wanted when planning my workspace, was a couple of filing drawers to fit 12"x12" paper.  All we did was have a standard filing drawer put in, but with a taller front panel, so the drawer above sits up further.  The papers are all in Creative Memories Power Palette Folders, in regular hanging file folders.  

Regular card stock is in a filing cabinet under the desk.

One thing that I do with card stock often gets a giggle from some people, but there are good reasons for it...

Yes, I have a drawer full of pre-cut and pre-scored card stock.  Ready made card bases.  I know, it seems a little over the top, but I have two good reasons for doing it.  There are lots of times when I'm not feeling at all inspired, but I need to have some time out.  Instead of getting frustrated by not being able to pull a card or page together, I do little organising jobs like making card bases.  I get to be in my space (which helps me health-wise) and be productive, and when I am feeling inspired again, I don't need to stop to make up card bases.  :-)  Win-win!

The filing containers I've used in this drawer are the insert boxes from the Creative Memories PowerSort Boxes.  Each box can be taken out of the drawer without disturbing any of the other cards.  :-)

Ribbon Storage

Ahhh, ribbon... how I love thee...

Sorted by colour, and the rows are divided up by little panels I made with some of the packing cardboard sheets from packs of patterned paper.  

Punch Storage

Another of hubby's projects...  

Stamp Storage

This is a bookshelf my husband had custom built for him long before he met me.  It gives me a giggle to think that he had no idea that it would eventually be filled with stamps!!

The little stickers on my SU! stamps are something I did when I was a demonstrator.  It's so I could see at a glance which sets were retired (silver), which were hostess sets (gold), and which were current.  And the baskets house stamps like Gorjuss, The Greeting Farm, CC Designs, There She Goes and Papertrey Ink.

Tech Stuff

My lighting set-up!  I'll do a post on the whole thing soon, but basically I just use cool white or daylight globes in a few lights to give enough light to take photos at any time of the day.

And perhaps you noticed this in the very first photo?

I've been wanting to try doing some video tutorials *gulp* for a while, but I wasn't happy with any of the ways I could figure out for mounting the camera.  Until I saw this little baby...  It works brilliantly!  It allows me to have my camera pointing straight down at my workspace, without a tripod in the way.  Now I just have to figure out what I'm going to do tutorials on... any requests??  ;-)

Last, but not least, the quote I have above my workspace.  :-)

I hope you enjoyed my tour of my craft space!  Thanks for visiting!  :-)


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Danielle