The NEW Studio
My studio has been a work in progress for many months. My poor husband kept getting new tasks as I "moved in" and needed improved storage solutions. I have purged, organized & cleaned and finally say that this project is complete! We re-modeled a tiny 9x10 bedroom in our home to suit my needs. Let me give you the grand tour!
This is the view as you walk in the door from our hallway. Notice the large scissors hanging on my door! I bought them at Hobby Lobby 50% off a few months ago! I loved the pair that Jeanette had from Pottery Barn, but they no loger carried them. When I say these at HL, it was all I could do to contain myself!
David designed and build my workspace fo me. It has real countertop, which has held up so well and I am really happy with it. It came with a backsplash attached and he had the brilliant idea to cut it off and use it as a little shelf just above the workspace. It is cuh a nice detail. All of the "little things" an artist needs at their fingertips can set perfectly on the shelf and not clutter my actual work surface. My 22" flat screen monitor (courtesy of Papertrey Ink *wink*) is wall mounted so it doesn't sit on my work surface either.
I hung all of my Paper Crafts magazine covers on the wall is simple black frames. It is rewarding to look at the wall everyday, it serves as a reminder of my accomplishments.
To the left of my workspace there are two slide-out shelves. The top one holds my printer/scanner & my heat gun (since it is close to the outlet). The second shelf has my fax machine & paper trimmers.
To the right of my workspace I keep all of my embellishments. They are in plastic compartmentalized boxes ($1.95 ea. from Wal-mart) by color. It is amazing how much stuff these things can hold once you start taking emellishments out of their packaging! Just above the embellishments is a little shelf that has a tray where I like to toss my scraps. There is also a platic box that holds all of my Palette Ink pads.
Above that is my "necessity drawer". It contains all of the supplies that I use everytime I sit down to craft. A variety of adhesives, stamp clener & pad, black ink pads, distress ink pads, paper-piercing pad & template, postage stamps, etc...
Sitting on my workspace, above the necessity drawer, is a 12x12 Cropper Hopper drawer. It holds all of my patterned paper. I have orgainzed it all by color. I have five folders for each color. The green section for example has folders labeled Green, Green Dots, Green Stripes, Green Floral, Green Plaid. This has been such a great system for me and it really allows me to find what I need, fast.
All of my SU! ink pads sit on top of my Cropper Hopper drawer. I also have a turquoise bowl sitting beside it which holds all of my acrylic blocks. I keep all of my tools in a Tool-Turn-About from Pampered Chef.
Above my workspace is a series of cubbies holding white photo boxes. The cubbies were really inexpensive from Target, David just wall-mounted them. It consists of 2 six-cubby units and 1 two-cubby unit. If fit the space perfectly. The white photo boxes are from Hobby Lobby. There are 28 of them and they contain EVERYTHING! They are all labeled and easy to access. There is one for embossing and it conatins all of my embossing powders, trays, inks, etc. There is labeled "sparkle" which houses glitter, stickles, perfect pearls, etc. I also have boxes for acrylic paint, loose ink pads, pastels & pencils, inspiration, tapes, distressing, etc. These have been essential to making the most of my space. David mounted track lighting to the underside of the cubbies. They provide plenty of light when I am putting in late nights.
Right beside my workspace is a low set of cabinets & drawers under the window. This is Hannah's space. Turning to the right from my workspace, on the next wall, is what used to be the closet. David removed the doors and did a complete set of built-ins. The little stool on the right-hand side is what Hannah pulls up to sit on when she is working. I also use it to help reach top shelves.
The counter space is what I call my "tool table". It holds my Cuttlebug, Revolution, QK Squeeze and MM Tag Maker. They are easy to access and use right there without having to clutter my workspace. The shelving surrounding the tool table holds all of my wood-mounted stamps.
The cabinets below the tool table hold all of my magazines and books. I have 6 years worth of back issues of Martha Stewart Living and I refer to them often! I have a basket on the top shelf of the left-hand cabinet that holds all of my envelopes and shipping supplies.
Turning to the right from the tool table is my main storage wall. It holds all of my cardstock in Crpper Hopper organizers.
On the top shelf I have turquoise baskets that hold office supplies, alphabet sets and sticker embellishments. Here is a peak inside my alphabet set basket. I keep all of my rub-ons and sticker sheets in here. I put them in file style, so I can literally flip through and find what a need.
My ribbon is in candy jars (Wal-mart for about $5 each). I wrap all of my ribbon on clothespins and have one jar for each color. It has been such a solution for my ever-growing collection.
The left bottom cabinet holds all of my alterables. It is just a LITTLE crowded in there. I can't seem to stop buying this stuff!!!
In the center bottom are three shelves. Each holds a tray basket (Target $12 each). There is one for each of my children and labeled as such. These are ehere I stick any artwork or keepsakes before I file them into their large storage boxes in the attic.
Right above the baskets are 4 drawers. They hold all of my punches and cutting tools. This is a peek at the inside of the top drawer.
The right bottom cabinet holds all of my scrpabook albums. Most are still waiting to be filled! One day, one day!
The center middle of my shelving system holds all of my alphabet boxes (freezer containers from Wal-mart). I have filed all of my chipboard letters, alphabet stamps, letter charms, etc... into these boxes. If it has a letter on it, then it gets filed here! It has been such a great resource to have and I find myself using things I normally would have forgotten about.
Beside my large shelving unit, to the right, is my custom built CD rack! David completely invented it himself and I am so thrilled with it. It has the capacity to hold 200 cases!
The top half holds all of my acrylic stamp sets (75 and counting!). David installed adjustable shelving in the middle that holds baskets with ink spots, reference books, etc. IT packs a lot of storage into a little space tht would normally have been neglected behind the door!
My scallop punches hang on a rack on the back of my door. The base of the rack was made out of scrap wood, ahile the punches are held on inexpensive curtain rods. I will end this post by pointing out the sign above my door, which sums up everything nicely. "Surround yourself with the things you love".
Thanks for the tour. You've given me many ideas for my crafting space. Your room is absolutely beautiful. Your husband did a fantastic job building everything.
Posted by: Regina D. | July 19, 2007 at 01:24 PM
Wow, what an awesome work space!!! I don't think I would ever leave that room! :-)
Posted by: Jennifer Magreevy | July 19, 2007 at 01:39 PM
Oh, what a beautiful studio!
Your hubby is very handy, great job!
TFS, you have some wonderful ideas!
Posted by: pam/iris | July 19, 2007 at 01:47 PM
Oh man, this is awesome! I want a room just like this. What's your husband doing later? Can he come over and redo my room? *wink* I have a quick question for you - are you happy with the Cropper Hopper 12x12 storage cube? Does it pull out easily? I have one of the Target cubes and it is so hard to pull out and push back in.
Posted by: Ruth | July 19, 2007 at 01:47 PM
OMG! I am soooo in love with your workspace. So many wonderful ideas in there...Quick question though...Is it always so clean? =)
Posted by: serena repsold | July 19, 2007 at 01:48 PM
WOW! That is awesome! Your space is SO organized. Love it!
Posted by: texasjodylynn | July 19, 2007 at 01:53 PM
with envy. The room looks so wonderful!! I love that everything is so coordinated and so easily accessible!
Great job and what a great hubby!
Posted by: Kim Howard | July 19, 2007 at 01:56 PM
What an awesom husband you have Nicole!! I loved seeing into your little world, thanks for sharing your space with us!
Posted by: Julie Masse | July 19, 2007 at 02:00 PM
*Thud* Please call 911 because I'm going to need resuscitation immediately from creative crafting beautifulness overload.
Posted by: Janet | July 19, 2007 at 02:11 PM
OH MY GOSH!!! Girl, I am in serious lust over your scrap space. It looks so amazing!!!! I wanna come play. What a great, handy, talented hubby you got there too. He did a fabulous job.
Posted by: Becky (RebekahBoo) | July 19, 2007 at 02:13 PM
SHUT UP!!! This is so gorgeous! I love the simple clean lines and how crisp everything looks. From one organizational freak to another....well done!
Posted by: erika | July 19, 2007 at 02:14 PM
OH WOW!!! Absolutely Awesome!!! I love love love it!!! It's gorgeous and I'm so jealous! The organization is fantastic. You are one lucky lady!!!
Posted by: Kathi | July 19, 2007 at 02:15 PM
OMG, that is awesome, you should become an organizational designer. I got so many wonderful ideas, thanks for sharing and provide all the fun details.
Posted by: florence | July 19, 2007 at 02:18 PM
I'm green now from envy taking over. I have a whole room for my craftiness but nothing this beautiful, clean or organized. It I ever got my space to this level I would either trash it quickly from crafting or never craft again for fear of trashing it. It's so beautiful.
Posted by: kalyber | July 19, 2007 at 02:21 PM
I know it's not good to be jealous, so I will just say you have a beautiful space! Congratulations!
Posted by: keri j | July 19, 2007 at 02:24 PM
soooooooooooooooooooo coooooooooooooooool
definatly something to aspire to!
Thanks for showing us, well done hubby he must really love you. well i'm off to see if i can find a secret room in our old house that i can use for my very own craft room lol!
*G*
Posted by: grungedandy | July 19, 2007 at 02:27 PM
Thanks for a glimpse into paper crafting heaven! My wish now is to be adopted by you!!! You're room is gorgeous and so organized it has got to inspire your creativity!
Posted by: broni (waterchild12) | July 19, 2007 at 02:27 PM
All I can say is "WOW!"
Posted by: Denise Rose | July 19, 2007 at 02:31 PM
Sean! Where's the credit card and the Pottery Barn catalog?...
Posted by: Elizabeth Jones | July 19, 2007 at 02:32 PM
Can I come live at your house? PLEASE??????
This studio is FAB-U-LOUS!! An AWESOME way to utilize the space you have!! I HOPE that mine will look half this good when we get our new place!!
Posted by: AmyR | July 19, 2007 at 02:39 PM
What a great husband and studio!!!! Lucky you!!!! I can only wish for a studio right now....someday....don't want to rush the kiddos out of the house too soon! :)
Posted by: Alexis R | July 19, 2007 at 02:43 PM
Wow, I'm speechless! This room is like my dream crafting space. I love the lights, too. Where did you get those? Everything is so nice! I wish my hubby was handy.
Posted by: Lynn Brown | July 19, 2007 at 02:45 PM
I LOVE your space! Your husband ROCKS! I love those lights above your space, and I was trying to figure out how you were rolling up your ribbon so I kept on reading - clothespins! I love it! I think I know what I will be doing Sunday afternoon with my 300+ rolls of ribbon :-) Very crafty and inexpensive ideas - you are my inspiration! P.S. Like Ruth I am wondering about your 12x12 Cropper Hopper paper holders - I have the Target ones too, and they are hard to open with paper in them. And those baskets - love the color!
Posted by: Kacey | July 19, 2007 at 02:54 PM
This is absolutely beautiful!! Thank you for sharing!
Posted by: Michelle M | July 19, 2007 at 03:00 PM
Oh My Gosh! This is awesome...I would never want to leave.
Pat
Posted by: Pat | July 19, 2007 at 03:02 PM