SOCIAL MEDIA

6/18/10

Where This Blogger Creates 2010

Hello and welcome to the "Where Bloggers Create: 2nd Annual Blog Party To Share Your Creative Space" hosted by the talented Karen Valentine at My Desert Cottage.  Karen, the ever-gracious hostess, has compiled a list of over 400 bloggers who have posted pictures of their creative spaces for you to tour, so hop on over to her blog and check out the inspiring workspaces of your fellow creative bloggers! 

Before you do, however, scroll down to see pictures of my own creative space, which has undergone a facelift since last year's re-do:

1
My workroom is right off the kitchen and is the size of a single-car garage.  It has its own entrance and a huge window that looks out over beautiful oleander bushes and a huge emerald acacia tree that provides shade for me - very important in the Arizona summers!  It is the girliest room of my home, and it is my sanctuary.  I relish the moments I get to spend in here, and count myself blessed to have a space to call my own.  (Of course I do share it with the extra fridge, but sacrifices have to be made, right?)

2
I put up the curtains below the workbench last year, and they have worked brilliantly, hiding my messes and giving me a sense of order, even when it isn't always perfect.  It also makes it a bazillion times easier to clean up when company is coming.  This year, I've added the white cubbies and they are working really well for me.  I can find everything now, and they enhance the overall feel of the room.  I only bought enough bins for 1/2 of the cubby holes, and I've taken the fabric from the curtains and lined the back of the exposed ones.  This has allowed me to display some of my favorite things and to have a place for my magazines and books.
 3

As you can see from this picture, the curtains hide more storage.  The metal drawers and cupboard used to be the decor in here, along with a different armoire that matches them.  I love the deep drawers and really wanted to keep them, which further convinced me to put the curtains up to hide them. 
 4
This white bedside table has been in my garage for four years now, waiting to be mosaic-ed.  Well, in the four years I've had it, I haven't done anything with it, so I might as well get some use out of it, right?

5
I've been playing around with new ways to display my jewelry, both here in the workshop and at shows.  I often have people come over to "shop", and I want to make sure they can see all of my inventory at one time.  Something I've learned is that, as long as I am inviting people to shop in my workshop,  it is very important to have it looking professional and accessible, even when I am in the middle of a project.  I'm not saying that it should always look like this - believe me, it doesn't - but I want to make sure that when someone comes to purchase my artwork that they are able to focus on that rather than on a mess.

6

I found some old frames at a thrift store, painted and distressed them, and put in decorative aluminum sheeting that I got from the hardware store.  I cut the sheeting to size for each frame, added some small s-hooks and - voila! - instant jewelry displays!
 7
I can easily pull them down when people come over, and then they go right back up where they were when I'm done.  Just one piece of the aluminum sheet filled all of the frames, and I've got enough left over for one more large frame if I need it.

8

I have been looking for a vintage dressmaker's form for some time now, but they are expensive and have been way out of my budget.  I decided to look for a large paper mache form instead, which was surprisingly difficult to find.  I finally found a store that had them in stock and ordered one online.  I wanted to decoupage it and to use it for shows and workspace display as well, and had some great vintage dress patterns that my wonderful friend, Jan Thomason at the Polka Dot Barn, sent me in a fantastic goodie package swap we did (the large vintage appliqué flower is from her as well!)   I love how she (the dress from) turned out, and have been trying to figure out what to name her - any suggestions?

9

I love surrounding myself with interesting things.  They inspire me with the stories they tell and give me a sense of history.  The photograph above is a picture of my grandmother on her wedding day, and it is one of my most favorite things.  I've also got a jar of old, mostly broken and beat up vintage jewelry that I dig through now and again to find fun additions for my jewelry and mosaics.

10

This white organizer from Michael's is a new purchase as well, and I am really pleased with its functionality.

11

This white cupboard is one we've had in the garage for a while, and when I added the cubbies, I decided to bring it inside to use for, yes, more storage. 

12

As I said before, I love to surround myself with antique and vintage inspiration.  I use this suitcase at shows for display, and decided to use it indoors as well rather than store it away between shows.

13

More display items.  I've got fun artwork from friends along with some old porcelain 'Birthday Dolls' that were my mom's and mine when we were young.

14


And here is the final wall in the room.  This fantastic armoire was a gift from my mother-in-law last year, and it matched my decor perfectly!  It has very deep shelves and a drawer at the bottom, and is a great storage piece for me.  The bins on the right represent the last of the industrial-looking decor waiting to be disguised.  I keep all of my mosaic and fusing glass in these bins, along with all sorts of bits and pieces for my mosaics.

Well, that's about it!  Thanks for taking the time to tour my creative space.  I hope you found some inspiration and maybe some ideas for your own space.  Now go out and take some time to tour the 400+ other workspaces listed at My Desert Cottage - you are sure to see some amazing workshops!
Riki Schumacher said...

OOOHH, do nice Molly, what a great place. You look wayyyy organized girl, good for you. Love the little curtains. Hugs, Riki

stregata said...

Looks fantastic!! Your dress form looks wonderful - name? Isabella popped into my mind. Love the green bins in your cubbies. And your mosaic supplies - swoon!

steufel said...

Great place! Thxs for showing us your creative island. regards Stefanie

mairedodd said...

wow - a fabulous space... no wonder you are able to create such beautiful things! well, you are responsible for that... but your work area surely must help!

Lucid Moon Studio said...

Your studio looks warm and welcoming! I have been wanting to add curtains to hide the storage under my tables for quite some time, but wasn't sure how...I love the way you did it! Did you just attach curtain rods and then hang the curtains? Is there any tips or advice you can give me on doing it? Thanks so much for sharing, now I'm inspired to finish my studio and hide my storage clutter :)

Lisa

zandra said...

What a great getaway! I wish I could be more organized. Something I'll have to work on for next year...lol So, enjoyed my visit with you. Enjoy the rest of the party.
Hugz,
Zandra

romantic decay said...

You have a great studio. Great ideas for displaying your jewelry, and you lady look so pretty.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

This is a fantastic place, where both function and beauty seem to collide. You have a lot of storage and it is all hidden so well. I'm in total awe. Thanks for sharing this really organized, well appointed, and inspiring space, even if it does include a freezer.

Pretty Things said...

I love it, I love it, I absolutely LOVE it!

Leanne said...

I feel like I'm asking this everywhere ... but how did you make the table curtain?

Karen Valentine said...

Molly it;s a great space! I love the solution of the curtains to hide the.. well... let's say, less than pretty parts of a working studio! Great idea! Thank you so much for joining the party this year. I hope you are having a good time!
xo,

Karen
My Desert Cottage

Diana said...

Love your shabby chic style, Molly! I, too, enjoy floral chintz and distressed and antique things. Your cubbies are great and what a brilliant idea to carry the curtain fabric into the back of the open cubbies. Thank you so much for welcoming us into your studio.
Tootles
Diana

Jane said...

I really enjoyed the tour of your space. The cubbies are really great for display and storage. I really like how you've displayed your jewelry too.
Beautiful job.
Jane

Donna Reyne' said...

I love how organized you are! It looks wonderful and i too use fabric panels to disquise my roller carts and other oddities in my workspace.
Thanks for having us over and sharing your workroom!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Blessings,
Donna

Pellie / Penny said...

what a great creative space you have here, I am simply taken a back with all of your storage space.
Hugs,
Penny

Anonymous said...

very, very nice! I am having so much fun today seeing everyone's work spaces. How blessed you are to have such a wonderful space. ~ Lynn

GlorV1 said...

Great space. The curtains are an awesome idea. Thanks for sharing.

craftyles said...

I love the way you have displayed your jewelry. Also love the cubbies. Really nice craft studio. Thanks for the tour!

Chris said...

Great space and so beautifully organized. You've given me some good motivation.
Best wishes,
Chris

www.curbyscloset.com/blog/

Unknown said...

Beautiful! I love your armoire. It looks like a forever treasure for sure!

Claudia said...

Wonderful space - I love the curtains, they are such a good idea. The jewelry displays you created are terrific. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Sue@MyArtsDesire said...

What a fantastic job of organizing and making great use of every inch of your space. I love how you've skirted the counters so it is easily accessible. The frames you made to showcase your jewelry creations...A+ on creativity! Xo, Sue

Halle said...

The curtains are a brilliant idea! Very pretty space. Love your new jewelry displays and the armoire!!

Terri said...

So many touches that you have done to personalize this creative space to be distinctively you. Love the green touches too!

Kristin said...

Beautiful space!! I love that amoire and your skirted storage, Kristin xo

Decor To Adore said...

What an amazing space you have created! You have inspired me to add to my own crafting area.

I adore all of your storage solutions.

Diane said...

Molly....Love your space! You are so very organized! You have some great ideas which you have made work for you so very well! I am not sure I will get around all 400 participants...maybe eventually =)
Take care my friend...

Michele Seraphim said...

Love the colour scheme of this room and the size is fantastic. Really organized and liked the fact that you can hide everything behind those pretty curtains! Really nice!

Geralyn Gray said...

This is a great workspace....I love how you organized everything!!!

Kateyed said...

Molly,
I really enjoyed looking at your space.I love the colors...very pleasant and unique and loved the curtains which hid some of your less attractive things in your studio. You have wonderful ideas for storage, which I need to have no end of need for. That is a terrific idea to show your jewelry. I have a small bead space but I am thinking that my jewelry could be decorative. I hate putting it away between shows and also have people that come over to look. I also thought your mannequin covered with pattern made a great addition that also be used at shows.


Some day, come and take a peek at my adult daughter and my blog, if you would like. It is three months old and we have both really enjoyed it.We also have other craft loves... I love vintage paper crafting...she loves a million other things like vintage fashion. We both love estate sales. We were not in any shape to photograph but I am loving the tours. Thanks for letting me peek!

http://katsuijewelry.blogspot.com

Suz

Betty said...

What a pretty space! I love how you've mixed vintage pretties in with all of your storage. I call my dress form Big Bertha for obvious reasons...your dress form is much to pretty for a name like that though!

Unknown said...

Great job in organizing your space, love the armoire and your use of bins, your dress form is a must, I need to find one! How fun to decorate, enjoyed my visit! Hope you enjoy the party, I sure am, plan to eventually visit them all! XOXO

Unknown said...

Very pretty. I love your space. The curtains on the bottom are perfect. It looks wonderful. Thanks for sharing!
Have a great day,
xo
Janet
Janets Creative Pillow

Angela Weimer said...

Thank you for the lovely tour. Amazing storage! I especially like the way you created displays for your jewlery. Som many lovely vintage items too! Thansk for sharing. Angela

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

Yes, love the fabric curtains on the bottom there! I tried to do something with my little cart/table, but I used push pins in the fabric. Your idea looks easier for when you need to get under there. I may have to borrow that idea! You'd never know you have storage underneath.

Romeo said...

Wonderful ideas for storage!!!! And so much of it - how wonderful is that?!?!! Thank you for sharing your studio with us!

Purrs!

Romeo and "her"

Sandy said...

Your creative space is so perfectly appointed and pretty too! Love those cube shelves. Thank you for sharing.

Debby said...

I have enjoyed my tour of your pretty creative space. How fun to come up with the curtains, wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing.
Debby

fiberdoodles said...

What a beautiful place! Thank you for sharing it with us!!

Brynwood Needleworks said...

Hi Molly:
Thanks for your interesting tour. I, too, use those white cubbies and love them. I really enjoyed looking around. Hope you'll visit Brynwood when you get a chance!
xoxo
Donna

Connie said...

I think it's WONDERFUL, sugar. Very organized and works well for you. Lovely.
xoxo,
Connie

gm glimmerglass said...

Miss Molly -

Thank you for the beautiful studio tour - visually, musically and with lovely words.
Your simple mismatched cotton curtains and so sweet, they really make the place. Your creations are truly gorgeous!!!!!
I love thoughts on a broken life - it is where compassion starts, isn't it?

Merci - Genevieve

NanE said...

I really like your color scheme and how you used the cubes and curtains! Do you mind if I ask how you have those curtains attached to the table? I'm working on this idea for my space too but don't want to use velcro. TFS, Nan

Gracefully Vintage said...

You have an amzing space, i would take a single car garage- for a space-although my whole garage is full of furniture waiting to be re-finished or re-uoholstered... Lovely i tell ya, glad to of met you at the Creative Bloggers Space Party - A New Follower Ill be back to see what all you do..
Karryann

Barbara Lewis said...

You've got the neatest space! How could you not create beautiful things there! Thanks for sharing! It seems that your space must be as big as an auditorium!

BlueAntiquities said...

Molly, I am jealous of your wonderful space! I can only imagine how much time and effort you have put in to get it to this point. Your space inspires me to keep at my goal of selling our house and getting more space for our family. Love that you used different fabric for the curtains! Lovely! Laura

jen said...

What a wonderful space! love the colors! I am so late getting to everyones blogs but better late than never right?
luvs and glitter
~jen

p.s. i'm having a giveaway if you would like to stop by, but no pressure really just thought I'd let you know, there is vintage wallpaper and antique buttons involved:)

Cheryl ~ ZanyMayd said...

Still working my way thru the 400 + Creative Spaces.... Yours is Beautiful, Love the way you have the fabric on the bottom to hide or Seek your bins.... Perfect Place for Creating

Creative Grammie said...

You have a precious work space, I love it. Thanks for sharing.

the old white house said...

What a nice bit of space you have to work in! It looks huge and so well organized. Love that vintage cupboard in the last photo! Thanks for sharing, Theresa

Mari Brown and Colourblob said...

very nice space, love the cube shelving with the storage under, looks nice with the fabrics hidding the stuff under. My favourite is the antique head board (?), really cute.

Diana said...

Thanks for sharing your wonderful studio. I love all your storage and the vintage feel.

Gail said...

Hi Molly. Great space you have, I love those cubbies, did not realize at first that the "boxes" are fabric, thought they were wood. Myrtle, yep that should be her name, first thing that popped into my wee brain, as soon as you asked. LOL. I am dreaming of a dress form also, but it sounds like I may not be able to afford one. Sigh. So you got the white divided organizer at Micheals', I was wondering where everyone got them, I have seen them in numerous studios on this tour. Love the glass, oh love the glass.......I really like your skirts also, wonderful idea.
Come visit at Big Horn Mountain Creations, hugs Gail

Liz-Anna said...

You have some great storage solutions! Very pretty and nicely organized space.

Liz-Anna

Dawnll said...

What a wonderful creative place to create. I love all the extra special things that make you happy displayed.
Love that I could stop and visit during the hop.

Cindy said...

Molly, oh my goodness what an incredible creative space you have!!! I can see this featured in an upcoming issue of WWC! :-) I just love the way you added the fabric curtains...it sure adds such pretty color and functionality. I'm with you - would love a vintage dress form, but boy are they rare and expensive! Thanks for sharing a glimpse in to your beautiful studio.

Tins and Treasures said...

You have such an awesome collection of goodies. I love the colorful curtains over your storage space.

Thank you for sharing your creative space with us. Have a thoughtful Thursday. ~Natalie

Magpie's Mumblings said...

I love the combination of open and closed shelving in your space. And it looks like your curtains below your work table slide easily which is a great idea too. Thanks so much for inviting us to visit.

Sherry F. said...

You have created a beautifully organized craft space. Your blog title became clear after reading a side post in the beginning of your blog. The lord does work miracles in us if we let him doesnt he? Thank you for sharing~ Sherry w/Scrapping With Sherry