Re-org of the art studio

 It was that time again, time to clean up and organize my art studio. What a mess it was, no where to put anything. I was feeling kind of claustrophobic. Not a good thing.  Mike said he would help me clean it up and I took him up on his offer.  So this past weekend I spent some much needed time in the studio cleaning.

On Friday the boys and I hit a few second hand stores to see what we could find to help me organize. Second hand stores are a great place to find baskets and storage supplies very cheap.  We found a few things to use. A wire paper holder that could be hung, some baskets and this thing that I wasn't sure if it was a baking sheet holder or a file holder but it was something that I could make work.

Saturday morning came and I ended up running errands and my lovely husband proceeded to empty out my studio. When I got home he pretty much had everything emptied out on our deck and I will have to say that I was a little shocked!   I have a lot of stuff!

Caution: If you have your husband empty out your art studio and your husband doesn't know or realize how bad of an art supply junky you are,  he will know now for sure!  Be ready to answer why you need all of your stuff.  Lol.

To be honest I got a little overwhelmed seeing it all.   I had all these good intentions to clean up and organize this space but when I saw it all over the back deck I freaked!  I didn't know where to start. I had bought a mini 3 ring binder that I was going to use to catalog everything.  I wanted to catalog it all so in the future I knew where to find stuff and so I didn't buy any duplicates.  This happens to me quite often.

I realized that cataloging all of this wasn't going to happen over night or in a week for that matter and since it wasn't going according to my plan the panic started to set in.  Mike was his awesome self and helped me through my panic. He said, "Just start somewhere. Start with the papers and make piles. Make one pile for the throw away and one pile to keep." So I took a deep breath and I got started on the papers.  Once I got going it was pretty easy.  I knew I couldn't keep everything.  Making decisions on what stayed and what had to go was a little tough at times and in the end I still kept a lot of stuff but they now all have a place.   As I went through all my supplies, Mike hung the shelves, moved the tables and brought back in the heavy stuff for me since I still can't lift from shoulder surgery.

I'm sure many other artists and crafters can relate, you just never know when that piece of ribbon off a wrapped gift that you received would come in handy!  Sometimes it's hard not to want to put that little piece of ribbon into your stash.  I see possibilities in so many things and I am always coming up ideas that I want to try, I just can't help collecting for possible future use!  Just like the other day, I was on the beach with my boys and some good friends.  I was collecting shells.  I think the shells were mussels and they were not very pretty on the outside but oh,  the colors inside were beautiful.  Purples and creams with pearly accents, I knew I had to bring some home and try to make some sort of necklace out of them. Now outside my studio is a bag filled with shells!  They were too stinky to bring inside! I will get to them someday I promise.

 Loving mixed media like I do can make a girl collect a lot of art supplies too.  There is always something new coming out ( gelli plates etc.) or something I have never tried before that I must try now. If you take an online class and the teacher is using something cool you got to get it.  Who can resist all those fun art supplies! Ha.  Seriously though, I did promise Mike and myself that I would not buy any new supplies till the new year. I won't be suffering too much since I just filled up on some new paints and what not from Blick! Hmm, maybe I do have a little problem?  Starting now my new motto is that I need to use up what I have before I buy anything new. This what I am going to do!

So after working all day and into the evening I think I finished up around midnight.  This was kind of funny to Mike and I.  When I know I have a busy day ahead of me at work I always tell Mike I will see you at midnight.  It has become this little joke between us that we say when we know we have a ton of work to do.   " See you at midnight!" The studio re-org was a ton of work that did really take me till midnight to finish!  Too funny.

I am sad to say that I didn't get to chronicle all my supplies but they were all organized and put in their new place.  Boy, if I had done the cataloging I might have been there till midnight sometime in 2014!  I am hoping to continue to work on the catalog a little every week.

I swear someday I will remember but like always I didn't remember this time.  I forget the before photos!  Sorry, that you could not see my disaster before it was finished but below are photos of the after.  It's nothing fancy which suits me fine. I am such a messy artist that I couldn't imagine if I had some beautiful pristine place to create in, I could never make a thing in fear of ruining my pretty place.

So here it is, drum roll please..........

Second from the Sun Studio!

My studio is on the outside of the deck in my back yard. Just a few yards from the house.

Here is my table that has my jewelry making and polymer clay stuff. To the right of the table is my book shelf that holds, all kinds of things from books, inks, journals and stamps.  On the top right of the shelf is that thing I bought from the second hand store that I am not quite sure of what it is but it holds my paper packets well. 

 This is the right side of the studio. I put two long 6ft folding tables on each wall and a square table in the middle. The middle table holds my speakers that I hook up my Iphone so I can listen to music while I create.

 This is my painting table. To the right Mike installed a peg board that has my heat gun, drill and my quilting iron on it. To the bottom right of the peg board I used sticky velcro to attach the outlet strip to the wall for easy plug in access.  To the left of the peg board is a wire rack that I purchased from a second hand store for $4. It's holding a bunch of card stock.   To the left of the rack is a wire basket that I got for a $1 and Mike attached it to the wall. It is holding my paint brushes in mason jars. I use mason jars for many things from water containers to holding buttons.  Getting this stuff up on the walls created so much free space on the table to paint.

 This is the dry table. To the right is my printer and where I work on the lap top.  The left side is where I draw and cut papers etc. The records on the right have been heated up with an iron and bent to form  little shelves. They can hold notes and little stuff not too functional but cute.

 Here is the shelf that is up above.   I think I tilted camera when I was taking the picture cause it looks a little crooked and it's not.  On top it holds glue's in the pink basket, scissors in the tan and the rest are pens,markers and oil pastels.  My friend had passed along to me a pin from pinterst a while back about using Mason jars under a shelf to hold buttons and other small items.  Sorry I don't remember who's idea or pin it was to give credit but it's a great idea and pretty simple to do.  You use screws to attach the lids to the bottom of the shelf and then fill your jars. Screw your jars back into the lids and there you go!

Hope you enjoyed a little peak into where I create.

Happy Creating!