where bloggers create 2011

Welcome to my creative space. This is my second year participating in Where Bloggers Create, hosted by Karen Valentine at My Desert Cottage.

My studio is still in the same spot. Mainly in my dinning room but as my art grew, so did all my stuff. So I branched out just a little. This room is now used mainly for storage. The hutch holds everything from my art supplies to all our general office stuff.

I used to work at this table but I got tired of always having to clean up my projects when it was time to eat. And since I like to work standing up most of the time, it was really starting to bother my back. I love my mid-century modern dinning set but the table is just a little too low.

My hutch holds some of the many gifts I have received from dear friends I met through blogging, like the magical Garden Spells chair, Petunia art doll and birthday collage from Marfi.

I also keep my favorite magazines here.

This iron stand is to the left of the hutch. It was kiwi green and had become too rusty after being in the garden a few years, so I gave it a coat of vintage white and brought it in.

I have learned a lot from my collection of art books. I also started the Artful Bag Challenge this year so I can indulge my love for embellishing old bags like this one.

For storage I like to use thrift store finds and mini wooden drawers and cabinets.

I also like to use glass jars to store ribbons, trim and baubles.

This jewelry organizer holds paper flowers, trim and other embellishments. It hangs behind the stand when not in use.

This is the small table to the right of the hutch. The craft cabinet is another favorite thrift store find. It was a very heavy wooden cassette tape holder I got for about $4.

After I took all the pictures for this post I decided to play with it some more and here is how the case ended up. You can read more about the inspiration for this project here.

To the right of the table is a fabric divider screen I made when I used to do craft shows.

I needed something to break up the long wall of tables and stands to keep things from looking too busy. It also helped to anchor my favorite chair so it didn't get lost visually.

The screen and chair divide the space between the dining room and the living room, which is to the right of my work table. This was just a small empty walk through space but I got the idea to set up a work table right by the window. I love being able to adjust the shutters and use all that great natural lighting.

 

 And my old chair is a perfect place for me to relax and think about new projects...when it isn't occupied by my marmalade tabby, Luna.

A very skinny wall next to the kitchen is another spot I coveted for my creative space. This wall and the kitchen are to the left of the dinning table. You can see part of the tea cart in the previous picture. The wooden shelf was another thrift store treasure.

I use it to display artwork, projects and to create vignettes for blog parties or just for fun. The small 'retablo' art to the right of the shelf was made by my cousin who is also a mixed media artist 

My old tea cart is right below the shelf. Almost everything here is a thrift store find. A wire record album holder and wooden plate rack hold my files and decorative papers. The wire candelabra is a favorite find from last Fall.

And this retro typewriter was a great buy at $14 and a birthday present to myself this year.

Another view of my work table and chair. Under the table is a small rolling cart and on top of the cart is a great organizer that was, yup, another thrift store treasure.

My work table is not very big so I make the most of it by using holders and organizers that stack or spin. To make it a comfortable height to work at when I'm standing, I set the table on bed risers.

Cigar boxes are also great for storage.

I used to wish I had a separate room to turn into a 'real' studio, where I would be able to shut the door and not worry about my stuff spilling onto the rest of the house.

But I learned to love having my art space out in the open. It may be more of a challenge that requires me to be extra creative about where to put everything, but that's also the best part of it. And  I really love it when someone comes over and says 'Oh you're an artist!'

Thank you for stopping by to visit and thank you to Karen from My Desert Cottage for hosting again. There are lots of amazing and creative spaces to see so make sure to go there for the list of participants.

p.s. My studio assistant Luna wasn't available during this year's photo shoot. She was napping in a different room and I had to get the pictures done while the light was nice. I also didn't get to include my laptop because my son was using it. So here is a photo from last year's WBC. You can see how my space looked then.

Have a lovely creative day!