Where Bloggers Create II

It's time...my palms are sweating...I've been working hard for 2 weeks now...cleaning, sorting, arranging, rearranging, organizing, reorganizing, tweaking.....oh, you get the picture. I am joining in with 300+ bloggers who are showing their craft room/studios today. I didn't get everything completed that I wanted to but I don't think we're ever actually "finished", are we?

Last year, Karen Valentine hosted a blog party called, Where Bloggers Create. It was inspired by the fabulous book and magazines in the Where Women Create, series. 
  You can read about this year's party here.
The list of participants for this year's Blog Party will be available here tomorrow.

I signed up to participate this year partly as an incentive to get my room in order and also as a way to publicly say a big thank you to my wonderful husband, David, who started all of this rolling 3 years ago.

For Christmas, 2007, I received a beautifully wrapped gift from David. (This was before I was blogging and therefore, no pictures) It was a letter, telling me that he had arranged to take time away from his office in order to to do all the brute work necessary to transform one of our guestrooms into a craft studio for me. I had been working in our unfinished basement up to that point. I was overwhelmed by this thoughtful and generous gift and started right away to choose paint colors, flooring and furniture that would be needed for the space. The following pictures are the construction phase. Please note that they are photos of photos and the quality is poor..I just wanted you to get an idea of the beginning of the project...

first we ripped up carpeting

then painted ceiling and 9-inches at the top of the wall in a creamy white...

then taped and painted the lower walls a latte color...

taped again for the pink stripe...it's hard to see the details in this photo..

The carpet was installed (by professionals)....NOTE: I would never put carpeting in a workspace again,

 we should have chosen laminate or hardwood...

(This was my first project in the new studio...I photographed it on the floor. You can see the carpet close up.)

Then the few pieces of furniture were put into place...

(These photos make me laugh when compared to the room today)

 There was a lot of work needed to prepare this space and David worked hard to make everything just right.  I love it! My work table is butted right up to a double window so I can

watch the birds and squirrels frolic while I work.

My room today...

I will show you around the room starting at the doorway and going in a clockwise direction...

(The solid oak table top was made by a friend and is attached to telescoping legs from Ikea..I stand when I work so the table is at 36-inches high. The skirt and valance were made by my friend Joni using one pair of Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic cotton drapes from Target. I loved the colors! It is attached to the table with velcro)

I have a tiny paper hoarding problem collecting issue-yikes!

(A Pampered Chef Tool Turn Around holds all of my everyday tools)

(The pink colander was the color inspiration for the pink stripe on the walls)

More stamps, trims, bags of all kinds and tags.

My first piece from Elizabeth...thanks dear friend!

(Standard drawer units from Target {$11.99}, painted taupe and labeled using cardstock and computer generated labels for stamp sets and embellishments. There are 18 drawers here.)

(I would be lost without my BigKick! I use it all the time.)

(I bought this at an Antique shop...it's called a Nun's table...a bedside table I think. Lots of storage.)

(A lingerie chest...more storage places for "stuff")

(The closet door and room door both have shoe storage bags with clear pockets for punches..there are more punches in the lingerie chest....are you figuring I need a "help" program yet? The boxes house ribbon, seam binding, envelopes, lace and chipboard)

I've taken you around my room...now I will just highlight some interesting items I have on display. Remember that you can click on any picture to enlarge. You may recognize your artwork in my room.

Cards & tags made by friends & a picture of my big sis & me having tea...you'll see this again in another picture

This is from Lucketts, Marie!

My favorite dress form stamps.

Thanks Marie!

The stamp holder was my Dad's...it's probably 60 years old.

I have 2 of these paper towers...one has scraps of printed papers by color family..

The other has plain cardstock by color family

These carts can be found at Sam's Club for $30...$75 anywhere else. I would be lost without them.

Elizabeth-have your eyes rolled up in your head yet...you are so good about using your scraps right away...I have lots of pounds of scraps!

My two ATG framers tape guns...I use them every day.

Bits and bobs in my little jello molds, inside a pink and white striped $3 garage sale box!

Eeek! I found this for $5 at a yard sale...it's the same fabric as my valances and skirt!!

Still with me??? I'm almost finished.

My inspiration board...

There's that tea party picture again..thanks Bethanie!

A piece by Jenny Heid...Everyday is a Holiday

Scrap for Joy sign by Heidi at Everyday Cookies. Dress form stamped prints by me.

My Mom is by my side every time I am in my studio..I miss you!

If I hadn't been Scrap For Joy, I would have been Follow Your Bliss but that name was already taken.

Thank you for visiting my Happy Place. Come any time. I've enjoyed our visit.

This was a really long post...I hope you were able to stay awake.

The very brave can come back next week when I will show what this room looked like 2 weeks ago. It's no wonder I'm having some heart issues!

Please turn out the lights when you leave.

I'm off to hop to the other bloggers' spaces!

xoxo

Joyce