BLOG BUDDIES

July 21, 2014

Where Bloggers Create

This is my first year getting involved with "Where Bloggers Create" and I have been so inspired by the creative spaces out there with fellow crafters and artisans.
http://www.mydesertcottage.com/2014/07/welcome-to-where-bloggers-create-2014.html
 So welcome to my little piece of heaven on earth. This is where I can go and get lost for hours at a time. I will admit, my crafting supplies are not limited to this space. I also have a hutch in my dining room filled with tools (bind it all, die cutting supplies, adhesives etc. ) as well as half of my linen closet has all my stamps, chipboard, fibers, mini album supplies etc. a cabinet in my garage filled with fabric, more flowers etc.   But welcome to the main hub.
 This room is pretty small, but I have tried to utilize every ounce of space.
Over my window I have these shadow box letters
My next area is my die cutting area &
 T!m Holtz embellishment holders. I do have a Cricut and Pazzles diecutting system but they are currently in another room as I haven't figured out a place for them in here yet.
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This dresser/hutch was actually white and I painted it black to match all my other furniture.
In the drawers I have my ribbons organized by color and wrapped around cardboard squares. Plastic ice cream tubs are a perfect home for pearls, beads, gems etc. (yea... I ate all that ice cream, well I needed the tubs for containers )
On the shelves are lots of  jars filled with buttons, shells beads etc. and a few pictures and projects for inspiration.
These stackable sit on the top shelf of the dress and are filled with flowers, stickers, ephemera, gems, etc.
I purchased these laundry tubs at a flea market and though they take up space I still use them because they are so cool. I have them filled with large and small random spools of ribbon that haven't made it to the organized ribbon drawer yet & the smallest tub is used for current projects I'm working on such as embellishments, ribbons, etc. I find it easier for me when I get ready to do a project, I peruse my craft room for items I would like to use on the project and fill this tub with those. Then I'm not stopping and looking for items while doing my project. It works for me.
Moving right along, is my corner desk/hutch which has a side table to the left with my printer ontop, Ribbon sorted for my favorite laces, pearls, and diamond ribbon. This hutch is filled with projects I have made or gifts from friends.  The desk has my computer with all the necessities, my steampunk clock is on top as well as more apothecary jars filled with ribbons.  If you haven't noticed... I ♥ apothecary jars.

Next to the desk is a side table with more jars of rhinestones, and bangle beads ... your right... more apothecary jars. I always have some pretty scented candle burning on my candle warmer.
Next up is my craft table... ohhhh you caught it on a good day. Usually you can't see the surface of this table. This is actually a dining room table and as you can see it is pretty packed with stuff...I have my stains, stickles, 2 tool caddies with my scissors, Tonic tools, etc.  my Ranger craft mat completely covers the entire table for easy cleanup. My current project is sitting there waiting to be worked on. it's going to be a gingerbread house with a mini album inside.
Under the table are bins that have all my altered art supplies. These wooden boxes I bought at a junk store and they have extra glue guns, tape guns, heat guns, my tea died tags etc. The bins are separated with all paper mache items, glass bottles, vintage hardware, and one drawer is filled with different size canvases.
Above my desk is my metal shelves with drawers I purchased at Hobby Lobby filled with my mixed media stamps, foam stamps, and favorite stamps, pots hang from the rod to hold  glue sticks, and other random items. The rack to the right of it I purchased at a flea market and it holds all my sprays, tall glue bottles, gesso bottles and paint brushes.
Ok... on to the closet, I have my 12x12 sheets arranged my color, all the solids on the left and pattern on the right. My specialty papers are on the top such as cork, wood,  metal,  & glitter papers.
Under my desk is this crate that I put all my paper pads in, assorted by company... DCWV, Recollections etc.
 
Top shelf in closet has containers of all my photos waiting to be worked on. And all my
Graphic 45 paper pads and projects... Yes they have their own home. I have so much of this paper and there always seems to be a project going on that I am using this paper for.
 
All my chipboard pieces are sepearted by Manufacture...Dusty Attic, Blue Fern, Scrap FX and then by either item # or Alphabetically.
The next item in my closet is probably my most favorite supply caddy in my entire room. I wish you could see this better. I purchased this at Home Depot and it a metal cart on wheels with a top shelf. Has 15 bins for sorting all your supplies. 5 small, 4 medium, 6 large... Absolutely love this. I have everthing you can imagine on this. Top shelf has my tins of alcohol inks, washi tape  holder, my bins of embossing powders, glitters, crackle paints... oh I could go on and on. The bins are sorted by, art wires, jars of embellishment, mixed media supplies, tapes, sponge brushes etc.
Ok... going to the last area, behind the door I have a wrapping station set up with papers, jute, burlap, cellophane paper, and some of my punches. Just those odd things that are hard to store.
On the wall next to that is part of my inspiration wall. It is a metal piece with alligator clips attached to hold your art work.
This is my spraying area... have all my sprays assorted by warms & cools and put in bins, my cardboard box serves as the spraying station. The next bins to the right are all my painting supplies, Melt Art Supplies, UTEE, chalks, Gelatos etc.
Ontop of the bins is an old suitcase that holds all my mixed media supplies, stains, paints, Dyllusions, sponges, bees wax etc.  
Last but not least is my vintage wooden cabinet. I haven't labeled it yet, but it will get done. I have all my I Am Roses flowers assorted by colors, leaves, butterflies, bottle brush trees... all my nature goodies.  
 Hope you enjoyed your visit and stop by Desert Cottage Blog to view other wonderful creative spaces. 


July 15, 2014

This Little Piggy Went to a Birthday Party

I can't believe baby Cali is alreay #1, but it's time to party and I found this cute piggy bank at my local hone décor store for only $5. But of course I needed to make it my own so buttons and bows spruced this piggy up.
 
My card will be entered in the City Crafter Challenge which is "Chipboard".  My piggy bank is entered in Anything But A Card challenge which the current theme is "Anything Goes"
 
I made a ballerina skirt for this little princess and you can purchase the tulle here at my Etsy store.
 
You can view step x step procedure here on SNAPGUIDE, or visit my SNAPGUIDE webpage for more project inspiration.
Check out How to Alter a Piggy Bank by Toni Burks-Grijalva on Snapguide.

Hope you enjoyed this little bit of inspiration. Have a wonderful day !

July 13, 2014

Water My Flowers

Watermark Technique
This week at City Crafter Challenge the theme is "Sunshine & Lavender" the source of inspiration is:
& Craft Hoarders Anonymous is having a theme of "Tag Your It". Anything But A Card challenge theme is "Anything Goes".  Try It On Tuesday challenge is "Colours of Summer". Frilly & Funky challenge is "Summer Heat ... warm colors and include a summer bloom"

I purchased this pretty basket awhile back for a friend of mine and I'm going to plant herbs in it to give her and I needed a gift tag for her present. So these challenges worked out perfectly for me. I used the "Watermark" technique introduced 3 books ago by T!m Holtz in A Compendium of Curiosities Vol I. You can view my Snapguide tutorial below for a step by step process of this tag, or you can visit my Snapguide webpage here  for other fun tutorials. Check out How to Make a Tag Using Watermark Technique by Toni Burks-Grijalva on Snapguide.
Happy crafting, and jump over to those challenge blogs I mentioned for some fun and inspiration. Also, if you are in need of some of the supplies I used on this project or other art supplies, stop by my Etsy store @ https://www.etsy.com/people/StudioGarageBand

art (ärt) noun - supplement, alter, or counteract the work of nature. The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty.