My Creative Space

I am posting twice today. The last post is about the newest book by Creating Keepsakes and Megan Hoeppner called Creative Spaces 2011. Leave a comment on this post OR that one (not both please) to win a free copy of this wonderful new publication. I will announce a winner on Saturday morning. This post is to show you a few pictures of my space and tell you some of my organization tips (a shall we call it, wet your appetite post!). Just think of seeing all these type of organizational details from tons of well-known scrapper's personal spaces!

My scraproom was previously a guest room and then was my step-daughter Jordan's room for a couple of years. The wallpaper was put in by the last owners, so although I like it, it is NOT what I would choose. One day I will change it and if I do, it will be a hand-painted mural by me all over the walls! How fun that will be! It isn't fancy. It isn't big. But I keep it very organized so every thing I need is at my fingertips and easy to find.

I have shelves over my desk that I keep many of my supplies on. I like that I can just reach up and grab one while working on my layouts. I also have some little baskets (from Target) that hold my inks, glitters, etc... for easy access. I keep some of my favorite projects on the top two shelves. I like to have projects I have made displayed around my room - it makes me happy! 

I work at a tall table - I like to be standing while I scrap. I have a tool caddy from Home Depot (for screws and manly items!) that holds many of my supplies. Again, this keeps them organized and close at hand while I am creating. I go through it often to make sure it has my most recent purchases and weed out the older things I don't use any more. I keep my tools and markers (seen in the last picture) out as well. 

My favorite supplies are my buttons - they just look so yummy and are so colorful! I use canning jars from Walmart for them. I have my rick rack (another favorite supply) and buttons on a shelf above my computer desk. Both desks were purchased from Ikea. I also have some projects on that shelf and all my mini albums on a tall shelf beside the desk.

I have four baskets under my desk with supplies that I go through before making a layout. One is for letters which are organized by color. The next is for all my American Crafts embellishments. Then I have two for little and big stickers and embellishments. These were all purchased at Michaels. If I haven't stated it yet, I really like my supplies to be out in the open. I go through these baskets often and remove anything I won't be using. For publication, we have to use recent products that are still able to be purchased, so I weed out stuff all the time. Once it is taken out of these baskets, it goes into my dining room. In there, I have a whole filing system of plastic drawers (like the ones below in my closet) by holiday/season/subject where I put all supplies. When the girls are making something or friends come over to scrap, they use those supplies. They can just pull out a drawer for birthdays and make a quick card. It makes the overflow usable and easy to access. No one touches the baskets under my desk but ME! :)

I keep my ribbon in cookie jars from Walmart on a shelf from Target. It is organized by color and again, close for quick and easy access. I also go through these jars often and put the overflow in the dining room. I also have a jar just for the most recently purchased trims that I want to use right away. And I have an entire container of American Crafts ribbons that I go to as well. I am a ribbon freak - I have WAY too much!!! The baskets on top have my favorite punches and my most-used stamps in them. Can you say easy-access? haha

Organizing paper is probably the most challenging thing. Again, I have to weed out the old and keep only recent in "my" stash. And yes, the rest goes into a similar filing system in the dining room for guests/kids! All my dining room supplies are against the one wall that cannot be seen from the entry, so they really are hidden. For paper in my office, I have two types of racks. The ones behind the couch hold cardstock by color on one side and patterned paper by color on the other. The two you can see are by holiday/occassion on the right and by manufacturer on the left. This is the newest, I want to use right away stuff. I also keep my design team paper on these shelves. For example, on my Crate shelf, I have both their paper, their chipboard and their stickers that are in 12x12 sheets. This makes it easy to find things I really want to use. Before starting a project, I usually go through this side of the rack and the baskets under my desk pulling whatever matches. The manufacturers that get their own shelf (because they are my favorites) are: MAMBI, Crate, Sassafrass, American Crafts, Fancy Pants, Basic Grey, Bella Blvd., Studio Calico, My Minds Eye, October Afternoon, and Echo Park. There are also some that have a couple combined (Jillibean and Lily Bee are two current favorites).

The closet isn't pretty, but it is a necessity in holding many of my other supplies. I took the doors off recently which makes access much easier and forces me to keep it clean! I have TONS of stuff in here that I use often - fabric, inks, stamps, adhesive overflow, embossing, chipboard, ribbon spools in the long containers by color, etc... The girls have a little TV on the table and a big couch to hang out on. In the TV stand is all of their stuff for homework as they usually do it in this room. In the closet I also have a box of embellishments for Christmas and Halloween and I just pull it out when working on a page for that holiday.

So that is all the detail shots, but you will have to look in the special issue to see the entire thing! Thanks for visiting and don't forget to leave a comment so you can be part of my drawing for a free copy of the Creative Spaces 2011 special issue!!! Thanks all! suzy

Comments

[ginny]

Thanks for sharing your room! I love having supplies stored in baskets and easy to access, too!

[Marisa]

What a fun space! No wonder you make so many fabulous pages!

[marcy]

I'd love to get my hands on this magazine!

[Debbie Painter]

Your craft space is Amazing!! Thanks so much for the chance to win this magazine!!
debpaint16@aol.com

[Jennifer]

thanks so much for sharing your space & for a chance to win this great magazine!!!

[Lexi Bridges]

your space is so ORGANIZED!! I love it :) So much fun peeking into other peoples crafty spaces. Would love to win a copy of this mag!

[Keshet Shenkar]

Love all the pops of color!

[Cindy S]

I LOVE how bright and airy your space looks! I especially love the sofa and princess TV I see peeking out! I keep talking myself out of picking up this copy of CK even though I want it so bad! TY for the chance to win one! Happy Wednesday!

[Mary Ann]

I love the peek into your room! As I look at blogs/projects etc that people do, I often wonder what their cretive space looks like. I too keep many things by color, it seems to work well for me. I love how open your room is, and how organized it all looks.
Thanks for sharing!!

[Karen]

OMG - i would die and go to heaven if i had a space to just CREATE!!! love,love,love - so clean,organized,and easy access to all of your suppliess.

[Brianaj]

I love your ribbon jar and your little sofa and because I love wallpaper, I really like the flowers too! It's very cheerful!

[Melissa]

I love your space! I love how organized it is.. very inspiring!

[ShellyJ]

Awesome space!

[dawn]

Suzy, your space is gorgeous and colorful and fun. I love your jars of buttons and the jars of ribbons. I've always thought of having a tall table too and standing, sometimes I just get tired of sitting there for too long and would like a break. I'm so happy you shared your space with us, the first photo for some reason is my favorite. I would love love love love love to win this magazine please please pick me!!

[EAendicott@aol.com]

Suzy, thanks so much for sharing your organized space. I already have the magazine and LOVE it. I saw your space and wondered where everyone stores their cardstock and paper. Great ideas!

[Jessica Liu]

Thanks for sharing your organization tips and for the chance to win a copy of Creative Spaces 2011!

[Lia Biscoe]

Fun to see where you create. Would love to win the Creative Spaces....

[Amy Jo]

I was wondering if you could adopt me? I might want to take a look in your baskets under your desk though...lol. I would love the magazine too!

[Elisa]

Love your space! Looks like such a fun place to create!

[Megan]

WOW! Just WOW! What I wouldn't give to have your scrap room! :) My favorite parts are your ribbon jars and button jars. They remind me of a candy shoppe! :)

[Paulo]

love your space !!!!

[La zaz]

This is just amazing, love your "studio".

[Patty W]

Your space looks so pretty and neat and organized - love the beautiful jars of buttons and ribbon!!! Thanks for sharing with us and can't wait to see more in the CK special issue. Thanks for the chance to win a copy!

[Jennifer O.]

I love seeing people's craft spaces and would love to win a copy. Thanks for the chance!

[Janet]

Totally a fun space..and SO organized..love it! Thanks for the chance to win!
Have a GREAT day!