My Messy Craft Space

Hilde, our fearless leader over at Crafting with Dragonflies, has asked us to take some photos's of our craft area and talk about them a little. Well, this set me to reorganising my space a bit and cleaning up before I took the photo's but I did take some photo's of the messy bits as well! However I have decided not to include these as the posting is already quite long.

Lots of reading here - so maybe a cuppa?

Before I show you this space, I should say I started off at a very small desk build into a wall in the second bedroom. I graduated from that to several card tables and my husband kindly made me a big pine table to sit and work at. I still have that table! Eventually, I outgrew that room - primarily as it is still a guest bedroom, and has a wall of wardrobes! After I retired, I descended to my working space downstairs, where my computer was already set up at the big desk my hubby had made for me when we were first married. I have spent many hours over the years at this desk - firstly marking and preparing lessons, then working on the computer as well and now just blogging and doing the occasional obligatory paper work!

I gradually filled this area - I had bought home from work my standing desk so that joined the other desk and the table. I then got a flat pack cupboard and set of drawers and that was the beginning.  I should also say that hubby built the bookshelves for my library of both work books and fiction, and that these too have grown until there is almost no wall space that is not covered in bookshelves!

So, welcome to my world.

I am downstairs under the main living space with a spiral staircase between. Hubbies wood-working workshop is on the other side of the wall behind the main (computer) desk. He has a part of this space too for his desk and filing cabinets, and some shelving. There is a bathroom and wine storage area (in the shower!) between the two spaces! So, if I need a break......

Just outside the floor-to-ceiling windows is the bottom garden, and the bay, and the hills across the bay. Good inspiration. 

Between the glass walls (windows) to outside I have squeezed this cupboard and drawers.  Paper storage either side and the middle is mostly ribbons plus embellishments. I am going up and up and have almost obscured a lovely crayon drawing I purchased of a ketch in Ireland. Need to lift it a bit higher perhaps? Drawers contain mostly wooded stamps.

Turn right and you see the table hubby first built me to craft on.  Covered with stuff most of the time now. Note the ink storage on rhs - hubby built that too. VERY sturdy and heavy (like all his work!). Under this table is more paper storage, mostly. I use big plastic bins for SU card. The plastic drawers have Momento inks, and current SU ones. The round container has sponge bits for each ink colour stored in it. Behind the plastic is a basket of punches.

                                                    

On the lhs of the table are two CD towers containing all my non-SU plastic stamps - its full! I store these in SU plastic cases.  Ribbons cascade off this on one side. 

Inside the cupboard is more ribbon (top shelf), re-inkers and TH's inks, pencils and stuff Bottom shelf has chipboards, washi tapes, useful stuff......and paints! Door hanging is sprays and daubers and stuff.....

Turn left and you look at my standing desk where I work (back problems) and it is hard to make out what is what because my hubbies desk and shelves are over the back. The boxes with the x's were made by John to hold my Copics but that collection grew too big so now I have a big black canvas box/bag thing for them and they are stored under the table.  LHS has paper flowers, black box has photos, the RHS has a basket of useful paper bits.  Shelf under has my cutters and rulers, and bling boxes and some extra card and the baskets hanging below that have (lhs) die cuts and similar and (rhs) white card.  The plastic file has embossing powder/tinsel stuff on top and in the top three drawers; then flowers and the bottom purple two are wooden bits and lace.

Under the table is a mess!

Put your back to the cupboard and you look at the internal wall. Shelving has SU cling stamps; boxes of letters; the sentiment sticker collection - the rest of the stickers is on the far wall. The green canvas basket has punches (behind the computer screen). 

Under the desk are the Christmas supplies and the sewing machine!

The wall behind the stair has the wooden SU stamp sets, the extra ribbon, the card stock, made-up items, my painting gear, more die-cuts in baskets, more stickers, albums.....magazines, sewing gear.....small paper pads and in another plastic wheelie on floor that you cannot see, there are other paper pads and freebie papers from magazines.

To the left of this is another cupboard set, with the Big Shot on top and more dies and embossing folders. My Cuttlebug is in the cupboard. The book shelves here hold mostly non-fiction books.  There is a row of MS punches of course. This cupboard has my SU business stuff and lots of supplies and thing needed to assist me in my crafting! The mess on the rhs is made up of w/c painting pads, boxes and things too good to throw away. The easles for painting are in the corner. The lhs is the printer on another cupboard made for me by John. He really is a lovely man. It also houses the computer tower and paper for the printer. I have nearly run completely out of room, and space, and must begin to curtail the spending and start to use up of dispose of the surplus. I do talk a good talk of course.....................