Good Morning Fellow Stampers!!
It's Wednesday already; and my wonderful year end holiday break is speeding by me at lightening speed. One of my wonderful customers and friends suggested to me last evening that I just stop and take one whole day for me; just put my feet up, do nothing but what I want to do, like watch movies all day! I'm seriously considering that suggestion! It's just that I have so much I wanted to get done while I was on this break. So it's hard to convince myself to just waste a day away; we'll see -- I might just do that yet! LOL
I mentioned the other day that there are big changes going on in my Studio -- I'm very excited about the new organization! Some of you have asked, what's up? I've never really shown my Studio; partly because I'm embarrassed with how crammed in it is. I have a lot of stuff - that's for sure!! LOL
The problem really is that my room serves two purposes -- first as my sewing room; and second as my stamping/crafting studio space. So the room really has to serve a dual purpose. As the years have passed (especially the last several), I have acquired more and more tools and accessories and fun stuff. I have struggled with how to house all my goodies and have some sense of organization. This past year, I finally just have had enough. I have been seeking a new way to start dealing with my hobbies. Many of you are familiar with Stamp-n-Storage -- a fabulous way to organize and store all your stamping hobby. It was really while Stamp-n-Storage was running its "Crafted Spaces" series over this past year that I had an epiphany so to speak -- and it was while watching Keisha Charles give the tour of her absolutely "to die for" new Studio that I realized there were certain key elements missing for me in my room that I needed to focus on.
When I first purchased and moved into my home 11 years ago, the primary focus of this room for me was my quilting hobby. Things have changed -- a lot!!! LOL. And over these years, I have also inherited some wonderful things from some very dear friends who taught me everything I know about quilting -- such as my beloved new Pfaff sewing machine, and more fabric than I can probably use in a lifetime. But then, "she who dies with the most fabric wins!!!" LOL Becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator has put a huge strain on my Studio.
I did actually add some nice real wood drawer organization storage this year -- but I really wasn't solving my problem. Like I said, seeing Keisha's room turned on a light bulb. My biggest problem was my setup in the middle of my room. I set up this basic table years ago to serve as a cutting table and a work surface. The problem is -- it's great for that, but little else!! I needed a "storage" solution along with other organization and storage solutions that would help me pick up, put away, and reorganize my room so I didn't feel like I was living and working in chaos. I also have a second problem. This is basically a converted second bedroom in my home. I don't want to and really can't do anything in this room that would be a "permanent" fixture. I don't intend to stay in this home forever, and this room needs to return to its original intended purpose for resale purposes someday. You put all those factors together, and it can create quite a dilemma.
I began putting a plan together some months ago -- and it revolves around the Recollections Storage System from Michael's, as well as the Stamp-n-Storage organization systems which include the IKEA Kallax shelving system. Beginning in November, and letting my honey and family members know what I really wanted for Christmas, I began piecing together what I would need to start this transformation. It's not going to happen overnight, that's for sure!! Whew! Talk about a lot of work to now take this room apart basically.
I'm focused on two main things this week -- first, to take down this center table, put together the storage towers, and the table top and reinstate my new "center island" in the middle of the room which will afford me new storage, new organization and a beautiful new work space. This will now become my new "cutting table" when necessary; but will primarily be my stamping and crafting work space. I'm very excited!!! You can see to the left that one of the drawer units has been here since late November. I just ordered the pedestal that it will sit on; that should be here next week. The other units are 2-piece stackable cubes that do not need the pedestal.
The majority of the rest of the center island table pieces arrived with Santa on Christmas :-) I've been busy putting these together and planning a strategy.
Here is one of the finished towers -- I put it over by the sewing machine for the time-being so it would be out of the way until we were ready for it! As you can see -- I can hardly wait to start using it -- LOL As I'm picking things up off the floor, out of the corners, etc., I'm starting to find places for those things in the new storage. I'm very exited. Of course, now I can't find anything when I want it -- LOL
The table top has been here since early December. I just pulled it from the box yesterday morning. It comes in two pieces and has to be assembled before being placed on the towers and secured.
The next area of focus this week is to pull apart everything off the South Wall of the room which is where the Kallax shelving with my new Stamp-n-Storage units are going to sit. I want to put a fresh coat of paint on this well before I re-structure the set-up. Of course, as I'm starting to pull things apart, I'm getting all sorts of new ideas and trying to re-envision the room and layout. I said to my honey yesterday, I think I need to re-organize the entire room. He just rolled his eyes and said "and so it begins." LOL ;-) He's a good sport and I'm very thankful for him in my life. He'll support whatever I want to do to achieve the end game.
Here is the first Kallax shelving unit pieces pulled from the box and laid out in the living room. I have mess all over the house!! LOL I chose to go white on the Kallax. And I will paint each Stamp-n-Storage piece the new green accent color I have chosen so it gives a pop to the room.
So I'll update you next week as to how things have come along. This is a process and will take some time. The very first couple of pieces were ordered from Stamp-n-Storage this past week; but I have a long list of pieces I want from them and it will take a little time. The plan is to spread the purchases out over some months. I'll be very excited as each piece arrives! And I'll be updating you as things progress -- I'm excited to share my new space. The final part of my plan will be to get a new Sewing Table/Cabinet sometime this Spring -- one that's actually intended to hold the kind of machine I have now and allow me sewing storage, as well as the proper hydrolic "lift table" to allow me to move my machine up and down to access the bobbin casing and other inner buttons. Right now I'm using my Grandmother's old sewing table, and it doesn't work very well for "modern day" machines ;-) Someday I hope to have a larger space and then I can purchase the coordinated cutting table that matches my chosen sewing table. Long-term dreams!! LOL
I hope everyone is having a fabulous week! We'll check in tomorrow with another fabulous "thank you" card design for those Christmas gift thank you's!
Until Next Time . . .
