I don't have a lot of down time, but when I do, I spend it on the internet. Looking at blogs, websites, and YouTube videos. I especially enjoying watching YouTube videos of other crafters presenting their recent projects, or original crafting techniques. Usually tucked in amongst those videos is a 'look' into the artist's studio space. I've often been amazed at the incredible studios that some crafters have. Especially the personal craft spaces that scrapbookers and paper crafters inhabit. Each one is unique in layout and sensibilities but they all have one thing in common...a LOT of STUFF!
I always thought I had a LOT of STUFF, but compared to many, I obviously don't. I don't have room for what I do have, let alone more.
We have a decent size house, but, we also have six people living in it. My husband and I share an "office" space. It is HIS "office" first and foremost because that is how we make a living. My husband has a very disciplined work ethic which enables him to work out of our home maintaining a job for a company across the country. Ahhhhh....the internet!
The only problem is that I share the same room he works from as my "studio" space. It doesn't really lend itself to being creative. I would like to play music while crafting, he needs complete silence to work. I like to spread out and make a mess while I'm crafting, he needs it to be picked up and controlled so he can 'think'. He also has many phone and video conferences which means that I can't craft in my jammies, sigh. The space is completely divided in the middle, I get half. He gets half. However, more often than not, many of my supplies and tools creep over to his side and he has to constantly reestablish the boundary line. It's not ideal.
But, I do feel privileged to have the space I have. I call it my "CANDY STORE". Why? Because I've organized my tools and embellishments in a way that looks like you've just walked into an old fashioned candy store...jars are lined up on shelves, filled with accouterments of every color and organized by color. It reminds of the candy store that was a few blocks down the street from my house where I grew up. It was so exciting to get on my bike and meet my friends at the corner candy store. I remember standing in front of all of those jars of candy...the store owner patiently waiting, while I made my choices. It took me forever to decide, but that was the fun of it. I feel like that now when I look at my jars on the shelves filled with colorful ribbons, chipboard, flowers and embellishments. The joy of seeing all that I have, makes me want to dig in and CREATE!
