Decorative Storage Solution

It's been a while since my last post.  I've been working happily away in my art journals and also completed a calendar swap page for the Midwest Stampers group on Yahoo.  I also made myself a magnetic board to hold my metal cutting dies.  It was super easy and relatively inexpensive so I thought I'd share the project with you.

It began with a quick trip to Lowe's but you can probably get these vent covers at any hardware store or online.  Because I don't own a large collection of cutting dies, I chose a piece of plywood that was 24" x 24" so I only needed two packages of covers.

I moved panels around to find the best configuration for the size board I have, trimming where necessary.  I drew lines on the board using a permanent black marker where the seams would be so that the board wouldn't show through between panels.  Then I "painted" Elmer's Glue-All Multipurpose Glue on the white (non-magnetic) side of each panel and laid them in place.  I covered the entire surface with waxed paper and heavy cookbooks while it dried.  I recommend trimming the excess off your panels before gluing them down.  I wasn't that smart and had to gently trim them afterward.

I admit that I was very worried that the Elmer's glue would not be strong enough to hold because the painted side of the panels are a little slick.  If I were to do it again, I might lightly sand the painted side to give each panel a little more grip.  But everything is holding together fine and it doesn't get handled since it hangs on the wall so I'm okay with it.  Gently wipe off the excess glue with a damp (not wet!) paper towel.

To add a decorative touch to it, I added a ribbon border using two different cream patterns.  I used Helmar 450 Quick Dry glue but any craft glue will work.  Don't glue the ribbon directly to the edge.  You will want to leave a little space between because...

...the board is held to the wall using mirror brackets which are covered by the ribbon and don't show at all.

The board is functional and decorative.

An added bonus is that tiny dies, like these clock hands, can be stored without fear of getting lost.

So there you have it.  The project only took a couple of hours and about $20.00 to complete.  I have my die sets organized and within reach and I don't have to dig around in a drawer looking for the perfect one. 

 

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you enjoyed this project.  If you wish to follow my blog there are links here on the page.  Have a wonderful day!

A weekend spent cleaning pays off

What is a crafter to do when there is no room on the table for even a coffee cup?  Clean, of course!

No this isn't a joke, it's a serious mess!

I spent all day Saturday and Sunday sorting, cleaning and generally putting things back where they belong.  I think I have a pretty creative solution to the problem of where to put my stamps after I wash them so they can dry.  I have a double laundry tub and in the "other side" I have a coated wire rack with a dish drainer mat.  Not pretty, but a pretty good use of space.

I wash my stamps with each use.  I just use a soft brush, Palmolive dish soap and warm water.

I've shown pictures of my studio before but I thought I'd try something new.  I made a short video of my space.  Maybe I just really want it documented that it was this clean at one point.  I hope you enjoy the tour.  It starts with the back "wall" of my main space and then goes around the corner into the entry way to the laundry room. 

OMG - is that really what I sound like??  LOL!  I did the tour in stages mostly because it took so long to clean the room.  Part two is the small area just behind my chair.

The main table area is where I spend most of my time in my studio.  When it's clean, there is room for two at the table.  It's a great size for a studio and I feel blessed to have it.  My husband agreed that it could be mine before we even bought the house.  I love it.  And I love it even more when it's clean enough to work in!

Here are my storage cabinets.  You can still get them at Home Depot, but they aren't as nice anymore.  They have really cheapened them up over the last couple of years and they don't have the nice built-in peg board on the doors.

Do you store any of this stuff  you see in a better way?  See something that could use improving? Drop me a line below and let me know.  I'm always looking for ways to have my room be more efficient.  The less time I have to spend looking for things, the more time I have to create!

If you like the blog, please consider following it.  There are two different ways on the right of the page.  I always welcome new followers!  Happy crafting!

Repurposed Cabinet

We've all seen the slogan, "Reduce. Reuse. Recycle."  I think recycling at home is very important.  And we are so lucky that our local vendor takes all types of plastic instead of just the 1s and 2s. We recycle our newspapers, magazines & junk mail, plastic bottles, glass jars, tin cans & cardboard boxes. 

There are a lot of ways that crafters can re-purpose plastic, glass, wood, metal, and paper in our art.  But today I'm going to talk about giving an old dirty cabinet a new life.  For a few years now my cousin and I have each fantasized about getting a big industrial map cabinet to hold our rubber stamps.  Last summer I decided it was time I did something about that dream.

I found an old cabinet on Craigslist.  It had been stored in a barn which was owned by a fireman out in rural southern Michigan.  The cost was an incredible $250.00.  I felt like I had won the lottery!  At first I thought that I would get it home as fast as possible, wash it up and fill it all in a weekend.  I could have done that and I would still love it.  But I didn't.  I decided to paint it pink and make it the focal point of my craft space.

Let me tell you - this piece of furniture is BIG and it is HEAVY!  And it took me a very long time to get it done.  We left it in segments, hosed them off and dragged them in to the basement.  Each drawer and cabinet section was scrubbed with Brillo and then sanded before they could be painted. 

Fresh off my husband's pickup truck - they all had to be hosed down to get rid of the barn dust & any bugs.

It started out the typical beige - and filthy!

 The room looks so cute now that it is complete and in place but I lived through 6 weeks of chaos.  I couldn't get to my craft table or half of my bins and everyone who had a birthday in the summer months got store bought greeting cards.  The cabinet now houses all of my image stamps and has given me a lot of surface storage, too.  Sadly, I ran out of space and my word stamps are still in the plastic bins.

My space before the map cabinet.

The bins all had to moved out of the way while the cabinet was being completed!

Cabinet body sections took over my laundry room.

The fifteen drawers were propped up everywhere space would allow while they were painted.

Over-sized hardware had to be purchased online.

FINALLY!

My flowers & trees together in one drawer for the first time.

The cabinet helps form the back "wall" of my craft space.

And here it is!  My pride and joy!  Well worth all the hours of work!!

Have you ever re-purposed furniture?  I'd love to hear about your project or what you think of mine.  Drop me a line some time!

Not all crafts (or crafters) are created equal

I've just spent the last two days watching a live feed from the CHA convention in San Diego.  It's a convention for vendors to see and order the new products coming out.  I can't even believe some of the products out there!  I'm basically a rubber stamper.  Although I enjoy trying my hand at other crafts, that's where my passion lies.  I have bins and drawers full of art supplies and embellishments.  I thought I had a pretty good idea of what supplies should be in my cupboard.  HAH!  My head is spinning at the variety of products out there that I have never even heard of.

Today I watched a demo about making jewelry with a "cold enamel" process.  I didn't even know that the traditional method required heat!  Pretty interesting and absolutely beautiful. I saw scrapbook kits, adhesives, die cuts, rubber stamps, paper, clothing, jewelry supplies, etc.  Even though I think it was all super cool I know that I won't be good at everything I try.  And, quite frankly, I can't afford to try everything that looks interesting.  But that's not what crafting is about.  It's not a contest to see who can be good at the most things.

I can't sew - I can barely thread a needle.  I can't weld, solder or make pottery - the thought of handling anything that gets that hot or deals directly with fire frightens me.  And I'm pretty sure my city has ordinances prohibiting my owning a forge or kiln in my garage.  But I can make cards.  I like making greeting cards for my family and friends because I like the idea of making someone smile. Just a friendly little reminder that they are in my thoughts.  We all love getting mail that isn't just bills and sales flyers, right?  And if it's pretty mail...all the better!

So try some things and find the outlet that makes you happy.  You don't have to try every technique or have "all the toys".  You just need to keep an open mind and find what makes you happy.

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." - Picasso

Camouflage and the art of decorating

Like a lot of other home artists I had to create my own personal space for crafting.  We don't all have actual studios.  A lot of us use spare bedrooms or the corner of our dining rooms!  I'm very lucky that we have a large basement and I was pretty much able to grab most of the usable space (thanks, honey!).  It's my own little corner of the world, so to speak.  It isn't perfect.  I don't have four walls, a window to the outside world or even a door.  But it's mine. 

I share my space with our storage shelves.  That's okay because I've arranged them to help define my space.  But just because I have to be near our cardboard boxes doesn't mean I have to look at them!  This big ugly metal shelving unit is hidden away behind a plain window curtain.  Check your your local resale shops...you can get them really cheap.  I just used a tension rod and slipped it back behind the metal uprights on each side.

The curtain farthest away is the big shelving unit.  The close one is a shower curtain, which is camouflaging another stack of storage boxes.

After that, I hung an owl needlepoint picture that a friend made for me to mimic a wall.  You can get as creative as you want!  Don't like white?  Go for color!  The point is to make your craft space comfortable and pretty - even if it's in the middle of a basement.