I'm Baaaaack! (and still not organized)

Really I was never gone, but just very busy with non-artsy work. I had every intention of posting "before" and "after" photos of how I organized my creative space this spring, but unfortunately I never got past taking the "before" pictures. I did accomplish a few organizational things such as moving a good chunk of the art supplies out of the dining room and living room.  Here are a few very carefully cropped and staged photos that give me a vague sense of accomplishment while completely hiding the mess piled out of sight.

The living room was briefly craft supply free with new pillows made from fabric found at the thrift store. The area behind the couch that had been craft supply-infested is now "The Library." (And I admit there's a big pile of crochet supplies on the library table now.)
 
In the "Craft Room" we finally hung up the pegboard that had been sitting in the closet!

And the Ikea Bygel rail & cups that had been sitting on the floor! (Just ignore all the stuff that was piled on the floor next to it.) Unfortunately every time I try to clean I get distracted by things I would rather be doing. ("Look, unfinished art projects!" Or "I'd better go look up some storage ideas on Pinterest!") So it will be awhile before you see any real "after" photos.

A Glimpse at My Fiber & Fabric Storage

I haven't been very good at keeping up with Fiber Arts Fridays this summer, but a couple of weeks ago, Alpaca Farmgirl suggested sharing pictures of our fiber stashes. Above is my yarn storage, and if you click on the link to my Flickr, there are notes on the photo explaining what's what. I don't have any fancy handspun to show off, because most of my variegated wool yarn was bought on store-closing clearance. And I mainly use it for ATC borders and my rare bouts of needle-felting so one skein will last me for years!

My storage arrangement isn't pretty - lots of plastic bins because I used to work in a basement room that had damp carpets in heavy rain. Now I'm above ground-hooray! These are some of my fabric storage drawers:

If I'm actually working on a project, they don't look this neat. I have larger pieces folded or on bolts in the hall closet, but that's a photo op for another day!

Someday, my sewing area will be neat enough that I can photograph it with pride. Someday.....

Bad Girls, or things I couldn't show you before :D

So remember a while back I gave a hint of a project I was working on for the Ten Two Studios design team? You can see the whole thing now here (Just don't tell my mom! ;o)

Lisa also named a kit after me "Carolyn's Artsy Medals" and they are already sold out!

Some other things I couldn't show you. You can see the pile of bottle caps I made for the Art For All Goody Bag here.

I can now also reveal the photos I submitted to the "Are You Your Artspace?" contest at Art For All where people were supposed to identify whose work area was whose. Yes, my work areas are very messy....

I think only 2 or 3 people guessed mine correctly (OK only about 10-11 people were hardy enough to submit their guesses - it was a tough contest) and a couple of people thought my space was Muppin's because of the fabric stuff. Nutty Nanner guessed mine correctly because I had lent her my hand-drill not realizing it was visible in the bottom corner of the right hand photo!

I'm a little afraid of what sort of traffic this post's title will attract....

What's in Your Drawers?

MarysMadness has started a blog called What's In Your Drawers for those of us who love looking at other people's art spaces and supplies. Of course, in my workspace, it's more like "What's not in your drawers?"

Here is our dining room table covered with my stuff. Most of it should be in that cabinet in the back corner, but I'm an "everything out" person. (I read this in an an organizing book, so it must be true.) I like to have everything where I can see it. Things in drawers get forgotten! I also tend to remember where things are in relation to other things stacked around it, so if anyone moves my stuff, I can't find it! Pity my poor husband (though his domain in the garage doesn't look much better) or my poor grad school roommate who was a "nothing out" person.

So I have tried to become more organized, buying clear plastic bins and labelling things, but when I work, everything comes back out again and is spread out over every available flat surface! This week, I tried to put some stuff away. Here's my dining room cabinet looking somewhat organized. About ten minutes after I took that photo, I was already pulling bins back out again.

I love the idea of storing my supplies in fabulous vintage tins and jars and having color coordinated baskets and a wall covered with art inspiration and peg board for tools, but until then here's a staged photo of my organizational microprogress. Vintage tins filled with bottle caps! Wooden bingo counters! An antique strainer filled with Altoid tins and random round things! Enjoy!