Friday Feature - Karin's Craft Space

Hi Everyone! Karin, here. As you probably know by now we are doing a series of Friday posts where we Lawnscaping designers are sharing our crafty spaces and today it is my turn. At first I hesitated because as you can see my space is very tiny (this is also where I sew and paint ) and not fancy at all but then I thought - why not???   I'm probably not the only one with very limited space -so this could hopefully be a post where we  "Crafters in the City (?) Girls" could share some compact crafting ideas. We have a three-room- apartment in the center of Gothenburg and we LOVE  it here but of course I wouldn't mind an extra room or two!

 This room used to be our office till we had Ted 4 years ago. It is now his room but I've kept my crafty desk in one corner and I guess I'll find out how long Ted will let me keep it there (-:
 
My crafting budget isn't very large so I have no specially designed furniture for my tools and supplies but have made use of things we already had at home; winebottle crates,  shoeboxes, cd-boxes, old bathroom cupboards and drawers. I like that I have almost everything I need within reach when I sit working at my desk - just wish I was a more tidy and organized crafter, because unfortunately my desk turns into a bombshell disater within minutes after starting a project and then the quickest solution is often to move down to the floor and suddenly things aren't that easy to reach anymore (-;  
 
Above my desk I have an old IKEA pin board where I keep some of my favorite embellishments so I don't forget to use them - but  also because I find it very inspiring to have them there! The stamps I use the most are also always within reach either in their packages or stored in cd-boxes on IKEA shelves . I have a large IKEA box under my IKEA desk ( and - yes, I am Swedish (-: ),  which I think is perfect for keeping my 12x12 patterned papers and cardstock.

I've printed pictures of all the stamps and stampsets I have and put into a photo album so I can easily  flip through that to find the perfect image or sentiment I for a card I'm working on. It is also great for when I'm writing my blogposts and need to know the name of a certain set.

I keep my dies like this in a cd sleeve book. It is easy to find the dies and it doesn't take up a lot of space.

 Other ideas for compact crafting:

1. As soon as you know your not going to use an old product or tool any more,  give it away or sell it on ebay.

2. Before you rush to buy a new cool product or tool make sure you don't already have something very similar or have a product that can be used in different way with the same result.

3. Label all your boxes and folders carefully so you know exactly where to find what - searching for things have a strange way of eating up a lot of space!!!

4. Organize your desk so that the tools and supplies you use the most are closest to you - biggest chance of putting them right back where they belong after you've used them - I use my inkblenders and distress inks (-; and 6x6 patterned papers on almost all my projects!

5. I sort my markers by  putting a rubberband around colors that have the same tone, that way I don't need one box for greens and one box for blues etc.

It would be awesome if you would continue this list and share your ideas for compact/budget storage and crafting in the comments section below!

 
Have a great day!, Hugs Karin

Friday Feature: Craft Room Tours - Chrissie

Hi! Chrissie here today - TGIF! The Lawnscaping gals are sharing our crafty spaces over the next few Fridays.  I hope some of our ideas will give you some new ideas or new organization techniques!

In our home, have a room in our lower level that I use as my Scrap Studio (that sounds sooo professional, right?!?!?).  It's below ground, but has a window and a door that leads to our backyard.  It is also off of the laundry room.  Needless to say, it works out well for me when I'm doing laundry! I share the room with the dog and my daughter - he has some blankets in there and she shares the table with me and has her own little easel to work on.


This is an overview of part of my space.  The colored bins have the supplies I use most.  I also keep my markers (Spectrum Noir), stamps, punches and a few other supplies (in the spinner) right at hand too.  I have some paper to the left and behind me too.

Here is a close up of some of my markers.  This is an organizer from Michael's.  Unfortunately, it didn't hold all of my markers, so I kept out the ones I use the most frequently.  The rest are stored in those black cases (available through Crafter's Companion).

This is where I store a lot of my stamps and punches.  I love these little bins.  I got them on clearance at Staples.  They are perfect for storing clear stamps!

I also store some stamps in these binders (from Crafter's Companion).  I only keep my go-to stamps right at my reach (SP& Company, Crafter's Companion, Lawn Fawn and The Alley Way Stamps are some of my favorites).  The rest are stored in other containers and drawers.  And, if you look closely, you can see some artwork from my little girl over on the right!

More clear stamps and punches:

This is my cutting station.  I got the unit from JoAnn's a few years ago.  It is really nice - it has 4 storage drawers and spaces for paper in it.  I think I use my Cuttlebug just about every time I craft, so I keep it right behind me.

I keep my embossing powders in a drawer along with my heat tool and catch tray.

My dies are stored (for now) in CD sleeves. There are some amazing magnetic die options out there, but I haven't taken that leap yet.  I do have an Art Bin (magnetic) that I use for my larger dies that won't fit into a sleeve.

My daughter's easel... Notice how she has a camera sitting there.  She takes 'pictures' of her projects, too!

I keep my adhesives and a few block in a drawer that is right under those markers.

 

And last, but not least, my room mate:

Make sure you stop back next week for another Crafty Room Tour!!!!