Tuesday, August 31, 2010

WARNING!! This post is not for the faint of heart!!

 I have had a hard time blogging lately. In fact I am having a hard time doing much of anything lately. It takes so much energy to do the everyday things, that there is not much left at the end of the day for anything else. I still can not figure out what is ailing me and I sit at my computer in pain. I hate it! I love being busy and moving around. I love going from one thing to the other and getting things done and feeling a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day!

For now I will post a few pictures of the space I work in! Lol! I get into a zone and start creating and then I have so many things happening that I end up working on the floor! I honestly try to keep things tidy, but it is beyond me obviously, because here I am again! lol


Keeping in mind that I am also a HUGE scrapbooker and card maker, this very small studio is full of  my scrapbooking supplies, my home decorating and gardening books, as well as my fast expanding bead collection, I mean Beading supplies! ;)

Now you would think that perhaps I would try to separate the two, keep them in different rooms or at least different parts of the room, but this is a small room, very small. It is also the only one I have at my disposal! There are 8 of us that live in this house. Tight quarters indeed! We make do however and are quite happy most of the time :)


 So far you can see that I have stuff everywhere! What can I say! I am working on organizing, but I always seem to get sidetracked! lol. I am sure that those of you who have kids and a household to take care of know exactly what I am talking about!
This shelf right here is mostly Scrapbooking. My albums, some quite thick and others at their humble beginnings. Stamps practically falling off the shelves! I imagine someday it will look neat and tidy, but that day is not today!
This is my workbench. I have many works in progress and quite honestly, I have no idea how I get anything done! A little chaos is good for the creative mind, but this is honestly too much! lol!
The good news is that I am in the process of cleaning right now and I hope to have photos of what this room can look like soon :)

I imagine some of you are recognizing some of the supplies I have on my table ;) You just never know what you are going to find in this room ;)


Chaos and more chaos! I need a better system! Obviously I still manage to get things done, but who knows how I am accomplishing this, it is no small feat let me tell you!

I will take photos after I am pretty much done my overhaul, this could take a few more days since I can only take a few minutes here and there to get it to where I can work again. I am also trying to get my beads better organized so I can make better use of my time, but I am almost happy with the way they are right now. I just need some labels and destashing.     

I am looking forward to being done and being able to show you more. Perhaps some of your feedback will be helpful? Not much room to take good photos, but I guess we will see what happens when there is nothing left on the floor! lol.

Thanks for stopping by!

Marie

14 comments:

Dana said...

What about getting you some 6 drawer bins on rollers, have your beads in one or two and your clay in one. Then when you are ready to clay or bead just roll them to your work stations and when done roll them back out of the way. Might could do that with the scrapbookin stuff too but looks like on the shelf is a good place for it. Just an idea. Good luck with the room!

Linda M. Cain said...

I like the round plastic towers to store little thing in, you can see through them and stack a lot of items.
There's alway the great tip from Tim Holtz to use the back of the door shoe organizer to store multiple "types" of things in each spot....
I feel your pain, and mine looks the same now, not the wonderfully clean and organized spot from 2 weeks ago! It's who we are!!!!

Lola said...

Visual people need to see all the creative possibilities . . . all at once! Sometimes I avoid creating just because the thought of cleaning up afterwards stresses me out -- especially if I just finished organizing. Your creative space -- even the contents on the floor -- makes perfect sense to me!!! =D

Hope you're feeling better soon . . . I always get a fibromyalgia flare (pain and exhaustion) this time of year and in the spring and it makes me really, really crabby.

Looking forward to seeing your "after" pictures!

Kathy ~ Artful Accents said...

Too funny, I've read several other blogs by beaders who are reorganizing right now too....for me, it's the start of the new school year around here! I hope you feel better and can figure out what's causing you discomfort. I can sympathize, I've have had chronic pain for years now. It's hard to be creative (and deal with kids who need you!) when you hurt!

TesoriTrovati said...

No warning required, Marie!
I have a similar situation, in life and in creating. I am also have OCD (organizationally challenged disorder). I have been overhauling my studio for two weeks now, but with the switch to a new real estate agent and other life experiences I can't miss, I haven't had much time, and let's face it, much motivation to finish the job. That ends this week, as I will be welcoming visitors for the weekend. It has to be put away. Then I know that more creative urges will take that place. I don't know how you do all you do. I am setting up stations in my new studio. I have a tall wood pub table and stools that will be for the metal work, the things with chemicals. I have a table with a modified wall o' metal for the delicate work of designing. Bookshelves for books, and things that inspire me. I have this antique Hamilton printers' cabinet that will be used for the majority of the bead stash. I am making do with a montage of furniture including repurposing my husband's dresser to put it away (just the simple act of not seeing it instead of tripping over it will be a big deal!). And starting tomorrow morning I will have my oft-bemoaned and thoroughly coveted daylight hours to work on my jewelry business. First up on the agenda is to put it all away. Second up on the agenda is to finally, FINALLY start listing things on Etsy. I know that I am so late to the game, but I welcome any tips anyone has, including and especially you.

As for the work-life balance thing, we all have those issues, whether we are mommies or work outside the home, or lost our jobs or live in a palace or a shack. The good news is that you don't have to do it all, you only need to do what you can and with great love. The rest will fall into place where it may.

I say this with all my heart, Marie...Enjoy the day!
Erin

Michael and Cherrie Fick said...

Marie, This is too cute. I always wondered how you do it all and have 4 kids, etc. Well my life is is a state of disorder as well and I am setting up my new studio space. So it looks all pretty. Well after 5 weeks of moving and boxes (which will never go away, the boxes that is) I had to create so my newly organized studio which is mostly put together is already a mess with open containers all over the floor and any work surface. We all dream of beautiful studios to work in and more space and of course someone to do the clean up and mundane stuff like listing but all in all we all figure out how to juggle 90 percent of it and the rest will be there another day. Just know your not alone. Cherrie

Martha said...

I love your work bench. I've gotta tell you, on any given day my tiny studio looks about the same. Sometimes, I even spill out into the dining room. Then, I make the horrible mistake of cleaning and organizing. I always end up organizing my supplies into oblivion. There is always something I have to replace after I organize, because, no matter how long or hard I search, I can't find it. Now that my son has gone off to college, and will only be home for holidays and he summer, I am tempted to take over part of his room. Happy Organizing!!!

Vanessa said...

Reminds me of my workspace!! It's a big wreck. I supppose I should clean it.. but then I wont know where anything is lol! I do graphics, jewelry, scrapbooking and I have been dabbling in crochet so its pretty crazy here. Happy to know I am not the only one :)

Unknown said...

I feel your pain...my workspace is chaos! But I know where everything is and I seem to be most creative when things are a mess. However, isn't it funny that I can't live like that. My home and family life are very organized. lol

SummersStudio said...

I am looking forward to seeing what you do. In fact I am intrigued. You see, this whole space looks pretty well organized to me. You have places to put things, you have beads in containers. You should see my tiny little space. It's something of a death trap :-)

Unknown said...

There is a common thread here fellow beaders and crafers, we are all disorgnised and trying to fit too much into too small a space. I think our minds know exactly where things are and to tidy up would be creative chaos. I am glad I am not the only one suffocating under my own pile of treasure!

Silver Parrot said...

Okay, it's still not as bad as my studio...but getting close LOL!

I hope you feel better soon. I definitely know what it's like to have no energy left at the end of the day!

Marsha of Marsha Neal Studio said...

I SO feel you on this situation. I have a little nook carved out for me on the couch and coffee table in the Florida room off the back of the house right now surrounded by projects in many stages - bead making, jewelry making, silk sorting, photographing, and computer updating to Etsy…

Come next week I will be starting my routine of getting myself better organized and revamping the studio and office in my house so I can get out of that little nook…

Good luck with yours! (coffee and chocolate help immensely!)
~Marsha

Jude said...

I am in EXACTLY the same place.....which is why I am on the computer right now! I have to 're-sort' all my beading & papercraft stuff & then I will reward myself with some new shelving. My biggest problem, apart from hoarding, is I put things down, instead of putting them away!!
Anyway, have 1 chest of drawers & 1 shelf to do....so back to it. Good luck...you'll feel a wonderful sense of achievement.