Ice Day!

The daughter and I are off today, courtesy of a winter ice storm, so I have some extra time to work on my studio. Here's a view of the back wall of my office, although it's already had a few changes made to it.

I have to say, I love my PTouch labeler. The photo isn't that great, but everything in it is labeled. My mom helped me with some of the organization [which is to say, she sat there and laughed at my lembas bread comments (see sorting post)]. However, the important part is that she shared with me the concept that we don't label containers so that we can find things, we label them so we can put things away.

Back at last!

I was out of town all last weekend, visiting my parents and coming up with ideas for my studio. The wall paint ideas we came up with are great, now if I can only get them done sometime in the near future!

I also worked on some pieces that I'll be teaching in an upcoming class- the picture shows me working on one.

I did go to Container Store today in search of plastic boxes with secure lids. I've decided that all my supplies are going to be kept in clear containers with secure lids so that I can grab what I need when I teach classes and workshops and not worry about them spilling. I didn't find quite what I was hoping for- I'll have to look some more places.

Sorting is fun, sorting is fun, sorting is ...

In college, I had a friend who, as he stretched before fencing club, would repeat, "I love to stretch, I love to stretch, I love to stretch...," as he grimaced in pain. Apparently the theory was that if he said it enough, he would come to believe it.

I have been sorting my studio for days. At first I believed that sorting was fun. Everything I got sorted out and neatly corralled in a box or basket gave me a sense of accomplishment. However, as I find things that were hiding either throughout the house or in the forgotten corners of the room, I am losing my sense of accomplishment rather quickly.

Then there's the things you find that you can't believe you have that many of. In the movie version of The Return of the King, Sam is looking through his backpack for something to eat. He pulls out a packet of lembas bread, the food given to them by the Elves. He tells Frodo, "We've got some lembas bread. And some more lembas bread. And, oh wait, even more lembas bread." I may have the quote slightly wrong, but the expression of forced pleasure on Sam's face as he keeps finding more of the same captures my feelings while sorting my office quite nicely.

For the record: I don't need anymore straws.

Studio Redo!

I've been perusing the wide selection of organizing and planning magazines, websites, and tv shows designed to help us all get regimented in the new year. This has inspired me to start blogging the evolution of my studio as we change it up to better reflect what I'm doing now as opposed what I was doing the last time we added pieces to it.

See, my studio is also the guest bedroom, short-term storage, kid's craft area, and general, "hey-we-don't-know-where-this-goes-we'll-stick-it-here" room. Due to my health and general inability to keep the moderately sized house we have now tidy, moving to a larger abode with more space is not an option. Therefore, the third bedroom must do double duty until my daughter leaves for college. Since she is currently 10, that's eight years of having the futon in my office or the living room. Also, I'm doing less classroom teaching and more creative jewelry making and teaching. So the old setup just wasn't working anymore.

Here's a picture of my workspace before the latest update. If you look at the profile picture, there's a lovely view of the mess behind me as well. As we enter the new year, I'll share tips and stories from the evolution of my office into my studio.