Organizing My Creative Space

I made my first necklace in 2007 and I worked out of my bedroom for the first couple of years. I finally ordered the taller white craft cart (to the right of the pic) after I went to a few bead shows and a couple of local bead shops and the beads and tools were taking over a corner of our bedroom. I guess it was a year later when I made my first trip to IKEA and spotted their white craft carts so I bought one. When I got home and filled it and still had left over beads and tools....well, I knew what to ask my husband for on my next birthday. I am at my limit now and refuse to buy another one, even though the basket on top of the IKEA one pictured is full of beads BUT they are organized and that is what this blog post is about...my organized bead studio!

 

In this cart I keep beading wire, Swarovski crystals, wood beads, flowers (fabric and bead) and some beading tools (pliers and things).

 

I am always curious as to how other people organize their bead stash. I was doing it by type (wood, gemstone, Czech, lampwork, etc.) but after a couple of years that really wasn't working for me so I decided to organize mainly by color. 

 I have a problem with buying WAY TOO MANY blue and green beads and that has resulted in having two drawers of green and blue beads. One drawer of red, orange and yellow. One drawer of purples and pinks. One drawer of black and white and one drawer of brown and beige. I have all of these in one of the IKEA carts.

In this IKEA cart I have my metals. I have them organized by Sterling Silver, Silver, Copper, Vintaj, Antique Gold, Gold, Gunmetal and etc. In my chest of drawers in the pic I have receipts, books, magazines (the magazines on top of the IKEA cart are ones that my work has been published in) and in one drawer I have ribbon and leather because I have a VERY curious cat who loves to chew on leather and deerskin lace.

 

He's cute though, huh? 

 

I love this old chest of drawers (it was my great great grandmothers) I keep mailing supplies, boxes, etc. in here. It's so old that the drawers won't hold anything with a lot of weight to it so mailers, etc. are perfect to keep in here. 

 This is one of my favorite drawers! My art bead drawer which is in my work desk. The other drawer is for projects that I am working on (in other words, it's a MESS!).

 

I keep tools, metal working supplies, alcohol inks, and some other craft supplies in these baskets. 

I also have a closet in where I keep everything else! Photo props, busts, displays, etc.

I am feeling so good about finally having my space organized. No more tossing beads into a drawer all willy nilly and I am trying my best to keep my desk clean (although that is usually my downfall). 

Do you have any organization tips you'd like to share? I'd love to hear them.

 

 

We're all Ears..March Reveal!

This Beatrix Potter print was our inspiration for the "We're all Ears" March inspiration post on the Earrings Everyday blog. This is a fun new monthly challenge created by Erin Prais-Hintz. Please consider taking part in next month's challenge. The inspiration pic will be posted on the first Friday of the month and on the 3rd Friday of the month, you can link your blog to our Earrings Everyday blog and blog hop to see what everyone made. It's a lot of fun.

These are the earrings that I made. I was inspired by the flowers and the pink colors in this sweet pic.

They feature ceramic pink charms by Winchell Clayworks and Czech glass flowers. Dot Winchell is having a sale in her Etsy shop as well! Just use the coupon code "earringseveryday15" for 15% off any purchase of $15 or more. Check out her shop, LOTS of great pieces there! These "Beatrix" earrings are available on my website here.

Thanks so much for visiting!

February's "We're All Ears" Inspiration

As you may know, I am a contributor on the Earrings Everyday blog. Erin Prais-Hintz came up with the fabulous idea of having a monthly inspiration challenge. You are invited to play along! Just follow the Earrings Everyday blog where on the 1st Friday of every month she will share an inspiration. That inspiration could be a photo, a poem, a movie, a person, etc. On the 3rd Friday of the month, there will be a blog hop where you can link your blog url to the post. It should be a lot of fun so I hope you play along.

This is the inspiration for February...

Damselflies in Love

Photo credit: National Geographic, Yeo Weng Sang

When I looked at this pic, it was the color that stood our for me the most and this is what I came up with...

 

Please join us for next month's inspiration challenge!

 

Goodies from the Bead Show!

 This past weekend was the Intergalactic Bead Show in Cincinnati and since my birthday was this past Wednesday, well let's just say it was good timing for me. Birthday money spent. Well spent. 

That gorgeous starfish bead is made by Nikki Thornburg of Thornburg Bead Studio and of course I am keeping that one for myself. I bought a cute crab bead from her last year that I treasure!

 

This yummy stash is made by Jennifer Pottner of Rock Candy Beads. They're all such lovely pieces that I have no idea which one to use first...I will try not to hoard them. 

 

The components above were purchased at the Ad Adornments booth. I always spend most of my money at this particular booth. I bought most of these crosses there as well.

 

 

This last pic is a mixture of things but I do know that I am keeping that turquoise and silver pendant for myself and it will be hard to part with the labradorite links as well. 

What a fun birthday shopping day! 

 

 

Making it your own...

I've been making these sideways cross bracelets for a few months now using copper and brass sheets and I would love to make a silver one but I'm not going to shell out $300 for a 6X6 sheet of sterling silver right now so...what's a girl to do? Well, my mom purchased a sterling silver cross bracelet for herself (on QVC) around Christmas and I kept telling her that I would love to get my hands on it and hammer it and then patina it, etc. Well, she surprised me with one of my own the other day!

















To see my ^ Gypsy Faith bracelet click here. 

Here it is before...

 And then here it is after I decided to redo it to make it my own...

I hammered it and then dipped it in liver of sulphur, took some steel wool to it, added another sterling chain that I had patina-ted and then changed the clasp to a toggle clasp (MUCH easier to fasten yourself). I am really pleased with the way it turned out. I often shop for jewelry to redo or up-cycle to fit my style.  It can be a lot of fun!

My necklace made the cover!

 I was elated to find out that my necklace had made the cover of the January issue of Bead Trends magazine. I was inspired by looking through a Sundance catalog (always THE most inspiring catalog to look through!) so I sat down and made this necklace...

 

And here it is on the cover...

 

I "kind of" made the cover of another magazine back in 2010. It was the summer issue of Stringing and what made that really cool was that it was my husband's beads (Bubby & McGurk Beads) on that piece. Here it is highlighted in red...

And here is the actual piece...

Fingers crossed on making some more covers in the future....

Have a great day and leave me a comment and make my day ;)

My Gypsy Soul....

So...I don't know what it is with me lately (maybe turning the BIG 4-0?!?) but I have been wanting to change my "style" a bit (like I even have a style really...ha) but there has ALWAYS been a part of me, ever since I was a little girl begging my dad to play Rhiannon over and over in the car, that would like to dress a little "Stevie Nicks-ish", a little boho gypsy perhaps?  The jewelry that I have been making lately is reflecting that and unfortunately I want to keep it all for me..but that won't work..must sell jewelry to buy more beads and supplies, right?!?

The bracelet above started out with the intention of selling it, but I had a copper hand stamped piece on it and then I just knew I had to get out my metal stamps and make this one "mine". So the words "Gypsy Soul" came to mind. I just love it, it's so me!

I also made this necklace...I was inspired by something that one of the Junk Gypsies was wearing on an episode. I have been trying to find it online but to no avail. Btw, LOVE that show...so inspiring!

 

And I also made these earrings...now, I won't be wearing all 3 together (I guess I am not THAT gypsy) but earrings with the bracelet or necklace with the bracelet...that would work!