My New Craft Space!! Where Bloggers Create 2016

Welcome!
I hope you all can handle the rambling of a busy yet excited lady!
We recently moved, and although our new home is wonderful, the unpacking is taking forever!
But I have worked hard to get my craft room ready for the party, and here it is!
Thank you Karen Valentine for hosting Where Bloggers Create again this year!
You can find all the party list at her blog here.

I have also started a You Tube channel where you can find many of my projects.
Please visit me here.
And for the video tour of my craft room click here.

As I looked at the piles of boxes the movers left in this room, a basement, all I could think of was:  I'll never be ready for next year's Where Bloggers Create Party!!

But I started.  With the walls!

The walls here are of rough cut wood...splinters and all!

So, I covered them...with the pages from an old falling apart Bible!!

Then I added the shelves and got my tables put up.

Lots of shelves and doilies!

Because I use my craft room for different things, I have my things in different areas.

The first group of pictures has shown my antique and vintage sewing notions and laces, sewing boxes and threads.

The next part of my room is where I do a lot of gluing!

I have my laces for making lace books and decorating over here:

Got to have something pretty to look at for inspiration!!

I lately began to organize these laces and trims using Fernlidesigns products.

They are awesome!  You can find my You Tube videos about this project here.

My dress form, named Nadine, was none too happy to have to travel in a dark trailer for the LONG move!!

I keep my projects that I'm working on in these decorated boxes, as well as lots of laces and doilies!

 And the table below is my cutting table.  More boxes of laces, and lots of fabric for fun projects!!

In between the two craft areas is my sewing machine.

 I've learned a lot in the months I've been working on my craft room.

First, I have to let myself, that is ALLOW myself, to make changes.
I know that sounds weird, but that's the way I work.  If I think of one way to organize and it really doesn't work, I need to be able to let it go.  Do it another way.  And with time (that's another thing...knowing it will take time to work out the glitches), it WILL all get put together the way I can best utilize it.

Second, I have to take TIME...already mentioned.
It takes actual time spent crafting to know where something best works.  If I need to be able to access a drawer with tools in it, then that drawer needs to be handy.  If my materials are a long way across the room, then I probably won't want to get up, go over there, and use them.  Time wasted, inspiration gone.
Organizing is great, but UTILIZING the space is for the best functioning of the space, and the best use of my TIME!

Third, It's OK to change things around even if you think it's set and ready to go.
Case in point.  A tall unit or rack that I own has been used to hold lots of fabric.  Well, it doesn't fit into this space.  Therefore, I have to figure out how to make the fabric fit in another way.

I moved my upholstered chairs probably about 50 times!  Yes!  During the unpacking, yes for sure, but even since then.  It doesn't make sense to put it where it is not functional and comfortable.

Fourth, Make it Pretty!!
When I start working on my space, I always have in my mind how I WANT it to look.  When that doesn't happen, I work with it until it is pleasing to my senses.  If a space needs to be covered, then pull out a curtain rod, rope, whatever works, and MAKE it look good.
Spray paint covers a lot of ugly too!

Fifth, Have fun.  Enjoy looking through each and every box or jar at all your saved pieces.  Familiarize yourself anew with what you have on hand.  Put it out, pack it up, whatever, but enjoy this process.

And you'll probably need to realize that it will change again.
Needs change, favorites change, sometimes we just need it to be CHANGED!
That's OK.  Giving myself permission again to change things.  Seems like that's all I do!
So, after all the effort put into it, I can finally say, I love it.  It's time to get busy!
I hope you each have a spot to call your own!  It can be a whole room, or it can be a small spot, but make it YOURS.  Make it fun, make it inspirational to YOU.  You're the one going to be using it after all!

Thank you for taking the time to look through my craft room!

Blessings,
Doni

Where Bloggers Create 2015!

Where Bloggers Create 2015!

It's Finally Here!!

Hello to you all!  I'm delighted that you came by to visit!!

Months have gone by and I've fretted and worried about whether I would be able to join this year, but it finally worked out, and I'm ready with my space!!

Thank you Karen Valentine for AGAIN hosting this awesome party!!

Be sure you go and see all the wonderful spaces that are out there. 

This year I decided that because I haven't changed my space very much since the last party, I would go into a bit more close-up mode and show you all the INSIDES of the drawers and jars that I collect.

If you want to see more photos of my craft room, click HERE, and it will take you to last year's post and will show many more photos of the whole room.  I also have it pictured on my side bar near the top for the last number of years and there you will be able to see how it's changed!

As some of you know, Pink and Cream is my favorite color combination, and I have a huge love for anything Pearls and Lace.

This shabby chippy pink shelf is a find from a local antique shop where I have located a number of chippy pieces over the last few years.  My collection of Vintage Sewing Boxes look awesome displayed here.  But you want to see inside, don't you??

I have to admit.  I do NOT know where I keep all of my stashes, but for the most part, I DO know CLOSE to where they are!!  I am always hunting around looking for something.  It's truly part of the fun to find something that I forgot about!  But there are lots of pieces that are kept out in the open!

I utilize many different shaped dishes and trays, bottles, vases, and in a variety of colors.  I love the pink ones, but I find that the clear glass jars do the best at letting me see what I actually have!

Tarnished silver trays and bowls are also favorites to use for my buttons and jewelry bits.

The edges are so pretty, and I think they really set off the contents!

There's just something about being able to rummage through a bowl of pearl buttons to find the perfect one!

Last year, I showed my husband my blog post.  He saw this bowl of threads and called them, "Thread Kabobs"!!  A number of you thought the comment was great, so I decided to add the Kabobs again this year...

I have quite a number of these glove boxes on display in the front window.  They are literally filled with laces and goodies that I am constantly playing with!  Here are a few close ups of the ones that are on the bottom:

I have many already, but I'm always looking for more of them.  They make wonderful storage containers, and are just gorgeous with their satiny covers!

The east window displays my collection of baby dresses, and I recently found a number of baby hangers that were identical to ones that held my own baby clothes.  I love the cute details on the hangers, but the dresses are absolutely stunning in their detail!

Pin Cushions are yet another thing I collect.  I like the old ones that look like they've had a lot of years of use and been well loved.

Now for my favorite boxes of goodies.

These little gems are filled with my absolute favorite pieces of lace, trims, lace making pieces, and embroidered appliques.

I truly believe that beautiful things have a place in this life.  But sometimes I find that I go overboard with them....and spend too much time or money on them!  Finding a balance is hard.  But when I do, it really is wonderful!  I have the freedom to enjoy without the guilt.

Here are four of the boxes in closeup.  The beautiful floral fabrics are delightfully faded, and they are each of them so pretty!

Lace Making pieces are another one of my loves.  Finding Coronation cord, and beautiful Duchesse lace pieces make my heart beat fast!  First, the Coronation cord.  It has a rice shaped design to it that people would bend and shape together to make designs.  I think the rolled threads look shiny and almost like oblong pearls!

Then we have the tape laces.  The braids and tapes are used in conjunction with each other to make designs that are highly sought after.  That's why I don't have very many finished pieces!!

The card above is an example I keep of each of the different patterns of tapes/braids that I have.

When stitched together, they make lace!

The tiny lace appliques that I've found over the years are some of my prized finds.

I think the delicate beauty speaks for itself.

I just can't get enough!!

Making new friends from near and far is a huge part of my blogging experience.  I have been SO blessed by many of you out there who have become dear friends since I began blogging.

Unexpected surprises and heartfelt love from dear ladies have made my days bright.

For future posts, I will be taking some of the photos I've collaged and showing them in a larger scale so that you can see them better.

And for those of you who Pin on Pinterest feel free to pin any photos from here.  You might also want to see my boards.  You can find them HERE.

I hope you enjoyed looking inside the drawers and jars this year!

Hopefully next year will show a room totally redecorated!  I have so many ideas!  I just don't know where I'm going to start yet!

Blessings,

Doni