The Great Craft Studio

I decided back in March that I wanted to change things up in terms of my craft space.  Up until then I had always crafted and stored all my supplies except for paper in my kitchen.  Lots of cupboards available and good lighting but I was kind of tired of having everything always behind a door which meant I bumped my head a lot.

I decided to ‘Move’ into the dining room.  This space hadn’t really been used as a dining room in a long time and ended up just holding stuff until it could be moved elsewhere. Do you have a room like that too?

BEFORE

On to Design

I did lots and lots of research.  I considered one of those cabinets that folds out and stores everything, except it doesn’t store everything, like stamp sets. So I discarded that idea and went to Stamp – n- Storage.  I’ve other products of theirs and have always been pleased with them.  They also make storage solutions specifically for IKEA Kallax Series.  I designed one wall of my new craft room to hold nearly everything I used when paper crafting.  Paper, Ink, re-inkers, markers, embellishments and punches.  Plus lots of other storage for other items like big shot, dies, embossing folders, etc.  I did lots of research on IKEA to meet my needs and design my ideal space

Then I found an app for my ipad called MagicPlan that I could use to measure my space and make sure what would fit and what wouldn’t.  I planned out everything with no surprises or whoops.

Next Funding

How to pay for my new craft room.  I happened to have a lot of furniture in there that I would not be needing and my daughters didn’t want so I found a site that would provide an appraisal based on pictures, then sold the items using Facebook marketplace Buy Sell Trade for my area.  I sold all three of the large pieces over a weekend.  I’m also going to be selling my retired items as I get ready for the new catalog so I would have some funding from there as well.

PAINT

I recently had my kitchen remodeled and wanted to repaint the dining room – oops sorry, craft studio- to coordinate.  I also know I am a lousy painter but the guy who painted my kitchen was awesome and available when I needed it.

Before

After

LIGHTING

I also spent a lot of time on lighting because a craft space MUST have good lighting.  Not just enough but the right color of light as well.  I finally opted for a ceiling fan with light kit to replace the existing hanging fixture and to have can lights added for extra lighting over my work space.  Called up my contractor and he was able to get them installed two days later.  I use smart bulbs that are from Element Plus by Sengled – (3 Pack – A19 60W Equiv. Tunable White (2700-6500K) Smart LED Bulb) These bulbs have adjustable color temperature (using my phone) so I can make it close to true color. So important when working with ink and paper. I have all the bulbs set to around 4500K right now. It is comfortable working in there even at nighttime.

PURCHASING

The fun part was purchasing all the items.  I made meticulous lists to be sure I didn’t forget anything and wasn’t surprised by the final total.  I placed my stamp-n-storage order on-line earlier than everything else because they indicated they were really busy and it might be 2-3 weeks.  No problem there.

I made the trip to IKEA, we have one here in Columbus Ohio, but on the other side of town so it isn’t someplace I go to often but in this case I’m so glad I did.  I had done my research on-line and picked out a desk but when I saw it in person, I did not like it.  The design was fine, but it only came in one color and not the color I wanted.  No problem, there were lots of other options right beside it and I was able to pick out something I liked even better, in the right color.  I also found a deep pile rug to dampen the sound and make the room more inviting.  What I could get in my car, or I could not purchase on line I bought that day.  The rest I ordered when I got home and happily paid the $29 delivery fee.

ASSEMBLY

I admit I was a bit worried about the assembly of all the ikea projects but I had no need to be.  The instructions, while all in picture format, were very clear, detailed and accurate.  It did take several days time to complete all the assembly of all the pieces.  Packages were being delivered about every day and my husband would just roll his eyes.

This past weekend, it was completed and I couldn’t be happier with the results.

My space is airy, and bright and oh so organized.

Only the things I need to be out and visible are out, the rest are tucked away in totes or drawers or doors.  

And everything fits perfectly into the space available due to all my planning.  

Thank you

Thanks for stopping by.  I’m sure I’ll be crafting more and more in my new studio and sharing my projects with you right here.

May is a great time to consider getting a 20% discount on every product you order by signing up to be a Demonstrator.  No selling is required, Hobby Demonstrators – those who really just want the discount for themselves – make up the largest portion of the Stampin Up Demonstrator Community.

To join, and enjoy all these and other newly released products before June 1, pay $99 and receive $125 of products of your choice, including items from the new June catalog. Because there is NO SHIPPING CHARGES that right there is about 35% discount on your purchase.  There is no obligation to purchase any additional products, but of course I hope you do.  There will be more products available in the new June Annual catalog as well as the Holiday catalog comes out in August for demonstrators and September for customers.  Then the Occasions Catalog is released in December to Demonstrators including the Sale-A-Bration free item promotion also available to demonstrators.

If you would like more information on getting 35% off of an order, contact me today at StampingWithAverysOwlery@gmail.com.  I’m happy to chat about all the benefits.  Or Click on the Love Paper Crafting – Join Today button in the menu bar above to get started right away

Lynn