Tuesday, March 31

New Craft Space

Hello crafty reader!

The past few weeks or months have not been fun for many.  The world is facing challenging times, something that we did not expect.  There's a lot that's being put out there - on TV, the internet, social media and other platforms.  So much that it makes you wonder if it's even helping.

Most of us are required to stay home to help prevent this virus from spreading as the scientists find a cure.  For probably once in our lifetime, most of us are not going to work for a few weeks.  Not because we don't have to, but because it's inevitable.  Time.  That is what we have now.  We always have this excuse about not having the time to do things we've been wanting to do.  No time to be with family.  No time to clean house.  No time to do a hobby.  No time to read books.  No time to fix things.  No time to daydream.  No time to ponder.  But funny, we had time to play games or browse Facebook on our phones.

Though I have been a stay-at-home Mom for a while now, there is no more excuse for me.  Slowly but surely, I am checking off items in my To Do List.  

And this is one of them.

The baby trumped each and every embellishment, card stock, paper, stamp, ink pad, die, marker, fixture, and all else in my craft room.  It doesn't matter if they were the original inhabitants, or have been in that room for over 11 years.  They all have to move.  And this has been a project for over a year now.  If there's anything positive that should come out of C-19, this would be one of them.  And what better way to end National Craft Month... at least for me.

My craft space is now located in the basement.  It's slightly bigger than where it used to be.  It doesn't have any windows, but I am able to do a lot of improvements with the new space.

Coming down the stairs, this is what you'll see first.  The shelving unit is one of my first good finds for my new space, which I blogged about here.  I also bought shelving units from Ikea for my craft books, magazines, coloring books.  Ikea is the best place if you need certain measurements for cabinets and shelves.  One stop shop in that area.  And I love their design, how the bottom of the shelves are snug against the trim.  It is also in Ikea where I found the best height-adjustable table to rest on one of the shelves of the tall shelving unit.  I can easily pull the table out a few more inches for more desk space when needed.  Everything in this picture are new additions to my craft space. 


Here's a different angle of the shelving with a pull out table.  I adhered a roll of chalkboard contact paper on the side for notes, doodles and whatnot.  And of course, I have to have a diffuser for my Young Living essential oils.


From this angle, you will see my little photo light box.  I've had this for a long time, but haven't had the room to use it.  For my new craft space, I made sure there is a spot for it.  The pull-out table will also be the permanent spot for my electric die cut machine.  I love that it is right out in the open any time I need to use it.



From this angle, you can see my computer desk and original fixtures, except for an additional storage cabinet from Best Craft Organizer.  It's the most expensive addition, but it was definitely worth it.  


Ever played Tetris?  I'm glad I did... hahaha!  In between the two metal shelving units in the bottom is a fold-out Origami Foldable Kitchen Cart I got from HSN sometime ago.  It's an extra desk space for when I have bigger projects.



Here's a panoramic shot of the long wall of my craft space.  Now, all my stamps are in one place (will blog about it later).  The door you see on the right is a small area for the basement's sump pump.  I also have a Dyson handheld hiding in there, ready for me any time.


My computer station didn't change a bit.  Although I will have to get a new computer sometime if not soon, as my operating system was deemed obsolete as of January this year.



In this shot, you will see the other end of my craft space.  My working desk is on the left.  Originally, I wanted to put the desk on the other side, but I changed my mind so nobody can sneak up on me when I'm working... hahaha!


I will sure miss looking out the window when crafting.  And I will miss the natural daylight coming from the outside.  However, I'm perfectly fine with this configuration where often used tools and supplies are within reach.  Daylight bulbs and lamps are the key.




Here's another panoramic view from the inner corner of my craft space.  I can still look out the window somewhat.  With this open concept, the heat from our pellet stove will make this space warm and toasty.  Now there are two desks, so more people can do projects here at the same time.  I can see card making, scrapbooking, or any crafting parties in the future!  Exciting!


I will be blogging about my craft space in detail soon.  For now, I'd like to keep it neat and tidy so I can take more pictures.  Who knows how long this will last.  Might as well enjoy it while it looks presentable.

I hope you enjoyed a tour of my new craft space.  Feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this post, or message me at the Tinker Planet Facebook Page any time for any questions.