I can’t bring myself to show you what this room looked like a few weeks ago. It’s too painful. Had Peter Walsh walked in, I’m certain he would have suffered a mini-stroke.
I turned our dining room into my studio last July and officially named it – with the family’s approval – the dudio.
It was very neat and tidy. Four red storage boxes, some blank canvases and a couple of books. That was before I actually launched my Etsy shop (hello…product, receipts, shipping materials, etc.). That was before taking my tools to an art retreat (and never putting them back in their proper places). That was before participating in art shows (hello…displays, signage, gift bags, etc.). With no real organization plan for any of it, and a serious lack of TLC, the dudio got trashed.
It has literally taken me weeks to clean up and re-organize, to start anew. But I’m feeling so relieved to have that room return to being a sanctuary for me instead of a burden. To celebrate, I thought I’d give you a little tour…
Yes! An inbox for new orders and a spot for shipped orders!
I also keep small shipping tools here – paper clips, tape, post-its, stickers.
The center of the big table features a collection of sweet treasures
including this nest of Choosing Beauty polymer clay hearts made for me by artist Tejae Floyd.
Oh, and a sweet little 2011 tag I bought at a local art show for 25 cents.
What can I say? I love me some scissors.
One of those red boxes on the table contains my acrylic paints, gesso and gel medium.
That beautiful paper cutter on the left is my new sweetheart.
It cuts stickers and magnets and heavy duty paper – and makes me so darn happy.
This cabinet is my favorite piece of furniture in our house.
It used to only house china plates and pretty glassware.
There are still champagne flutes and wine glasses on the top shelf
and my wedding china is on the bottom, but the other shelves have been overrun by my art.
I need easy access to papers and paints much more than I need fancy goblets!
Until I get a bulletin board that I love,
I keep hanging treasures from artist friends in the windows of the big red cabinet.
Love notes, sweet cards, souvenirs, tiny artwork…
including this wise and wonderful “inky tag” from Aimee of Artsyville
(I think the words were taken out of an old art book she was reading. I love them!).
Inside the cabinet, you’ll find lots of tools, materials and my collection of stamps and stamp pads.
What a relief to see it all before me!
This is one of the places where I store my finished necklaces
(and in the drawers beneath I keep packing materials like bubble wrap, envelopes and organza bags).
And here’s my new favorite thing:
a stunning print – the last available! – that my parents just bought for me
from Qigong Master Chunyi Lin.
The Chinese charcters he wrote translate to “support for everything beautiful.”
How perfect is that!?
I love looking at it while I’m creating my art!
Thanks for visiting the dudio, friends!
Have a spectacular day!
❤❤❤❤❤
p.s. If you like my art, i would LOVE to earn your vote
in the 2011 Handmade Olympics.
I’m gaining ground, but voting ends tomorrow!
Can you help a girl out?
🙂
