in the scraproom: messy tour

Usually when an artist, scrapbooker, crafter etc. gives a tour of her scraproom, it's to reveal a makeover, redesign or newly organized and prettified space. To share advice and tips on how to get her new look. Links to her favorite products.

Recently, I've been reading lot of DIY blog like this and this. These are professional bloggers who live and breathe home dec and DIY and who have "handy husbands" who help them realize their dreams. I love their blogs and day-dream of learning how to use power tools, heck even my dust-collecting sewing machine. But that's not me. I'm lucky enough to put together a prefabricated bookshelf from Target or hang up a curtain rod (which I did today....with hubby's help). My vintage, garage-sale and thrift store finds lay strewn around my house. Never quite turning into that DIY gem that I'm sure is hidden underneath.

But I do like a good makeover. Which brings me back to my scraproom. My craft studio. It has always been a complete and utter mess. It's the room where all my supplies end up. My girls' toys. Cast-offs that accumulate and awaiting that garage sale that I keep say I'm going to have. It's the land of forgotten craft supplies.

Inspired by this little video tour of her "messy" house, I thought I would share my train wreck of a craft space. Why? Several reasons.

1. To shame me into cleaning it up!
2. So I have a dramatic before photo.
3. To show my progress of my gradual transformation
4. To shame me into cleaning it up.

So here's the first photo. It's what you see when  your first walk into the space. If we have company, this door is CLOSED. LOL.

Yikes! Am I really showing you this?

As you can see, I have a nice-size window that lets in lots of light. That is, when the sun is actually shining. I live in the Pacific Northwest after all. Sun is a luxury here.

I have hardwood floors that were newly sanded and finished when we moved in the house.

I already have my furniture and storage in place: An Ikea desk. Expedit bookcases (a must-have for scrapbookers because they fit 12 x 12 albums). Three more bookshelves from Target (they do not fit 12 x 12 albums but are good for books and other items). Three floating ledges (probably from Ikea) that the previous home owner left behind.

Mostly empty, but already painted walls in colors I like.

But I am poorly organized. I have tons of things I don't  use. Too much clutter. I don't put things away after I use them. It's my dumping ground of all things crafty.

If I could only purge the junk and organize what I have, I could have a really great space!

So these are some of my goals for this space and what I am planning to do over the next year.

• Sell unused tools/supplies on craigslist.
• Donate papers to daughter's schools.
• Create little kits to sell on Etsy, namely vintage supplies I've collected over the years.
• Get rid of anything I don't love.
• Stop buying more stuff!
• Artfully arrange everything I DO love.
• Create collections of things - buttons, mini albums,
• Put more of my work on the walls to remind me what I have already created
• Create a space for my daughters to create/play with me.

So I hope by posting here, I will work towards organizing goals!

p.s. Do you like that font above? Thanks Anilu for pointing it out in one of her recent blog posts. It's Pacifico.