Monday, March 7, 2011

Laurinda’s Craft Café

Creativity, Coffee, and Fun

After a couple years of organizing, rearranging, and decorating, I believe my craft studio is finally nearly complete. My studio space is the entire upstairs of the two bedroom apartment attached to the back of our house, including the kitchen/living room/dining room area, and even a huge closet in the bathroom and a large`attic for extra storage. I have struggled with how to organize and balance my variety of artistic interests and classes I host with the need to have plenty of creative activities for my busy five and a half year old. All while creating a safe space for my newly toddling and climbing one year old (and often some her friends) to explore as we create.

Every few weeks I try to tackle the mountain of bins and boxes which have accumulated over the years, as every item that does not have a home in the rest of the house gets dumped into my studio space, and I continually expand my stash of materials to try new and different techniques and mediums. I empty many boxes, but there always seems to be more. Then it is time for a class or a party and everything gets hidden once more in the attic, the closet, or even the bathtub.

But I have finally come to a crossroads. When I go in to sort through the few bins that are left, or collect items from the rest of the house that really do belong in the studio, I can picture exactly where they go and put them there immediately, instead of just another transitional container which may or may not ever find it’s home. Nearly everything finally has a place, or goes in the donation bin.

Just yesterday I pulled out my 2nd (okay, maybe 4th, but they are all different) rotary cutting mat, and Griffin grabbed it and said, “You have two of these, you need to donate this one. Let’s put it outside to donate!” He did not quite understand that I need different sized mats for different projects, and hosting quilting playdates. But I think it is a good sign that we are on the right track, both of us learning to give up what we do not need or use.

I have just two main categories to organize still: Miscellaneous Yarn and Paperwork (more than half of which will be recycled). Then just a few more items to complete the décor I have envisioned all these years, and I will feel that I am ready to submit “Laurinda’s Craft Café” to Studios Magazine, one of my new year’s resolutions.

1 comment:

  1. Yeah honey! It is starting to look like a working space rather than a storage space.

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