Welcome to my Studio Makeover!

Welcome to my Art Studio...

This screen door is the first thing you will see as you enter my studio. It is not only a charming item, it is also functional. I use it to hold my chains for jewelry design.

But it also has another more important function.

It helps hide the ugly furnace in the corner of my studio. The door is hinged on my north wall so it can be 'opened' in order to allow access to the filter or for work on the furnace.

The bookcase shown below also covers part of the furnace. It is hung from the ceiling. It is on the right side of my drafting table. A future project will be to find some baskets or something to hold the supplies.

Below is my drafting table. I use it for painting, jewelry design, stained glass work or whatever project I happen to be working on.

These are my favorite paint brushes and stand. The little ornament hanging on the right side is from a friend and I just love it!

I keep my other various brushes stored upright in crystal, silver and glass.

If you look beyond my drafting table, to the left, you can see the rest of the room.

The first section on the west wall is where I keep my beads. I want them out where I can readily see what I have. I love when the sun shines in and the beads and glass sparkle and light up the room. I also have a mirror for use by customers trying on jewelry or for me to see how a piece hangs as I am designing it.

On the shelves below the mirror I have apothecary jars and other glass containers that hold broken jewelry that I will take apart and incorporate parts into new re-designed and updated jewelry.

I have them separated into various metal finishes, pearls, crystals, watch parts, found items, etc.

My remaining beads are contained in inexpensive baby food jars, spice jars or even jelly jars. My seed beads are to the left and are sorted mostly by color. The beads on the right of the mirror are sorted by crystals, pearls, or bugle beads with the remaining variety sorted by color.

Here is a close-up of some cigar tubes I use to store and separate crystals.

Straight ahead along the south wall I have a counter area I may also at times use to work on projects. It has a couple of projects on it now. I have my stained glass supply to the left of the counter. I just added the skirt recently and I'm really happy with it. It has kind of a French feel to it.

If you look closely you can see my jars of shells in the window catching a little sun.

On the right I have my little teapot lamp. It was pewter and I painted it a soft white. Lamps give such a comforting glow to a room.

My mannequin received a temporary makeover. She is wrapped in some old lace curtains secured with a vintage piece of costume jewelry. Poor thing had a broken leg when I got her, so she has needed some TLC. My gargoyle creation is protecting her now.

On the east side of the room, opposite the bead wall, is where I keep most of my supplies and my jewelry designs.

On the bottom shelf I keep my glitter supply in pretty glass jars on a silver tray.

Aren't these little tubes yummy!

I have to have a place to display my necklace and earring creations and these display pieces work well for me.

Above the jewelry and glitter I have a shallow shelf that holds some spice bottles on little turn tables.

I use these to store some of my jewelry findings, chip beads, and some of my larger beads.

Above the spice jars is a shelf with wire baskets used to hold a variety of supplies not used quite as often as my beads and painting supplies. Each basket is labeled with a tag as to the contents. Above the shelf of wire baskets, up high and out of reach, are plastic storage boxes containing supplies such as wood burning, stencilling supplies, paper making and sculpting supplies that although I only use them on occasion would be too expensive to replace each time. Each is separated according to category.

This young lady hangs to the left of the shelves by the inspiration board and holds my safety glasses. I can also clip a reminder note or shopping list onto the clasp on her clutch.

She is right by one of my favorite items. It's an anvil that has been in my family for years. It is attached to a very large old block of wood. My dad had it in his tool shed and it reminds me of him.

Notice my slippers next to it. All the comforts of home in my little studio world.

I hope you enjoyed the tour. I still have work I want to do, but I love spending time here and that is what matters. Be sure to visit Karen at 'My Desert Cottage' for a link to even more studios! A special thank you to Karen for doing such an amazing job putting together this blog party! I know she has worked very hard and I'm sure has put in a lot of time and effort. Her link can be viewed by clicking the 'Show off Your Studio' button on my side bar or here: http://mydesertcottage.blogspot.com/2010/04/where-bloggers-create-ii.html