Glass Shade Recycled and Repurposed plus more on Storage and Organizing

As you can see, I figured out what to do with my extra glass light dome/shade that I mentioned in my last post. I was so excited about this project and so please with how it turned out. As I was pondering how I could take advantage of such a pretty piece of glass, I spotted my glass door knob on my studio counter near the glass shade.

You know how an idea just hits you. Well, that is what happened. I simply took the two pieces to a nearby hardware store and explained my intentions to them. They were so helpful and quickly found a bolt and washers that would do the trick. The clerk actually drilled the opening in the doorknob so the bolt would fit into it perfectly. The cost for that and the supplies came to under $5.00. Below is the finished food dome on my glass cake stand. It really compliments my dishes. I will have to set a nice complete table and share it on my other blog.

Below, I am showing it over the dinner plate and on top of the charger which also works great.

Here is a photo of the inside. The bolt is separated from the glass with a flat washer to help protect the glass. You can see on the previous shots I have two washers on the outside under the knob to cover a ridge at the base of the door knob.


A close-up...

You are probably wondering what any of this has to do with studio storage. It actually doesn't, other than the fact this dome can be used over a stash of costume jewelry or other supplies to protect them from dust or as a display piece used by draping a necklace or other work over the knob. With a little thought I am sure you can come up with other ideas.

ON ANOTHER SUBJECT - planning for storage of your supplies and equipment. This can be daunting at times. Below I am sharing a pretty basic list you might find helpful as you plan for storage of your own supplies and materials used according to various mediums. I can't give an exact listing of supplies, equipment and materials you use because each of you are unique and have our own stash of supplies and tools you prefer. I am offering this basic list as a jumping off point for you to use when thinking about what you might have to store in your studio.

By using a list, your personal list, you can break things down to a more manageable process. For instance, you can think about how often you use a particular set of tools, or your glue, or your kiln for instance. The items you use most often you will want placed in the most convenient location at or near your work space. Those items you use only on occasion can be stored more out of the way. Maybe you use everything equally but at different stages of the process. Place those items near the location or work station where they will be used.

Use your list as you search for storage solutions. For example, how many paintbrushes do you have? This will determine how big the holder needs to be. What type of container would work best to store them? You know the bristles need to be protected and in the open to dry properly. Look around until you find the right sort of container to accomodate your brushes? Most people store them upright. Maybe you can cover clean vegetable cans in a fabric or paper that coordinates in your room. If you have a lot of brushes, maybe you can nail or hang the cans as a grouping on the wall, or set them on a shelf nearby or keep them close by on your work table. When you are finished sourcing an appropriate container for the brushes, you can then move on to the next item on the list. The list will help you focus on each type of supply, tool, and piece of equipment separately without becoming too overwhelming. Don't try to figure it all out at once, but one by one, breaking it down to bite size pieces. Before you know it you will have everything where you need it and in a proper container.


STAINED GLASS: patterns & books, mosaic cutter, strip cutter, oval template, paints, glass, large table, copper foiling, lead came, wire, roundels, flux, grinder, glass cutters, glass saw, oil, soft brush, kiln


STAMPING/SCRAPBOOKING: books, tools, stamps, stamp pads, punches, papers, scissors,
glues/adhesives, embossing powder, trinkets, inks, equipment, trinkets, ribbons, small embellishments, buttons, photos


SEWING: books & patterns, sewing machine, scissors, thread, fabric, seam ripper, iron & ironing board, table, buttons, snaps, hooks & eyes, trims, seam binding, interfacing


SCULPTING: books, sculpting tools, clay, canvas, glazes, kiln for ceramics


KNITTING: books & patterns, knitting needles, yarn, scissors


CROCHET: books & patterns, crochet hooks, scissors, yarn


EMBROIDERY: books & patterns, hoops, scissors, thread, fabrics, iron & ironing board


TATTING: books & patterns, shuttle or tatting needles, thread


WEAVING: books & patterns, scissors, crochet hook, needle, beads, loom, threads, graph paper


WATERCOLORS & MISC PAINTING: books, water tub/containers, paintbrushes, brushes, salt, solvents, etc, palette knives, tissues, sponge etc, frames, watercolor paper or canvases, tube and/or bottle paints


PAPERMAKING: books, frame/screen, blender, plant materials, pulp, tub, towels, blotters


BEADING: books, tools, wire, thread, needles, patterns, findings, beads of various types and sizes, weaving materials, cords, chains, seed beads, crystals, bugle, embellishments, spacers, kiln for fusing


WIRE WORK: anvil, tools, books, rivets etc., various metals, wires, rods, beads



MISCELLANEOUS, GENERAL OR MIXED MEDIUMS: scissors of some sort, glue or other adhesives, beads, threads or other embellishments, patterns, books, misc tools


I hope these lists work as a starting point for you. It is such a personal thing since each artist works differently. Just as your creations are unique, so is your technique and style. While one designer may incorporate buttons into scrapbooking, another may instead use beads in everything.

I would love to hear if the list makes sense to you or if there is anything you would like to add as far as ideas. Have you tried this and did it help? Have you tried something similar that you would share with us?



Is the dome something you feel you could use in your studio? Have you made anything using these glass shades? If you have created other ideas I would love to have you send me an email and photo that I can post. Same with storage ideas you would like to share. Send me a photo via email and I will be happy to post it and give you credit.



I have been neglecting my blog here for awhile. Hopefully you have all been vacationing or spending more time outside enjoying the summer and haven't noticed.

Studio Organizing Ideas

You all may recognize the item below from past posts on either blog. It works pretty well to hold items I am photographing (it doesn't wrinkle), I've used it to display necklaces and earrings at shows, but it also works as a tray to transport projects or supplies from area to area, and I think it is going to work well to clip notes to. It is metal, so the magnetic clips and hooks can hold reminders or inspiration clippings. The fun part for me is that I also designed the piece for a company in Omaha. It is actually a plate charger for a table setting and I had designed several coordinating pieces as serve ware. Another from the kitchen/dining room to the art room piece! This photo looks fuzzy, but I actually have two chargers hanging with a T-pin. Don't forget you can easily paint something like this to fit your studio decor!

In my studio photos I showed you how I used the spice carousel to hold some of my jewelry components. Here they are in my office/sewing room being used to hold my stash of buttons. A place to stash the stash. I also keep all of my precious books in my office. I have been scanning tons of genealogy images into my computer, so my office is in that 'middle of a mess' mode or I would show you more. I obviously don't mind sharing my messes, but it's dangerous trying to maneuver around in here.

Below are 24 small containers in a hinged box. I'm not crazy about plastic, but these are awesome. I use one for my smaller silver components like jump rings, earring wires, clasps and crimp beads, and I use one for my gold components. The third one is being used for small spacer beads so I can see at a glance what I have. The copper components came in this round stacking container. The boxes were purchased at Walmart, but I have seen them other places as well. The round stacks are found everywhere there are beads. These three boxes are small enough they fit perfectly stacked on my bead shelf so I can go right to them.

I will be on vacation for a few days, so I won't be able to post since I don't have any fancy electronic gadgets. Hope you all have a great weekend and week! Thanks to all of you following my blog also. I have been trying to visit the remaining studios from Karen's post on My Desert Cottage and feel like I have been neglecting my friends. I'm almost through the P and onto Q.

Organizing your Studio or Kitchen

What's in your kitchen? I purchased this little gem for $1.00 at the thrift store. It works great for the little beaded rings that I am making this month. It is a pickle or relish dish. There are three sections and the whole thing is only about 5" or 6" diameter. Sweet! Portable workspace.

Speaking of kitchens...

I was thinking about all the artists who talk about how neat and tidy many of the featured studios in the magazines, on blogs, etc. are and that they can't be that clean all the time. They are absolutely right! But, if you think about it that is probably true about all of the kitchens you see in photos. I then got to thinking about all the other analogies to the kitchen set-up and how they can apply to how you look at your studio as you are organizing.

In the kitchen you have specific areas designated for specific tasks such as an area where you mix ingredients or prepare food to be cooked or baked, an area where you cook or bake, an area to prepare and/or serve the food, an area to eat which may be in another room or the kitchen, an area to clean the dishes and an area to store everything. That is a good way to approach the set-up of your studio. Think about the tasks you will be doing as you create and designate areas for those tasks. Do the main areas make sense like the kitchen triangle area between the stove, sink and refrigerator? What are the steps you take and how can they be made more efficient?

In the kitchen you store items according to need/frequency of use. Some items you use each and every time you cook. Items such as a gravy boat, pitcher or wok just as an example may not be used as often and are stored in an area you can get to like an upper cabinet, but not within arms reach. Your favorite spices are closest and within easy reach. The same should be true with your studio. Items you use frequently should be convenient and within easy reach. Likewise, items used on rare occasions can be stored on a top shelf or in the back of the cabinet. Keep this in mind as you place equipment and supplies (and gadgets) back into your studio.

In the kitchen generally you clean up after the meal or when you are finished baking. It may just be a quick swipe with a dish cloth, placing perishables back into the refrigerator, and placing the dishes in the sink or dishwasher to be dealt with later. Everyone handles these situations differently...in their own way. How can you use this logic in your studio?

In the kitchen you sometimes have to take the time to do a thorough cleaning and reorganizing. I think you know where I am going with this by now. Because our studios hopefully get used a lot and have to hold a lot of things, we sometimes have to take the time to re-evaluate what we have. In the kitchen maybe you decide you never bake pies so why are you hanging onto the pie dishes. In the studio you may be hanging on to things you wanted to do a couple of years ago but have lost interest. Just as our interests and the products change, so do our tastes and our needs. There are tools out now that may make some of our older tools obsolete. Updating and purging are going to have to be done occasionally.

It has been said by some that you can't be creative in a neat and tidy studio. However, my feeling is you can't be creative if you spend all of your time looking for that one thing that you need on a project you are working on. There are some very creative chefs that would be going crazy if they could find what they needed at once. It is very frustrating and can drain the energy. How you determine what goes where is ultimately up to you. Everyone is different. Some like things out in the open, even in their kitchen, where they can see them. Some prefer to have everything behind closed doors, out of sight. This is your studio and no one is saying you have to do it a certain way. It is up to you to make the decisions and take control. There is such a thing as organized chaos. Everything doesn't have to look unlived in. The only thing that matters in the end is whether you know where things are, whether you are pleased with how the area looks, and whether you feel energized and creative in the space. Make your creative space yours!

One last word while I am on the subject of kitchens in comparison to studios. Check out some of the kitchen storage pieces! Many of these will adapt quite well in your studio. A few have been shown in previous posts such as the spice rack. Other items such as towel racks, canisters, bowls and even pitchers could work for storage in your studio. Look at them as though you don't know what their intended function is and feel free to use 'artistic license' with them.

Desktop Containers (not just for nuts!)

Need an idea for the desktop? Whether it be in an office or a studio, these are great for holding 'things'. I bought these sugar or nut servers at a company garage sale. The little scoops that usually are included were either missing or broken, so they had these clearanced. I use them for stained glass supplies as shown, but they would work equally well in an office to hold paper clips, binder clips, tags, pencils, erasers, small ruler or scissors for instance. Wouldn't they be fun filled with buttons or clothespins? Glues, sponges, or chalk or markers? Anything small that you want to keep in a convenient spot and ready for use would work well in these.

These come in a variety of shapes and are often silver metal in structure. The one shown below is more of a shell shaped nut dish that works perfectly for my small rondells and small pieces of bevelled glass. Be on the lookout for these! The size is really nice and with the rounded bottom inside, it is easy to pick up whatever is in them. You don't have to worry about something getting stuck in a corner. If nothing else, keep some candy in them! They are just pretty!

I know I sound like a broken record, but I would love to hear what types of items you have difficulty finding storage for. I hope these nut dishes inspire some other ideas for you!