my new table

I'm so lucky. For the first time I have a whole room just for my creative endeavors.  It's an extra bedroom that started out with just a table and bookcase for me to paint.  Then I discovered collage and my love of paper took over the room.  Other things that were stored there have gradually been moved out and into closets, etc. while paper and paint have taken over the art room.

It started out like this...

Here's a peek into my art room now....

My newest addition is an old hollow core door bought at a salvage store - you can see it gives me about 18" more space per side!  Now I have half the table for cutting/gluing/stamping/collage and half for painty messes.  I LOVE my new table! (I just laid it on top of my old one...I like the extra height since I stand when I make art.)

I found an old overhead to an office desk for more table top area (I do tend to spread and stack a bit!) and there's that original bookcase.  I have tried many storage options for my stencils - I tend to need them out and close at hand or I don't use them so they came out of bins and my faves are hanging on a tension curtain rod in the window and the rest are hanging on a shutter I bought at a yard sale. So far this seems to be working.

 This is the 'back' side of the worktable - my sewing machine and a folding table for miscellaneous less-used supplies.

These gorilla shelves originally held all sorts of miscellaneous house stuff - now that's all moved out and paper and art stuff moved in. :)

I've tried so many ribbon storage ideas and finally found one that seems to work - these are narrow over-the-bathtub storage things.  It's easy to thread the ribbon through the slats which helps keep them in place and they don't get tangled. Plus when I empty a spool or want to take it to my worktable it just lifts out. Perfect!

Isn't it amazing how you can expand to fill all available space?????

woyww #2

My second week of sharing my work table mess - though this time I had a little time to restore order.  If you remember, last week it was a total disaster, a dumping site.  Now, it's still mess, but ..... a controlled mess! :)

Stamps & cards out, ready to start making.....

I've cleaned it up so I can start on my Christmas cards - don't think EVERYone will get a hand made one, but I'm going to see how many I can manage.  My subconscious has been stewing and mulling for a couple weeks so I guess I better start making a decision and moving forward - maybe they could be Valentine's cards? (ha)

I'm so lucky to have an understanding, tolerant man that allows me the space to make a mess wherever I happen to be.  I've discovered my "worktable" can be just about any surface in the house - here I've taken over the ottoman where I spread out my Zentangle stuff, sketching card ideas while I watch TV.  He's relegated to the other end of the sofa, pulling pens from between the cushions!

Visit more work tables and works in progress at Stamping Ground.  You know, this is the 131st edition of WOYWW though only my second participation!  That's a long running prompt - wanna play?

WOYWW

Here's a new one for me WOYWW (what's on your worktable wednesday) - and maybe not the best time to start since everything is SUCH a mess.  But I guess that's the point - what's the reality of your work space?  Right now, all of mine are a disaster.  In my 'office' I do all the computer stuff, digital art, etc. so have my reference books nearby.  I also have a watercolor painting table set up next to a window though I haven't used it in a while and it's gathering stacks of other projects.

Then, upstairs I have a spare bedroom that has become my workroom.  OMG, looking at it through the camera's eye really shows the mess it's in.  I've not been in there creating, just dumping stuff from other parts of the house as I decorate for the holidays.  This will take some serious time to restore to order.....  So without further ado, here's my spaces on this cloudy Seattle morning.

Yikes - how do I find anything in here???

What's your your work table/bench/desk/surface today?  I just finished my Zentangle entry for the week (see it in front of my keyboard) and got it posted. That's the only active project at this moment - tomorrow, who knows?

Linking to WOYWW and you can take a little vicarious trip inside other work rooms - it's a little voyeuristic, but all in good fun!  {ED: to show you how popular this prompt is, I'm in at #100!)