I’m so happy, happy, happy…
Since yesterday, I walk around with a silly smile on my face –
I will show you why…
..
Maybe you already know that I don’t have a craft room or studio to work in.
My materials are stored upstairs (mind you, that’s two stairs!) and I work
in the living room, sitting at our big table. Imagine me running up and down
the stairs all the time – it’s pretty annoying (to me anyway!)
So the stuff I use most – tools like scissors and craft knives and materials
like paint and spray ink didn’t see the top floor anymore…
I kept them down stairs, and it looked like this:
Slowly but surely, this corner of our room became packed with my stuff!
A month ago, two cases with stamps and inks came down the stairs also,
and stayed there ever since… the stuff took over the room!
From left to right: stamps and inks – toolbox containing scissors, craft knives,
brushes, tape and so on – plastic bag with paint, oil crayons, paint roller –
big paper bag with spray ink and glimmer mist and on top of that a case filled
with the most used markers and a smaller case with my copic markers.
This corner of our living room was a mess!
My beloved didn’t mind but I DID!
This couldn’t go on any longer – I needed a better ‘system’
And I found it!
Ikea did the trick!
This may seem a simple chest of drawers but it works perfectly for me!
All the most used tools and materials fit perfectly and the colours match
our bookcase and our table.
And the best part is: it has wheels!
I roll this little fellow to the table where I work and I have easy access
to my materials! No more kneeling in the corner for me. My butt stays
right on the chair and I can find whatever I need in the drawers! YEAY!
Can you tell I’m happy???
Okay, I will have to climb the stairs for paper, magazines, fabric, buttons, lace,
stickers, chipboard elements and a lot more, but BOY, is this an improvement!
Maybe you saw it already, lying on the top of my new toy – but here’s
a better photo. This is the book I plan to work in for A Year in the Life
of an Art Journal. (I notice just now; I should add ‘2011’ to it…)
I liked the colours of the sketchbook I made for my son so much,
that I made another ‘blue book’ for myself.
I cut alphas from magazines for the title.
I just can’t get enough of this binding!
As you know, I’m a guest host at AYITLOAAJ for this year.
Rachel put my ‘introduction’ on the blog last week – you might want to
take a look at the funky photo of me and read the answers I gave to the
questions (you may even learn a few ‘secrets’ about me then!)
You have to scroll quite a bit to find this ‘introduction post’
so I make it easy for you: here’s the link.
It’s almost evening in Holland… and
Friday evening equals WEEKEND!
Did you plan something nice for the next days?
I know I did!
take a guess…
I may roll it around in the living room,
I may even take it out for a walk
but I definitely will
PLAY WITH MY NEW CHEST OF DRAWERS!
Enjoy your weekend!
juls2000 says
Awesome IKEA find! I love it!
Barbara Graves says
i so remember when I took up space in any area that i could .. then when i relocated to NC by God direction he gave me a scrapbooking creative corner in my Bedroom… 11 x 11 to be trus to size.. so girl keep praying and you will get it…. But as creative genuis we can create almost anywhere.. have a blessed day…
Jenneke says
Wat kan een klein kastje van Ikea jou blij maken, zeg!! Haha, geweldig!!
Heerlijke broek trouwens ;-)!
Wens je een fijn weekend!!
XXXJenneke
tracy says
Looks so much neater. And better organized. Yeah.
I do have a room in our basement. But hubby likes when I watch tv with him. So I am always getting him to pause the movie, so I can go and grab some more supplies. I can so relate 🙂
Petra Coolen says
Hooray for Ikea!
Love your pink pants 😉 Sooooo compfy….
Ook ik ben een fan van die manier van “bookbinding”. Geweldig.
~*~Patty says
OK you had me giggling at taking your new cabinet out for a walk…you are funny! Guess what Ms Marit…I have a similar cabinet from Ikea, mine has 3 little side shelves (not really the word I am looking for) and a kind of towel rack and metal hook on the other side…it rolls but I am embarrassed to say my art cave is too crowded for it to move anywhere…I have too much stuff!
You are so organized!
Loved your interview and your cool glasses over at AYITLOAAJ…you really SHOULD submit your work to Somerset Art Journaling
the Summer 2011 submission deadline is 15 Feb…just saying 😉
Happy Weekend to you and yours Dear One
oxo
Rosie says
I know exactly how you feel Marit!! What a wonderful chest of drawers – Ikea really does rock! I have one small drawer for sketchbooks and pencils, etc. at the moment and the “messy stuff” is upstairs, with sewing things too.
Your journal is beautiful and I love the colour. It’s a really pretty way to bind a book too.
How is your drawing coming along?
Have a great weekend,
Rosie =)
Chris Aiton says
Oh oh!!! I love your little chest of craft drawers! So wish we had an Ikea – oh well! I really like how you bind your sketchbook/journals – I must learn how to do this technique – I am now off to follow the link! Have a wonderful weekend!
Chris Aiton says
p.s. Is there a name for that style of binding? I went over to Year… and I love the photo of you with the colored glasses!
Jenn from The Mustard Seed Blog says
Love the simple change! I know you must feel so much better about it and it’s so functional, too!!! I love IKEA for her cheap storage solutions!!!
Lena says
Jaaaa, je hebt je kastje!!! En ik zie dat het leverbaar was in een wat bescheidener kleurstelling… Ik denk dat het heerlijk werkt, zo al je spulletjes bij de hand!!
Je boek ziet er weer fantastisch uit zeg!! Ik hou niet zo van blauw maar dit blauw… hmm, moet toegeven dat het wel mooi is!!
Monique says
Heerlijk hè Ikea om de hoek??? Wat moesten we doen zonder? Het is zeker een kastje om te onthouden want ik ben ook nog lang niet klaar met organiseren!
Glenda T. says
yay!! I’m so happy you found something that works, that would be hard running up and down those stairs all the time! I really need to learn how to do that binding as I would like to make my own journal sometime. Love the blue and I love how we thought so much alike for the January 30th prompt!! haha Great minds think alike!
yyam says
Oh I totally get how happy you are! I scrap in my bedroom with lots of stuff outside my room in the small space between the stairs and my room…:)
Enjoy! 🙂
tumble fish studio says
I love your make-over! I do not have my own place to work either. I do have quite a nice built in work station, two actually, in our den that we converted to an office space. But, the whole family ends up in here and I cannot think, especially when the TV is blaring. So, I am getting ready to move part of my space into my bedroom where I can shut the door! So, I loved seeing your new drawers! I’m thinking I need to pop over to Ikea. Well, at least when you do have to go up and down the stairs you get your exercise too. Maybe I need to add some stairs somewhere . . . Congratulations!
marsha
Maja 60 says
Fantastisch kastje! Ik snap het helemaal ik heb ook zo’n hoek. Mooi boek heb je weer gemaakt. Met een prachtige kleur blauw. Wow…..
Thinkie says
Handig! Als hij zwenkwieltjes heeft kun je met hem dansen 😉
Yvon says
Leuk verhaal! Heerlijk alles weer zo gereorganiseerd, en je ladenkastje op wielen, oooh, dat is helemaal top! Ik heb er niet zo eentje, maar wel een andere, geweldig om alles zo bij de hand te hebben. Veel plezier ermee!
Groetjes van Yvon
Petra says
Heerlijk toch: opgeruimd in huis betekent ook vaak opgeruimd in je hoofd en dan heb je nog meer ruimte voor al die prachtige scrapideeën van je 😉
Geniet van je weekend!
Petra