Where Bloggers Create....2015

Another year, another studio tour!  

WELCOME...

It's nice to have both old and new friends drop by!

 

 

I'm pleased to be participating again in Karen Valentine's 7th Annual Where Bloggers Create Tour (Click on the link to visit lots of other artists' inspiring studios). 

I had to miss last year, but am happy to be back and part of the fun. 

I had good intentions of having fresh paint on the walls (a very soft muted robin's egg blue) by the date of this blog party. but it hasn't happened yet (someday!... ). 

My space hasn't changed that much since I had my last tour

 ....except at the moment, it is extremely messy, with lots of projects in progress.  

This year, I decided to include some of the previous, tidied-up photos, 

along with current pics 

showing the REAL DEAL!

Come on in and let me show you around...

This studio is where I do all sorts of creative projects, 

which include both the work I do professionally (illustration, graphic design, textile design),

 and the crafting I do 'just for fun' (jewelry, mixed media, collage). 

 I am a hoarder collector of SO MUCH stuff, this room is pretty packed full. And, like most of you, I love to be surrounded by all my treasures!

Can you tell I like little houses?  I store treasures and supplies inside my vintage doll house.

Old game pieces, my stash of pearls, and other trinkets crowd the shelves.

A tiny guardian angel perched on top, watching over the stash

 Beneath the big house are a couple of smaller wooden houses.  One of them has hooks inside and is just perfect for my etsy jewelry inventory:

The bird hooks below hold samples for the soldering classes I teach.

My Etsy inventory is low right now (understatement!)...but I'm busy making new items! Check back soon.

I store jewelry-making bits and baubles inside these metal boxes.

I've dedicated one shallow shelf to my collection of cute face cups.  I'm always on the lookout for more:

 

Baskets on the shelves hold stamping supplies, soldering equipment, and more.  

I hope by the time the next tour rolls around in 2016, I'll have my walls painted that light aqua, and will use these new aqua storage pieces throughout my space:

Cute little baskets and tins, just waiting for me to get my act together!

Continuing along the wall, I have closed cupboards plus my photocopier, printer, and computer. 

Next to my computer monitor, I've hung some of my mixed-media angel paintings.  I scan the originals and from them make wood-mounted prints and cards.  I usually have a few of these paintings in the works.

 

Here is what is currently on my monitor: a collage I'm working on for a tote bag company. This design is called "Retro Beach", and I'm having lots of fun arranging all the images.  Notice that I usually have a bunch of Sudoku puzzles handy for when I need to take a break, ha ha!

 This is what the tote bag 'end product' will look like:

A few days ago, I found this bag (one of my designs) in my local Kroger store (Fred Meyer, here in Portland). I've now done several in a series of this 'retro collage' look.

But I digress.  Back to my studio...

The french doors lead out to a small balcony, ao even here in rainy Oregon I get lots of natural light.  The pennant banner above the doors is also part of my blog header, and welcomes crafters who come to my studio to attend my collage and soldering workshops.  Nice and neat and clean, right??...

...and here is what it currently looks like!

Yikes!  what a mess! Paper crafting and jewelry making, all in a jumble. I have a new printer, too, now making a home at the end of the table.

Lots of collage supplies fill these shelves: old books, sheet music, maps, wallpaper, etc.

...except at the moment, I can't shut these drawers because the paper is crammed in too tightly.          Time to purge!

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

The baskets hold textiles, trims and laces.  Then there are my tins full of old postage stamps, and cute wooden boxes filled with old buttons sit below the little window. 

Currently, I have a stash of linens and laces out, trying to come up with some new sewn things for a holiday bazaar my friend and I host every year.  Not sure what I'll make with these...maybe some little zippered pouches? Pillows, maybe?...

 

Here's what the cute little boxes look like....

 

...IF I could see them!  If you look hard enough, you can see a glimpse of their lids in the far back corner....I need to find a home for all of this stuff!!

My drafting table is the hardest thing to keep organized.  As I work, I am just MESSY, and end up doing my work on any tiny clean surface I can find.  The built in light box is invaluable, and its glass top is great for xacto-cutting.

And now......Keepin' it real:

It looks like this right now!  I had a big illustration project due this week, and chaos ensued!

 I do fashion illustrations for Simplicity Pattern Company, and when a job comes my way, I drop everything to get it done...

This is the fleece poncho art I was working on, here in its ink-line stage of the process

Think I have enough markers?? This is just a portion of them.  I color the inked sketch with either these watercolor markers, or I'll use concentrated inks or regular watercolor paint.

I got the illustrations done by the deadline...whew!! Here's how the girls' version turned out:

This is a little grainy, since it's a scan of a photocopy, not the original...but it gives you an idea of what I do at my little work table.  This art will be in the Simplicity pattern catalog in about 6 months.

The desk when it is "clean"....as you can see, I never really have a completely cleaned-off surface.  There's always STUFF!

Next to the desk is a storage closet.  More hoarding lurks behind the door, in a semi-organized state--bins full of this and that:

The inside of the door holds a a few old illustrations done for Simplicity. I spent years as art director of Daisy Kingdom, Inc., a fabric, craft, and publishing company based here in Portland, until it was bought out by Springs Industries, and they did a great deal of licensing with Simplicity.  I still do freelance illustration and design for them and other clients.

Well, that's the end of my tour. Thanks so much for visiting and seeing where I work and play.  I'm looking forward to peeking inside your creative spaces!  So many kindred spirits out there--and a special thank you to Karen Valentine for hosting this wonderful event where we can all hobnob with each other!  

Again, I'm so glad you stopped by, and 

I'm hoping you'll leave me a comment and let me know you dropped in!  

And I'd love for you to become a follower...a girl can never have too many friends!

 And now, I'm off to go snooping inside your studios!

http://mydesertcottage.com/