Thursday, July 11, 2013

Welcome, my friends!

Welcome! It's so nice to have you visit here in the Santa Cruz Redwood Mountains! Thank you to Karen Valentine of My Desert Cottage for hostessing this fabulous blog hop! (Read all the way down to find out about my special gift for you!)

So, let's get started. Welcome to my bedroom! No, not my studio,  But this where I begin each morning, with my sweet Molly at my feet as I write in my journal.
 So, in an ideal world, this is what my studio could/should/would look like (if I kept it up!)....
 This would be my nice and neat sewing station with my beloved Janome.
 And these would be just some of my laces and trims, hanging neatly and sorted.

 This little cabinet, neat and tidy, is chock full of vintage rick racks, seam bindings, etc.

 And this little storage center is actually a 100 year old Victorian Writing desk organizer. Rolls of lace roll right in, so tidy and neat.

And here is my fiber workstation. I always keep it picked up, tidy, and neat. (lol)
 Okay... ready for some reality? 
Here's what it REALLY LOOKS LIKE!

And here is the other desk wall, where I create with paper and such things. (Kinda messy, right?) I haven't picked up since I made the two prayer book mini albums. (You can see them farther down in earlier posts.)
 Funny story about this hanging-hook-thingy. My ex-husband slept with a box of Silver-plate flatware for over six months, waaay back in 1968, in his Navy bunk on the USS Cogswell. Now, many years later, I haven't served a formal dinner in years and years. Yet I still have that box of flatware. I can't give it away. I can't sell it. Tada! Now I can appreciate it and enjoy it's beauty as fabulous hooks in my studio!
 Here, you can see the square bottom that perfectly keeps my quilting rulers off my work station.
 Now, here's what that beautiful Victorian writing organizer REALLY looks like, with stuff and trims dripping, no cascading! down the front.
 I have loved these wire drawers for years. Keeping colors organized and a big drawer for white laces, fabrics, tablecloths, etc.
 This corner is still pretty neat. (Although I haven't made any purses in a month or so. It will look quite different as I pull out this and that to audition for my next Gypsy handbag.)
 This is a precious 1950's cabinet I haven't really staged yet. I have visions of beautiful embroidered fabrics, little dolls, cute little things that will inspire me. Maybe I'll get to it soon. The upholstery fabrics underneath look good though, right?
 My eye-less green teddy embraces a back FULL of floss. Need some?
 Another dose of reality....
 Oh, how I love my Ikea cabinets!
 Look at all the stuff I can store out of sight!
 This set of Ikea drawers hide away tools to stick stuff together... or to punch holes in things.
 On the other side, this stack of drawers house all my lovely scrapbook (and paste) papers. So handy. And the drawers close on their own. God bless Ikea! (and my hubby who assembled all this!!!)
 Another messy corner. Can you pick out all the different art modalities stacked here?
 I'm loving my Copic pens. I even dye my silk ribbon and touch up my Mulberry paper flowers with their beautiful colors.
 Also in the stack... my lovely, sweet, cherished, collection of Mulberry Paper Flowers... I'm using these for both paper projects and fiber arts.
 And, under the stack, is my wonderful Encaustic pallet, with the R&F Beeswax sticks. I've been using beeswax encausitic for years, made from real beeswax comb and my own colors. Would you believe I found all of this at a garage sale last year! Actually, it feels great to use really good tools rather than the hotplate mess.
 Some time I find myself gazing out the window, flying through the redwoods, breathing the crystal air.
 Here's the window sill where I keep my 'precious jewels'.
 Here's my treasure chest of 'every-day' jewels....

This little tea tin hold my MOST precious pieces.
 Wooden spools keep vintage laces in order. (You know how they love to let loose and tangle with each other.)
 This looks pretty orderly. I just can't remember what's in what. Think I'll make some labels!
 And, this is my latest find. 81 vintage bobbin spools! Perfect to roll vintage ribbons, laces, and trims on!

Well, thank you so much for visiting! Think I'll read a spell... but, before you go! Leave me a comment, become a follower of my site, and I'll choose one of your names (randomly, of course) and will send you one of those bobbins loaded with lovelies!

God Bless and Sweet Blessings....
Now, back to my book....