Where I Create

One day, my studio was somewhat clean and I remembered it was almost time for Where Bloggers Create. So I grabbed my camera and started snapping. My hopes are that some of you get an idea or two for your own space. I am blessed to use my master bedroom as my studio. It has changed over the years, and has lots more stuff, and I love to spend time here. It's more like a teenagers room because usually it is where you can find me along with my kiddos.

I've posted pics in no particular order......

I love vintage organizers, library card catalogs being my top fav, thread cabinets, anything really with drawers to sort pictures, ephemera and supplies. I have so much that it helps to have many ways to organize it all.

It's a bonus when it is a vintage item from France, like the green set of drawers. Below that is an old watch part cabinet.

I have one large bookcase and it has become more of a display of sorts full of beautiful glass jars full of religious treasures, doll parts, game pieces and my collection of crawling baby dolls, inspired by the show "Oddities". Also jars of clock and watch parts, keys, rolls of tickets, wooden cigar boxes and more. I love being able to see the items I have to use in my art, but also my odd collections as well, and I have a lot of them.

I hated my mother's beautiful doll collection when I was young. Now I'm not as bad but worse then she ever was with her, what I then thought were odd, collections. I love to use old dolls in my art work, German doll heads, frozen Charlottes, composition dolls as well as metal Minerva dolls. But usually I get too attached to them and hoard them all.

Above is a cabinet I got at a garage sale for $15. It holds my collection of vintage French souvenirs and beautiful ephemera, mostly from Paris.  Some of my favorite pieces are a drivers licence, travel brochures and old theater programs.  The ads in them are just incredible and I spend hours reading through them.

More dolls and doll parts stored in an old desk organizer, pie cabinet and glass jars. The larger German doll above (to the left) was my great Grandma Ann's I love her so much and her rosy cheeks. I wish I had a picture of her with the doll.

Mica flakes, frozen Charlottes, chandelier crystals, beautiful trims and vintage stamps are displayed so I can see them.

See, I told you I hoard them. German doll heads are becoming harder and harder to find. This simple storage unit holds many waiting to be in a project, some that will stay as they are, and others from swaps and my own art creations.

The above cabinet I found at a local shop for $35. I FREAKED when I saw it and it is perfect for all of my Alpha Stamps collage sheets. I am on the Design Team and it is great to have the luxury of sorting them by theme using labels from a French collage sheet I made.

Gotta giggle..... Nuns in a jar! I told you I like to collect odd things. 

The above shelf was an inexpensive creation of my husband's doing. Two brackets with a board, and a metal pipe placed through the brackets to hang items from. I have one on the opposite wall as well. Best thing ever!

OK, this area is not for everyone. Some would be creeped out, some fascinated. It is my "dark" corner of antique medical supplies, books, casket keys, commitment papers, casket plaques, bottles, dentistry and embalming bottles, just to name a few. It all just fasinates me, the way people used to think and the lack of medical knowledge. But we had to start somewhere.

The organizers on the top left (above) are all from Hobby Lobby. I love it when they have their 50% off sales. Vintage prescription holders are great in the studio, and more cubbies found at antique stores for a good price.

Below is an entire prescription holding cabinet. It's perfect for holding inks, glues, candles that aren't in use, and so much more.  Having the option of using magnets on it is an added bonus.

One of my favorite vintage items are ledgers. I LOVE vintage ledgers and using pages from them in my art work. Some I sell pages from, and some I could never take apart like a large one from late 1800s Paris, fabric sample ledgers and one that holds teacher applications with their measurements, religious beliefs and marital status included.

Again, many old, wooden, storage options. Type block trays, a cheap wood shelf and old drawers.

The love I have for library card holders and thread cabinets is just strange. I gasp when I see one, which I usually can't afford. This card holder was found on Craigslist for a deal! I totally lucked out!

Great spot to store my business cards, stationary, postcards, etc. as well as a place to hide tape and glue sticks from my kiddos. Otherwise, I would never have any, lol.

I've had this old dresser for years, $50 from a store. I store embellishments in one drawer, unmounted rubber stamps, Masonite cutouts, ribbons, glues, and so much more.  I can't see the individual item, but I can flip through them and have easy access to them.

Above is another item I owe my husband big credit for and so appreciate all of the work he did for this. A local school was going to be demolished and it contained TONS of these cubbies. One cubby contains 10 openings. This wall contains a stack of six cubbies. That's a LOT of storage space for papers, flashcards, game pieces, etc. and organized, labeled boxes of locks, toy guns, tins, porcelain items, round tins, ephemera and SO MUCH more! I have also added several hooks and decorative tacks to hang things from, using every possible spot to store my treausres and supplies.

Pant hangers are great for storing Washi tapes and rolls of seam binding. I can take it on the go, hang it from my desk, and easily take what I want.

Behind my door are some pieces of wood my husband screwed into the wall for storing my mounted rubber stamps. I've actually gotten rid of so many, but some you just can't ever let go of, especially if they involve Paris. All of my doors also have shoe holders to hold tissue, cards, paper punches, scissors, paints and more.

Here is another cubby placed vertically that has 12 areas which I have used to store my smaller ledgers, antique french Agendas with beautiful advertisements and comics, vintage school composition books, beautiful books from round robin swaps I have done, and more. I could and have, spent hours sitting and reading through these.

Check out my old school television, lol. I don't really watch it, but do like the background noise.  It sits on a dresser a friend gave me that she didn't want anymore. I added some neat french drawer pulls to make it scream "Rhonda".

Above is a little cabinet I got from Hobby Lobby. I painted and distressed it to look somewhat old. It contains my collection of french medical containers, mostly to help with migraines which is something I suffer from, several times per week. As dark as some of my art is, it is close to my heart because it deals with the pain I endure both from the migraines, my Cervical Dystonia, and my Botox treatments. It helps cope with it, to create art, and if it helps someone in the same boat by seeing it, then I have succeeded. 

More drawers of goodies, stencils, die cutters, and lots of items from Alpha Stamps. I am blessed to receive so many cool things to use in my artwork.

My newest thing is art journaling. I LOVE getting lost in the pages. I use tons of paints, inks, sprays and this nifty little rolling tray is fab. I got mine from Sams Club for under $30 and it has made a HUGE difference in my progress. Just roll that little baby around everywhere!

Here is a view of one wall in my studio. The desk is an old school teachers desk and weighs a ton! Garage sale, 10 bucks baby! The best part are the trays that slide out on both sides, an additional work surface or place to lean. Love this desk. Below I have old filing drawers for more supplies, jewelry making plyers, scissors, photos and my art crayons, pencils, Geletos and my FC PITT pens. Everything is close for easy access. And yes, my chair has seen much better days. Hubby wants to get me a new one, but it's comfy and I can draw on it, lol.

I love the atmosphere created by fairy lights. To the right is an old house porch light that my husband fixed for me. It is just too cool.

Every woman needs a space of her own. When I first got married, I didn't have one and it really made me sad. I know I am so fortunate to have a husband that supports my creativity, and a wonderful place to call my own and create. It is my therapy, keeps me somewhat sane, and has brought me to a wonderful community of amazing friends, swaps, shared moments of life and art. My bedroom now hosts my feminine treasures from art swaps and local hunts. The walls are covered, the fairy lights are hung, and it is another wonderful space that came from lots of people creating. I will share pictures of that another day.

I hope you have your spot of your own. Thank you so much for stopping by. I would love for you to comment so that I know you were here. Thanks to Karen Valentine of My Desert Cottage for hosting these amazing events for all of these years. Now I'm off to see where other bloggers create! XOXO