Happy Mail- my first ever

For those of you who don't know what happy mail is, it's fun mail of loveliness that someone sends you and that you didn't purchase or swap for. I have received this kind of mail before from my family, but never from a fellow blogger or from overseas. 

I received this happy mail from Singapore from Cathy Ward. She had a blog giveaway from the Where Bloggers Create Blog Hop and I happened to be one of the recipients of her lovely gifts from her travels around the world. Check out her blogs for some lovely travel adventures and crafty goodness. 

www.donaldandcathy.typepad.com/ma_vie_trouvee

www.theXtraSuitcase.com

She sent me a beautiful and fun selections from both Asia and France to play with. Can't wait to play with the goodies, thank you Cathy! 

Confession:

Ok so all the lovely comments I received from the Where Bloggers Create post are making me feel a bit like a fraud. Ok I confess I did clean up my room for my photos. While I am "organized" I tend to create with everything on my desk and only a small space left to actually work. It doesn't matter how large of a table I work at its always the same thing. 

So I'm learning to embrace this messy part and just go with it. I also start several projects before finishing any of them and I don't clean up after each one either. Everything sits on my desk in a bin where I can periodically rummage through it. You never know if that itty bitty scrap of lace would be perfect on the next card...

The other balsa boxes

Here are the other 4 boxes. I hope you like them. I didn't go too over the top on my first try with them. But I can see that I will clear out the next batch that lands at Michael's!

Altered balsa box

I've been altering five of the cute $1.50 balsa boxes that Michael's periodically carries. I painted them all first with gesso, then acrylic paint in an antique white. Then I decoupaged the paper with matte gel and crackle painted the sides of the boxes. 

Then the fun part of embellishing each box. Here is the first box:

Where Bloggers Create 2013

So my creative space is getting there. It's still not decorated, but I can create and function in this space so that is all that is really necessary. The rest is just frosting right?

We moved here last October after some remodeling work, so while everything is "finished" I have still been in rearranging mode until I get everything just right. Then I will finish my decoration. I just rearranged the furniture again a few weeks ago, so this deadline was perfect for me to get everything put back together and out of the spare bedroom.

I have a "paper station" where my father-in-law built a table and shelving into the closet to my specifications. I have had problems storing 12x12 paper in the past. It always overhung my shelving so it was always a source of contention for me. He also ran electricity into the closet so that I can use the Cricut right there where the paper is located. This is my "dry" station. No glues, paints, inks, water, etc are allowed in this area. I also store all of my photos and other electronics on the upper shelving.

Then we go to the Stamp/Fabric/Jewelry storage area. My father-in-law also built this storage unit to my design. He built the base and used some of my existing shelving for the top unit. In the canvas bins is my extensive stamp collection (I sold Stampin Up for several years). Plus my ribbon collection (3 of the bins). My sewing machine is located here as well as all of the related sewing supplies. I also have my jewelry making located here. All of my beads, chains, and tools are in this area. I still have yet to get my workbench in the garage and have my power tools for my jewelry set up (fall project after we are below 100* again).  I like to have different workstations for different types of work.

 

Then lastly my "wet" area is two Ikea Expidit small bookcases with a glass top table. This is perfect for my inks, sprays, paints, glues, and anything else messy. It cleans up very nicely and has lots of storage. I also have this great metal cabinet that stores my supplies and ephemera, bling, embellishments, and all manners of fun stuff. I found this cabinet at a garage sale one day and it was an ugly mauve/brown color and full of junk from someones workshop. My friend, Blanca, and I loaded it up in her van and toted it home. Needless to say my husband was less than happy that I brought home more junk and another project to do. He make me store it outside and on several occasions he threatened to haul it to the dump. After all I had only spent $20 on it. But I prevailed and kept it away from him. I painted it with black chalkboard paint. After I moved it in and set it up, he admitted to me that was probably the best piece of storage for me and my needs! Ha!

 

Enjoy my space and don't forget to join the bloghop over at MyDesertCottage.com.