For the past several weeks, I’ve been sharing some photos of my craft space (my “fungeon”). Along with these photos, I’ve provided some organizing tips. I’ve stressed over and over that my craft space is not perfect – and it does not look like this at all times. It’s not in total chaos, but it’s not always as clean and organized as the pictures show. I don’t want to mislead, but I also want to always put my best foot forward. Does that make sense? Good. Well, today, I’m going to share a couple more pictures and share a couple more tips, BUT…I’m also going to share a picture of my space from last week. DON’T LOOK AHEAD. Take it all in first. 🙂
This is the middle shelf on my wall. I’ve shown you the shelves on the right side.
- These shelves are where I store my current stamp sets (a mixture of wood mount and clear mount). The clear mounts are in alphabetical order, and the wood mount are sorted by the size of the stamp set case. I labeled each of the wood mount sets with my handy dandy label maker – I will not squint at the cases to find the one I want. 🙂 I split the clear mounts onto two shelves to split up the sets a bit.
- I also keep my Stack & Store Caddies on the top shelf. Each of the containers on the caddies are also labeled with my label maker. Easier reference. The left caddy has current accessories, while the right one is filled with retired items.
Just to right of the shelves is this industrial shelf where I keep my paper, DSP, scraps, Big Shot and paper trimmers. My sponges and daubers are stored on the wall to the left, and when things are “put away”, the paper cart is stored here. Oh! and there’s my handy dandy label maker! Since this picture was taken, I have moved my stamp pad caddy to this shelf. 
I shared my tips for the paper cart in a previous post (click here) and for organizing my sponges and daubers (click here).
Have I lost my mind?
You asked. I deliver. In the interest of being real with you, I snapped a photo of my desk just before I left to go out of town last week. I show it to you so that you know it’s not always clean, but I also show it to you because it’s never been this messy before. I don’t know how it got this bad, but you can see bits and pieces of all the projects I’ve shown you lately. I’ve been working on the small space at the left side of this picture since the rest of this huge table is covered with STUFF!
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday, I’ll be sharing the rest of the swaps from my Valentine’s Day One-for-One Swaps. There are some real beauties here, so please come back to check them out!
Thanks for stopping by my blog today!
Brian
I always love to see how other crafters (and especially other demos) organise their space and their stash, so seeing yours has been great.
I live with the dilemma of being essentially a very organised person, but (try as I might) always ending up actually crafting in a tiny space on my large table, surrounded by stuff…much like your picture above! This happens even when I start a project with a clear table!?
I enjoyed seeing both the tidy and the busy sides of your crafting space!
Wow, looks like my desk right now, (just took a quick break to see what Brian has been up too). After years of paper crafting I accept this is the way it is, make a mess clean it up, start all over again. I once tried to keep it all tidy as I went, carefully putting things away after each use, but my creative flow ran off and hid in the closest, it wouldn’t come out for weeks.
Whoa, that never happens in my Studio. ….Just kidding! 🙂
Oh Brian, a craft room can’t be super neat all the time, if that was the case, then it’s not being used the right way. I also struggle with keeping my work table free of clutter but it’s impossible, specially when I’m working on something. Looking at YOUR work space full of STUFF makes me think it’s normal to see my work space full of stuff too. Thank you for sharing that picture, I know that must have been hard for you.
It’s so nice to see a busy desk! Your stamp place (the ‘fungeon’) is also like mine, the basement area! You have organized well and I am inspired to make my fungeon look as good as yours. Oh yes, my desk looks like yours, very real to me! It is really nice to see other craft spaces…I like the fact that yours reflects what most of us have. I do not have a dedicated space…so we make do with what we have! Thanks for sharing, I did pick up a few tips: gotta get a label maker, a rolling cart, and some more hanging files (like that idea), and what a great way to make use of the wall space!
Oh good, you are REAL….my table looks like that OFTEN!!! Thanks for sharing.
I just love seeing how other card crafters keep their “stuff” together . Thank you for the real side of creativity also, Brian….. The funny thing is to me is I have stepped back to look at my workspace after using everything but the kitchen sink ….and it looks like your “real” photo….and realize it took all that and I made all that “mess” just to make one card !!!! But….that`s the fun of it …and I agree with Susan…in that if you stop to put everything back as soon as you use it ….you kinda lose your “MoJo” Thank you …I even went back to refresh on your past reveals ….I`m good like that !!!
SIMPLY LOVE your BUSY work surface. It shows us that you are wide up to exploring and that when the creative bug “HITS YOU”…..you simply have to ‘GO WITH IT”.
My work surface starts neat and clean…….finishing up like a war happened on it…but ALWAYS has to be cleaned up when I end my day. It’s not possible for me to walk away from a HOLY MESS and go relax (knowing that’s back there waiting for me). If I’m not finished with my project I try my best to straighten up….but over-all…..I try to keep everything picked up and put away. NOW…Having said that…..I’ll forward you a picture of my next CREATIVE TIME! Thanks for sharing!
How funny! My work table frequently morphs imto a mess like that! When the actual “work space” is down to a square foot I have to stop everything and clean up!
I was just laughing at myself, realizing how often I have to SHOVE a bunch of stuff out of the way, just to have a teensy section of my table to stamp something! And it’s literally, grab handful and shove it away!
Hi Brian:
Evidently I missed the post where you showed how you kept your sponges and daubers. I love it! So now I need to buy some extra sponges and daubers and CASE your idea. I just have them stuck in a box and have tried many times to think of a way of identifying what color I have used on them.. Your little paper trick will certainly make things a lot easier. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) I have too many hobbies that all share the same space – quilting, stamping, knitting, embroidery so I truly do have to be organized. The biggest drawback to this is that many of my supplies are stored in cabinets where I don’t see them. The result is that I often forget and therefore don’t use much of what I have. I call it being “overly blessed”. Also, I have noticed that as I progress in stamping my style changes. For instance at one time I used the Stampin’ wheels all the time and now I find I haven’t used them in several years. Do I give them up to have the space for my “new” infatuation or hang on to them in case the urge to “roll” comes back? Every day I am thankful that these are the dilema’s I face……………I am very blessed. Thanks for sharing your ideas, they are more helpful than you know.
I’ve only read today’s blog post once on my phone, Brian! Organization is so much fun, I’ll need to read it, again, later on my laptop!
🙂
I hope to be back later with some comments and cheers!
Looks like my table after a stamping marathon! No matter how hard I try to stay organized, it always seems to end up messy! TFS!
This is great, Brian!!! Thank you for sharing your craft table as it is when you are creating! Your fun space is wonderful! My space is in and among our family room space…but I really need to clean out a spare bedroom, well an everything else room! And make it my craft space….much needed! Will still use kitchen table, fam and living room areas when my friends come to play, but easier to find stuff in the new space and have more usable in the fam room, Wish me luck….please!
Thanks Brian,
Now I feel better about my messy craftroom last night! I spent 30 minutes cleaning up after making Valentines.
Cindy
Oh!! I feel soooo much better now! I end up working on a tiny space on my desk too. And once I notice, I find it so irritating! I thought I needed a bigger table but after reading all the comments, I guess my table is just fine, and, I am normal, after all!! Lol!