Well, it's done! I finally cleaned and re-organized my stamping cave! I have to tell you that took some doing and I'm sure it won't take me long to pig it up again! I've always enjoyed seeing how other gals have organized their craft rooms. Hopefully something in mine will help you with yours! There is a slide show with more pics on the right side towards the bottom if you want to see more.
I want to share how the Cave came about. First I want to make sure everyone understands that I was not a SU demonstrator when the cave took shape. I have been stamping since 1986 so some pictures will contain items not sold by SU.
When Jim and I first married we lived in a mobile home. I used the tiny guest room as a place to store all my craft stuff and when I wanted something it was a nightmare to find and I worked at the kitchen table. We moved into our new ranch home in October of 1998. In 2001 we decided to turn half of the unfinished basement into a family room, hunting closet,laundry room, storage room and a craft room. If it wasn't for Jim's wonderful capabilities of being able to do just about everything (except lay the carpet) we probably wouldn't have stood the expense and I would have a cement block corner to create in. Jim did all the work himself studding the cement walls, hanging & finishing the drywall, building cupboards, installing counter tops and so on. At the conception of the room I sewed more than I stamped so I was thinking sewing area and a desk for stamping. I certainly out-grew the desk! The doors to the cupboards and some of the drawer fronts are doors from cupboards from my our camp (Mom,Dad's & ours) camp. Jim and Dad re-built camp and re-did the kitchen. Jim couldn't see scrapping the doors so he saved them to "speculate" on. What a savior that was to have them already to go. He cleaned them up and put a new top coat of that clear stuff on them to spruce them up.
My dad made the
shadow-box for me for Christmas in 2007. I simply love it! The shelves are removable so if I have large stamps I can pull out the shelf. It's simply beautiful! I keep all my "contraband" stamps on these shelves. I'm hoping to get another one. . hint, hint. . . to put above my grandmother's cedar chest on the wall with the clock.
The Punch Rack and Stamp Pad caddy thing Jim made. He made the Stamp Pad thing four years ago and said he would never make another one! It was a lot of cutting and fitting. He used all scrap wood. We laugh about the most expensive piece on it is the swivel base he paid like $9.00 for it! The punch rack he just built this winter (2008). I love it! I was all set to buy kitchen rods from Ikea and when I asked him about it and what he thought about hanging them up and where he said "well, I can do something better than that and it would match the wood" and the Punch Rack was born!
The table and chairs I bought two years ago (2007) when Jim went bear hunting. Fun things happen when he's hunting! I had a cutting table that folded up against the wall. I wanted a more homey atmosphere so if friends came over to create we would have a space to sit. The sides come up to make a round table. (The cutting table went to the laundry room) I love it!
My favorite tool area is the Big Shot / Sizzix area. This is where the big mess usually is. When I get into a die cut project I usually end up with my four drawers / color groups out and have pieces every where. So much creativity. . . so little time! I also store some retired stamp sets in the cupboard to the right of the machines.
I hope you enjoy the pictures and get some storage ideas. Oh, one thing I didn't really take a photo of is how I store my card stock. I have a hanging file long tote. I put hanging file folders in it and have them organized per SU color group. It works for me. For scraps I use one of those plastic stack - letter size 3-drawer units. I have two units each drawer is for a color group, plus white/ivory and the last for scraps of DSP.
Again, I can't thank, my wonderful husband, enough for giving me my own space! SWAK!!
