Welcome to the blog for Ali's Craft Studio by Alison Lloyd. I am a crafter of peelable stained glass designs & handpainted keyrings and I look forward to sharing with you my news direct from Kent (the Garden of England)

Make sure you visit the shop at www.studiocrafts.net to purchase your own handmade decorations to bring fun and colour into every corner of your home

Pages

Monday 16 January 2012

Ali's Craft Studio

I often get asked where my studio is.   Well, it is at my home and is part of the converted extension space where the garage used to be.   The garage was, to be quite honest, a little less than useless - it was too narrow to fit the car in and ended up being a junk space!   So, a decision was made some years ago (actually before Ali's Craft Studio was born) to knock it down (before it fell down) and create a home office, downstairs toilet/shower room and additional bedroom as well as extend what was a very small kitchen.

At the time I actually worked from home for a publishing company but when I left there and started my own little business, the space was already built and it was perfect!

There have been many times when I wanted to do a post about my little studio - which I love by the way (just as well as I spend the majority of my time in there!) - but just the thought of pointing a camera and actually showing the mess in there seemed more than I would like to subject anyone to...  No really,  I like you all and there are some things you shouldn't have to see!!

Well, roll forward to the quieter period just after Christmas and a major studio revamp was called for!   So, with the help of my long suffering hubby, furniture was rearranged and bag after bag was filled with stuff for recycling and even more bags with broken/unwanted 'stuff' appeared & were left for our brilliant bin men!  

Honestly, it was unbelievable how much there was.  Remember the children's story - the Magic Porridge Pot where the pot just keeps filling and filling until it overflows and everything gets buried because they just can't stop it - the stuff just kept on coming!   I don't know where it all was hiding as the room and bin bags filled up but the space didn't seem to be getting any clearer.

Two days and many hours of sweat and cursing later (there were quite a few occasions when I wanted to give up and just shut the door, I can tell you!) Eureka!!  The revamp was finally complete....

So, from left to right as you step into the room, you have:

1. Reference Books, Paints, Colour Swatches, Printer, etc all in a neat and tidy bookshelf (Plenty of advertising signs ready for use too...)
Spot the artistic Winnie the Pooh?
2. Drying shelves, files more drying shelves...

3. The desk where all the magic happens - complete with one of my two trusty helpers and the TV in the corner which keeps me sane and the electric heater underneath which keeps me toasty in the winter!

So, whilst I haven't really been creating much that is new this week - the new studio layout makes me feel very organised and I am really glad that I didn't leave it until February which was the original plan.  It hasn't all been clearing out stuff though, a full stock check has now also been completed (see, I haven't been doing nothing!) so I am now ready to get the creative wheels spinning again.

I have had another order for a larger design - these really are proving popular...  This particular one was made to match some beautiful stained glass in an existing door and my customer has promised to send me some photos when it is in place so I will keep that for a future post...

Make sure you check out Handmade Monday to see what everyone has been up to this week.

Oh, and don't forget - the Sale is still on over at my website.  Some of the items will be discontinued after it ends so head on over and grab yourself a bargain!!

10 comments:

  1. Nooooo! Far too tidy and organised... * pulls door of dining room firmly shut* Yep, mine is just like yours... in my dreams :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't worry Ros, "tidy and organised" were two words you definitely wouldn't have used before the clearout!!

      Delete
  2. Oooohhh so neat and tidy and a stock check completed. I have been promising myself (and Richard) that I will clear out and tidy the room I use for my biz. Er, unfortunately, that promise seems to have fallen by the wayside or perhaps I only imagined I had said it. But I now feel so guilty I will have to get on with the BIG tidy up or never darken a Blog doorstep again. Hope you have a good week.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That looks a great place to work in, I don't have a 'dedicated' area, I just spread myself around the house and have to remember to reign myself in on occasions. Thank you for your lovely comments on my blog, when it comes to the cold then bribery is the way to go :o)

    Jan x

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ali it looks really good! Very organised and so worth doing. It must be great to have a designated space where you can keep everything together. (I'm a bit like Jan whereby I'm spread all around the house!) Mich x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh to be tidy and organised, I do try honestly but each new project brings chaos. Working in front of the window is such a great idea and I too have a hinderer, sorry fraudulent slip meant helper. Hope this will mean increased productivity have a great week

    ReplyDelete
  6. I always enjoy looking at other people's workspaces (I must be a closet nosey parker!!) and this post is just fab. Looks incredibly well organised now. I am envious of those drying shelves. Mine need a good sort out!

    ReplyDelete
  7. My studio, is that I moved into my partners ceramic studio - I think I have driven him out, but all his things still remain so I will not be publishing any photos.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh that's wonderful, organization is the best thing. Now, if I can just accomplish it! You rock!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your studio looks fabulous so cosy and 'organised' complete with cat in perfect pose:) Hope this year is as successful as last for you

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to comment on my blog xx