Hello and Welcome Blog friends. So happy to have you visit once again for the 3rd annual party to visit Where Bloggers Create. This is my third time to participate and this year I have some changes and additions to share from my toile studio.
Yes, I still have the toile and it still inspires me each day. You may remember from past WBC, the source for my studio design was from the talented and creative FiFi O'Neil who did her own studio in black toile and it was a feature in Romantic Country a few Springs ago.
With the room rearranged to be more workable, I have a new area to design and write, finish paperwork and positioned to view my gorgeous roses right outside the studio windows.
To be organized is very important to me and I seem to work better when I am not in the middle of a mess as to where supplies are. I have heard it said, this goes against the grain of an artist, but I'm one who just has to have my supplies straight and organized to move forward.
That doesn't mean this space is neat all the time. Just the opposite, in fact, it gets messy and upside down as can be, most of the time. Yes, it is a real working studio with paint brushes galore, water bins, paper towels about and on some days, lots of confusion! But, I love every minute of it, clean up and start all over again.
Finding different and unique ways for storage is always something I am on the lookout for and a few months ago I found a hanging jewelry bag which is perfect for bits and pieces to create with on each side.
Another storage cabinet is fashioned from an old floor standing jewelry box with paint holders and vintage style jelly cabinet. Big old mayo jars hold lots of trims, easily visible.
I call this treasure my "House of Paints" which is a house shaped shadow box my father made for me about 20 years ago. It holds nearly 200 bottles of paint, easy to see and handy.
On the back wall, I have cabinets which also hold tons of stuff and above those cabinets even more stuff in coordinating file boxes. You see, I have lots of stuff to create with, but it's all organized stuff. You get my stuff? LOL~~ LOL!
Before this room was my studio, it was a third car garage, converted, so the bank of cabinets covers the sealed garage door. Except for the garage door runners, you would never realize it was a third car garage converted. It really never held a vehicle for I claimed this space when we first moved in this home nearly 16 years ago.
Vintage large pink lazy susan holds many paint brushes ready to swing ~~ all placed in my love for Lucy mugs.
The Paris cup holds my favorite brushes ready to create with!
My sweet Miss Beazy Lee wants to say hello. She is waiting for her little window lizard friend to visit her today. I hope he comes to say hello. It is very HOT here in Texas.
~~One of my favorite quotes was said by my father many years ago. He said, "Find what you love to do, and you will never work another day of your life"So I hand painted this quote above the wall of windows here in my studio.
I see it daily as I create, remembering, doing what one truly loves is a joy and pleasure, a blessing and gift from God. It hardly seems like work. The quote continues across the wall above the windows and chandy.
Paint shirts hang from a vintage coat stand and of course, a Texas studio must have a pink Cowgirl Hat with a Crown! and the crown lights up too!
This special place to create is full of art and music, keepsakes stored in pink rose cases and a Dream board for holding momentos. Yes, this girlie girl loves La Job!
Of course with any business, there has to be a place for the computer work, tending the shoppe and blogging. So my desk area and office machines fill a wall by the door with under and over cabinet storage for paperwork and supplies.
Now moving on, I'll take you to a few more areas that have become additions to my creative space with much needed room to grow.
As we take one last look here~~
We leave this room, past my store room that holds many treasures waiting for a redesign. A storage room where my treasures found on junkin trips will live before they reach my creative space.
As we walk past the store room, we will also pass by my little shipping department. The place my creations stop before they leave for another home.
And, before pretties get wrapped and shipped, the newest treasures will line the shelves in my etsy shoppe right here. I call this "La Cottage Closet" full of hand painted and created treasures for the home and gift giving.
Our last stop takes us to my newest area for creating. I think of this as my extension to my studio being just a few steps away from where I paint.
It is for sewing, creating, planning and also holding lots of storage in unique ways.
I am just beginning to put this space to the best use as I add new designs to my line in the coming year.
I love this old vintage printer box to hold thimbles, next to a gorgeous toile paper doll made by my friend and blogger, the talented Marie Antoinette. Shelves full of supplies, inspirational books and design board with handy tools easy to reach. The toile pillow bed under the work table is for Miss Beazy. Of course she has to have a designer bed, right?!
More storage drawers underneath the work table with toile panels, which I created to neaten the clutter.
A new and useful much needed sink my Best Guy built. It is wonderful to clean paint brushes and make tea stained lace and has lots more storage underneath.
A romantic and French inspired area for storage with pull down ironing board and corner cabinet to hold decorative treasures. Altered art glass canisters and more collector thimbles. Some I collected and others I hand painted all live here. The sign above reads "Our Family is BLESSED by the grace of God"
We've come to the end of my creative space party tour and Where this Blogger Creates.
I so enjoyed having you visit to share in a bit of my world. Before I get back to some designing, I invite you to visit Karen our awesome hostess, at My Desert Cottage where she has the list of participants this year on her right sidebar. Many bloggers have shared their studios and creative spaces. It will probably take the rest of the summer to visit everyone. How fun it will be to see the special places used to create. Thank you Karen for all you do to make this day so special for all those sharing their creative space. And, I want to say a special thank you to my wonderful husband and son for all the support you give me in my artful and creative journey. Because God blessed you, you have blessed me to enjoy a journey that is my pure joy.
Also, a big thanksgiving to my many wonderful customers throughout the years. You have encouraged, inspired and brought me more joy then you will ever know. You have truly blessed me and given me wings to soar.
Until we meet again, I'll be creating, painting, designing, filling the shelves of my rose inspired shoppe and having fun not working.
Love from Texas and Celestina Marie
"Find what you love to do, and you will never work another day or your life" Thank You Dad!
Where Bloggers Create 2011.
