MORE FROM THE CRAFT ROOM and FIRST PROJECTS

 I finished up in the craft room today.  I needed to make a card today for a friend and so that gave me the impetus to finish it up.

The main thing I needed to work on was the ironing board which had become a gathering place for items that still needed a home.  I also had a box in the living room that needed to have a home found for its contents.  Homes were found for all and here now is a view of my sewing area.  I can't wait to do some sewing in it. I will do so before the weeks end!  Even if it is only one seam. I am so loving my new craft room.

Like I said in the beginning of this post I needed to make a card today.  One of the emails I got today told me of the death of  the husband of a friend of mine in Maryland.  I didn't have any sympathy card in my stock inventory so a card making session was in order.  I have a favorite set that I go to when I need sympathy cards.  It is Close as a Memory from Stampin' Up.  I have other stamps I use but this is my go to set when I just want to card to come.  I love it!  It probably sound a bit strange, but I think sympathy cards are about my favorite cards to make.  While making them I pray for and think a lot of the person or family I am making them for.  I find making sympathy cards more than just a creative endeavor.  It is a very personal and meaningful one.  I also love doing the flower image on watercolor paper using my Stampin' Write markers to color the stamp, then I spritz it with water using my mini mister.

I didn't want the only card I made today to be a sympathy card so I also made a Thank You card.  I have many Thank Yous to send out.  So many people were so generous with their support before I left Maryland and I do want to thank them all.  I made the first of my Thank You cards today as well.  It's fall and so I pulled out one of my favorite fall sets  Serene Sunflowers also from Stampin' Up. This card was going to a very special friend and I love the sentiment that comes with the set.  It reads: "True friends grow separately without growing apart".  I stamped this on the inside of the card. 

I used several techniques in  the making of this card.  One was thumping which I used on the center of the sunflower.  I inked up the center stamp with Close to Cocoa and then thumped the stamp with Chocolate Chip. I also added some bronze stickles to the center to give it a bit of dazzle and sparkle. The sunflower itself I inked in Mores Mustard and then using my Stampin' Write markers colored over the bases of the leaves with Bravo Burgundy and Pumpkin Pie.  I think this gave some depth to the flower.  In order to put on the stem and leave I used the masking technique. 

I was so happy to be back in the stamping and card making mode.  It's been a very long time.  I look forward to doing more soon. After all I need lots of more Thank You cards. 

NEW VIEWS OF CRAFTROOM

 That mess from the previous post is pretty much put together now.  I like the way it turned out and look forward to spending time in the room creating.  One frustration I have is that I've unpacked everything except for China cabinet boxe3s and I am not finding any of my 12x12 card stock and even worse I haven't found any of my nestabilities!  I can't imaging that they were left back in MD but sure don't have a clue where they are.  The card stock I can deal with, but I want my nesties!!!!!

Here are two views of the craft room.  The first was taken while standing in front of the ironing board and looking into the closet. You can see the new home of my Horizon 7700.  I can sew and then turn around and iron without too many steps.  The rotary cutting will be a different matter.  I think I will need to use the top of my stamp table for that.   I love the white storage cubes.  I think they look really nice and they really do help with keeping things organized.  I am going to label the drawers so I don;t have to keep pulling them open to see what's in them.  Label makers are wonderful things.

The second picture is of the stamping area.  Yes I know I have way too much stuff, but I plan to use it all one time or another.

First thing up is making lots of Thank You note to send to my wonderful friends up in Maryland who gave me such encouragement and a wonderful send off. 

I purposely didn't take a picture looking back at the ironing board.  It still has a pile of things on it that I know where they are going but just ran out of steam.  Tomorrow I will finish that off and take a picture of that corner of the room.  One thing I still need for this room is a waste basket.  That blue basket is a paper recycling container.

A WORK IN PROGRESS

I am into my new home in FL.  At the moment I am still working on the unpacking.  I am being challenged by having to fit what was in three rooms into one.  Well one and a small walking closet.  Fortunately for me the master bedroom has two closets so the smaller one has become a craft closet for sewing supplies, fabric and other non-paper craft items.This picture shows the side of the room that will be used for me quilting and sewing.  Not much space but I think it will work.  As I said I have to store the fabric else where.  So its in the bedroom closet. We'll see how it works but I really don't have any choice.  There's just no space in this room for it.

 This will be my stamping and scrapbooking part of the room I've had to go up and will also try and make some things accessible under the tables.  All my paper crafting items and supplies are stored in this room.  That's why there is not room for fabric. 

When I get things all in place I will take some more pictures and then I can begin creating.  It's been so long since I have had the time or desire to sew or stamp.  I can't wait to get back to it.