From Craft Room to Studio, New Card-making Venture

My craft room finally feels like it’s turning into a studio now that I’ve started making note cards in it.  I recently reorganized my space out of necessity, and the reorg finally makes sense now that I’m using my workspace to create note cards—I knew I’d had a (subconscious) reason for this set-up!  And I feel so much more creative when I’m in this space.  There was a time when I used to lug my crafting supplies and materials out into the living room to spread out on the coffee table.  But now I just want to stay inside my new creative space and never leave, even when it’s after midnight.  After living in this house for nearly five years, this is an awesome feeling!

  

And let me tell you about this space.  It’s not much—just 150 square feet of a strangely shaped spare bedroom that I share with my computer desk for my real job and a bunch of yarn, crafting supplies and items I don’t have room for in other parts of the house.  Like the little student desk and chair I’ll refinish for Nathan this fall, and a stray end table that has no where else to go.

I use Nathan's still-unfinished desk as a staging area for laying out my stamping supplies, and use the display sideboard as a gluing station for ceramics. Baskets hold yarn, needles and unfinished objects (UFOs), and smaller boxes underneath hold cross stitching and embroidery works in progress (WIPs).

I decorated my space in soothing shades of green with nature artwork that inspires me, and I’m planning to make a bulletin board where I can tack pretty pieces of paper, cardstock, ribbon and other little findings that will inspire my designs.  I keep a calendar of birthdays nearby so I’m always at the ready, and all of my card-making supplies are in little plastic drawers within arm’s reach from my craft table.

The draws on my shelf on in this little cart are helpful to have, but I really pine for a ScrapBox.

When I walk by my craft table with cards-in-progress placed oh-so carefully (okay, strewn about), I get excited about them all over again.  I love them so much!  And I hope others do, too, as I’ll soon start selling my handmade note cards in my catch-all of an Etsy shop.

Here’s a sneak peek at my latest set:

This isn't actually a complete set, because two of the cards are so similar.  I'd like to make two more cards to make this a set of five.  I try to do something special to each envelope to make it unique and match the card it's paired with.  One envelope is lined with coordinating paper; others have embellished flaps.

Right now I’m on a birds, owls and butterflies kick, but I have some neat ideas for a line of seasonally inspired cards that I can’t wait to get started on.  Oh, and I’m thinking about making gift tags for people to attach to their handmade gifts.  I don’t mean for my crafts-food-nature-and-home blog to be so card-heavy right now, but I’m super excited about my latest craft… how can one not be?

Knitters, don’t despair—I’m finalizing and testing my newest pattern, and I can’t wait to launch it, most likely by the end of this month.  I’ll provide a sneak peek on Wednesday’s Yarn Along!

I’ll share more information on my note cards as my first sets hit the shop—but I promise not to overwhelm this space with cards.  After all, handwritten notes are just one facet of creating a family home… And I have so much more to talk about and share!