In the Studio with Cate

Giveaway Winner Announced

2010-05-17T21:23:00Z

AmongTheseHills is the winner of the Nantucket Bagg and goodies!

Her name was randomly drawn by by number.

Email me at cprato@interweave,com with your address by Thursday, May 20 and we'll send out your stuff. Congrats!

I loved all the ideas for summerizing your studio. Send me pictures at the email address above!

Studio Goodies from Brimfield Flea Market

2010-05-14T21:05:00Z

Just got back from a day trip to the gigundo flea market that is Brimfield (Massachusetts) and I have goodies to share. Well, OK, pictures of goodies.

I was on a mission to find quirky storage and organization containers and furniture as well as displays of stuff you could use in your art while you're in your studio. If I got to spend eight hours fondling vintage textiles and rusty-crusty Victorian keyholes, and buttons that looked like candy in the process, please do not feel sorry for me. I did it all for you.

So, without further ado, here are a few of my best finds of the day.

Finally, I was completely taken by this patchwork wall of rusting corrugated metal. It served as the backdrop for a "booth" of salvaged materials that included a terra cotta globe that had once been signage, a "stairway to nowhere," fabulous iron grates and railings, and a jumble of other myriad odd parts. An assemblage artist's dream!

Cloth Paper Scissors editors Jenn and Barbara are going to Brimfield tomorrow, and I'm sure they'll want to play show and tell with their finds on the Cloth Paper Scissors community. So be sure to check back to see what they discovered.

If you have pictures of your own fabulous flea market finds that you now use in your studio, be sure to post them in our Studio Pix gallery.

Giveaway: You Can Take it With You!

2010-05-12T14:03:00Z

The Summer 2010 issue of Studios won't even be on newsstands until May 18, but we've already had such great feedback that I feel like celebrating.

People who now have the copies they pre-ordered from the Interweave Store have been raving about bright colors, the variety of studios, and the storage systems artists have put together. One reader even said she had "shelf envy" looking at Jodi Ohl's studio. Who wouldn't?

The Summer issue traditionally features an "art on the go" section as we know this season is a time for traveling, going on retreats, or just getting out to the beach or the park for some sunshine and alfresco sketching. One of the best items we've come across for traveling with art supplies--whether you sketch, paint, knit, crochet--is the Nantucket Bagg. It's reversible, it unzips to lie flat, it has a ton of compartments so you can easily find your supplies, and you can carry it as a tote or wear it as a backpack.

So, to celebrate the new Studios and summer, I'm giving away a Nantucket Bagg to one lucky commenter. Just tell me how you "summerize" your studio. Do you open the windows? Change the decor? Clean and de-clutter? Take your supplies outside to create? Change your creative focus (e.g. switch from fibery art to something less weighty, like paint)?

Start commenting today and I'll draw a winner Monday, May 17.

Follow Us @ StudiosMagazine and Putter

2010-04-27T14:34:00Z

Studios is now on Twitter! You can follow us for news, tips, tricks, and the occasional treat at StudiosMagazine.

I'd like to share something that I discovered while on vacation last week: The power of puttering.

In each issue of Studios, we talk about how to get organized, de-clutter, improve function, and decorate. But Studios is also about inspiration and dreaming. I can't count how many times artists end their articles with a version of "but most of all, my studio is my place to relax/dream/reflect/be myself..." The word "sanctuary" gets used a lot.

While at home last week I had planned to spend some time making art. Now that I've organized my studio, I was anxious to get in there and actually use the things I've been sorting and storing over the last several weeks. Also, my daughter is graduating soon and I want to create something to commemorate that. But I got sidetracked. My teenage girls were on vacation, too, and they did not rise before 11 each day, so I had the mornings to myself. I started by having a cup of coffee (or two) in my now spacious tea room where the sunlight streamed in. With no deadlines, no urgent emails, no lunch money to dig out of my purse or permission slips to sign at the 11th hour, I had time to ponder and to putter. Wouldn't that vase look better over there? What if I put a teacup on that stack of books? Don't I have a chair in the attic that would be perfect for that space?

I puttered from room to room, moving this, changing that, considering bigger changes when I have the time (and money). The freedom to let my mind and my feet wander without purpose actually helped me make decisions, come to conclusions, and make some creative discoveries. For example, after years of keeping my vintage linens in a tall cabinet I had bought just for the purpose, I decided it would please me if they had a little more room to spread out in the china cabinet. Unfolding and refolding all my tablecloths, stacking them one on top of the other, was mindless work but also allowed my mind to wander to the places where ideas live. The process gave me such a sense of well-being, not to mention how I feel looking at all that luscious vintageness afterward.

I saw how having time alone with one's thoughts and one's materials doing nothing in particular and with no specific goal in mind can have a profound effect on creativity. So the next time you're in your studio, don't do anything. Or, do something "mindless" like sorting beads or winding ribbons. It may be more productive than if you spent every moment of that time "making" something.

Where Did the Spring (Studios) Go?

2010-04-13T18:04:00Z

We're sending the Summer 2010 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors Studios off to press this week and I am both excited and relieved. Excited because this is one of our most colorful issues, with a wide variety of studios and a lot of new features thanks to our expanded format . Relieved because my studio is done at last--and I took it right down to the wire.

In fact, I was so immersed in the upcoming issue that I didn't notice something important--the Spring 2010 issue of Studios had sold out on our website! We were able to get some extra copies from the printer, so there are some now in the Interweave store, and you might still be able to find some in book and craft stores.

But the bottom line is, if you haven't gotten your hands on a copy yet, you better hurry. You don't want to miss 101 organization and storage tips, Elsie Flannigan's super-hip space, Susan Fabian's perfect playhouse or Jenn Mason and Shona Cole's tips for combining art-making with kids.

Be sure to check out our Online Extras for that issue, too.

In the meantime, here's a sneak peek of our Summer issue, on newsstands May 18.

The entrance to Caryn Duncan's art studio and teaching space:

A glimpse of glittering jewels that Lovey Johnson-Debrow uses in her mixed-media fabric and photo collages:

Julie Branch's upcycled china cabinet where she stores fabrics for her mixed-media fabric sculpture.

...more to come!

New Studio Sneak Peek

2010-04-02T18:38:00Z

I'm pretty excited about how my new studio space came out. It's much more functional, and I got everything sorted, organized, and put away.

I used a lot of your suggestions, plus ones from previous Studios issues. Thanks!

I can't reveal the whole thing here--or even where it is. You'll just have to buy the Summer 2010 issue (it will be on newsstands May 18 and available for pre-order in the Interweave Store soon), but I can give you a sneak peek.

That's it! That's all you get. You'll just have to wait until May to see more.

Stay tuned....

Winners: from My Studio Stash to Yours

2010-03-18T14:06:00Z

Luck of the Irish or luck of the draw? Either way, these people have won a stash of papers from my collection:

Lorelei Campbell

RikkiM

Carol.claytor

loulu_10

artist_angela

quiltcrazygirljennalouise2

Jeannie EVH

cindyl57

BRDGirl

ihannah

Send me your address at cprato@interweave.com and I will send you the papers.

Now, for my next trick...I am putting the final touches on the studio makeover this weekend and will give you a sneak peek next week.

Paperama Giveaway from My Studio

2010-03-15T14:34:00Z

So, if you have too much paper, what do you do? Give it away, of course!

I have 10 packets of papers--vintage, new, and found--for the lucky winners. What you see in the picture is just a sampling. Each packet will include at least 30 pieces.

All you have to do is a leave a comment stating your favorite studio or tip from a past issue of Cloth Paper Scissors Studios magazine.

I'll draw the winners on Thursday, March 18.

Let the commenting begin!

I Can Hardly Contain Myself - Studio Makeover

2010-03-03T19:33:00Z

So, I have been sorting, and sorting.

I learned long ago in previous attempts to organize aspects of my life that I am not a categorize-to-the-nth degree sort of gal. For example, my recipes are lumped into four categories: desserts, main courses, appetizers, and vegetables. The "desserts" section is the thickest, by far. But it doesn't pay for me to break it down into finer categories, because I spend too much time trying to remember whether the Oreo ice cream pie is filed in "cookies," "pies," or "ice cream." I might as well just throw them all in together and sort through them each time.

So, for the most part, I am not dividing my art and craft stuff into refined categories, and that is working for the big things:

Fabrics? No problem: fold the big pieces and put them on open shelving; contain the scraps in see-through bins.

Papers? You have all given me some great suggestions: flat files or drawers seem to be working best for me when it comes to sheets; rolls go in a high-sided tub or basket.

Buttons? Divided by color and put into Mason jars. I keep a pretty tray handy so I can spill the buttons out and sort through them (my favorite part) without getting them all over the place.

Yarns? In a big tote bag or two. I'll sort through them later.

Fiber trims? Roll up the long pieces and hold them together with ribbon or clothespins. The short bits that won't tangle too much get thrown into a glass jar higglety-pigglety.

But then we get to small found objects and papers, and things get tricky. My "just lump 'em together" solution doesn't really work here, because paper bits and trims get crushed. And "found" items are often one of a kind, or can't be categorized except in very small groups.

For example, I have a few doll parts (thanks to my daughters' Barbie destruction program) and a few interesting rusty bits, but not enough for a bin or drawer. And then there are all those little interesting items that might be useful at some point: the tiny mitten template I discovered in a cookie tin filled with sewing flotsam at a tag sale, or the rusty needle set I found in the back of a drawer; the needles can't be used, but together with the rust stain on the paper, they have a certain artistic je ne sais quoi.

All that potential labeling gives me the hives--but then, how to contain these objects, keep them safe from harm, and find them again when I need them?

Or, am I just keeping too much junk?

What's your advice? How do you organize and store your found objects?

The Studio Makeover Continues

2010-02-25T21:33:00Z

What great responses to my plea for help in getting my studio act together! I'm still reading them-and laughing at a lot of them-and I intend to consider each piece of advice.

I did want to show you pictures of the attic space. It's tough, because it's small and I'm shooting into the light from most angles. I spent some time there this past weekend sorting, tossing, reshelving, and thinking and have come to some conclusions.

1. I thought I had an excess of fabric, but in reality, my biggest problem is paper. I can't seem to pass up interesting postage stamps, vintage-looking wrapping paper, any vintage image, tissue paper, and any found paper with anything on it that looks remotely useable in some way at some time in the indefinite future. Having it is not really the problem though; the problem is how to store it. Still thinking about that and open to your suggestions.

2. I have some large pieces of vintage fabric that are wonderful (old teal velvet, thick-but holey-chenille bedspreads). But I am never going to use more than a pillow's worth. Should I cut it up? Sell or give it away? Wait until the kids head off to college and then re-decorate like crazy?

3. I do like the sunny, warm loveliness of the tea room. But I also like the solitude of the attic room. I may need to find a compromise, as many of you suggested.

Speaking of the attic room, here are the pictures. While I was up there, I considered that it might be a good idea the to use the room itself to work in, but to store many of my supplies in the main part of the attic, where there are some built-in shelves.

Here is the view from the door, before I did any reorganizing:

This is a view of my worktable, again "before":

Here is the worktable "after." It's not done, but at least I have some space to work on:

A view of the fabrics "after." Yes, after, because I don't actually like my fabrics in neat, color-coordinated piles (though I know that works very well for many people, particularly quilters). I prefer the serendipity of the haphazard juxtaposition.

Let me know what you think!

Coming Clean

2010-02-18T15:39:00Z

It's time to come clean. My "studio" has been a mess for more than a year. And not just a "middle of a project mess," either, but a "can't walk without tripping, can't find anything, bar the doors and call 'Clean House'" mess.

And, as long as we're in the confessional, I might as well admit that I have two studios: one in the attic that my husband painted and outfitted for me and another in our "tea room," aka the formal dining room turned "parlor," turned "Cate's stuff" room. They're both a mess.

Of course, as someone who is the editor of a magazine that, in part, shows you how to organize and make the most of your creative space, this is embarrassing.

As Exhibit A, I give you this picture of the "tea room."

It used to look like this:

Granted, when it looked neat and tidy, the room was not designated as the "creative" area, but more the "lovely spot in which to keep the antiques and pretend we're English" room.

No doubt, some cleaning, shedding, and organizing needs to be done. Messy and cluttered is one thing; unable to find what you need or get anything done is a different story. So, over the next few weeks, I'm going to be redoing my studio and you can watch the progress in this blog. The final result will be in the Summer issue of Cloth Paper Scissors Studios.

My dilemma is this, and here's where you can help me (I hope): Do I turn my "tea room" which is right off the entrance to the house and, in theory, the formal dining room, into the creativity room? Or, do I revert to my attic space that, while a quarter of the tea room space, already has some storage units in it and a vinyl floor?

Pro and cons of the spaces:

Tea Room
Pros:

On the main living space, close to water, food, people.
Large (about 14' square)
Sunny
Built-in china cabinet could provide storage

Cons:

Hardwood floors not craft-friendly
Right off the main living space
Needs more storage

Attic Room
Pros:

Quiet!
Away from family--I can hide up there
Craft-friendly surfaces
Already outfitted with some storage pieces

Cons:

Too hot in summer, very cold in winter (although I have a space heater)
Small
No easy access to water
Did I say it was small?

What do you think? Please leave a comment with your advice.

In the meantime, I'm going to think about what crafts I really care about and how I like to work. That will help me decide on how to organize. I'll also be perusing the 101 Organizing & Storage Tips in the new Spring issue of Studios. And, check out the online extras from this issue, too.

Now, I'm off to do some more sorting, and I'll show you some of the results of that next week. Who knows? A giveaway might come out of it.

Don't forget to leave your comments!

The Studios Giveaway Winner!

2010-02-09T15:23:00Z

Wow. When I set this giveaway challenge, I had no idea I would get so many different responses! They ranged from the spiritual to the practical. Frankly, just reading them makes me want to run to my studio and get started.

Of course, everyone who mentioned that flipping through issues of Cloth Paper Scissors, Studios, and Quilting Arts gets them in the creative zone won a special place in my heart. Flattery won't necessarily get you the giveaway prize, but it does make us feel like what we do here is meaningful to you.

Here are some of my favorites:

Deniseb1069: "I make a cup of tea, put on my apron, and turn on some music just loud enough to drown out everything else in the house-(smile)."

Fiona Mendel: "I find if I leave my piece set out in my room, when I open the door [next time] and see it I am inspired with what needs doing next! Often I see it in a whole different light."

Shishie: "The smell of fabric motivates me as soon as I sit down. I have swatches by the machine. I feel them, smell them and I am ready and know what I want to do."

Here, in no particular, are the Top 10 things that help you get into your creative zone:

1. Color
2. Music
3. Getting organized
4. Flipping through magazines
5. Nature (trees, landscape, looking out the window)
6. Relaxation or exercise (taking a walk, meditating in some form, being still)
7. Playing with fibers, papers, found objects
8. A routine: like making a cup of tea, closing the door, arranging supplies
9. Leaving out a work-in-progress or array of supplies to prime the pump
10. Having time and space to call your own

The biggest theme of all was how much you all enjoy going to your studio (whether it's the dining room table or a secluded room) to create and be who you are.

And now, for our winner:

FranYo, who said: "I make every effort to be a keen observer of the smallest details of my world each and every day. To get into 'the zone' in my studio workshop, I take the first few minutes before every session to sit in my favorite chair, relax consciously from my scalp to my toes, and allow images from my observations to enter my mind and creative senses-sometimes I visualize colors and textures which were beforehand not noted, sometimes it's patterns and far-off vistas. Other times it's sounds and memories juxtaposed upon the sensation of wind in my face or the fragility of a flower struggling to meet the sun. Whatever it is that comes to mind, it's mine uniquely and this inspires me for yet another day of creating in my studio!"

FranYo, please send me an email at cprato@interweave.com with your address, and the portable art kit and Spring Studios magazine will be on its way to you. Note: If I don't hear from you by Friday, Feb. 12, I'll pick a new winner.

Did Someone Say 'Giveaway'?

2010-02-05T18:54:00Z

It's about time we gave something away, isn't it?

I'm very excited, because the in-house copies of the new, supersized issue of Spring 2010 Studios just arrived in our offices. Not only does Brenda Brink's sunny studio on the cover make me happy, happy, happy, but at 148 pages, this issue made a satisfying "thunk" when it was dropped on my desk. That "thunk" is made by the 48 more pages of artist studios, organization and storage tips, and extra features we've packed inside.

It was a lot of work by the Studios staff and the 30-plus artists who contributed, but it was well worth it. The issue goes on sale on newsstands February 23, and it's available by pre-order from the Interweave Store now.

So, let's celebrate by giving something away, shall we? I've taken a compartmentalized tote from Creative Options and filled it with a copy of the new issue of Studios, plus some goodies from the Studios swag closet.

All you have to do is leave a comment between now and Monday, February 8 and midnight, EST, and tell me: What helps get you in the zone when you are in your studio? (You don't have to have a dedicated studio space to answer; just tell me what gets you going when you sit down to create.) Is it music? A color? The weather? A favorite movie or TV show? A person or pet? Your supplies? A ritual, like sharpening your colored pencils or putting on an apron)?

I will draw the winning name and post the winner here on Tuesday, February 9. Don't forget to check back to see if you won!

Put a Little Spring In Your Studio

2010-02-01T16:08:00Z

I don't know about people who live in milder climates during the months of November through March, but where I live, in New England, this is about the time I start itching for Spring. It doesn't help that old Punxsutawney Phil always seems to see his chubby little shadow on Groundhog's Day, signalling six more weeks of winter. Or that, in New England, it's more like 8-10 more weeks.

While I can't control the environment outside, I can control my indoor environment, which includes my sewing/craft studio. Unfortunately, it has become so overstuffed and neglected over the winter that I wouldn't be surprised if old Punxsutawney Phil himself was discovered in there, hibernating under the fabric scraps, canvases, balls of yarn, and teetering stacks of found papers. So, I'm on a mission to clear out, organize, and freshen up my studio space.

I'll be posting my progress here (with embarrassing "before" pictures). But for today, I wanted to give you a sneak peek of our super-sized Spring 2010 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors Studios.

There's Brenda Brink's black, white, and yellow studio that she reclaimed from a dark, dirty theater building with sweat equity and vision. Brenda's studio graces our cover.

Then one of my favorites, Holly Stinnett's "jewel box" of a creative space, all robin's egg blue and baby pink. It's like a visual cream puff.

The Spring issue includes 148 pages with more than 30 artists' studios, plus a special feature on organization and storage tips, "get organized!" sidebars, tips and suggestions for creating a studio for kids (and for working with them underfoot), Studio pets, a great office chair makeover, and a whole lot more.

How about you? Why don't you post pictures of your studio in our gallery, upload a video tour, and by all means send a query to us to see about publishing your creative space in Studios? Send your query to studios@clothpaperscissors.com.

From Rural Mexico to a Rental with Style: In the Studio with Sew Liberated's Meg McElwee

2010-01-29T19:24:00Z

Until July 2008, Meg McElwee was a Montessori teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Mexico. McElwee launched her sewing line, Sew Liberated, while living in Mexico and she now lives in Durham, North Carolina, with her husband and son, Finn. She writes about her adventures with fabric, thread, and motherhood at SewLiberated.typepad.com and is the author of the new book by the same name, Sew Liberated: 20 Stylish Projects for the Modern Sewist (Interweave, Dec. 2009). Now heeerrre's Meg... give her a big "Studios" welcome! --Cate

L ike most crafters, I had dreamed about the ideal studio long before it became a reality. Unlike most crafters, I did most of my pining for a beautiful sewing space while I was living in an adobe house in the mountains of rural northern Mexico. I spent three years living there while teaching three to six year-olds in a one room Montessori schoolhouse. I shared my sewing space (a small table) with my husband's office, which happened to double as our bedroom. It was tight!

As soon as we moved back to the U.S., we looked for a rental that would have enough space to house my creative exploits. I moved in my humble piles of quilting cotton, got myself a “real” sewing machine and serger (I have Berninas – an Aurora 430 and a 1300 MDC), rolled up my sleeves and painted the spare bedroom a bright and sunny aqua color (Sweet Rhapsody by Behr – the go-to color for studios, I tell you!)

The highlight of my space is the nine-foot-long table which we found while thrifting – my dear husband sanded it down and painted it white. The red cube storage on top of the table we finished ourselves after purchasing in on the cheap from a local unfinished furnishings store. The cubes hold my quilting cottons, organized by color.

Finally, no studio tour would be complete without a nod to these two felines who love the view from the window (our neighbors have several bird feeders in their backyard). They love fabric just as much, if not more, than I do! They quickly take up residence on any stray piece of fabric – especially what I'm sewing right now!