A tour of my new studio/craft room

Welcome to my studio/craft room!

Let's enter the room to the left and move around clockwise, okee dokee?


Bookcase with my most-used books, including my NEW color theory and interior decorating books. The bookcase is the Billy from IKEA.


Teacup and apron collections.


Seating area. Scored the wicker chair at a garage sale for $7. The garden stool is my favorite color, I got it at Ross for about $30 (I was thrilled).


Artwork wall above the seating area, BEFORE I added more fun pieces! :)


And AFTER! "More is more" in this case! I scored the rose artwork for $5 on clearance at Target and the metal bike for $10 at Hobby Lobby to round out this wall. Yeeesss, the shadow box is still empty.


Another angle. With the 10-foot ceilings, we hung everything high. I think I like it! The little white shelf closely resembles my white chairs, I got it at Goodwill for less than $3.


Dresser and hutch. I took it out of the boys' bedroom. They don't need display space (or an excuse to climb up on the furniture).


Close-up of the tea station. I want to get a French press for my coffee-loving friends, too.


Hutch, screen and work table.


Day bed, temporary side table and new quilt. I was so happy to find a quilt that's pink and turquoise with a hint of green....WITH owls! I found it in the kids' department at Homegoods.


I love my IKEA day bed! It retailed for $99, is no longer available and I scored it on Craigslist for $75. I'd been eyeing it for several years and my husband got it for me as an anniversary gift in August.


Workspace and craft supplies. This table was a freebie from a friend that I painted green, then re-painted white. It's nice and big to spread out my projects, and to craft with a friend. I'm getting a lot more use out of my Southern Living at HOME silverware caddy now that I'm using it to hold art supplies and crafting tools. My boys enjoy sitting with me and coloring and drawing while I work, too, so I always keep their stuff accessible.


Crafting area with fabric and card-making supplies and Ott lamp. My photo storage boxes are indispensable for storing my craft projects (I've since added more). The framed cork board is from Homegoods. I'm going to use it to show clients potential color schemes.


I love the wicker "shelf" I found to display my favorite rubber stamps! It's easier this way for my friends to find the stamps they need for their projects, too (without digging through the ten pencil boxes I keep the rest of them in).


If you came in and closed the double doors, you'd see my bulletin board. This one will be purely functional so I wanted it to be hidden. As much as I'd love every square inch to look like a magazine, it DOES have to WORK!

And this room definitely WORKS!

I adore my new room! The wall color is "Tame Teal" by Sherwin Williams for anyone interested. Any other questions, just leave a comment!

Studio Sneak Peek

My space in our new house is going to be soooo much more than "just" a craft room so I'm trying to get use to calling it..."My Studio." Wait 'til you see this room! When we toured this house, my heart skipped a beat when I saw this space.

My wonderful hubby trimmed out the ceiling paint last night (while I was out galavanting with my mom at the mall!) and I'm waiting on him to do the baseboard before I load up my big pieces of furniture.

In the meantime, however, I am making some progress! Here's a sneak peek!


{studio seating area}


{fabric}


{tea tray}

I hope to reveal the whole thing (as a work in progress, of course) VERY soon!

"The Crafter's Haven" {feedback needed!}

Over the course of almost 15 years, I've dreamed of starting my own "brick and mortar" business, from opening an herb store to starting a Montessori preschool with my mom to running a tea room and gift shop. I think I've finally settled on a good idea, and I think there's a need for it.

Lately, I've been noticing a trend. Women NEED a place to go.

* Moms need a quiet place to go (that doesn't obligated them to spend $10 on food or $5 on a drink) to use their laptop, read a book, meet a friend, chat with a client or business associate, knit or just unwind.

{like this}



{or this}




* Crafters love to craft but rarely have a designated crafting space so they never get a project going or commandeer the dining room table for weeks on end with their project. Plus they may not have the tools they need to do what they want (like paper punches, a Cricut, a sewing machine, etc.).

{the one below caters to quilters and is located in Toronto}.



* Women want to teach something they know or learn something they've always wanted to know but don't have a place to do it. Someone loves teaching couponing but doesn't have anywhere to do it, or she's always wanted to know how to get her family on a cash budget but doesn't know where to go to learn.

* Ladies want to do things like host a direct sales home party, start a Bunco club, throw a kid's birthday party, etc. but don't want to use their own home because it means all the prep work of cleaning and preparing, plus kicking their family out for the night.

* Talented women are already crafting but don't have anywhere to market or display their wares. Or maybe they want to set up an Etsy shop but need someone to sit with them to teach them.

I want to offer a place to accomplish all of this!!

{like this}



Here's my vision.

"A Crafter's Haven."

It would be girly, bright, colorful, clean and welcoming.

This space resembles what I have in mind (a conveniently-located store-front in a strip mall, easy in and easy out, where you could drop in for ten minutes to grab a gift or spend an entire Saturday working on a project).



I've been inspired by designer Heather Bailey's studio for a long time. I would model my space after this clean, bright, colorful, girly look she has going.



I could help support fellow craftswomen with a consignment area of carefully selected handcrafted items, too {similar to picture below}.



To start with, we'd have a monthly calendar of events, from craft how-tos to practical classes on a wide range of women-specific topics.

The rest of the time would be "open studio time" where crafters could come in to work, using our supplies and machines, or bringing their own from home. We'd have plenty of space for cutting and piecing quilts, spreading out scrapbooking layouts or working on a craft project with a friend.

It would be a woman's home away from home. A spot to craft (paper crafts, needle crafts, sewing, quilting) and a place to sit and read a book (possibly like this)...



{except mine would have a blue tufted chair!}



...enjoy a beverage, chat with a friend, meet with a client, hold a meeting, host a party, teach a class or take a class.

{like this...and notice the coffee station on the right}



There would be a small semi-contained area for kids, too, so that moms have the option of bringing their children with them while they work (or play). Imagine something like the picture below, only with the picket fence around the perimeter....



...and lots of kiddy craft supplies!!



My passion is "putting women in their place" and I love the idea of helping women accomplish their goals and pursue their dreams, just by giving them some help, some tools and a place to do it. My business tag-line could be, "It's my business doing pleasure with you." Talk about mixing business with pleasure!!

{my space would be painted turquoise with plenty of white, too!}



As for me, this idea would incorporate every job I've ever had, all of my favorite things and all the stuff I'm already doing--just on a much bigger and more official scale!! I'd like to offer craft classes, of course, and fill custom craft orders but beyond that, I can see myself using the space for my own projects, like offering instruction on how to set up and run an Etsy shop, small business networking events, community fundraisers, party planning and much more!

Our biggest challenges now are finding a place, getting funding (duh!) and figuring out how to have the place actually make consistent money on a daily basis. I'm working on my business plan now and have already gotten prices on a few different store-fronts in south Phoenix. I'm excited! :)

I am looking for people to fill out an informal market survey for me! Interested?? E-mail me at tabandrew(at)hotmail.com with "survey" in the subject line. Thank you!!

My craft room!! {and Spring fabric flowers}

Seven months after moving in and with my Etsy shop in "vacation mode" so I can have a breather, I FINALLY have my craft room how I want it!! And I get to use and enjoy it just for ME!!

The bookcase of crafting supplies:



My craft table, with actual space to WORK! {but why do I usually end up working on the couch instead??}



Bookcase & SPRING banner I made {and, yes, I usually have company in there!}:



My helpers!



{notice that I re-covered the chairs in "Happy All Over" fabric, which matches the two fabric bins!!}



I enjoy working in here to much more now!!

SO MUCH in fact that I went on a little "flower making binge" last night!! A veritable garden!!! {under my Ott light, so the colors are very "true"}



QUITE CONTRARY fabric {love the pink and green, especially gingham}



{fun polka dots!}



From Raspberry Creek on Etsy Such yummy fabrics!!

SPRING STREET fabric {rain drops, birds, flowers--love it!!}



From Venezie Designs on Etsy Delightful to buy from!

E-mail me if you'd like to purchase anything, all flowers are $6 and can be made on a hair clip or brooch pin! tabandrew(at)hotmail.com

BRING ON SPRING!

TLC Creations grand opening & giveaway

Introducing...my new Etsy shop!



I partnered up with my dear friend, Chrissy. She does EVERYthing...I just do the Etsy part!

This is us at the baby shower she threw for me in April of '09. She's on the left, obviously.



This was about two weeks before she underwent surgery to have a brain tumor removed {no kidding}.

Her story is amazing but we'll save that for another time! :)

Suffice it to say, she is an amazing woman and a person I aspire to be more like. I'm glad she's here and healthy and I am thrilled to be working with her again!!

TLC Creations stands for Tuesday & Logan Calderwood, her two kids. I love those kids!!

She has this amazing vinyl machine called "Roland."



She creates just about anything you can think of and prints it on the vinyl to use as a decal, sticker or label or to apply to clothing with her heat press.

Here she is, working at the "studio."



We used the "Grimes" above for this newborn hat for my nephew-to-be. Precious!



These name labels can be used for a million things. The vinyl sticks beautifully to paper, of course, but is also great to use on your laptop, ipod or cell phone case.

They're great for a baby shower gift, too, for moms to use to label their baby's bottles, wipes case and other belongings.



Kids love to use them to personalize their school supplies and water bottles.



These can be done in ANY team colors and with a soccer ball, baseball, football, etc.!



The possibilities for shirts are endless. This is Andrew's birthday shirt (my son, who turns 5 on Nov. 26). He's Andrew IV so I couldn't resist adding the 4!



The listing has all the details for the choices you have.

custom number shirt

We can do ANY number or letter. Tons of fonts are available, and tons of colors.



I happen to love these black onesies, for a boy or girl, with an initial inside a circle. So dadgum cute. Colors are totally customizable.



White is available, too. These are a HUGE hit at baby showers!



There's even a blue camo onesie available. My sister-in-law liked the one we made for my nephew-to-be!



CHRISTMAS ITEMS WERE JUST ADDED!!

How cute are these address labels??? Cactus or snowman.



And I LOVE these customized "To & From" labels for your Christmas gifts! Can be applied to presents or goody bags, or even right to a bottle of wine, bubble bath, you name it! Just write in the recipient's name!

Snowman...



Ornament...



Christmas tree.



These modern and stylish address labels are great for Christmas or year-round use. I love the design! We can add your kids' names, too. These make a great gift!!


~~ GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! ~~

Our shop is brand new to we'd love it if you visited TLC Creations on Etsy, glanced through our listings, then left a comment about what catches your eye.

We're also open to suggestions on new offerings or ways we can improve the shop or our designs. We'd love your feedback!

As a thank-you, we will give away a $10 credit toward any purchase in the shop, plus FREE SHIPPING on your entire order! Drawing will be held at midnight on Wednesday, December 1.

Each person who leaves a comment will be eligible. Please leave your e-mail address so we can contact you if you win!

Thanks for checking us out and we hope we have the opportunity to make something wonderful for you!