My forgotten craft room...

I’ve been neglecting my craft room as much as I’ve been neglecting my blog (or visiting blogs).

So, a week ago, I spent some time cleaning up my special space. It had become a dumping ground of estate sale treasures.  It's still packed but there is a sense of order now (kinda).

Yes. I have Christmas out year-round in my craft room.

I also have Halloween out year-round too.

As well as a zillion Chinese checkerboards.

 And my amazing vintage record album collection from estate sales.

 Speaking of estate sales, Chris has hit some really fun estate sales lately.  He's come home with some cool treasures for really good prices. It’s been a while since I shared any estate sale treasures. Next post.  Pinky swear.

Playing...

Downstairs in the corner of our finished basement is a former guest bedroom which is now my craft room.

This is a space I fill with special holiday collections, estate sale finds, crafting supplies and favorite childhood toys.

When the stress of new semester start-up begins to takeover, I know it's time to let lose myself in my special space.

Last night, I spent four hours by myself in my craft room. 

The girls and Chris were gone overnight to the a-frame cottage and my only visitors were my two cats.  It was heavenly.  

I'm definitely feeling inspired for autumn fun!!

Where Kim K. creates part 2...

Thank you for all the kind words regarding my part 1 when Kim K. creates craft room tour.  I feel a little self conscious showing off my room because it's so full of supplies and collections.  

Are you ready for the final part of the tour? It's definitely picture heavy. This tour begins with the west wall in my craft room. As you can see, the windowsill is deep enough for two dollhouses.  A few of my favorite doll clothes (some are from my childhood made by my mother and others were collected from estate sales) hang above the dollhouses as a window valance.

Next to the dollhouses is a white hutch filled with some of my favorite Christmas decorations. Loads of aprons (many hand created by Renee My Vintage Mending) as well as estate sale rescues, hang on a hook next to the hutch. 

My pink feather tree is filled with the ornaments from Elizabeth's (Creative Breathing) swap last year.

 I loved them all so much, the pink feather tree stays up year round.

 The Santa blow mold was given to me by my Aunt Marion.  He stands guard over the room.  You probably recognize the snowman standing in front of Santa as another fantastic creation from Elizabeth (Creative Breathing).  

The picture of the little girl mailing a letter to Santa was me as a child.  I made the Christmas light bulb wreath last year and it's so fragile that I decided to keep up it all the time.

The white hutch is filled with squares of felt, special scrapbooking stickers, my really good scissors (that no one is suppose to use but ME) and vintage Christmas wrapping paper.  I've also got loads of crafting supplies specific to Valentines and Christmas easily accessible under the hutch in plastic bins and baskets.

My favorite vintage cards that I've collected or been given, are in a wooden mailbox holder that I picked up from one of my favorite antique vendors.

The chair next to the white hutch has a family quilt and lots of pretty pillows on it.  

I always fantasize about sitting down in my chair, but the only one that uses the chair are the cats or my girls when they join me in my room. 

On the north wall of my craft room is a melon painted hutch filled with special collections and crafting supplies that I use on a regular basis.

You'll find things like pencils, brushes,tiny silk flowers, tape, glue, pipe cleaners, scissors, sequins and glitter.

Josie's horse collection and several Christmas pieces given to me by Lynne (Irish Garden House) are on display in the hutch.

Vintage party supplies are mixed with a few childhood toys on the second row.

Next to my melon hutch is my toy collection.  The teddy bear and the white rocking chair were my childhood toys.  You probably spy another dollhouse tucked in the mix too.

This is a Marx style house.

The dollhouse fits perfectly on top of doll bed that I picked up at a flea market last summer.

 Board games, bingo, sewing cards and paper doll collections are stored under the dollhouse in the doll bed.

On the east wall, is a child's dish hutch filled with children's dishes and paper dolls.

Framed paper dolls and special doll house furniture given to me by Renee (My Vintage Mending) are on top of the hutch.

A metal Hoosier and storybook albums hang on the wall.

I love my pot holder dresses.

Next to my toy collection is a jelly cupboard that Chris helped give a makeover with a fresh coat of paint and special wall paper from Renee (My Vintage Mending).

 I struggled to carry this cupboard to my car at the Allegan Antique market, but its been one of my favorite purchases.

The inside of the cupboard is filled with more Christmas crafting supplies and estate sale finds.

Next to the jelly cupboard is the door to my craft room and beyond that is a bookshelf filled with every Mary Engelbreit Home Companion magazine that I ever owned and my vintage party planning and crafting books.

My mother's childhood teeter totter is now hanging on the wall above the bookcase.

A blue wooden hutch holds Easter crafting supplies and silk flowers.

The top of the hutch has also become a nice area to display my doll collection.

On the door entering craft room hangs an apron filled with Valentine cards.  Most of you have seen this in February when I post this as my blog header. The bulk head in my craft room is filled with children's picture records. 

Produced in the late 40s and 50s, I collect them for their graphics.

This concludes my where Kim K. creates craft room tour.  As you can see, my room is very small but I love having all my special collections out around me for inspiration.  This is where I stay until the wee hours of the night (and most weekends) plotting, playing and creating.
 

Where Kim K. creates part 1...

I've decided after taking a zillion pictures that I'm going to break up my craft room into a couple of posts starting with my vintage collection of Chinese checkerboards and paper lanterns that I have hanging on the south wall of my craft room. 

This wall reminds me of our brief time in China.

The outfits you see hanging on the wall were purchased in Guangzhou and fit Emma and Josie in 2008.

The suitcase is filled with sheet music and special scrapbooking paper.

The pin cushion was made by Elizabeth Holcomb from Beth's Bagz

The pink leather shoes are hand-painted with butterflies and were Josie's baby shoes. They have squeakers in the bottoms of the soles.
 
My dresser is filled with scrapbooking paper and tissue paper.  The turntable on top really does get used regularly.  My vinyl collection are mostly artists from the 40s, 50s and 60s.  I still have all my records from the 80s, but Duran Duran doesn't quite have the same appeal as the Rat Pack now.

I've had to get very creative in the placement of my checkerboard collection.

The pink goldfish paper kite was purchased in Beijing.

The paper lanterns are suspended on fishing line.  I added the handmade tissue paper flowers.

Beyond my checkerboard collection is a closet filled with the girls crafting supplies.

Things like construction paper, coloring books, and play dough are all accessible in their closet.

The counter that you see in the center of my craft room was originally in my grandparents clothing store.  The base contains deep drawers perfect for storing lots and lots of supplies.

A few years ago this storage unit received a  fresh coat of paint to coordinate with my room. The counter was purchased from Lowe's.

Buckets attached to the side of my counter were acquired from Ikea (I added the lace with a bit of hot glue). They are filled with crayons, colored pencils, markers, and child-friendly scissors.  When the girls want to join me in my room, they can just grab a bucket and sit at the counter with me.

The other side of my counter holds a roll of white paper and several baskets full of vintage hankies, button collections and doll clothes.  Blue mason jar lights are suspended above the counter. Chris put them together for me last summer.

 I hope you enjoyed this small tour of my special room.

I have much, much more to share in another post.