My Creative Space - Staying organized

My studio is a continuous battlefield between me and the mountains of materials I use to create my mice. After a good day of sewing my creative space often looks like a sewing-bomb went off, scattering materials all over my desk and the surrounding floor. Hunting around for supplies the next day really interrupts my creative flow, so it is really helpful if everything is where I can easily find it.

My ribbons where the biggest challenge: Keeping them in a draw was no good - they just got all knotted up around each other and I was forever digging around trying to find things. Putting a pin in them didn't work either because the pin would eventually rust and ruin my beautiful ribbons. So into plastic bags they went, but still it was hard to find what I needed. Eventually I came up with a solution: I took a wooden board and hammered lots of nails into it, screwed it into the wall and then hung my ribbon bags onto it. Now all I need to do is glance up to the wall to find what I need! Although I do still need to clear up the fallout from the creative bombs at the end of the day.

Want to join in the Creative Space game?
Visit Visit Kootoyoo's blog to find out how

My Creative Space - Then and Now

For my first My Creative Space post, I thought I would take you back to the very beginning. To the first mouse I ever made... here she is. I just named her "Granny Mouse", as you can see my sewing skills left a lot to be desired! And the fishing line I used for her whiskers was waaaay too thick. But I learned a lot from making her, and I still keep her in my studio so she can watch over all the mice as I make them. She is kind of a Matriarch.

For the fun of a comparison, here is the latest mouse I made: Albert Einstein Mouse: just over 2.5 years span the making of Granny Mouse and Albie Mouse, it's nice to see that I learned a few tricks in that time!


Since this is a My Creative Space post, I felt I should actually show you where I work. The first photo is of me in 2008, back when my studio was in major need of refurbishment. Oh how skinny I was then (before I had a baby!)

Here's my studio today, after the refurbish and much tidier too. I decided not to include myself in this pic - I couldn't stand the comparison on Me!

I hope you have enjoyed having a nose around my studio!

Want to play the Creative Space game with us?
Visit Kootoyoo's blog!

-Anna

My Creative Space

Ok I admit it: I am not a naturally organized person, it takes effort to stay on top of things. Sometimes I just let the mess pile up until I am searching through piles of ribbon to find my scissors. Like the last week, I didn't bother to clear up at the end of each day and this bombsite is the result!


Today it was just all too much, so operation tidy-up was put into action. My head feels better now that my space is clear again! Ahhhh, that's better!

The House of Mouse Studio Live!

Ever wanted to visit my studio and see me working? Well now you can! I am launching my very own live feed coming directly from The House of Mouse. Come to catch live shows and chat at the times below, or check out my channel to see old recorded shows.

Click HERE to view my channel

I should be in my studio between
2.00pm - 4.00pm Week Days

Times are local to Amsterdam the Netherlands,
to find out your local times HERE

I will be in my studio at other times too,
so feel free to stop in often.

If you are having problems viewing my videos click HERE for help

Refurbishing my studio - Part 3

My studio is finally finished! I can't believe how much I have missed having my own creative space to work in. It is 10 times better than it was before. I have added loads of extra storage space - who would have thought the materials for making tiny little mice would take up so much room?! The walls are plastered - no more bumpy peeling wallpaper, yay! I have a nice new wooden floor. Now I can get on with crafting more mice than ever before. I hope you enjoy this tour around my shiny new studio.

Lots of new shelves and cabinets. Can you spot ArtMind's babushka dolls on my shelves? I think I need to buy some more soon. I love wind chimes and dreamcatchers hanging from my window. I wish I had more room for plants too.


My little photo corner with my light boxes. Soon I am going to write a tutorial on how to make a light box and use photo editing software to get your photos looking bright and beautiful.

My ribbon board is full! I think I am going to need to make another one soon. I have a little tool box full of beads and flowers, it is hanging on the wall under my pin board. I put my writing board on the wall and forgot to wipe off the old writing. It looks very odd with the writing on sideways! My new favourite addition to my work table is a pair of magnetic strips of metal on the wall. I can stick all my scissors too it and keep them out of my way.

Thanks for stopping by!

Refurbishing my studio - Part 2

The plastering is done, the flooring has been pulled up and the studio is already painted! Dave the builder does not hang around! He'll be back on Monday or Tuesday to put down the new flooring (you can see it leaning up against the wall in the last photo) and skirting boards. He is also going to be plastering our hallway, which is why you can see the orange primer on the walls through my studio doorway. Tomorrow I am going to paint my radiator and put up some new cabinets for my studio. I love home decorating! More photos coming soon.

Refurbishing my studio - Part 1

Yesterday we started work on refurbishing my studio. I am so excited about having a nice clean, fresh and tidy space to work in. I took a "before" shot for you, but my camera ate it (it must have been hungry) so you will have to imagine from the photo above what my studio used to look like: Peeling wallpaper with a horrific bumpy pattern, badly DIY'ed laminate flooring and old tired shelves that I had put up myself.

Yesterday our builder Dave came to start work stripping the wallpaper, clearing the room and priming the walls for plastering. He makes it look so easy!

Today he is plastering and the room will start to take shape.

The orange paint is the primer for the walls, it helps the plaster stick to it properly.

In this part of Holland they build so fast that everything is made from huge walls of solid concrete, with all the wires and pipes visible. Most Dutch people don't seem to mind seeing the wires, but because I am British they drive me crazy. I will be so happy when they are hidden away behind plaster.

I'll be back with more photos soon!

Featured in the Storque!

I am so happy today because I have been featured in the Etsy blog "The Storque" in the Studio Tour series. This is a HUGE honor and I was so excited when FrucciDesign asked me if I would like to be interviewed by her. It has been a nail biting couple of weeks while I waited for it to be published. You can read the whole interview with me and see some photos of my studio by clicking here.