Welcome To My Studio --- Cave Creek Studio

 We have a new feature here on By Your Hands.   We will be showcasing the places where you create your handmades.

 Today's guest poster is Laura Obiso of Cave Creek Studio.   You can visit Laura's shop here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CaveCreekStudio

I LOVE my studio, and I give thanks every day that I'm able to have my own space in which to create.  For years and years I've worked on my computer desk or kitchen table, so having my own space is a real treat.  Remember to click on the photos for a larger view.

This is my studio building.  It's a 16 x 20 pre-built shed that was delivered here last March (much to the moans and groans of the driver who had to get it off the truck and up this little hill!)  I still have to work on the flower beds next spring - I'm thinking herbs and flowers for drying to use in the dolls, but it's a shady spot so I'll have to do some research on what will grow.

This is the view coming in the front door and looking at the main part of the work area.

This is actually neat, most of the time it looks more like this:

There are windows at each end and windows on either side of the front door, so it's well-lit.  I also have overhead lights and a ceiling fan, and lights on the back wall over the formica work space.  So, as you come in the front door, we'll go first to the right:

My sewing center is to the right of the front door.  I love my cabinet and my new Janome Threadbanger.

One of my best purchases when we outfitted the building were simple thread holders from Walmart.  I also bought a LOT of thread from one company, and I thought it was a pretty neat coincidence that the spools were red, matching the accents on my machine!

Continuing around the room to the left of the sewing center I have an old easy chair in the corner covered with an old quilt - this is where I sit and do handwork, and to the left of that and directly opposite the front door, is this baker's rack:

The baker's rack holds some finished pieces on the top shelf - my Cricut Expression  and other assorted stuff.  I use a lot of tins and baskets to hold small items. One of my better purchases was a set of studio lights and a light box for taking photos - but there's no place to really store them so I just sort of keep moving them around out of my way...so that's the big black light.  There's another on the other end..

OK, to the left of the baker's rack we're back to the main work space.  It's a formica counter attached to the wall and open underneath - great for storage but it does tend to get a little messy.

Try as I might, I have difficulty keeping this space clear.  My vintage buttons are in the antique bowls (and I have boxes and boxes of them under the work bench).  At the moment I have plastic containers, baskets and old tins holding assorted items under the bench, but I'm hoping to find some wooden apple crates for that space. Otherwise, I'll have to make me some fabric boxes.

Continuing around to the left, we come to the other end window where there's a small AC unit, and to the left of that in the corner, is my "office" where I keep a computer, printer, and postage scale.

The little white cabinet I bought for $15.  It had two cute glass doors covering that open shelf and one was broken, so I got a deal.  We took the doors off - someday we'll fix them and put them back on maybe. The cabinet holds my shipping stuff and the computer paper.  The wooden desk is a piece I brought home from my Mother's after she passed last year.  I was with her when she bought it and it's a little bit of Mom - who taught me to sew and be creative - that I keep near.


To the left of the office area, and in front of the other half of the front door (that I really don't use) is this sort of eyesore cabinet that holds all my fabric stash - lots of storage so I'm really not complaining. I keep my shipping boxes on the top of it.

It doesn't look bad when the doors are closed and it keeps the dust off the fabrics and covers up an ungodly mess.

A big thank you to Laura for letting us walk through her studio with her.   You can visit Laura's blog here,
http://cavecreekstudio.blogspot.com/

 If you would like to share where you do your creating,  send us an email through our contact form.   We would love to talk to you about it.