Organized Work Space

I talked about moving my work space into the family room in an earlier post. Well I finally finished (for now!) organizing my beads and findings. I know I'm always very curious about how others organize and use their space, so I thought I would share how I organized mine.

Everything is against one wall in plastic storage drawers.

The large set of drawers on the far right contains paperwork, shipping and packaging materials and tools that I use occasionally. The four 3-drawer units in the center contain most of my beads organized by color. I have one or two drawer for each color: red, pink, orange, yellow, green (2), blue, purple, brown, black/grey, white/clear, mixed/multi. Most of the beads are stored in see through acrylic boxes. This system works well for me. The drawers come out easily so I can look through them, or I can pull out individual boxes and put them together until I find my inspiration. Previously I stored my beads in ziploc bags, but the beads are so much easier to see, and prettier to look at too, in the acrylic boxes.

One of the bead drawer units.

Here is the inside of one of the green drawers.

I have seperate 3-drawer units for sterling silver and copper beads and components. They are organized by findings, beads/spacers and chain/bead-caps/misc.
Other drawer units hold other types of metal findings, stringing materials, focal beads, metallic beads etc. I'm sure as time goes by I'll make some changes, but this is working very well for me right now, and it makes it very easy to clean up after a creative session.

Not shown in the pictures is a portable file box that is stored under the desk. Inside are hanging file folders. I have my stash of wire stored there, seperated by type (sterling, copper, brass) and gauge.

Well, that's how my space is organized. If you are curious how another artist organized her space, check out how Lily of Tulip's Treasure Box organized hers.

Teresa's Tool Talk

One of the really fun aspects of being a jewelry maker is all the toys, I mean tools, that you get to buy and play, I mean work, with. One of my favorite new tools is a bead reamer. I know you can get powered bead reamers, but I decided to go the frugal route.

I have to admit that I was skeptical that it would really work, but I find myself using both this and a pearl reamer on a regular basis. A reamer is especially helpful when I make bangles like the one below using 14 gauge or heavier wire for the base. It is hard to find a great variety of beads with holes big enough for this wire, so this tool can expand the palette that I have to work with.

It is best to use the reamers in water if possible, and I find that it works best if I try to 'file' the sides of the bead hole rather than forcing the reamer into the bead. You do have to be careful not to use to much pressure or you can crack or break your bead. I'd love to hear other artisan's opinions on their bead reamers, especially if you have any experience with the powered ones.

Guest Blogger on eSmarts Blog

I am the guest blogger on the eSmarts Team Blog this weekend. Check out my post here. In the blog I introduce members of our team who live and create outside of North America.

I'm also happy to share that I sold two of my necklaces from my Etsy store! I was so excited to send them both off to Alaska. I hope my customer enjoys them as much as I enjoyed creating them.

Finding Inspiration

I've been thinking and reading a lot about inspiration this week. I keep a file of different kinds of jewelry that I often look through to inspire me. But I think that sometimes it might be helpful to open my eyes a little wider and see what other artists and artisans are doing.

I was reading my fellow Skwiggaziner Stacy's blog, Busy Mommy Product Review and found out that she is part of an interactive art project called The Grid. I went to their website and found examples of many artists' work. The pictures of each work form a collage which is both beautiful and inspiring. If you are in a creative slump and looking for inspiration, check it out!

New Work Space

I'm finally getting my new work space set up. I have a large L-shaped desk from Ikea that I set up in the family room. The smaller part of the L hold the storage drawers. I think most jewelry artists have a tendency to collect many beads and finding, and I'm no exception. I'm still moving things around and trying to fit everything in, so I'll post more on that later, when I get it all figured out!

Storage Area

The middle section of the desk is where I do most of my work. My beads, findings and tools are within reach, and I have lots of light.

Middle Work Area

The larger L-section is my secondary work area. It contain most of my tools, some magazines and a computer. I'm hoping that there will be room to set up my light cube here, although I haven't tried that yet.

Secondary Work Area

Now that my life has calmed down a bit and I'm on summer vacation, I'm hoping that I can use my new space to create lots of pretties. I'm also planning on trying some new techniques, including wire weaving and wire crochet. Have I mentioned that I love working with wire? LOL


Here is my first attempt at a crocheted bracelet. I used 28 gauge black wire and glass rondelles.

Wire Crochet Bracelet

I think this looks almost like polka dots. Polka dots can be a lot of fun, but they can also be quite sophisticated. To see examples of polka dots used in a sophisticated way check out my fellow Skiggaziner Stacy's blog. Stacy is planning her wedding and the theme is polka dots! How cool is that?