Cassandra Henson

Aloha!

Cassandra here and I’m excited to be back on the CK Blog to share my latest scrap space. As a military spouse I have gotten accustomed to moving every few years and adapting as I go along… unfortunately it seems that every time we move into a new home my craft space shrinks! In this past I have had an entire room to dedicate to my scrapbook addiction (once I even had TWO rooms – now that was AMAZING). Our latest move brought us to Hawaii in February of this year and I was met with the realization that I would no longer have a room to myself – cue the drama, the crying and the final realization that I was just going to have to make it work 😉 .

Our new home has a much more open layout with a combined living and dining room space that features a wall with an opening to a small family room. The living and dining space is really too small to be both so I created my craft space next to the dining space… the best part? I’ve positioned my craft desk at the wall with the opening to the family room which means I can craft while the family is in the other room and still watch a movie or hold a conversation with them. Plus, there is a TON of natural light flowing in from the windows.

Sooo… here’s my main space.

I LOVE this desk. It has been with me through two moves and it’s so sturdy… plus all that storage! My biggest hurdle with my current craft area is lack of space so my desk is my main source of storage. I picked this one up at Costco about 4 years ago and if you have the space and come across one, grab it – you won’t be sorry. Aside from storage, the desk itself is at counter height which means I can comfortably stand and craft (or sit thanks to a counter height bar stool from Target). I’ve accessorized the desk with cloth bins from ThirtyOne and Target along with some plastic storage for embellishments, pictures and pocket scrapbooking cards from Michaels/Hobby Lobby/AC Moore/Etc.

While we were stationed in New York I had picked up a multi-bin rolling cart and it fits perfectly under the desk. It provides space for embellishments and the top is perfect for my Kiwi Lane template tray. I just pull it out when I’m using it and it easily rolls out of sight when guests visit.

Cube storage has been my best friend when it comes to finding homes for all of my scrapbook gear – albums and paper fit perfectly and they are easy to rearrange with each move and each new space. I picked up a few lighter finishes when I arrived on island as it matched my “beachy” decor a little better. One of these smaller cubes provides a space for my Cricut and albums. I have two larger ones in the closet under the stairs (which is where my stamps and the majority of my paper stash is (I’m a bit of a hoarder) and any extras that I didn’t have room for in the main space).

I use large cloth bins from Walmart to house my paper (each collection or kit is kept in a 12×12 plastic envelope). My stamps, extra inks and accessories are all in Close to My Heart storage totes. Behind the grey curtain I have stored my scrapbook bags and the box for my Cricut, along with other boxes that we need for each move. I also keep an Ikea Raskog cart in here with some accessories and tools that I can wheel out when needed.

One of my latest and most favorite pieces of storage is this modular set from Close to My Heart. I can rearrange as needed (for expanding ink, paper and tool storage). It sits nicely next to my desk or it is sturdy enough that I can quickly move it to my desktop when I need it within arms reach. It’s perfect for storing my current kits and most used inks/markers/etc.

And that’s it! As you can see, I’m 100% a scrapbook hoarder and I’m not ashamed to admit it 😉 . The one thing I’ve found is that I absolutely have to be organized or it just gets too crazy. I hope you’ve enjoyed my space and that I’ve given you some crafty storage inspiration… Perhaps I’ll be back after my next move (which is actually to GUAM later this year)!

xo. Cassandra

Hello! Cassandra from For the Love of Scrap here and super excited to share my craft space with everyone! First of all, I beg of you, no judgments… I may or may not be a scrapaholic and border-line paper hoarder… Okay, I definitely am!

I’m blessed in that I have my own craft space that is separate from our other living spaces… even though it’s not the room I had in mind when we bought our house a few years ago (that room has become the family room), it’s still a creative space… I’ve just had to learn to consolidate as it is a much smaller space than my last.

I have the space broken into several workspaces with storage in every little corner I could find (including in what is SUPPOSED to be our coat closet!). The biggest downside to this space is that it is open to the foyer so you see it as soon as you enter our front door… that means no scrappy messes when company is coming!

I found my craft desk by chance at Costco when we lived in Washington state. I was shopping with a friend and thankfully had her husband’s truck – we quickly loaded one for her and sent my husband to grab another for me! It is fantastic – the perfect height to stand at or I have a bar-height chevron chair from Target so I can shift between standing and sitting as needed.

I love the amount of work space I have on top with plenty of room for my tools caddy and my Kiwi Lane Designer Template storage tray, idea and sketch books, and more! The front features storage shelves – I keep my most used paper brands (Close to My Heart and My Mind’s Eye), accessories and additional tools in canvas bins found at Target and ThirtyOne. Both sides provide additional storage shelves – perfect for my 6×6 paper pads, pocket card storage, embossing folders and dies, accessories and more!

Just above my scrap desk I have two decorative picture ledges that hold a few projects and frames I like. I embellish with cards that I have made or received from crafty friends.

I have a separate desk for my iMac and Cricut Explore… It’s the perfect size for die cutting crafty projects and doubles as a space for my Macbook for blogging and bill paying! I have my ThirtyOne home organizers hung to help with storage of catalogs, files and basic office supplies.

I store all of my 12×12 paper by collection in plastic envelopes (I have various styles from Michaels, Hobby Lobby and Scrapbook.com). I have a touch of OCD so it helps me to have them stored by collection and the envelopes keep them nice and organized when I have extra little pieces and bits floating around. The envelopes are then organized mostly by brand into the larger cubes that I have (again no judging – I have twelve large cubes for just 12×12 paper!!!). The cubes are scattered around my room – but I enjoy the balance they bring.

I have two wooden cube organizers that I use to store paper and albums and my wide-format sits atop one of them… I LOVE that I can print journaling or whatever my heart desires on my 12×12 paper. I have another plastic customizable unit that stores paper and accessories… including the majority of my washi obsession! There is no such thing as too much washi… right??

I have my stamps stored on the same plastic modular unit – some of them in Close to My Heart Large organizers with the overflow in Target canvas bins with lids. I may have a stamp addiction too… so thankful to have a supportive spouse!!

I also have two carts in my room, my turquoise cart from Ikea houses all of my punches and Creative Memories border and shape maker cartridges. The other I found at BJ’s wholesale and it fits perfectly under my desk for storage when not in use. I usually pull it out and set it up next to my desk when I scrap for easy access and my ThirtyOne Fold n’ Files fit perfectly on top – I use one of those to hold kits that I want to use and another to house a selection of plain cardstock within arms reach. Inside I store accessories, more tools and inks.

I even managed to squeeze in a space for my daughter, whom I fondly refer to as Miss Munchkin. She has plastic drawer storage under my Cricut desk as well as come canvas bin storage under her desk. She’s only seven but already loves to craft and we enjoy creating together.

I use more ThirtyOne bins for my paper recycle bin and for a desk top trash can. I love that these are collapsible and that I’m able to take these to crops or when I’m scrapping outside of my space.

Lastly, and as mentioned before, all of my extras have found a home in what should be our coat closet… there is absolutely no room for coats though! I have a few cubes with more paper and some plastic drawer storage but my favorite part is the Artbin Super Satchel cubes and containers that I have in here – I don’t scrap chronologically, I just go with whatever I am feeling that particular day… this makes it difficult as I do organize my scrapbooks chronologically. The Artbin containers allow me to store completed pages until I have a project finished or near enough completion to be transferred into the actual album.

A HUGE thank you to Clique Kits for having me and I hope you’ve enjoyed your tour of my scrap space!!! So much craftiness in so little space but Miss Munchkin and I love it! Feel free to drop by my blog, For the Love of Scrap to subscribe to my Scrappy and Organized series where I feature different ways to organize your craft supplies.