Friday, April 27, 2012

Messy Workshop Blog Hop

With the craziness of my life in the past 2 weeks this seems like a very appropriate blog hop to participate in.

The rules are - there are no rules, it's just a display of messy workshops... well, in my case - it's the corner of the living room, and half of my desk (aka dinner table, we eat in the kitchen most of the time, though) - where I parked my beads and my creativity.

Some days it's all nice and easy on the eye... but those aren't the days when I work on anything! Some days it looks like this:
My messy 'studio' :: All Pretty Things

There is a beauty in progress on the mat (2 beauties, to be exact)... there is wire (all gauges, from 30 to 18 :)), there is my mouse (the laptop is to the left of the picture), there are beads everywhere (I had just dumped one shoe-box onto the desk, I had to make 15 sets and gathered all my resources :)), there are tools... there is my stained glass church, but most importantly... there are flowers!

A messy desk looks beautiful with flowers :: All Pretty Things

I always, always have flowers on my desk. It's something I started about a year or two ago: flowers to bring a smile, flowers to keep creativity, flowers to bring peace... simply flowers.

And to make me feel better I sometimes use the 'chandelier' as a jewelry support:

Jewelry chandelier :: All Pretty Things


Would I want a less messy desk? Sure! Am I ever going to have one? Probably not :) but one can only hope.

And now that you've seen my mess (and you feel a bit better about yours, hopefully) - please visit the other participants. We share one thing in common: the belief that a clean desk kills creativity!

Enjoy!

MESSY WORKSHOP BLOG PARTICIPANTS
Brenda Sue Lansdowne Robin Delargy Kim at Cianci Blue
Jennifer Jazwick-Smith Mary Shannon Hicks Tracy Swartz
Jacqueline Marchant Lynnea Perry Bennett Terry Matusyk
Laurel Steven Dr. Brassy Steamington Pamela Takeshige
Kris Lanae Binsfeld Outre Art Linzi Alford
Deb Davis Tamara Jones Harry Wood
Gerry Nickerson Elizabeth Owens-Dwy Georgene Lockwood
Charisa Sloper Jennifer Justman Beanzie
Mary Deis Cheri Reed Sondra Kolner
Sonya Ingersoll-Stille Lori Anderson Sandra McGriff
Shelly Joyce Joan Williams Kashmira Patel
Deb Beechy Ginger Bishop Kelli Jacobson
Natalie McKenna Andrew Thornton Mary Govaars
Kate Mulligan Lisa Lodge Tami Luchini
Monique Lula Lee Koopman Jayne Capps
Susan Lloyd Cynthia Wainscott Stephanie Amanti
Alicia Marinache Sam Hamp Lennis Carrier

51 comments:

  1. Hi Alicia,
    You may think of your table as being a mess, but what I see is organized clutter. I love the idea of having fresh flowers on the work table. The flowers would put a smile on my face and make me want to get to work. Have fun creating in your mess.
    Therese

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    1. Therese, you're very sweet, as usual - it is a mess, an organized chaos, indeed :) Thanks - hope you're having fun 'hopping'!

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  2. I love the idea of having flowers in your workspace. IMO You have a very pretty mess.

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    1. Thank you, Ginger - that's what keeps me sane during the winter, the fresh colour and smell of spring in my flowers.

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  3. But its not messy at all! With flowers...there can be noooo mess :-)

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    1. LOL = like your point of view, Kashmira :)

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  4. The fresh flowers are so beautiful! I cannot do that....for sure I would knock them over and have water everywhere!

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    1. Oh, they are in the very far corner for that same very reason. But I usually spill my bead containers... all the way to the hardwood floor :)

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  5. I think it's wonderful that you always have flowers! I have a cat that will eat anything like that so I can't do that anymore. :-(

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    1. :) Thanks, Lori - and B'Sue has a good idea below: silk flowers if the cat eats the fresh ones (we have dogs and they don't like flowers :))

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  6. Flowers are wonderful! I have silk ones, Meep likes to lay on my sunflower garland, so it is coated with Maine Coon cat fur! Thanks for participating!

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    1. Thank you for the opportunity - it's really a great idea, B'Sue!

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  7. What a fun way to use your chandelier!

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    1. Thanks, Michelle - it was really born out of necesity, I don't have much space to display the jewelry :)

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  8. I love that you have flowers on your table and I love the chandelier jewelry holder!

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  9. I love that you have beautiful flowers on your desk. I need to do that too. Thanks for letting us peak into your world.

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    1. Thanks - yes, they really help me to remain happy and focused through the gray days (lots of them this winter).

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  10. I agree with the others, who sees a mess when you have flowers? Nice camouflage!

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    1. Hehe, it is a good one, isn't it? Thanks for stopping by, Mary.

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  11. OOh freesias - I LOVE the scent of those. Wish I had room on my table for some flowers!
    Linzi A
    www.magpieintheskyspoilheaptales.blogspot.com

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    1. I do love fresias too, Linzi - I don't understand why I can't find them during the year, it's only March / April. I even thought about planting some... You don't need lots of room - a small vase with 1 bloom will be enough! Or a vase you can mount on the wall, I saw some at the OOAK show this spring :)

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  12. I love the flowers! I also like the chandelier!

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  13. What a lovely thing to always have flowers on your table!, the sure can be a great source of inspiration. Oh and how creative to putt your jewelry hanging from the chandelier ;)

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    1. Thank you, Cynthia - since my space is small and gets cluttered easily, the flowers are my way of saying 'It's still beautiful, look at me!' :)

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  14. Very nice! Can't do the flowers, Eliot would munch on them I'm afraid.

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    1. Thanks, Jennifer - do cats really eat flowers? I must ask my mom how she manages her cat and our flowers, I inherited this love of fresh beauty from her :)

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  15. Beautiful! The flowers were the first thing I noticed - what a nice idea!

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    1. Thank you, Joan - I am quite amazed at the response about the flowers :) For me it's such a natural thing to have them there :)

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  16. The flowers are a nice touch. Do you even have to move everything? That must be a bear! But being downstairs is a good thing. And I don't really see a mess. A nice "mess".

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    1. Thanks, Pamela. Yes - I have to put everything in their own boxes... but that happens only 3-4 times a year: Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving Day for sure... and then in between maybe a few more times. We eat in the kitchen ;)

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  17. I don;t see a mess.. I see a creative space :) I have necklaces and bracelets and earrings hanging up where I can see them as I work too :) Plus tons of art gifts that were made for me to give me inspiration :) No flowers though... my cats have this wicked need to knock vases over, but only if they're in a place where the water can totally destroy something...lol

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    1. LOL, thanks, Skye. Yes - I like to see the work... and in this case - I had to do 16 sets over the weekend (long story, will blog about it soon) so I really had to see them and figure what what goes where and make sure I don't have 10 of the same style :)
      Art as inspiration sounds just as good - I have no place to put it, though, my living / dining room is mostly windows, very little wall space :)

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  18. Nope, not a 'mess' - it's creativity in progress. Flowers - what a lovely idea!

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    1. Thank you, Robin - I loved your space too (and the logo! such a crisp and fresh idea!)

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  19. i LOVE the flowers but especially LOVE LOVE LOVE using the chandelere....may have to do that for my room also now. thanks for sharing

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    1. Thanks, Susan - an idea born out of necesity :)

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  20. Looks like a pretty place to me! I've got lilacs needing to be cut. Think I'll take a cue from you and bring them down to my studio instead of leaving them upstairs. Good idea you had!

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    1. Thank you, Georgene - oooooh... Lilacs! My absolute favourite flowers! Yes, please bring them into your studio and think of me - back in Europe I always, always had lilac in the house on my birthday... here - it doesn't even think to bloom until a few good weeks after... You can't imagine how much I miss that :)

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  21. What a lovely place to create! The flowers add that special touch! Thank you for sharing : )

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  22. I like bringing the outside in and using that to inspire you.

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    1. Thanks - trying all sorts of tricks to get rid of the winter blues (this winter hasn't been that bad, but still - extra flowers never hurt anyone)

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  23. I love the flowers, and the necklaces hanging from the light fixture. What a pretty space in which to create!

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    1. Thank you - I'm trying to have pretty things around me, after all, it's all about the pretty things in my life: what I create, what I see, what I surround myself with :)

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  24. I love the flowers and the chandelier is awesome...I wonder what my DH would say if he came home and there are strands of beads or finished pieces hanging in the kitchen/dining room. I think it would be beautiful, yours are amazing.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Sonya

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    1. LOL - my DH didn't say anything, I made a point of showing him each one (more like a 'trophy') and he complimented me on most. By now he got used to the idea that this is my space and I can do whatever I please with it :)
      Thanks for stopping by, Sonya!

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  25. I love how the room seems to be done more in neutral tones and your creations (and the flowers) add the pop of color.

    The chandelier also makes the perfect support and display piece.

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    1. LOL - yes, very neutral colours, we painted the walls white :) my DH didn't want to think about colour back then - now we could figure something out. Thanks!

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  26. I love the flowers you have on your desk, Alicia!!! They really help brighten things up! =) You have some nice projects going on and beads about your table!

    LOL I LOVE the use of the chandelier as jewelry support!!! And I love those wire wrap pieces you did!!! They are just gorgeous!!!

    Thanks for letting us see your little bit of chaos!

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    1. Thanks, Keli - all I need now is to finish said projects (the one on the mat is done, actually, it's the pink + wire bracelet & earrings :) ) and keep going. I have one more technique to try, well, to really re-start, since I first done it about 26 years ago!
      P.S. I *love* your video, I think you should do it more often :) it's a neat way to present your work to the world, and not everyone has the advantage of your amazing voice :)

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Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I appreciate and love to read your comments!