Studio Showcase: DeAnn

– by Stamp-n-Storage

If you have ever wondered about stacking Stamp-n-Storage products, you'll definitely want to check out our latest Studio Showcase. DeAnn takes us on a tour of her beautiful crafting space, sharing her insights on storage solutions, ink organization, paper storage, and workspace design. Whether you're seeking inspiration for your own craft room or simply interested in efficient storage ideas, DeAnn's showcase is sure to captivate you. So, let's dive in and discover the secrets behind her well-organized and beautifully designed studio!

Let's meet DeAnn

SnS: Tell us about your crafting background.

DeAnn: I began paper crafting 21 years ago. I started scrapbooking after the birth of our first child. I was an avid scrapbooker for about 15 years, hosted scrapbook gatherings, and loved creating memory books for my family to enjoy for years to come. A close paper crafting friend kept trying to get me into card-making, but I resisted for years. About eight years ago, I took up card-making. I do very little scrapbooking now and love card-making. It is my place to relax, be creative, and share my finished products with those I care about.

SnS: Tell us about your creative space.

DeAnn: My second hobby is organizing my crafting supplies. I am still determining what part of my hobby gets more money. I am fortunate to have a very large space. My room is 28 feet long, 12.5 feet wide, and has a 7 feet by 5 feet dormer. I have had the space for just over a year and have really enjoyed pulling it together. 

I started with a Kallax unit to store my stamps, but I found the open cubbies and view of all the products distracting. I had a local closet company build out the wall that holds the 12 drawers for stamp and die storage. I plan to store frequently used dies on the framed wall Magnet Sheet by Stamp-n-Storage. It has a few word dies for now. I plan to make another one for the other side of the room with all my different patterned frame dies. 

I also store almost all of my stand-alone dies on Stamp-n-Storage Magnet Cards in Storage Pockets. The magnets sold by Stamp-n-Storage are by far the best I have found, and I have tried them all (well, almost). 

I store my stamps in bins in sleeves similar to Jennifer McGuire's storage solution, and have plenty of room to grow. 

I also have some cabinets including the Mega Stamp Case Shelf that hold some of the larger stamps. I organize my stamps by company and name. I have double-ordered a number of stamps, so I am trying to get as organized as possible to spend money on new rather than repeated products. 

SnS: Tell us about that amazing wall of inks:

DeAnn: I love, love, love my wall of inks. I glued together most of my Stamp-n-Storage ink holders, put a shelf on the top, and attached it to the wall. My holders include a mix of Slim Ink Pad Holders, Distress Ink Pad Holders, a Ink Pad Holder for CTMH, and a Standard Ink Pad Holder. The wall is a thin profile that allows me easy access to my inks. I have almost all the major ink lines (see a pattern yet? I want it all), including Gina K, Catherine Pooler, Altenew, Simon Says Stamp Inks (original and saturated), Distress and Distress Oxides, Hero Arts, Ink on 3, Close to My Heart, Stamping Up, and my Ink Pad Carousel holds my Concord and 9th Inks. I have other ink lines too, but that is enough about inks. I am still putting the colored labels on the side of my ink pads. I find both ink pad storage options to work wonderfully. I wanted to try a carousel to see if it would work on my desk, but I prefer to keep that space for creating and not cluttered in any way. I store my cubes in one of my Alex drawers in trays that stack. 

SnS: How do you organize your paper?

DeAnn: I love the paper storage that Stamp-n-Storage offers. I turned the 8.5x11 and 12x12 Three-Tier Paper Holders on their side so that it would work with my ceiling angle. I like having my paper within arms reach. I am still working to fill my paper storage with paper I have still in boxes. 

SnS: How have you designed your workspace area:

DeAnn: My desk, which is 48 inches wide by 72 inches long, has a tempered glass top and a Stamp-n-Storage Standard Ink Pad Holder on the end that houses all my frequently used inks. I have my blending brushes (some are stored in the Stamp Case Shelf and some in drawers) and all the necessary tools in drawers right next to my crafting spot. 

I also keep my frequently used embellishments within arm's reach in drawers by my crafting space. The drawers on the other side of my desk hold re-inkers and things I don't use as often. 

Behind me, you will see my array of markers in various holders including the Marker Nook. I find the pen storage I use helpful because it optimizes space, and I can see the colors easily. I have all types of makers, including all the Copic colors, Sketch Marker Brush alcohol pens, OLO markers, Altenew alcohol and watercolor brushes, Zig clean color markers, and Brushmarker Pros, to list a few. I am easily bitten by the new product bug. I keep a container of clean water on my desk for when I want to watercolor. It is in a cute container that is slim and easy to use. I also keep my Taylored Expressions Simple Storage stored in the TE Simple Storage Cabinet.

I keep my alcohol ink products by Tim Holtz and paint products together in a couple of Alex units on the other side of my stamp storage unit. I can grab them easily when I want to use them, but that is not a regular medium for me.

SnS: How has being organized unleashed your creativity?

DeAnn: Being organized helps me focus on the projects I am creating and not the space I am in. I like things organized, and having all the storage solutions to keep things in designated places helps me find what I want. I have spent hours looking for a specific stamp set or die, and that is a waste of my precious crafting time. I still need to decorate my space, but I will take my time and decorate with creative inspiration as it comes. My organizing will likely be an ongoing process, especially as new and creative ways to store products are released. That is part of the joy for me.

Enjoy crafting in whatever space you have and love and doing whatever works for your creative style.

Thank you, DeAnn, for sharing your beautiful craft studio. If you would like to be our next Studio Showcase winner and have the chance to receive $75 in-store credit, here are a few hints: clean up your space, snap some photos (4 or more) from a few different angles, and include some comments about what you love about your area and your Stamp-n-Storage products. Then, you will be entered into our monthly drawing. Email your entry to: contact@stampnstorage.com.