Saturday 10 April 2010

Day 138- Storage And Studio

I have to warn you, this post has no pretty pictures. Also, it is interesting only to those who like peeking under the carpet, you know the place where you hide all the things you don't want others to see.

These pictures were taken on the day I decided to start on Termite House. When it takes you longer to look for something than it is for you to resurrect old bananas , you know it is time to sort and pack your materials properly. And so I began. With the one material I own the most of, beads.

The boxes in my top pic (and I often use a good one for the 1st pic because it is the one everyone sees in her dashboard) are the prettiest ones I own. So I keep my ugliest beads in them.

These are clear plastic boxes I bought at the S$2 store. Here on, I packed my beads according to where I bought them from. The ones in these boxes are from my favourite beads store in Chinatown. I packed these according to types.


The plastic beads below were bought in a tub from Ikea way before I was into mini. These, I put them into different boxes or plastic bags according to colours.

Before I found the fancier clear boxes, I had used a child's shoe box and a mooncake box for the metal beads from Chinatown. I stuffed so many into the wooden moon-cake box that it has fallen apart, literally bursting at its seams. Now I put the really tiny beads (silver and bronze) into this box. The ones in the shoe box are what I call the "item" beads. You know, beads shaped like items eg tiny locks, shoes, angels and tea pots.



One of my all time favourite containers are pizza boxes (left pic below). I would often shout from across the room at friends or family just about to dig into their slice of pizza not to dirty the boxes. Pizza boxes are hardy and flatter and pretty to look at. I keep my expensive beads which I bought at Spotlight in this box. Those were bought before I discovered the cheaper Chinatown store.


When I am desperately short of boxes, I will use the ugly ones that come with tools, like the one above right for my hand-drill which I use to store my bigger beads.

Now all these boxes, I kept neatly in this cabinet. I am happy to see that there are some more space in there for fresh beads.

This is the desk housing the "bead" cabinet and it has 2 drawers and 2 cabinets which are filled with things related to minis. And since I am showing you one storage space, I might as well show you all. Can you see the Thai silk cloth covering something sitting on a chair? Well, those are boxes of minis underneath the cloth.


The little drawers at the bottom of my book cabinet (left pic above) are where more materials are, like floral tapes, soldering iron and boxes of scotch tapes or minis. Even the drawers in my wine cabinet (right pic above) are not spared. I store my journal of mini expenses, receipts and call cards there.


I have so much glue I needed to devote one whole cupboard to them. It is not very big but it is a luxury just for glue.

All the cupboards that I have shown so far are placed at various parts of the dining room.

This one however is outside the house. This is the mother of all my mini cupboards and as you can see, it's my largest. This is the one I store most of my tools, paints, trash for future minis and boxes of real minis.

Sometimes when I want to see how messed up I am while working on minis, I open this cupboard which has a full length mirror on the left side. This cupboard is also placed next to my favourite work station, The Steps. It is also very near The Kitchen Table and The Garden Table. Here is a montage of my various work stations.


You can see my work-in-progress tribal house at The Garden Table. This was taken last week. More work has been done to the roof and windows since.

We are now on the way back to The Dining Table, but since this is en route, let me show you The Holding Area.


The Holding Area which is the middle shelf is where I put my material and tools when I cannot finish working for the day. You can see from the closeup on the right that I do not wash my palettes which are really plastic holders and cups for a dessert called mango pudding. Since I am addicted to mango pudding, I will never run out of palettes, so why wash them, right?



This is the other thing that I hardly wash, my apron on the left which is the one I work with. The one on the right given to me by Rosanna is used as a "camouflage" to hide my dirty one which I hang behind Rosanna's after I am done for the day. I guess now you know all my dirty secrets.

As we turn around the corner from the Holding Area, you will see The Other Studio, the one I use most of the time to take my pictures. Can you recognise the wooden bench.?

You can't see it but facing you on the wall is a photograph of this space. So you are staring into a picture of The Other Studio with it staring right back at you! That's why this area is also known as The Twilight Zone.

And finally, The Dining Table aka The Main Workstation. This is where I work on my minis most of the time, especially last year when I was "building" the Bazaar. This is the table where I displayed all the stalls.

Today however, I have to pack up early. Just the morning for some painting because today, we are using the kitchen for cooking, at long last! Brewing in the pot is mum's recipe and my favourite chicken curry.

And later in the evening, the dining table will be laid out, not with newspapers and paints but for six friends to enjoy a sumptuous dinner, clever conversations and a good laugh.

Cin cin!

I don't know how a post on beads ended up with dinner for 6. I am sorry if I have bored you. As you can see, getting carried away is a big part of my nature.

40 comments:

rosanna said...

I just want to be there !!!
May I snoop around in your cabinets, drawers and wardrobe? I promise I shall put everything in order afterwards. You have so many goodies scattered around, I feel like a pedlar with my meagre two baskets. But I can show Walter that I am absolutely righfull in wanting more working/storage place...may be I shall obtain it. May be....
have fun and lots of hugs Rosanna
(mail hugs are not infectious)

Susanne said...

..Gosh what a lot of beads, like Rosanna, I would like to snoop around looking at your treasures and to have a cheap bead-dealer in the nabourhood. And your house looks great!
Love, Susanne

onbeingaminimum said...

I have read so many blogs now that mention the fun to be had in thrift stores. They sound great places for a rummage. I wish we had somewhere like that where I live in England.
Regards,
Janice

Debbie said...

Susan what a fabulous stash of beads. I noticed in the very first lot, the beads in the Chair box, there are gold fluted beads in there. You can use them to make a mould for the bottom of cup cakes if they are not to big. I'd love to have a rummage in those boxes..xx

Sans! said...

Rosanna, I didn't want to do this post until you were here :):) But I thought maybe it will whet your appetite. :)

I don't have a dedicated space. The craft room is really not for crafting although I store a lot more materials in there especially cloth which I have collected quite a lot, thanks to my sister. Since I have already shown the craft room, I didn't want to show it again here :).

That's why all my things are scattered around the house and my favourite workspace is the steps. If I stay in an apartment, I would probably use the stairs as well and hope everyone else takes the lift ! :)

Unknown said...

*prepares an overnight bag and crashes the partay*

afraid now, Sans? :P :P :P

oh i LOOOOVE to peek into ppl's workspaces. and you have so many! :O thanks for putting this up :)

Sans! said...

Susanne, thank you :). This Chinatown bead shop has a very effective strategy of selling two for the price of one. That's why most of us will leave the place with at least 2 packets of something. But who does that right? I usually leave with 20 packets and each pack has at least 12 pieces, the really small ones has 72.Most of the time it is 24-36.

I did this post partly for you. Do you see something you like?

Sans! said...

Janice, so happy to see you here ! :) We do not have special miniature or dollhouse shops here but we have access to cheap materials if we look hard :). If I have to choose, I think I will still pick the cheapies where I can buy good and affordable material. Then we make stuff out of them. The rest you can just buy online! :) (Saw that you have been shopping online too):)

Sans! said...

Debbie, I was thinking of you and your posts of stashes while I was doing this one. Your mountain compared to my mole hill..lol.

I bought the gold fluted beads a long time ago. I thought they would be useful for the palace but I never found any use for it! It looks too plastic for me. But what a great idea to use them as moulds! Yes, I think they are of the right size for cupcakes or maybe some Indian cookies! I will do some research.

dalesdreams said...

Oh, Sans! I so love it when you share. Very interesting how you have everything so neatly tucked away.

I'm worried about the outside storage, doesn't it rain there?

The beads! What a collection! I have some and a long list of things to do with, but they seem to be on the someday list and not the right now list. ;)

Looks like you will have a wonderful time, love those lanterns/candles on the table.

Did you make enough for me? lol

Sans! said...

Cindy, you are always teasing! :)I have given up waiting at the gate for you and your luggages :). I have always loved working on steps. Back when I lived in a flat during school days, I studied at staircases. lol

Sans! said...

Yea Dale, I am a neat freak although I am not really clean all the time. :) When I first started mini-ing, I had a tough time reconciling the huge mess something so small can make with my obsession for order. I spent most of my time packing things neatly or arranging things in a row before I start working ..lol. Since then, I am proud to say my table is as messy if not more, than the next miniaturist :). But I still pack my stuff away at the end of each day. Then take them out again :). I suspect even if I have a studio for me to mess around in, I will still not be able to display my paints unless they come in the same kind of bottle, are of the same size and shape and are pretty.lol

The big cupboard is something the last tenant left behind.It was just left on the corridor for the last few years. I finally shifted it near the steps and thought since it had withstood the weather for so long, it should have no problems storing the trash. My home is very humid and everything rust fast wherever you put them.

Can you tell why I don't really do shabby minis? That's because I live in one ! :) Almost everything in the house is old, distressed and rusty!

I didn't make the candles or lanterns. They are candle holders I wanted to use as columns for the palace and was the very 1st thing I bought for my palace! I think it was as early as November 2008 .I even blogged about it but I didn't know how to take pictures then.LOL

There are 2 parts to the candle holders. The elephants are from the 3 for S$10 store and the columns are from Mustapha :). If you like em, just let me know :). Cindy and I are planning a shopping trip and we might as well shop for you :).

Meli Abellán said...

Sans, how neat are stored all your beads!! You have a so many!! That's something I should do with my trimmins, laces, buttons, etc...
Have to spend some time doing it!!
I love the tribal house!
Would be lovely to take a seat on your table for such superb coocking!!! Looks so yummy!
Love
Meli

Thevisionarybutterfly said...

Lovely boxes in the first photo. Not sure if my other commented posted or not (my internet connection is so slow at the moment) Also the gifts from the previous post are very lovely. I love the pillows especially as purple is my favorite color.

*annina* said...

I love this post! And the bit about working on the steps made me laugh out loud - I work in the strangest places myself!

Sans! said...

Meli, you must ! And then please post how you do it because my next big collection is fabric/laces/ trimmings. They are now dumped into 1 metal trunk and 1 big black box. I tried to pack it at first but it is impossible to remain neat! I will love to see how someone organises their fabric etc.

I am afraid the tribal house is not going to be a traditional mud house after all since I can't make the Victorian Farmhouse into a round mud house..lol. But it is still a village house to be occupied by a group of creative women artisans :).

And Meli, my house is always opened for you :).

Sans! said...

Thank you, Chadina :). I love using purple too. It is a great colour for my Indian palace :).

Sans! said...

Hey Annina, a big welcome :). I remembered how Helene of Pubdolls introduced me to your blog and how I thought you are so very good with minis. Your sofa is magnificent and congratulations on being featured in NY Times!

Today, I decided to work in the kitchen. So I had the tribal house on the table, my reference book opened at the sink and my laptop at the coffee counter. Thank goodness, my housemates are very supportive of my hobby :):).

Norma Bennett said...

Oh my lord!! I must show my husband this post - he'll never complain about my stash again ;)

How indeed did a post about beads end up about dinner for 6? That pot of curry looks delicious - I haven't had breakfast and eveywhere I go this morning blogs are posting about food!! te he!

Sans! said...

Norma, please tell your husband I say he is a lucky man to have you :). I didn't even show you all the ones I put in the craft room! I don't know how I am ever going to dispose of all these things if I ever stop this hobby!

I am happy to say mum's curry recipe was a hit even when she didn't cook it :).

dalesdreams said...

Sans, I love order too and can completely understand your lining up things in a row. I tend to work methodically, from point A to B to C. ;)

I put most everything back when I am done creating, but on one side of my work table there are things that just don't seem to go any where, they're waiting for something. Me, I guess. ;)

I store my fabrics in large rubber made tubs. Nothing exciting there.

Living in Jersey, it is very moist here too, with the exception of winter. Rust abounds! I'm just starting to grove on the shabby stuff. It's wearing on me. ;)

Thanks for the offer Sans. :) I've got more candle stick holders than one could use in a lifetime. That or burn down the house with. ;)

You even combine things in real life. You are so cool, Sans. :)

JDayMinis said...

That was the most wonderful blog ever!!! I feel like I have just visited your home, shared your collections of supplies and great ideas for storage then ended up sitting with you for a delicious curry dinner and maybe yogurt and chapatis.

It was so special to see all of your lovely beads, especially loved the item beads and the way you store everything. What a beautiful room for taking photos. You are so fortunate to be able to work outside too! Although it can be warm in the summer there it is usually to breezy because we are near the ocean, to work outside So healthy for you with all the Vitamin D from the sun too. Thank you so much for your sharing!

I like to put things away when I finish working every evening too, and I really like my desk being free for fresh ideas and new orders. I have started leaving my paints in one area but would probably prefer them away too. Clearing away always feels like I'm clearing my mind.

Sans! said...

Ya, Dale, according to my sis, we have OCD ! :):) I try as much as possible to avoid plastic containers unless they are out of sight. I like those clear acrylic ones but you have to put pretty things inside because it is transparent..lol! Can't win :),just got to hide them.

Like you, I love candles and yes, mobiles. Just can't resist them. If not for the fact that I need lights for minis, I can do without lights and just have candles. :)Saving GAIA! :)

Sans! said...

O, Jean, this post is for you really, after you commented in my last post that you would like to see how I store my beads :). So you like Indian food?? You are in for a treat. I live near some of the best Indian food places in Singapore! :) My curry is the Chinese version though but just as delicious, if not better :).

Jean, most of the time, it really is too hot to work outside at the Garden Table. But yes, I work at the Steps a lot, especially paint jobs. Only when I can't put my work on my lap, like the house that I work elsewhere.

I so agree with you about a clear desk for fresh idea. That's what the Feng Shui masters say too :)!

Pubdoll said...

Still have to lend Tronds work laptop, so I hate it when he's not home before late in the evening...
So nice to see how you store your beads, makes me wonder if I should do a post like this as well when I get my computer back, but without the dinner at the end. And my home is far from being as tidy as yours either :-) But my beads are in order, sorted after the different materails they are made of, and kept in plastic boxes.

Lize said...

1) you give your 'stations' names.
2)they have a dedicated function
3) you can remember where and when and why you got bead containers.
4)A glue cupboard?... a glue cupboard!
5)A 'holding' station?
6) Everything has a place... and everything is in its place!
7)list goes on!

Please come and save me!!!

I work on the table...
One part of table full...
Move to other side of table...
Table full...
Move to floor, seated on floor... floor full...
Move backwards... move backwards...move backwards... room full. Move to next room..

Looking for glue...,
Can not find glue...
buy new glue,
where are scissors?
look for one of 6 pairs of left handed scissors...
Find glue...


This is my modus operandi.
You agree? I need help!

PS. strange thing, your posting did not show up on my dashboard until today!

My dear girl! You are VERY organized! I am impressed!

Tallulah Belle said...

WOW...what a lot of beads lol. I know you have them sorted but how on earth do you remember what you have. I bet you have some ones that's make great Indian planters.

The twilight zone idea is hilarious...I might try that myself lol.

I LOVE the dinner table....the elephants on top of the candle holders are awesome.

So...if I make it over there or you get here first you will make me Mommas curry... yes :-)

Sans! said...

This morning I woke up, checked my email and saw that some of my favourite people have visited! YAY!

Helene, I must insist you make a storage post too! I love snooping and sniffing, I must have been a dog in my past life (some people still think I am , the female one, too rude a name to type!) Truth is, I was inspired by all those posts by Debbie to finally sort my beads properly. And I really want to see the kind of beads you have because you have made some really pretty stuff with them.

Also since you can't come to the mountain, the mountain is coming to you. See if you are here, you will be enjoying a nice home cooked meal of white rice (best with curry), french bean omelette with red chilli but not too spicy, sesame oil bean sprouts-Ipoh style and of course, Mommy's curry. The wine was for show only since I was hosting dinner for my running mates and we were going for our 6.30am run the next morning. So it was just mango juice.

Guess what? I didn't wake up for the run..haha.

Sans! said...

Lize (*1 finger pointing and hand on hip, weight on left leg in true mama style), I am going to write to Oprah and give her your name. She will send the 2 English ladies from "How Clean Is Your House?" with their boa gloves and put you and your home on TV!! Now, you have 2 days to clean up that mess or don't be surprise if a bus load of people knock on your house!

My dear, I don't believe,for a second, that you can tolerate messing up your home for long. You are very house proud and won't invade space by cluttering up, right? But looking for things, I believe, it must be our "favourite" past-time, otherwise why do we keep doing it?

Anyway, when I work, it is the same invasive approach. I set up little stations , laptop, paints, books, subject matter etc and if I am sawing something, my goodness! I swear I have sawdust in my food and coke zero. After I finished, I take the same invasive approach by sneaking in MY things into drawers and cupboards meant for everyone. FaiZ has protested many a times but they are not as quick as me and not so "acquisitorial". And guess who's the person who b't*h the loudest when there's a mess? ME, of course:).

I am OUTRAGED that they even deliver blog post to you late, thought it is only the real post! I think THEY have set up a censorship board controlling what's on your dashboard, Lize. What other "funny" blogs are you following, huh?

Sans! said...

Jayne!!!! Did you check your mailbox???

I buy all sorts of beads that makes me think of India. Just yesterday, I wanted some simple round, no-frills beads and of course, I don't own any! You are right about me not remembering what I own so I do buy repeats but after a few repeats, you REMEMBER! LOL.

As you can tell, many of my furniture are junks other people throw away (but I paid S$50 for the glue cupboard!). Even the bookshelves that FaiZ bought from Pakistan were termite-attacked but I persuaded him to let me have them..haha! Yes, they are already treated.

Anyway, the dinner table is actually made up of 3 tables. They were the conference table for a society who junked them for a new one 10 years ago. One of them is in pretty bad shape thanks to my leaky roof but I didn't have the heart to throw it out. That's why there is always a sari aka table cloth over them :).Hopefully, one day you will come and see it for yourself and then maybe you won't like it so much :). Good thing is I don't care if you spill curry over it haha!

Norma Bennett said...

Sans, there is an award for you on my blog, please come over and pick it up :)

Sans! said...

O wow, Norma, thank you!Popping right over :)

Jorge Cubells said...

MAdre mía, cuantos tesoros tienes en las cajas, seguro que les encuentras alguna utilidad. Yo me guardo muchas cosas, que a ojos de otros pueden ser inservibles, pero para mi tienen su "algo". Me gustan esas dos casitas que tienes, la del tejado marrón es la que más me ha llamado la atención. ¿se pueden ver por dentro?

Saludos.
Jorge

--------------
Mother, how many have treasures in boxes, are sure to find useful. I keep many things, that the eyes of others may be useless, but I have "something." I like those two houses you have, the brown roof is the one that most caught my attention. Can I see inside? Forgive my translation.

Greetings.
Jorge

Sans! said...

Haha, Jorge, I love making things from junk. I don't make them as fast as I collect the junk!

Jorge, I showed only 1 house in this post, The green house and the one with the thatch roof is the same house. I have just started "renovating" the farmhouse (green) into a village house in India (thatch roof). I have just finished the door and windows only and of course the roof. I will do a post this evening . I hope you will let me know what you think :). So happy that you are here and that you take the time to comment.

Here's the translated version from Google. I hope it makes sense :):

Haha, Jorge, me encanta hacer cosas de basura. Yo no los hacen tan rápido como recoger la basura!

Jorge, me mostró que sólo el 1 casa en este post, La casa verde y el uno con el techo de paja es la misma casa. Acabo de comenzar "renovar" la casa (verde) en una casa de pueblo de la India (techo de paja). Acabo de terminar la puerta y las ventanas y por supuesto sólo el techo. Voy a hacer un post de esta noche. Espero que me deja saber lo que piensa:). Tan feliz que estés aquí y que se tome el tiempo de comentar.

Jorge Cubells said...

google translate languages after a night out, but it is understood, quiet, thanks for posting the post, how many people!

--------------

google traduce los idiomas despues de una noche de fiesta, pero se entiende, tranquila, gracias por publicar el post, cuanta gente!!

dora said...

Not aburres at all, unlike you I have said on occasions, I love as relatas things, are as stories.
Well, that many things, and that in my house complain that I have much, my mother, yours is a bazaar.
I hope that you have gone it very well dinner with friends, insurance that they loved the chicken curry.
A Carmen hug

Sans! said...

Jorge, the 45 people are no longer in the house :). Another friend, Jayne from Tallulah Belle also wants to see your Moorish house :). Now I will be watching your new post closely :).

Jorge, el 45 personas ya no están en la casa:). Otro amigo, de Tallulah Belle (Jayne,http://tallulahbelleoriginals.blogspot.com/) también quiere ver su casa morisca:). Ahora voy a estar observando muy de cerca al nuevo puesto de Jorge:).

Sans! said...

Jajaja, Carmen! Bazaar ? :):) I like that! You are right too :). I have to stop collecting junk!

My friends love the curry and I am proud to say, they finished almost everything :)

Jajaja, Carmen! Bazar? :):) Me gusta eso! Tiene razón también:). Tengo que dejar de recoger basura!

Mis amigos encanta el curry y me siento orgulloso de decir, que terminó con casi todo:)

Eva said...

You store a lot of things but probably like all of us. My husband always says that one of these days we'll have to leave our home because there is more space ... I'm kidding. But sometimes it is true that I keep many things before throwing them away "just in case." Who knows if they can be useful creting new minis ;)
I love your dining table. You have a very nice house.

Sans! said...

Haha! Such a small hobby but what space they need!! I am trying to follow Cindy's advice , now I try not to keep anything unless I need them for an immediate project. It is hard lol !

This is a house filled with "pre-loved" stuff.

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