This last year has added additional challenges for everyone. Our lives at home have changed due to work and school moving into our homes when we had not planned spaces for those purposes. Let me tell you, I am thankful for the opportunity for my husband to work from home. I would have been crazy without extra people in the house through this time. It also came with some challenges. Challenges I am thankful to have the opportunity to work through. Since my husband moved his work home due to COVID, I was staying out of my studio. I was afraid of making too much noise near where we set up his home office (He is on the other side of that lavender wall in the picture below). I developed a habit of grabbing some things I needed out of my studio and working in various places on our main living level. My studio before starting to organize`. In the sunroom by my chair. Our kitchen desk space. This became frustrating for both my husband and I. The kitchen, dining room, and sunroom were becoming a mess with creating supplies. I had a beautiful room in the basement studio and it was being used as a store room. As you can see this was not the most effective way to work and live. I decided it was time for a change. I did not want this mess everywhere and was not willing to give up creating. So I started the search for how to become more organized and reduce clutter. That is when I found Jennifer Makers 30 day challenge and workbook and joined the create room journey . Using tools provided on these sites I have been able to start understanding my creative personality and purpose, discover barriers, and set goals. I currently have three goals: Goal 1: To feel more joy, I will complete the Jennifer maker 30 day challenge to get organized by no later than April. ( I want to enjoy summer) Goal 2: To help remove barriers, I will put into place areas for supplies, tools, and working that will help me to get and stay organized. (I really wanted a Dream Box , but we already had so much invested in my studio we decided at this time I have a workspace. When we downsize I may go that direction. It definitely has value in a small space.) Goal 3: I will practice being disciplined at putting things away daily in order to keep the feeling of a calm atmosphere in which to create and grow. (My gift is creativity not putting things away) I am currently on step 4 of the Create Room Journey and well into the Jennifer Maker 30 day Challenge. I admit I am not following the 30 Day challenge in a linear fashion. I started with gathering and sorting all my supplies into areas. For example sewing, Cricut and scrapbooking, dollmaking, crocheting and knitting, beads, buttons, etc. Then, I started sorting into trash, giveaway, does not belong in here, and find a place for this. This is where I am now. My cutting table is made using 1 kallax 9 cubby, 2 kallax 8 cubby, 2 kallax 4 cubby and a 4x8 piece of MDF board painted to match my walls. I have a large cutting mat and a small one. These kallax drawers from ikea are an amazing addition to my studio. I love the aesthetics they provide. This side is full of yarn and the other side has dollmaking supplies. Skadis pegboards with roll holder , short hooks, and long hooks are keeping supplies handy and organized. Little by little I am getting my sewing area organized. My sewing desk is made using 2 Alex drawers, a linmon table top, and a komplement pull out tray. I am really loving my ipad on this stand from amazon. It provides great entertainment and a way to keep tutorials right where I am working. My next steps are to continue to purge areas and organize them with appropriate storage for that area. I still have the Cricut station and my supply closet for fabric, buttons, beads, stuffing, etc I am looking forward to sharing more with you about my journey to create a joyful and organized place to create.
With Many Blessings, April
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UPDATE 2/10/2021: This is my process of combining felting with machine embroidery. I am sharing tutorials from those I have learned from for your reference. I encourage you to check out these wonderful dollmakers to learn more about their techniques and purchase their patterns. It is how we can help small businesses keep going. Please note this will take you to a google slide document. I will eventually add a PDF link when it is complete, but for now it is a work in progress. It is part of my journey and the way I am discovering to combine two techniques. I am sure there are many others and am open to others sharing with me. We are all on a journey and different places on the path.
This is not what I expected! I spent years studying and more money than I care to think of for a passion of helping create the leaders I wanted for our world. And then life happens! I love teaching! I love creating, collaborating, and learning. It is part of my DNA. It my soul. So, again we have moved. Jumping through the state hoops to gain a teaching license in a third state, uh no! Twice was enough for me. The test anxiety is real. The additional requirements requested are not appealing. It is time to think outside the box. I am not sure how it happened exactly. I am sure Pinterest was involved. My niece was curious about sewing and making dolls. One of my sisters took her to buy materials. We googled proportions and created a little pattern using a tutorial from Manga Tuts. Do you know how hard it is to show them and then step back and let them do it? So, So hard, but So So IMPORTANT. Let me say it again. LET THEM DO IT! It is not going to be perfect. That is part of the journey. They need to make and then evaluate. You are the guide. Little did I know but according to Rudolph Steiner we were on to something. That little spark started this journey. This new beginning for me as I was leaving teaching and realizing we are always teaching and learning. We are Learning Outside Formal Teaching, LOFT (I can not take credit for the phrase, my mom came up with LOFT for my Etsy store and google helped me realize its importance to me.)
This blog will share my journey. It will help me to collaborate, create, learn and teach. I hope you will share this journey with me. My world is a global one. |
April Lippert-PadalinoBeliever in Bringing Learning to Life through creativity, art, exploring, collaborating and failing forward. Archives
February 2021
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