Purge Time And It Feels So Good!

Yep!  It's time to purge!  My dye room in the lower level is a wonderful room for dyeing fabric, painting and generally just making a mess!  BUT....at times it does get a little disorganized and those who know me know I can't work in a room that is disorganized!  So, Thursday I decided to start another cleanup and with that came 1 1/2 bags of trash!

This was the before pics!   This is my table that I work on and lately has been one of those 'flat surfaces' where all the 'junk' gets placed!  Really, I haven't done any dyeing or painting on this table since last fall.  

And after!  Bob's work 'shop' is behind my table.  He build a half wall that separates our areas. 

That blanket/area under the table is for the dogs.  They like to lay there while I work.  The floor is cement as this is in the basement area and is very colorful in places!!  So is the sink!  But that's why it's called a dye room!!  There is a walkout door directly to the left of my table so easy in and out for taking projects outside.

These are the cabinets for my art work.  The first one on the left is for holding all my containers.  

The next 2 cabinets are for storing my paints/dyes/stamps, yada, yada!  Yes, I have a lot of stuff!  

Before...not bad but lots of stuff I don't use or need anymore.  

And cabinets after....this one now just has my stamps, screens, stencils, etc.  

I really didn't have to do a lot of purging in this cabinet but I did get rid of quite a few containers or old textile paints.  I see one of my shelves is a little tipsy!  Might have to remember to fix that in the morning!

This is a smaller cabinet (no before pic) that holds phemera, tissue paper, nuts and bolts (rusty of course and some new ones too!), just a lot of items you never know if I'll need!

I am really fortunate to have a room like this to work in and to make a mess in! And if I'm in the middle of doing painting or dyeing or stamping, I can leave the mess and shut the door.  Our family room is before this 'work' area and we have 2 doors that close this room off from the family room. 

This pic is coming down the stairs to the family room.

This pic was taken from my dye room doorway into the family room.  

This pic was taken standing by the end of the pool table.  See, you would never know this mess lurks behind the doorway!   HA  The sun is shining in from one of the sliding doors.  

So that was how I spent several! hours yesterday.  After a shower, Bob and I headed off to Menard's then to dinner at Applebee's.  Nice to know I can now work again.  I have a table runner I'm working on that I want to do some painting or stamping on.  Time to make a mess!!

From a Tapper to an Organizer!

Whew!  I'm pooped today!!  Did some weeding early this a.m., washed some windows outside, started laundry and then headed downstairs to my dye/wet room to purge/clean/organize!!  And that I did - 3 trash bags...Hefty would be proud of how much I stashed in those bags!!

I figure, if  Lynn K. can post pics of before and after of her studio/warehouse, I should show mine as well!!  So here goes!!!   This is the view as you come down the stairs into our finished basement...

The next picture is the view from my dye/wet room and Bob's work room....a nice view this way.  We look out into the family room...but not so nice if the doors are open to our area and you look into the work room from the family room or playing pool!

The view into our work room - fortunately we put doors into the room on both sides!

We have a walkout directly to the left of my table, hence, the sun shining in!  

And this is my work table!  Yes, I am/was able to work on it!  At least I thought it was ok to work on!!

My work table (before!)

After - Didn't know I had this much space!

Under the table all cleaned up

And labeled

I am big on using my label maker or my permanent pen!  But I didn't have labels on everything so out came the label maker!!   My daughter bought me the label maker for a BD gift several years ago....thanks, baby!!  Everyone should have a label maker!!!

 Bob put 3 cabinets in my area to store my dyes, stamps, paints, etc.( they are directly behind my work table against the wall).  It's nice that they can be closed so you don't see the mess inside...

Before dye/paint cabinet - not bad...not good!

After - Does look better doesn't it

last shelves for my paints

Here this is my stamp cabinet.  

The center cabinet before - ugh...

And after!!!

The bottom shelf looks messy but it's not...

And everything is labeled on top of the cabinet -  fiber dyes in a bin, fabric to dye (in a bin) my screens for printing and some other synthetic fabrics (in a bin!).  

Another before  cabinet - it's not bad - holds my collage materials

After - I tossed a lot in the garbage!

I am quite happy with my effort today...now I want to go down and create something on my table!!!  I still have some books to go through and the very 1st cabinet holds empty containers and planters that I don't use anymore.  I'll get to those next week.   Just need a break!!  I take the kids to the 4-H fair on Wed. and I want to start on my stained glass piece!  I'm ready to do the 'cut'!!!  I just might start on it waiting for Bob to get home this afternoon.  I think it's getting close to margarita time!!!