April 10, 2007

Inspiration Station...prepare to be creative!






So many of my friends ask, *How do you always have so many ideas, Mish?* I'll let you in on some of my secrets. Settle in for a nice little story, get your coffee if you need to and come back. OK. Well, rarely do I just plop down and an idea comes to me. I *prepare to be creative* just like the title of this blog thread states. What does that mean, you ask? I surround myself with inspiration and ideas. I am constantly on the lookout for *stuff* that inspires my creative side.

For example, in the first photo you will see my *Inspiration Station*. I got this idea from a current issue of Home Companion magazine. A designer had all kinds of fabric, ribbon, papers, etc on a giant bulletin board and in baskets nearby. I LOVE that idea! So I made a smaller version of that Inspiration Station in my own craft room. At the time of this photo, I had some beautiful papers, ribbon, ric rac and some paint daubers all grouped together. You can't just purchase supplies and expect them to hop on the card. They need a little help....a little time to get to know each other....a little time to hang out together at the Inspiration Station! Then after you've looked at it all for while, an idea is surely bound to pop into your head.

Another source of inspiration is my sketch book...or piles of sketches that I have drawn, like in the second photo. I do this while I watch tv, or am waiting for the girls at soccer practice, or while I'm subbing at school during breaks. I have a little idea book that I put my tried and true sketches into, and I keep my *maybe* ideas on grid paper. LOVE that stuff! Can you see how my strawberry card is next to a sketch that looks similar? Just a little idea is all that is needed to spark a bigger idea!

Something else you can do is keep some of your current supplies out in the open where they can be seen, like with my green shelf in the photo. (By the way, don't you love my shelf...my green shelf....my favorite color shelf?) I love to hang rub ons, stickers, acrylic stamps, magazine pages,etc on those giant rings and then put a ribbon through that and hang on a knob or hook. I have this kind of stuff hanging all around in my craft room. It's organized and easily accessible...not stuck in a drawer. And I love my clear jars, perfect for buttons and baubles. I'm sure by now you've also noticed my messy ribbon collection(in my wire basket...my green, wire basket.....my favorite color wire basket..see a theme here?) I have tried to keep my ribbon in order but this is how I like it. All Mishy Mashy like a kid's toy box. I can dig around in there and find all kinds of good stuff!

Lastly, you can see how all of this inspirational stuff came together in my mind. I made this cute flower card using the ric rac and paint daubers that were grouped together on my Inspiration Station. No, I didn't use the pretty papers but I'll get around to those later. For this card, I used the Papertrey Green Thumb set that I can't get enough of. I just gathered up my supplies and a sketch and here's what I created. So I hope I have given you some food for thought with my creative process...and I wish you all could come stamp with me, oh the fun we could get into!

Tip of the day: Geez, that was the mother load of tips up there, but here's another one. When you are working with paints like the cool Adirondack Paint Daubers (from Eclectic Paperie), don't expect crisp, clean images. Paints give a textured, sometimes smudgy feel to your project. The results are unpredictable but that is the fun part. Go with it girls, it's fun!! Let loose, woohoo!! Also.....clean up after yourself after each stamping session. When you are done with a grouping of supplies, put them away. It's refreshing to start out with a clean table and much easier to put away supplies a little at a time.

34 comments:

Carol (HB) said...

You are not only one of the most creative people I know, but you have THE most amazing way of sharing your talents! love ya Mishie!!!

Valerie said...

I want to come and play in Kansas!
Oh, to be as organized in my creativity as you! Yep, Kansas here I come (well someday, I hope!)

Susie said...

I love visiting your blog. Not only am I able to enjoy your beautiful creations but EVERY time I learn something new. Thanks you for sharing so much of your talent.

Unknown said...

Love the PTI card! Such pretty colors and great tips for creating!

Heather said...

I just adore your blog! This post is amazing- I feel so inspired to go home and make my own inspiration station. You are 100% right about buying stuff- you do need to let it co-mingle with its new craftroommates to realize its full potential!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for all the wonderful tips today. Your blog is one of the first blogs I check each day :o) I love peeking into other peoples craft rooms, you never know what kind of great ideas you might get. Any chance you might show us the whole space????? Please!!!!! Maybe I could just come over and play????!!!! TFS
Ruth A.

Bethany Paull said...

Looks like your craft room is really pretty. I love your inspiration station.

Anonymous said...

Wow, what great advice!! I love the way you have used the corkboards. My studio is small so I may have to get a corkboard to hang up. Your cards are beautiful and I love to visit your blog each day to see what you have created. Thanks for sharing!!

Linda Nicholson said...

Wow...you're my stamping hero! I really appreciate this post. Let's me see your process and makes me feel like it's something that I can easily incorporate too!

Thank you!

Linda (LSN on SCS)

M!ssPr!ssy said...

Great Ideas. I'm the plop down sort of gal but end up doing some of the same sort of things. ~liz

Anonymous said...

Wow, I didn't realize how much "work" went into your designs. I thought they just plopped together :) Thanks for teaching us how to design like an artist!
Kellie

Anonymous said...

WOW! I love your tips! I read the same article in Home Companion....love that magazine! I now have an inspiration station! Your work is beautiful and I love coming to your blog! Can you show pictures of your entire room?? I bet it's beautiful!

Stampin_Melissa said...

I love to see the creative process others use! Thank you for sharing some of your inspiration and process that you go though (with pics!)

Alli Miles said...

Have I told you lately that you are AWESOME? I just adore your work and I love how you shared your thought process since everyone's is sooooo different! Great cards and YUMMY green shelf and baskets *heh* green is my fav colour too.
Alli Miles

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the sneak peek at your creative process! I loved that sample board in ME's Home Companion, too. If only I had some wall space...lol! What kind of book do you put your tried and true sketches in?

Beth said...

OH MISH! MISH MISH! You are such an enabler! I LOVE YOU! You are a genius! LOVE your stampin space!

Sherrie said...

Michelle, loved to see the creative process you go through, we sound quite similar. I love making sketches first. Fun to see your station!

Mrs. Nancy G said...

Wow! You have an amazing craft room and thank you for sharing the way you create. It's really neat that you can draw your ideas out and keep them in a sketch book. I really should try that too. I often just sit down and put my cards together all at once.... even if it takes an hour or two.

Smiles,
Nancy Grant

Anonymous said...

wOWWHEEEEEEEEE, what a FANTASTIC post! Your information has my mind spinning like a top...THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!

Joan said...

Thank you so much for sharing some of your thought processes. Could you please come to my house and play??

Cindy @ Creating at Home said...

I enjoyed reading this post - very inspirational!

Taylor said...

Holy Cow!!! I'm inspired just looking at your pictures! I love the idea of an Inspiration Station! And I agree that it helps to leave out newly purchased embellies and paper. So often I put it right in it's spot only to forget about it.

Memories of Time said...

You're a bomb Miss Mish Mash! :) Love ya girl!
~C

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure who directed me to your blog, but I'm glad I found you! You are so practical and thorough in your approach that I can see why your cards are so popular where you live! I read in an earlier post that you sell yours to the ladies in your town. How do you go about that--through your own location or through a store? I'm having the same problem of finding women who want to make them, but I think they'd like to buy my designs. Any advice? Thanks...

Anonymous said...

I stalk your blog everyday! I love how you write. I love how you share. I love all of your creations. Please, please, please show photos of your entire crafting space. This little piece was very inspirational but I need the full monty! Thank you SO MUCH in advance for sharing it ALL!

Debbie Fisher (debbiedee) said...

Michelle, such wonderful tips! I love your blog and love your green shelf and basket!
Where did you get the large pink rick rack? I purchased some at a crop from a vendor and I have no idea who the vendor was (several were from out of state anyway). I would love to get more.
Thanks!
debbie

Ida said...

Michelle, Awesome! This was super interesting. I love your inspirational ideas. Now if I could just get motivated to try them out! Your cards is so pretty. I'll have to check out the Paint Dauber's. Ida

Anonymous said...

{{{{{{{{Mish}}}}}}}}} I knew I'd be glad to stop my day for a few seconds and pop in to see what you've been up to! You inspire me, girl. You really do! Thank you for that!

smooches, Jules

Jennifer Aviles said...

Holy smokes, Mish. Sing with me. . .you oooh oooh, i wanna be like you oooh ooh! I wanna write like you, stamp like you. . .

Okay, so I sing off key in real life. You don't want to hear THAT in person! YOU are such an inspiration. Seriously, girl. Wow. :)

Trudee said...

awesome stuff Mish! I am nowhere near as organized as you!! wowee!!!! Thanks for sharing :)

Shabbychick Junk said...

OMG! YOU MAY HAVE INSPIRED ME TO CLEAN MY STAMP ROOM! YOU ARE A CREATIVE GENIOUS, GIRLFRIEND!

Anonymous said...

Just wanted to let you know, that you have inspired me to leave some of my supplies on my work table. I only have a basket of pretty ribbon sitting out but it has been enough to get me thinking about what I can create using it.

Cathie said...

Oh my, oh my, oh my! Thank you, I believe if I can copy the Masters one day I might be one. You have incredible teaching qualities. Thank you for unlocking the secret of getting the items I just "had to have" out from the storage and into use. I truely needed this information, I have literally tremendous quanities of stuff! I was begining to believe I would never use half of it until retirement.

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