Fiona has started up a WIP (work in progress) Friday theme.
If you are easily frightened please look away.
This is how I work. It's not pretty is it ?
There's a tiny tortoise in there somewhere - it's no wonder Molly can make off with things before I realise they've gone missing. And I'm a dreadful hypocrite, because if anyone else made a mess like this in the house, I'd kick their arse.
At least it's a creative mess though , so that makes it o.k in my mind. Right ?
Here are much prettier things to look at from Marion, Cecile ,Sophie, Sarah, Alex and her friend Sabine. I could go on and on linking to lovely blogs, but this sun is still shining here (miraculously) and I'll save the rest for a rainy day.
xxx
You are right, it is a creative mess, and so is exempt from general house tidyness! That is my excuse!!!
Posted by: raspberryfairy | June 09, 2006 at 02:23 PM
You know what - it looks like a well used work area. And I bet that even though it looks in disarray, you can put your hands on pretty much anything you need to in seconds!
If anything this just makes me love you even more - if you not only made such wonderful stuff, but did so in a lovely MarthaStewartLiving-worthy environment? Well, then I would just have to believe that you were some sort of inhuman craftygrrl-cyborg....
:)
Posted by: LLA | June 09, 2006 at 02:27 PM
Looks like my place. And I'm the same hypocrite. One day my daughter will tell me about that...
Thanks for linking to the 'prettier things' that can be found on my blog - after they left my crafting aerea mess ;-)
Posted by: Alex | June 09, 2006 at 03:51 PM
i see a cute critter in development there--your sewing machine looks like a real workhorse!
But I must say I love the way you've decorated your mess with pompon fringe! Now that's a crafty girl!
Posted by: Snowbear | June 09, 2006 at 04:36 PM
Ha! I spotted the tortoise (it was like spotting Waldo in the Where's Waldo kids books)! :) He's so cute! Did you make him, too? (Sigh.) You are so talented! I can't wait to see the other little softie when you're done with him (or her). Have a great day!
Posted by: Kathy B. | June 09, 2006 at 05:38 PM
Well, I have to say Lyn, it is kind of nice to know that my crafting icon has a dark side. A dark, messy side at that!
Posted by: Kelli | June 09, 2006 at 06:09 PM
Mr. says one can't cook without dirtying dishes, so I tend to use the same train of thought for creative workspaces. I really like the ball trim along the shelf edge!
Posted by: Passions & Distractions | June 09, 2006 at 07:44 PM
oooh, oooh I love your pom-pom trimmed shelf. And the old wood desk with the pull-out bit. And the baskets.
Surely you've got to be a bit messy with making things; if you didn't pile stuff up you'd never notice those magic, inspiring juxtapositions.
Posted by: Kitty Jimjams | June 09, 2006 at 08:27 PM
My Grandma always shrugged about the piles in her work areas and said, creative people are messy. People who are always cleaning up are just a little bit boring...
Posted by: IamSusie | June 09, 2006 at 08:46 PM
It looks about as messy as my work area! I like your poking stick. But what have you done with all your cut off threads and little tiny scraps? (I find it hard to throw out anything, especially now I have my Babylock embellisher. Everything is usable!) Have a lovely weekend. Weather's due to get rotten on Sunday, so enjoy it while you can!
Posted by: Kate | June 09, 2006 at 08:57 PM
Ah, real life. Now *that* is truly beautiful.
Posted by: Meg | June 09, 2006 at 10:40 PM
Is this Lyn's space? REALLY? God, I'm so relieved! : )
Posted by: Blair | June 09, 2006 at 11:33 PM
Thank you SO muchf or the link! I know all about creative messes, by the end of each night I am working my desk is a disaster...but I usually have something to show for it :) have a fabulous weekend!!!
Posted by: Sarah Smith aka Rustic Relics | June 10, 2006 at 12:39 AM
my mum always says you can't be creative and tidy, enjoy the sunshine :)
Posted by: sarah | June 10, 2006 at 02:27 AM
I used to be a tidy kind of person- I turned 40 and now I am a very messy crafter. My actual work area is the size of the yellow pages( I have taken to working on top of the phone book and I have no idea why ????) My whole table, and under and another desk and a piano are covered. I tell myself that if everything was put away my creative juices would work. That is my story and I'm sticken' to it.
Posted by: tyn | June 10, 2006 at 03:07 AM
Finally someone with a REAL craft space! Who are these people with the rooms that look like photoshoots for MSL? LOL!
Posted by: Kristin | June 10, 2006 at 03:57 AM
Fantastic! My desk often looks like this, too, and I like to think of it as an open filing system. ;) Everything has a place - which just happens to be under a whole lot of other stuff.
Posted by: Fiona | June 10, 2006 at 06:13 AM
From chaos comes beauty.
Posted by: HeatherJ | June 10, 2006 at 06:46 AM
Do you really think we can create something beautiful on a desert desk ?
I like your place ;) And thanks for the links. Have a nice week-end :)
Posted by: Chris10000 | June 10, 2006 at 07:55 AM
Try telling my husband that its 'creative mess'!!! Ive tried being tidy but....
Posted by: julie | June 10, 2006 at 01:35 PM
Hello Lynn!
Thanks so much for linking my blog! I´m a great fan of your sweeties! They are full of love and the work is unbelievable! It must take ton of hours to give the breath to a sweety.
Sorry for my bad English :-(
Nice greetiings from Germany
Sabine
PS: my desk look exact as yours :-)))
Posted by: Sabine | June 10, 2006 at 04:05 PM
I am so happy to see that you and so many of your comments come from creatively messy people!!! I tried to tell my husband that this is normal. Creativitiy needs to be messy!! LOL! It is not what your space looks like that matters, it is what comes from it. You sure produce amazing and cute things!!
Posted by: Zoe | June 10, 2006 at 05:23 PM
I am so happy to see that you and so many of your comments come from creatively messy people!!! I tried to tell my husband that this is normal. Creativitiy needs to be messy!! LOL! It is not what your space looks like that matters, it is what comes from it. You sure produce amazing and cute things!!
Posted by: Zoe | June 10, 2006 at 05:24 PM
HA! Now I don't feel so bad.
I bet you know EXACTLY where everything is too!
Posted by: maize | June 10, 2006 at 10:18 PM
Hey - I thought for a second someone had snuck into my house and taken a photo of my craft area!
Posted by: pammymela | June 11, 2006 at 01:39 AM
It might as well be my working space: ) It gets just like that after a couple of projects, and then I clean it all up, tidy. Then it begins again. You can't help it. You take things out, leave them out because you'll use them later...etc. Your beautiful work justifies the "state" of your desk. Keep it up.
Posted by: Lizette | June 11, 2006 at 06:41 AM
so nice to see that it can be such a mess also in others houses than mine !!
But if you look in my blog I'v cleaned for the photos, don't be upset !!
Posted by: cécile | June 11, 2006 at 03:06 PM
Oh the joy and relief of a "not perfectly organized crafter"
Pictures are posted from my most unexpected presence at the QUILT WALK in Panguitch Utah, where a renowned 82 year old QUILTING PIONEER, gave an hour talk and WALK through her LIFE OF QUILTING-just amazing. Do come and see -add any comments as I have zero quilting knowledge and or skills. Share them with your QUILTING FRIENDS!
Namaste,
MB in JT
Posted by: marybeth | June 11, 2006 at 08:02 PM
thanks!!!
i love this blog!
linkit!
Posted by: Gigi | June 11, 2006 at 11:42 PM
oh thank God I'm not the only one! Your crafts are so adorable, it just doesn't matter what kind of mess you make :)
Posted by: Lori | June 12, 2006 at 03:39 PM
But, that looks just like my workspace! The only problem is that no one ever runs away with my bits and pieces -- it's me who's misplaced them! Eventually they show up...
I love seeing where and how my crafty-mentor works.
xxoo
Posted by: Anna H. | June 12, 2006 at 06:27 PM
Hee Hee... I could look for hours at this pic. I'm absolutely fascinated by other people's creative corners. I really thought I was messy and I am as I don't have a dedicated area and so spread myself all over the sitting room and dining room for days!
Posted by: posy | June 12, 2006 at 08:51 PM
I love your post - it makes me feel so much better. I just finished a post on my blog wondering about all those bloggers out there with "perfect-seeming" lives, when mine seems so chaotic. Then I visited your site and had a good chuckle.
Posted by: Beth | June 12, 2006 at 09:15 PM
Here is my favorite quote:
"One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries." --Milne
Long live creative mess!
Posted by: Kim | June 13, 2006 at 02:50 PM
tHAT is fun, but hmm... I won't join in. There would be to much photos if all my WIP's would be portraited that I would never finish anything! hihi! :-)
Posted by: Hanna | June 13, 2006 at 03:38 PM
"Can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs" is my motto!
p.s. your nest looks much more organized than my mess! :)
Posted by: tinker | June 14, 2006 at 08:55 AM
I really love your desk, it makes me feel really tidy (which I'm not!) in comparison!!!
I looked at the rest of your blog, I really like what you do, I'm going back to look more.
Posted by: Sara | June 16, 2006 at 09:34 AM
ha! that looks pretty much exactly like my sewing area!!!
except i also have unused birthday cards and cd's stacked all around it...great to see some honest craft mess! yay!
Posted by: caylie | June 18, 2006 at 01:57 AM
Oh, thank god. I am much more frightened by the beautiful studios I see pictures, wondering if I could ever get mine to look like that. It's so inspiring to see that your amazingness springs from such chaos-it gives me hope.
:)
Posted by: angharad | June 18, 2006 at 06:04 PM
Phew! I thought that I was the only one who works in such a state of ordered chaos! Thanks for having the nerve to post it. I feel much better now.
Posted by: Stacy | June 18, 2006 at 10:42 PM
so much work to do! :)
Posted by: coxi creations | June 26, 2006 at 02:47 PM
I have to work the same way. It drives my poor DH crazy. he is a neat nick and when my mother comes over she has the same response.
I think that I am more creative when I am surrounded bu my things.
Posted by: Katie C | June 28, 2006 at 08:53 PM
looks like my workshop too! creative people have brains filled with stuff -- it's only logical their desks look like that too ;o)
Posted by: rhelynn | July 02, 2006 at 09:02 PM