Creative Spaces Vol. 3 - holla!!!

Welcome to my humble blog.
This is where I share my recent scrapbooking creations, updates on my little family and more scrapbooking.  You have probably found your way here through Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking Magazine blog hop for the Creative Spaces Vol. 3 magazine or you are my loyal family!

This is big news for a small town girl from the Northeast.  I will be buying every copy in a 20 mile radius!  If your on my Christmas list, you know what you will be getting!

Paper Crafts team has suggested we share some of our scrapbooking space, behind the scenes photos of the "photo shoot" or maybe a tutorial.  I have decided to share some photos of my space.  Some have been posted here before but I am pretty sure most of you are happening upon my blog for the very first time, so all I share will be a surprise.

When you get to my "big spread" in the magazine, (pages 78, 79, 80 and 81), after my mugshot you will see photos of this enormous, over sized, back-breaking, 500 lb, custom made oak desk with hideous gold knobs (pg 80).  The magazine mentions that a "friend" made it for me.  I told Paper Crafts staff who really made it for me, but they thought it best to be generic and say "friend" instead of the truth, and suggested that I share the story with you myself.

Truth is, an inmate made it for me.  One of the long-term kind:o)  Yup, you read that right.  I had it made in the woodworking department at a correctional facility that I used to work at.  The inmate even signed underneath if you need proof!  Why you ask, I am not sure!  Maybe he thinks he will be released and become famous and I could turn this hefty monster over for folks to see his autograph.  

It is loosely based on a desk I saw in a magazine.  It is amazing, if you don't have to move it and you can get passed the knobs.  It has custom pull outs, slide outs, drawers, 13x13 adjustable storage on both sides, storage space and two flat surface pullouts for additional work space.  

I do gasp at the thought that the inmate may be released from his life sentence, leisurely strolls through his local craft store, picks up this magazine at the check out and happens upon "his" custom desk and the fact that we have called him a "friend!"

Here are a few of the behind the scene photos.  If I shared them all, you would notice a pattern..... a brown, sexy, beautiful beast on the floor in each shot.  I had to lock her in a bedroom so the poor photographer could work his magic.  I must say, I have seen the magazine and he has made my teeny tiny craft space look gigantic!

So this is a tiny glimpse into my space where I create.  

You will see more details in the magazine.  I love the light gray cabinets I have as well.  They are from Martha Stewart's Home Decorators Collection from Home Depot.  I love love love the thin wide drawers that come with dividers if you want.  I like a clean space so having all of these cabinets with doors, for me, is essential.  Plus, my studio is inside the front door of my house so I NEED quick clean up.  

So, sneak peek is over.  You gotta buy the mag to see the rest!  

I will have to charge for any autographs:o)

I truly appreciate each and everyone of you that stops by. 

 Hope to see you again.

Continue on to the blog hop here.....

Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking magazine  

Catheat Just Something I Made

Kristi and Kelli at Lolly Jane

Beckie at Infarrantly Creative

Haeley at Design Improvised

Tracie at Cleverly Inspired

Carola at Boxwood Cottage

Lia at Lia Griffith

Jen at Tatertots & Jello

Jennifer McGuire

Jill Yegerlehner/Jillibean Soup

Amanda Coleman

Jen Gallacher

Becky Olsen

Stephenie Hamen

Jodi Sanford

Elle Price/Elle’s Studio

Mary-Ann Maldonado  <<<YOU ARE HERE

Michelle Hill

Sherry Mendoza

We R Memory Keepers

Graphic 45

Cosmo Cricket

Fancy Pants Designs

Simple Stories

Michelle at Chalkboard Blue

Stacy Cohen

DCWV Inc.

Hazel & Ruby

Creative Spaces Vol 3 sneak peek

Lordy, I have to share this small peek at the upcoming Creative Spaces Vol. 3 magazine.  

So, GO HERE!!!

There are 13 pages of deliciousness.  

Here is an amazing glimpse into what the mag has in-store.

EEEKKKK, I am so excited.  Only problem, I will be deep in the woods and won't be able to witness the social media excitement.  Boo.  But, fear not, I will be watching my cell for the first glimpse of a bar on my way out of the forest.

Creative Spaces Vol 3

I have been giddy for several months now thinking that my plain ole' space is going to be featured in Creative Spaces Vol 3.  I hosted a photographer that has shot photos for Vera Wang!!  I have not yet seen the complete issue but can share the news with you starting today. 

 You will see how I organize, sort and display my hoarded scrapbooking products.  

On June 24th we will have a blog hop!  All the designers featured in the magazine will be a part of the hop and you can jump to and from each blog.  Sounds like fun, right?

Here is a sneak peek at this issues cover!!  

Nope, that is not my space but I do have that same desk!

You can probably see my smile from where you are...

My Work Space

Every once in a while I decide that I would like to share a small glimpse of what is in my workspace. The idea is not my own, I have followed Marcy Penner and a few others and have jumped on board with this whole Wednesday thing.  Often I wonder if my space is even worthy of sharing but this time, I think it is.  I was rummaging through my favorite local antique shop and they had just received a box of glass test tubes.  They were not even priced yet!  Just a couple days before, I had received my order of sequins from Studio Calico.  If I could insert a lightbulb here for effect, I would!  I had an idea to display my new gems in these really cool tubes.  I wish they would of had a rack to go with it but they didn't.  I also kick myself for not buying the bottle brush that was there, could have used it three times already:o(

I did buy an old coffee tin, which look great with the test tubes in the store.  Once I got home, washed them, and filled them, the sequins sat too low in some of the tubes you couldn't see them in the coffee tin.  I quickly changed that out for an old crock I had a plant in.  I must say, it was really really hard to wait for two days why the test tubes dried after cleaning.  There was nothing that I could insert to help speed the process.  These colorful guys would have stuck if the inside was even the slightest bit damp.  It was definitely worth the wait.

How do you small your sequins?  I would love to know.

Mary-Ann

Catch-up

I have been very busy lately, researching and then buying and then waiting on my new computer.  I can probably go days without using it but when gone from the house and at the apple store, all I can think to do has to do with that machine!  It is frustrating.  Thought I was prepared but I wasn't!  So in the meantime, I sorted my sequins.  I stopped at MY favorite little antique store last week and found the PERFECT solution for these little guys.  I can not wait to share it with you, problem is, I didn't have enough to fill what I bought and now need to wait for more to arrive in the mail.  As long as the display looks pretty right?  Isn't that what it is all about!

Oh these colors make me happy!  I also signed up for the Studio Calico ColorTheory class that starts in March so I am pretty excited!  I need color to put an end to this drab winter.  

Be back soon!

Mary-Ann