Worry about showing work space

Having been watching / reading this thread http://talk.folksy.com/t/time-for-a-crackdown-folksy/9285/368 I have noticed that folksy admin and other makers are saying that makers are going to be asked to show their work spaces.
This has made me really conscious of how I work, with beads that I am using held in an old jam jar lid and numerous projects on the go at once. I am having real dilemma’s about trying to look professional or at the very least organised when I am making earrings on a table in the corner of my bedroom, using a kiln in the corner of my kitchen or cutting glass on the dining table :worried:

Maybe make “prop photos” for your meet the maker photos if you need to. You could clear the dining table and put a white table cloth (makes a fab clear background) over it. Then stage a mini work session. Get a few jam jar lids with colour coded beads in (by the way fab idea for stopping them rolling away!), rolls of the wire, your pliers etc, and a half finished work in progress. Lay them out like you are making a pintrest picture (a good place to go for inspiration - or go on instagram/fb and look up makelight studios for some inspiration). It will show that you make (i.e. your work in progress) without having to show the house per say.
Once done you can clear it all back to your normal work stations. Does that make sense? If it does i hope it helped x

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I wouldn’t worry @GreenwoodMakes I think this is only a thought. The whole part of what we do means we aren’t a factory. All my things are tucked away in boxes an when I want to do something I have to remember which box its in! I sew in my conservatory on the dining table. Much to OH annoyance! Lol!

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Yes I wondered about that too, as I work in the kitchen and on my lap in front of the TV. Perhaps a birds eye view of our work mats might achieve the same thing!?
Ali

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Hi Rachael, it can’t be anywhere near as bad as my workspace(s).They include, an old dining table, totally cluttered at the moment, the glass top of my cooker (great for stamping!), I sew my felt brooches on the sofa, while watching the TV. Think I’d better stop here! I think a re-organisation and tidy up is called for!

Don’t get me wrong, I am sort of organised, I have just spent 3 days organising my cutting dies and another week sorting out my sequin stash (I think I have too many!). The sequins now reside in separate clear mini tubs, within a six drawer unit.

I am now going in to tackle the chaos that is my official “craft room”, I may be some time…

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Cant be any worse than mine. I knit. So I have a chair, somewhere to put my tea mug and a light. My work space is totally uninspirational, but what I can’t show you is the view from my window! but one day I will tidy up my wool baskets to show you all!

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I have some organising done now - thanks to panic tidying :smiley:

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Just like mine Suzzie…except mine is more untidy and as well as being surrounded by yarn , there are my 200 odd paint brushes, Boxes full of paintings and the obligatory cup of tea…

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I use the glass ramekins that a certain brand of chocolate dessert comes into hold beads/ half finished projects but I’m not feeling the need to change just because people might spot them in the back ground of a shot (there would almost certainly be a half finished mug of tea in the shot as well).

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I was having the same worry. I sit in front of my TV on my coffee table is were I make stuff but I’m really messy when crafting


This is my front room at the moment.

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So jealous. You all work inside in the warmth. My workplace is the garden shed - much to hubbys annoyance. On the plus side I do have a great workmate.

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Yay another lounge that looks like mine, feel sooooo much better now. I sometimes feel guilty but then living alone, it isn’t getting in anyone’s way. The moggies have learnt to avoid mummy’s work!

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If it becomes “required” then it may give me the kick up the bum i need to paint the wall in the spare room aka craft room. That or i could pay @WoodlandBlossoms to take some mock pics for me as she is seems to have this down to a tea.

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I don’t even have lounge or kitchen space to work in LOL! My work station is my bed - I pull up an old TV unit that has castors on - that holds my paint, palette, brushes etc. I have some shelves on a half painted wall (never had time to finished painting it!) for work in progress, and the rest of my craft stuff is in two single wardrobes (I have one other single wardrobe for my clothes, shoes, sewing machine etc). My bed sheets have ended up splashed with paint! My indoor bunny has a 6’ x 3’ ‘boudoir’ that she trashes on a daily basis, and the carpet, which I can’t afford to replace, has had the moth eaten areas cut out, and the rest is faded where the furniture of the previous owner of our bungalow had furniture on it that never moved :smile:

Don’t think I’ll be showing my work space for a while :slight_smile:

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oops I think we might be sisters lol as I’m just the same as I gave up my sewing/craftroom so ‘adopted daughter’ could have a bedroom.

I do my sewing and all my messy paper and paint things in the unfinished conservatory at the dinning room table that’s always filled with stuff. and I sit watching tv on an arm chair that’s falling to bits to knit and crochet.

But I do have a series of photo’s where I was doing a tutorial for a craft forum of the little cross stitch biscornu pin cushion I sold in my folksy shop. That is 18 photo’s in total.

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I don’t think you need to show your whole workspace, close up photos of process might be more interesting anyway - how about a shot into the kiln before you close the door - or perhaps before and after, what goes in before firing and what comes out afterwards? Half made necklaces - even better if you can get someone else to take them so it’s your hands in action - crocheting hands in action - and so on.

I am lucky enough to have a whole shed to work in but it’s still overflowing, mostly looking like a bomb has hit it so I’m going to have to be creative with my photos too. Cropping is the way to go I think!

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Paula @PRaysonDesigns your lucky to live on your own. My other half lives in the bedroom. Luckily he doesn’t mind as his pc is in there he play a certain game were you build stuff (minecraft) while I.hog the front room.
He does get cheesed off every now and then mainly when.he steps on beads I have dropped.
I also get told I have a enough beads now. I just laugh and say NO!!!

Eileen @EileensCraftStudio you can be my folksy sister :slight_smile:
I must admit I do regularly wonder if I was adopted as I’m nothing like any of my family. So you never know.

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If we do have to take a photo I should do it now after my New Year’s Day tidy up, before my desk becomes a tip again.
I like your storage idea Sasha @SashaGarrett. Sounds like a good excuse to eat more puds. :wink:

I was worried about work space photo’s when I was a featured maker in 2014. My work space is my sofa! My lovely friend very kindly took these of me/my knitting. So even if your sofa/dining table etc is your work space, I wouldn’t worry. If you can get someone to take some good shots, they will be fine.

Natalie xx

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My workspace is my sofa too. Before Christmas I did post a video on my Facebook page of me crocheting https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=993142967409248&id=383447175045500

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