The Annual End of the Year Studio Clean Out

by Staci L. Smith

During show season, which runs from about March till October, I don't get much else done. Three kids and shows, leaves me in constant emergency mode, just doing the basics. So since the end of October I have been cleaning up and destashing my house.

I cleaned my studio last year pretty good as well. It's amazing how much stuff just gets thrown in corners after shows, ect..... I am thankful I cleaned it last year as well, cause it was bad.........real bad.

These pics were actually taken after I'd started cleaning....so they are kinda mid clean, with an entire layer of stuff removed. Like the bead bin with the glass top? Thats my misc bead box....it used to be about 9 bowls stacked in all corners of my table, no lie. So I put away the bigger beads and such and the rest went into the mix bin. I love a good mix bin though, often it inspires me to see all the colors and textures together- silver lining to the mess.

I started trays to sort things, half finished stuff, metal to re-work, beads to be completed, ect.....(some are waiting to be riveted to a backing, some need bezels re-attempted, some need to be added to their polymer centers, ect.....) I also began to hang up jewlery that can be put in the etsy shop at a markdown. The rest of the jewelry went either in a pile on my shelves (the part of the studio thats not done yet) or in the bargain bin. Because I plan to have an open house this year, just something informal, so you local friends can come and get some great bargains for gifts.

So I got some of my shelves cleaned up, sorted and destashed. These are looking much better- I have my bags and business cards and boxes on the top shelf, my magazine publication on the next one, polymer clay creating stuff and alcohol inks, empty trays, so I can start filling them with beads for the Berks Bead Bazaar, and on the very bottom is my show stuff that I won't put in the basement. Its my bead totes, checkout station, and my table cloths.

Then I cleaned out the cabinet where I keep my metal clay stuff, my stamps, and my things I don't want kids into- like denatured alcohol and liver of sulphur. Somehow, it had accumulated stuff in there, that just didn't belong. Its much better now.

I took some of the piles of papers from my table, many of them gifts from my kids, other pieces of art from fellow artists, and decorated a little bit.........................

That jewerly is the "mine" stash- and the "needs re-working" stash.

I also cleaned my patina / solder shelves

Those sit on my bead table between my bead area and solder area.

And here is the bead desk re-done............Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

Cleaned out under it, on it, ect........still missing my favorite file though......hmmmmmm.

I still have to clean the big corner shelves from this picture.....but the floor over there is totally clear now, and some of it is looking better. That will be next week, as I have custom orders to finish up, and jewelry to get out to the gallery.....AND Christmas gifts to make. I love making Christmas gifts.

Ready for the new year! Are you?