The Storage War.....

by MaryAnn Carroll

So, one of the dilemmas that I have had since beginning of my love for beads 8 years ago is storage! I've had plastic containers that I bought from JoAnn's to plastic containers from Chinese take out. I like the Chinese takeout containers better since there's more room to shuffle through. The problem, however, still remains as to how to store them without looking like I live in a bead store.

I do have a studio that I use when fire and cutting are involved, but really find myself at the kitchen table whenever I make jewelry. I've heard that from many jewelry designers. A year ago I decided that I just needed to accept that I wasn't going to change and needed to find something other than plastic containers to store my beads in.

This Pier 1 wicker basket storage was from when I lived alone before meeting Bill. It works, but is a little flimsy. I really only have wire and chain in the top and glaze containers that don't fit in the armoire you see behind it in the other drawers. This is an ideal spot for me to add bead storage since it is right next to where I sit at my table.

This doesn't cut it.

I got this at a barn sale last summer.  It's nothing fancy, but works well in our house that sports a little rustic furniture. It is near my table, but I have to dig through my Chinese takeout containers to find what I need.

Like most of us, the collection grows, the odds and ends grow and just the entire mess grows! I wanted something that would be more practical and could sit next to my armoire.

In the meantime, this is where my beads have been living. It works, but it's not pretty when I need all of those beads to work with. And, believe me, it usually when I am in a rush for a show or gallery orders, so all neatness is thrown to the wayside.

Our latest activity is antiquing. Bill hates garage sales, but we have discovered he loves to go antiquing. That works for me because so do I! We have a few things that we are hoping to find and one of those was something for my beads that would not be too big and would work with the look we have in the house.

I've learned patience in my older age. Years ago, I would have just run out and found something. Now, I find that I will wait until that something finds me.

And it did! This might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I LOVE it!! It's from a local factory from the late 1800's, early 1900's. It is perfect!!! It's not quite as green as in the picture.

Here's the best part.......

Every single one of those drawers other than the deeper top one looks like this!

Patience paid off. I have a long ways to go with transferring everything, but this it my start.

Do you create in places other than what you intended? How do you handle your storage?

And, as always... Thank-you for supporting artists who create handmade with handmade.

MaryAnn