Welcome to my studio!

Ever want to know WHERE I love to create? The answer of course is anywhere—whether thinking in the shower, while cooking in the kitchen, driving in my car, or brainstorming with the executive team. But, if you've ever been curious about the place where I get my fingers inky, then come with me for a peek at my home studio. Welcome inside and let me show you around!

This room really is my sanctuary. It's a place where I can listen to music, open a how-to book, and completely shut out the world. When I was designing it, I was inspired by one of my favorite paper packets—the "Perfect Day" collection. It's been a few years, but I'm sure many of you remember it fondly as well. I loved its color palette of creamy Colonial White, gentle Juniper, and cheery pops of Tulip. It just spoke to me and I knew I wanted to select elements from it for my studio. You'll note that the décor and furniture are primarily cream and a light hue of Juniper, but that it's accented with lots of red bins. I'm big on accessible organization, so I have bins for everything—metals, ribbons, tools, you name it.

I have four "stations" in the studio—because of course, it's always more fun to create with friends! (And when I'm creating solo, it just means I have lots of room to spread out!) I added a couch in a windowed nook as a comfy spot for David or the kids or grandkids to hang out, visit, and talk. And the room is divided into two sections: the high-ceilinged creative space that is airy and bright, and the cozy work room behind it, which is where I keep the sewing machine, computer and printer, and of course, my indispensable Cricut personal cutter.

But perhaps my favorite feature of the entire room is my stamp storage. Check out the wall full of perfectly-sized square drawers…it is a dream come true! Each drawer is a treasure trove, containing hundreds of My Acrylix stamp sets. I like to organize my sets with all the "A" size together, "B" size together, "C" size and so on, starting with the lowest numbers first and going up—so, "A1001" onward. I keep a copy of every past idea book handy so it's very easy for me to locate a stamp design I want in the book, and then go straight to it in the right stamp drawer—it's kind of my own dewey decimal library system. And yes, I absolutely have every single stamp set Close To My Heart has ever manufactured—I am one lucky girl, I admit it!

My studio really is a great space, but the reason that I love it is that it inspires my creativity. I know that not everyone has an entire room dedicated to their papercrafting passion—sometimes that just isn't realistic. For some of you, it may be on the kitchen table (and you need to sweep everything away to serve Sunday dinner!), or in a closet, or shared with a child's room or a husband's den. But wherever your creative space is: grand or small, simple or extravagant, I hope that it is INTENTIONAL. That you purposefully set out to define a space you can clear away so you can make it joyfully, wonderfully messy. Because it's when my space is a mess that so much else is perfectly clear: I am Jeanette. I am preserving moments. I am creative. I am completely, totally happy.