Heather Leopard's Scrap Space

Today Heather Leopard (Blog: Heather Leopard | Instagram: @heatherleopard | Pinterest: @heatherleopard | Twitter: @heatherleopard) is sharing her smashing scrap space with us:

 

Your favorite time of day to scrap: My favorite time to scrap is anytime the girls are willing to spend creative time with mommy. That said, I usually get my "me" time in the late evenings after the kids are tucked into bed and while the hubby is playing around in the shop.

How long do you usually sit down and create? I try to reserve an hour or two for a project but it often takes me longer than that. I get easily distracted but I kind of like that because it gives me an opportunity to walk away for a bit and come back with a new perspective.

What is your favorite scrapbooking tool? Hands down, my favorite tools are my Silhouette CAMEO and sewing machine. I don't know what I would do without them.

How long have you been scrapping? I started scrapping in 2001 after walking into a local scrapbook store. I remember being amazed. I bought all the essentials and was hooked! I originally started scrapping to work on my wedding album but once the kids came along, it's been all about documenting the big and little moments of our lives together.

Do you have a favorite method of storage? I keep all my American Crafts collections together in clear storage cases that I hide away in an armoire when I'm not using them. This makes it super easy for me to grab and go when I want to work with a certain collection. I keep all of my other supplies like mists, adhesive, paints and watercolors, punches, etc. sorted by category in craft storage cubes that are labeled for easy ID.

Do you ever purge your supplies? If so, how often? Yes, I do purge my supplies. I used to hoard it all in case I ever wanted to use it but the truth is that I love working with the latest and greatest and I never get around to making time for the supplies I was saving. Now I have a bin in my room where I put the supplies that I am no longer using. I offer them to my mom and my children first and then I package them for sale or donation.

Is this your dream space or do you have ideas for something else? My hubby and I just remodeled my scrap space and I absolutely love it! It's so functional and organized so I'm no longer bogged down with clutter. My kids even have a dedicated space so we can create together. I will soon be adding an inspiration area full of quotes, photos, art, etc to keep my creative mojo going! If I had more space, I would probably add a large work table in the middle of the room so we could all sit at the same table and make pretty things together.



My old room used to be painted with a faux yellowy brown and had the same colored wood floors so it felt kind of like a dungeon. A fresh coat of white paint on the walls, new floors and a fun rug really brightened up the space. I also had my hubby build a custom desk that hugs 3 of the walls in the room. The long desk now allows for a scrap space, sewing space (or a kids area) and my work desk since I work from home. I just recently got my Raskog and I'm still deciding what to store in it so for now, it holds a basket made from rolled up newspapers which is where I store all my lovely Thickers. Can you spot my dog, Spot?



I keep all my essentials at my fingertips in the little octagon carousel. It used to be black and since everything new was white, I just spray painted it. Now it's just like new! All my favorite paints, mists, pens, scissors, etc. are within reach in all these units on my desk. The same items in different colors that aren't used as much are in the cubbies below the desk. I have a little egg crate and ceramic basket that I put little odds and ends in to keep them from getting lost while working on a project. Once the project is done I can easily pack everything away.



I especially love this desk organizer from the Amy Tangerine Rise & Shine collection. Look how neatly it stores things!



As we work our way around the desk, my sewing machine is ready for action. This also doubles as a craft space for the kids or when my mom comes and eventually I plan to set up my video equipment here for process videos.



This is where I work, as in I have a full-time job type of work. I use 2 monitors so I can look at different Powerpoints, email, etc. at the same time. After work hours, I swap out my personal PC and then I can look at photos, Silhouette, Illustrator, or whatever, and play Netflix on the other monitor. The armoire to the right is one of my favorite things in the room. Take a look below.



I got this armoire several years ago from Pottery Barn and it holds all my goodies. Starting at the top, I have all my American Crafts cardstock, paper trimmer and room for more "stuff". The 2nd shelf holds my Minc and Selphy printer. I don't use the printer when I am at home so I may end up packing it in my "scrapping on the go" bag but it sits here for now. The 3rd shelf slides out and it holds my Big Shot and CAMEO. I will probably switch the CAMEO and Minc since I'll need to get to the back of the Minc when I use it. The 4th shelf is all about my beloved HP wide format printer. This baby prints 13x19 photos making it easy when I want to print a large photo for scrapping. In the cabinets below are the storage cases full of American Crafts collections. Like I said above, this makes it super easy to work on projects because everything from one collection is together in a bin. I have 14x14" cases for regular collections and 17x15" bins for larger collections like DIY Shop 2.



Look how neatly these collections pack into the case! Plenty of room for it all! I almost always put things back in their packaging after I use them and it still fits.



The black unit is mostly for my girls. They have their own storage cases full of papers and embellishments and they also have their own tools. It's all kept nice and tidy in the drawers. The door in the middle folds down to create a desk for them so they can pull up a chair and get crafty too! Also in this photo is a typewriter that used to belong to my grandmother. Did you notice the wood map? I just purchased it from Michaels and plan to add all our family's travels to it. The gold and black locker only has one thing in it so far (fabric) and is ready to be filled up with more supplies!

Thanks for stopping by for the tour of my scrap space today! I'll be posting additional photos on Instagram and my blog so make sure to swing on by.

Comments

[Maeve Carter]

So inspired by all the clever ideas. Great space! Love it!

[Jennifer O.]

What a great space! Thanks for sharing.

[Patsy Asher]

Heather, I am so amazed at what you have done in your work room! It is gorgeous! You have done a wonderful job and it looks like a room I would love to work in. Now I have new ideas for my craft room.

[Lori Allred]

Love your space Heather...looks roomy enough for me to come create with you too!!

[Mendi Yoshikawa]

What a happy space! Loving how bright it is and you pink and aqua blue pops of color with the b&w--Even your dog seems to coordinate! ;) The armoire for all your printers and cutting machines is awesome too--Love the idea of being able to just shut the door on all that stuff. :)