Where Bloggers Create 2012: Just Bee 'n Me Studio

Hello!! Whether you are visiting here for the first time from Where Bloggers Create 2012 or you're an old friend stopping by to say hi - Welcome!!  I'm Becky Schultea, full-time licensing artist and illustrator (and part time crafter), and this is a tour of my little studio at our Woodland Cottage near Houston, Texas. I have had a BLAST setting up my studio here and getting it functional and fun!!  Can't wait to show you the details...

Before we get started though, I want to thank Karen at My Desert Cottage for hosting this incredibly inspiring blog event - this is the 4th annual one and they just keep getting better and more amazing! I am looking forward to looking through all the many creative spaces and getting to know the creative souls behind them...I hope you'll do the same!

So here are the details of my 10 x 13 studio, otherwise known as a spare bedroom in our 3 bedroom cottage. I will keep my commentary to a bare minimum and just let the photos do the talking...enjoy!!

This inspiration board is a rusty old baby mattress spring - I used to use it for display at the antique shop space I used to have...

 Love my little buckets full of fabric...

Vintage stuff everywhere...

The display with the little cards is from Universal Designs who licenses my artwork. That is from my Easter collection from 2012...

I won that adorable little bear illustration (below) from my friend and fellow artist Diane Knott when she was having a blog giveaway a few years ago...

I love my paint caddy - $15 garage sale find and it was full of unopened paint bottles!

Here's my bakers rack in the corner, loaded down with goodies. Above it are the posters I made of my Just Bee 'n Me girls for the Craft and Hobby Association trade show I attended in January...

There's always a place at my craft table for you...I hope you can come by someday and play!!!

My Mom and I are going to be launching an Etsy shop early this Fall - these vintage junk jewelry pieces might just be part of the fun you'll find there...you'll have to check back and see!! We're shooting for an August 31st grand opening...

The dual closets are full of fun too...

Rounding out the room is a rack full of vintage embroidered linens (one of my most favorite things in the world!) Just love 'em!! I love the one in the middle (a sweet gift from a dear friend) that says "Say It With Stitches" - just perfect!

I am so grateful that you stopped by to tour my studio and say hi! What an honor to have you here!! 

Thanks again and God Bless You!!

Where Bloggers Create 2012: I'll Be There!

I'm saving you a seat...

...and stocking my shelves...

...for the "Where Bloggers Create 2012" blog party hosted by the awesome Karen Valentine at My Desert Cottage!!

I hope you'll join me and SO many other bloggers from all over blogland as we share inspiring, fun photos of our studios, sewing rooms, and other creative nooks in our homes. Better yet, participate in the fun and share YOUR creative space with all of us...we'd love to see it!!

So, on July 14th I'll reveal my new studio at the Woodland Cottage for the party - I look forward to seeing you there!!

Meanwhile, I'll keep sharing various corners of the Cottage as I complete them...it's all starting to really come together and look sweet and cozy! More photos coming very soon I promise!

Hugs & Blessings for your week!

Where Bloggers Create: From Storage Building to Studio

Welcome friends, old and new! I'm thrilled to be participating in the second annual "Where Bloggers Create" party put on by the gracious Karen at My Desert Cottage! If you didn't come here from there, do yourself a BIG favor and head over there for a FEAST of inspiration!! Simply click on the many Where Bloggers Create links on Karen's sidebar to see the creative spaces of talented bloggers all over the world...

And now for a tour of my studio space. If you've seen it before, I  hope you'll look again - I have added more photos as well as projects I have made there...and if it is your first time here, I warmly welcome you to Just Bee 'n Me, the art and heart of me, Becky Schultea...

What do you get when you take a storage building full of junk...

...empty it out, and have your fabulous husband work SO hard on it for months...?

...you get a light, airy but cozy space that's ready...

...to make into my colorful cottage studio! Thanks Sweetie! I have SO enjoyed my sweet, creative space!

I hope you'll take a stroll with me through my studio to see the details that make it dear to me...

I put an extra work table to the left as you enter the studio...

See the peg rack? Here's how it looked when I first got it...

It was comprised of a $1.00 garage sale rack with a 80's paint job and a set of $.50 pastel buckets. Now it provides extra storage (should I need it)...

Above the peg rack I hung three of my favorite illustrations framed with flea market frames painted black with whimsical white polka dots...

Onward along the left wall (the white rocker was sitting out along the curb for the trash when I rescued it!)...

...to the desk area - a large pine desk/work table flanked by two bookcases...

I cut up and used a vintage cutter quilt with cute butterflies as valances on all the windows (easy, no sew project)...I also draped a few vintage embroidered linens over the curtain rod for fun...

More desk area details...

Here's another of my favorite illustrations, matted with fabric and ribbon trim...

The back portion of the studio is made up mostly of storage shelves holding flea market and garage sale finds awaiting repurposing...

A couple of my many bunnies on a hand painted chair...

Moving around now to the right side of the studio you'll see one of my favorite thrifted treasures of all time - my $30 couch! I WISH I had taken a before photo...but trust me, the fabric was not the prettiest...but the couch's bones were good and it was solid...

So with a $19.99 king size discount store quilt, and pieces of leftover bargain quilt that I already had (you may recall I used it to make no-sew valances for my livingroom), my Mom and I tucked and tacked and managed to fashion a no-sew slipcover of sorts for it. I used a couple of flower pins that I had on hand to "gather" the slipcover around the arms of the couch...

A thrifted dresser and mirror ($25) provide lots of fabric storage as well as more display area...

This corner shelf rounds out the right side of the studio and is home to larger pieces of fabric yardage and ribbon...

Finally, I thought I'd include a selection of the projects I've made in the studio since it was finished (I sell these in our space at theWhispering Willow Gifts & Antiques)...

And honestly, this is the very last image for this post. Since many of you are visiting for the first time, I thought I would include my very latest digtal illustration - she will be the June design for my 2011 "Between us Bunnies" calendar....

THANK YOU so much for taking time to visit my studio and see some of my work. It means so much to me to be able to share it with you! I hope to see you again soon and I am looking forward to visiting with you too! Have a glorious weekend!!

"He has made everything beautiful in its time..."

Ecclesiastes 3:11