My Crafting Journey and My Craft Room - A Dream Come True!

So I have often been asked how I got into paper crafting and I tell people that it started with making a 25th wedding anniversary present for my parents - I took on the giant task of making them a scrapbook. It was a huge under taking, but being the student that I was at the time I didn't have a lot of money to buy them a nice present so I thought I'd give them one from the heart. Needless to say, it was a huge hit!

As I think back even further to when I was a kid,  I realized that I have always had a love of art. Although, I am self proclaimed left brainer and a teacher of Business, Math and Science - so not a person that you would think of as "artistic" and I still don't consider myself as such. Instead I think of my self as crafter - give me raw materials and some adhesive and I can create just about anything. Give me a pencil and tell to draw and I'm lost!

So where I am going with all of this?, well after my endeavour with my parents scrapbook, paper crafting took a back seat while I finished up my University degree and jetted away for a year of Teacher's College in New Zealand. When I came back I dove right into finding a job and when I did, it consumed my life. I decided in needed a hobby to help me relax and then back came paper crafting - which I did in my basement - my cold, unfinished, cluttered basement.

As time wore on I realized how much I loved what I was doing. Especially when my Mom got sick, I used it as way to block out and cope with the fact that she was dying and my time with her was limited. She lost her second battle with Cancer on October 13th, 2012 at the young age of 59.

Me & my Mom at my Aunt's Annual BBQ

As a way to deal with my grief I threw myself head on into my job and my hobby. That same month I had gone with a friend to ScrapFest here in Ontario and met an awesome Demo from Stampin' Up!, sadly I cannot remember her name. So I spend most of the next 3 months thinking about joining Stampin' Up! and I finally took the leap after seeing my upline's ad on Kijiji for card making class - I was inspired by her cards and thought that maybe I could do that as well.

So on February 5th, 2013 I became a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator and I haven't regretted one minute of it! I started my own meet up group, just like my upline, and my first class was filled with all of my very supportive friends. Little by little new people started to join my MeetUp group and attend my workshops. I was very rapidly outgrowing my kitchen table. Which up to that point was where I was holding my workshops and I did this for a year and a half. When I realized that I couldn't continue to grow where I was, so I gathered my nerve and begged my Dad to help me finish off the basement and make it my craft room. He, of course, was reluctant, as it was a big project for him and I  - plus he would be doing most of the work as I was still working full time, plus we had some help from my amazingly talented Uncle. But never the less we worked hard and completed my craft room in 4 months and I am exceptionally proud of it!

This was what was existing in the basement before we started.

We had to add in this wall as it was large open space into the back -
which is now storage.

My Dad & Uncle, putting in the dry wall.

All drywalled & mudded!

My viewing window - so I can see who is coming down the stairs

Gotta hide the electrical panel!

Painting & laying the floor.

Finally finished!

And here is a look at what it looks like today - well almost. I have added in a few more shelves and cube units and I have extended my workspace island.

Well it was a labour of love and I think we did very well for two beginners and a very small budget! I feel I come a very long way from where I started and I couldn't have done it without the help of some wonderful people. So from the very bottom of my heart I thank you all! Please feel free to let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.

Till Next Time!

Michelle