Marker Caddy Project

I had my markers in this basket for portability as I draw here there and everywhere. But I'm always having to rummage through looking for the one I want. Murphy's Law dictates that the marker you want will somehow burrow itself to the bottom of the basket even if you just used that one. I wanted something that was 1.) portable 2.) allows me to see which markers are where at any given moment and 3.) allows me to store them on their sides as this keeps them from drying out.

I've been collecting these coffee cans. They're the right size and I think they'll stack well.

I took off their lables.

I stuck them all together with some cool looking zebra duck tape.

I then sorted my markers by color.

The caddy can be used either upright, when I'm moving around with it, or on its side when I'm in my office. Probably, if I were doing this project again, I could do something a bit more sophisticated than duck tape but I'll see how this goes for now. So far, it's holding up fine! I also think it needs a handle but I haven't figure that out yet.

 

****UPDATE

After a while, the duct tape started to loosen and the the caddy was listing to one side.  I cut it apart and glued some cardboard inbetween the top and bottom cans to keep it stable.  I wanted to glue them in the first place but the metal rims on the cans lifed them up just enough so they wouldn't touch.  If I had it to do over, I'd use oatmeal boxes which have no rims.  Still, it's functional in the way I wanted.

Workspace Peek

One genuine way to root around in someone's head is to see what sort of workspace they keep. Especially if they're someone well known. If Amy Butler or Mary Englebreit are letting me peek into their studios I am all over that! One hopes that by looking into their workspace and seeing how they arrange their pens (pencil cup or basket?) or their fabric stash (by color or by weight?) we might gain insight to their success.

I don't exactly have a set workspace.  Since I have kids and they move around a lot, I usually need to be where the action is.  I have a sewing room, but it's in the farthest part of the house, it's usually the dumping ground for everything we're not using (and everything we're not putting away) and it's COLD in there 5 months out of the year--well you get the picture.

Below is my favorite workspace. It's my Grandfather's old desk, an actual genuine writing desk and it's perfect for me.  It has all these great nooks and crannies to put stuff in and as it's in my dining room it doubles up as a sideboard during holiday dinners. 

1. My Toshiba Satellite. 

2. Dorky mug with half-drunk cold tea in it.  My husband teases me that I can never finish a whole cup of tea.  It's funny because it's true.

3. Uniball Signo 207, my pen of choice.

4. Work in progress.

5. Wacom Tablet.

6. Prismacolor markers.

7. Sketch ready to be colored.

8. Scrap paper with my daughters little doodles done in pink pen.

9. Barbie DVD, for K to watch if I'm just drawing and she wants company.

10. CD of artwork to be sent to a prospective company or agent.

11. A pull out writing/drawing space, best feature of this desk!

12. Small drawer perfect to fit my iPod.

13. Piece of scratch paper with calculations on it for using the offset filter.  I just keep using the same one until there's no space left.

14.  Other small drawer to keep post-it pads, paperclips and rubber bands.