Paper Cupboard is DONE!!!

 My husband built me the most amazing Paper Cupboard in the "Grotto" which is the name he has given to my new basement studio here at 60 Parkdale. This Paper Cupboard is constructed to hold hundreds of pounds of parent size sheets of paper!!!


He made this with 2"x6" and 2"x8" pine. It smells delightful and is provides easy access to my paper and bookbinding fabrics.

This is the paper storage corner to the right of the new Paper Cupboard. The larger metal shelves were a gift from John Kristensen of Firefly Press in Boston and the rolling metal flat rack came from Trader Joe's. It served its' first life as a bread shelf. They were going to toss them and I snapped up three of them and took them home. I sold one, and gave one away before we moved.

 As I unloaded the 30+ boxes filled with paper, I divided the sections up. The top shelf has 10 sheets of each color for easy access, with the majority of the stock stored below. I also have a flat paper shelf in my main studio under the Hamilton drafting table for overflow.

I was amazed that all the boxes of paper emptied into this sturdy Paper Cupboard with no difficulty. I put the wooden pallet underneath and am storing the cases of velour paper on top of that.

I unpacked over 50 boxes of paper and supplies yesterday and everything fit into the new storage corner perfectly. It is amazing to see the floor of the basement in front of the main studio cleared of boxes at last!!!!!

The rolling rack is going to be wonderful when I make marbled paper and also for drying letterpress projects on the go. It will easily move anywhere in the basement studio area. The shelves are customizable, so they can be moved up or down according to the task at hand.

Opposite the big Paper Cupboard and shelf I have a chest of drawers and bookshelf. The bookshelf is filled with envelope boxes and business card stock and the chest of drawers is topped with cases of bookbinding vinyl paper. The chest of drawers is filled with bookbinding fabric, leather pieces, and smaller paper.


Everything fits!

This image shows the entrance to the paper storage area. I still have two cases of card stock and paper to put onto this shelf, but it is all going to fit.

All of the paper, materials, and shelving, except for the Paper Cupboard, was obtained FREE from Craig's List in Cambridge. I gave away 1/2 of my paper before I left to the Cambridge Arts Council. What I have left is just enough for all my projects for the next couple of years.

I am so very thrilled with how this has all worked out. Being able to have all the paper carefully organized and stored for easy access will make the world of difference to my work process in the coming months. My heart soared like a hawk yesterday as I unpacked all the boxes and placed the paper and bookbinding fabrics on the shelves and into the drawers. We have been unable to walk through the basement for a month without stepping over and around boxes. I am hoping to finish unpacking the rest of the 12 supply boxes, move the bookshelves in from the garage, and really get everything put in place!

My husband has been so wonderful to help design and build the paper cupboard for me in the midst of the craziness of our first couple of months here. Living with an artist is not always an easy thing, especially when that artist accumulates "stuff" to use in projects. He has been remarkably good natured through all of this process. Being able to have that kind of support makes all the difference in setting up my studio.

In Cambridge I was in a studio space at the top of our world, the third floor of the Rectory, but not everything was accessible to me easily.  Being in the basement is a new experience, but one I am warming to as each day passes. I feel that I am in the heart of the home in the Grotto Studio. Everything is easily accessible in one large room, with plenty of space for all my tools and supplies. I am enjoying putting all my things away-each tool or item has such significance for me. I remember the day the item came into my possession, the story behind it, and where it fits into my creative process.

My heart soars like a hawk as I build the nest of my new studio. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and in that light I am making books and creating beautiful manuscript pages in the Grotto. This move has been a long journey, months in the making, but my path is clear and my steps are sure.

All will be well, and all will be well, and with the Grace of God, all will be well.