My studio is where?

It's hard to believe it was December 2007 that I packed my studio into boxes and went on hiatus from my guild, my polymer clay, my beads & jewellery, from anything creative that wasn't house-related. Almost 2 years. And I survived. Socks helped - I relaxed by learning how to knit socks. Now almost everyone in my family has a hand-knit pair of socks whether they wanted them or not.

When the Vancouver Polymer Clay Guild was re-organized last January to have 3 elected co-chairs I agreed to be one as long as my share of meetings to chair & organize all came at the end of the year, when my house would be finished and I'd have lots of free time again. (optimistic wasn't I)
So last weekend was my first jump back into the guild. I had promised a few people that I'd do the bead-making demo that there wasn't time for at last February's retreat. So, me teaching my guild something I hadn't done myself in almost two years? Time to unpack some boxes.
Since my 'studio' is otherwise occupied right now it's a good thing I have a nice big island with the best surface for claying on - cool polished granite.
You think this is messy? That's just one wee box. Wait until I get the rest unpacked.
Actually, I'd rate myself as mid-range organized once I get set up. Not as neurotically neat as some but organized enough that I know where everything is even if it looks like a jumbled mess to everyone else.
(My Mom now knows better than to move any of my tools even a few inches from where they look like they've been carelessly tossed. She once did me a "favour" by organizing my bathroom drawer for me; she thought everything had just been randomly thrown in there. Completely messed up my morning routine, I was late every day for a week until I got everything back where it belonged. Thank goodness she didn't "organize" my studio, I would have gone mad.)
Here's an example: this is my box of scrap clay. A rather messy orderliness. Or is it an orderly messiness?
(Probably 1/2 the clay artists will think "That's your scrap clay? It's so tidy." while the other 1/2 will think "That's disgusting, how can you stand it so messy?)

While unpacking I found some canes that I must have made sometime after the big studio pack-up, I just can't remember where or when.
They did come in handy to make some practice beads. Not that I have a shortage of canes, it's just nice to have something new to use. Turns out claying is like riding a bicycle, it all comes back once you start again. At least... I think it does, but really, how would I know? I may have forgotten 90% of what I knew and not know it.

I did remember how to make this many different beads.

And had a great time - it was fantastic to spend a whole day at a guild meeting again. What a great group we have.

On another polymer clay guild-related note: Clayamies, the Canadian online guild has a new blog with quite a few posts already.
Check out what clay artists across Canada are doing. www.clayamies.blogspot.com.

Thanks to Tina (of the fake pebbles contest) for setting it up.