Jun.25.2008
4:28 pm
by Libby
Stuff I love - Trays
I have no idea what started me thinking about this subject, but I thought I’d write about one of my favorite studio supplies today: trays. I’ve got 2 distinct favorites, cafeteria trays in full and half size and the half size square jeweler’s trays.
Put a piece of bead mat (or vellux blanket) on one of these trays and you’ve got the perfect portable beading station. When I am working on a project that requires a lot of different beads, such as a freeform peyote bracelet, I use a cafeteria tray as a work surface and one of the small jeweler’s trays to hold the extra tubes of beads. I love how portable the trays are, and how you can stack them out of the way even full of beads.
The small jeweler’s trays are perfect for coralling a collection of bits and bobs:
The cafeteria trays are handy for polymer clay too. I like to use them to hold sheets of clay when I go on a color mixing spree. I wrap a sheet of color in a plastic deli sheet and then toss that onto a tray.
I’ve got trays spread all around the studio. It’s a messy, but effective way to keep a color palette together. The smaller cafeteria trays are also a handy place to stage a selection of canes when I am working on a project.
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Hee! I love cafeteria trays too. And they go so nicely into bakers’ racks. =)
Love your blog, Libby!
Libby,
I use a few dozen cafeteria trays in my studio - and most are stored in an old baker’s rack that I got from an industrial kitchen. The rack holds two trays on each shelf (40 trays total). The rack/tray combo is a really efficient way to store a lot of materials in plain view - and the footprint is small. My trays are organized in such a way that I can grab a tray from the rack and drop it on my studio table as needed: a tray for paints, one for texture tools, one to store blades, punches and cutters, another that holds rubber stamps…you get the idea.
I also bought several colorful lunch trays at a dollar store for students to use at their workstations when I teach workshops. They absorb all of the tools, materials and supplies needed for each student. Happy organizing!
Linda, you were the one who got me started with the cafe trays! Now if only I could find a bakers rack that didn’t cost an arm and a leg.
Susan, that’s a great idea about supplying trays for workshop students. And a great excuse to pick up more trays.
I really really want a bakers rack!
Libby, I recognize alot of those canes from Donna’s workshop….what are they going to become??? You are always thinking, I love the idea of the trays, hmmmm, where does one acquire them?
Shellie, no specific plans for those canes right now, although I did use a few in the Purple Shard Pendant I posted last week. I buy the cafeteria trays from a nearby restaurant supply company and the jeweler’s trays from Nile.
I use these jeweler’s trays, too and love them! I keep them for different projects in process. The only thing I don’t like about them is uncured polymer clay will eat mine up! Even using plastic film or deli wraps under the clay will not prevent a problem. Does anyone know if the reformulated Kato clay will not eat up this kind of plastic? I have no idea if what was removed causes the problem or if it is a completely separate thing.
I have learned to just not use the trays for raw clay or at least use a tile if I want to leave uncured clay in them. If they are stacked though, this can be a problem if the clay is too high. I found them in 1″ and 1 1/4″ heights and wish I had bought all of them in 1 1/4″.
I share your love for trays but I don’t have much of them. where did you get all these? Just take them with you when leaving the cafeteria?…*kidding*…
I use big plates as well (as I do not own many trays:)
Bettina, here in the U.S. you can find them at restaurant supply stores. Around here they run around $1 - $2 each, although sometimes you can find used ones even cheaper.
And Jeanne, I somehow doubt the reformulation of the polymer clays will stop raw clay from attacking certain plastics. The cafeteria trays don’t react with raw clay so I only use those with clay. I save the jeweler’s trays for beading projects or finished pieces or other bits.
I, too, work off of trays. It is such a good way to be able to have numerous projects in the works, but out of the way.