Birth Of A Studio ~ Part 3

Patience is a virtue.

I am not virtuous.

It is very, very hard to cope with the idea that my studio is not DONE yet. And yet, we have been unpacking for less than a week. Our stuff was delivered last Tuesday...and the movers weren't done unloading until 5:30pm. All we did was eat, assemble beds, and collapse. So unpacking began in earnest last Wednesday. Yet I am frustrated that a)my house is not completely in order (though it actually is fairly functional and even somewhat attractive already) and b) my studio is only about halfway done.

Today's tasks involved adventures in spray-paint to start the day. I had a fabulous time blasting my peg-boards. One is in silver, one in chalkboard paint. I can't wait to have at least one of them mounted over my worktable. I may keep one unmounted for using it at craft fairs. Then I got a bit wild and spray-painted an old broken guitar....which made me want to make VERY exciting things. AND then I saw how immensely cool the paper I had been painting on had turned out. So it will be the base for some wall art. And THEN I started having a rush of other ideas.... Total Mojo Overload. And totally torturous since I can't work on ANY of it right now. MojoTease. That's what it is.

Anyway. Tried to organize the studio. Realized I couldn't. I mean LOOK at this.



Can you say Maximum Density?

So I took off yet again to Lowes. Buy stock there, people. I'm doing my bit for capitalism this week. I bought yet another shelving unit. This one is about six feet tall and four feet wide and all metal. I loaded it on the cart and into the van myself, thank you very much. I have a date with ibuprofen, but I feel like a tough-chic and that's what matters.

Then I brought it home and did almost all the assembly MYSELF. I shoulda had my kids video me lifting each shelf six feet up and guiding it onto the poles. I'm five-foot-two, y'know. It had to be entertaining. Like Stuart Little with Tinkertoys, or something. Anyway. It's built, and semi-loaded. And there are glimmerings of the possibility of order out of chaos....



But I have one thing to say.

If at any point in the rest of 2010 you see me out buying leather, fabric, beads, or belts of any kind, scream "INTERVENTION!" and knock me flat. Seriously. I beg you.

I mean it. Too. Much. Stuff. WAY too much stuff. Other than hardware like snaps and rivets, and maybe a few new tools, I don't need ANYTHING to be insanely productive for the next year or so. Fact.

Birth of a Studio Part 2

It is so hard for me to believe that just a week ago I was blearily blinking and chatting with an old friend in her living room while her girls and my boys were having breakfast and getting engaged. (they're 8 and 5...so we're not too concerned) The keys for my house were picked up that day, the movers arrived the next, and it's been moving pandelirium ever since. Oy! But the house is awesome, and it's starting to look like a home. Our "Jam Room" is the best room in the house so far. It's a converted patio that is now a funky den housing our electric keyboard, congas, djembe, bongos, doumbek, and various shakers and triangles and such. Plus all books about music, some couches, and a few games. It's FunTastic!

But yesterday was the day I couldn't take it anymore and started unpacking my studio. I had to. I just had to. I knew the rest of the house wasn't finished...but it was CALLING me.

Even though I was thinking of painting the room, I went ahead and unboxed everything and stuffed it in the closet and the bathroom. After all, if I hadn't unboxed it, it wouldn't have fit in those spaces. And I realized my packers were rather odd people who thought things like towels, kitchen decor, and my bathroom scale were art supplies.... :? So many things actually left the room as I unpacked it. Here is the bathroom after I was done.... This room has a full bath because it used to be the maid's quarters many decades ago. I'm actually thinking of putting storage shelves IN the shower because the odds of my showering in here are extremely remote. ;)


So I was going to paint. I was. And then I got so overwhelmed by the thought of it..and so distressed at the concept of NOT being able to get this room in order... That I think I may have reconsidered. But while I was undecided about that, I took a break and did something else colorful! Saturday morning I bought an old desk for $25 dollars. (my thrifting mojo made the move with me, apparently!) It's great. Solid. Basic. Will stand up to LOTS of whackity-whacking... (hitting furniture at yard sales gets you odd looks, sayin?) But it was a nice basic boring brown. No no no. This will not do.
Please excuse the mistiness of the photo. After all those years in El Paso, I forgot what happens when you take a camera from an air conditioned house into the rain-forest weather that is Coastal NC. O_o So the table was ready for its makeover...and so was I. I shoulda got a pic, but I'm sure my neighbors were a bit surprised. I was in a dress. I do just about anything in a dress. When it's 97 degrees and about 150% humidity, a little sleeveless linen dress is WAY more comfortable than anything else you can imagine. I picked one I thought was about ready to get rid of...but now that it has paint splashes on it, I think I like it more and will probably keep it. Ha!

Here are the after photos... And inside...

There is a pull out shelf which goes on the right hand side. It is also painted and will be reinstalled today. The colors are SUPPOSED to be dark grey and brick red. If you ask me...that red is a bit on the orangey side. I don't mind it on the desk...actually I kinda like it! But I'm glad I did this first...because that color was supposed to go on the walls too, and I realize I don't want it there. So if I do paint the studio at this point, it will be a light sterling grey. But I'm really leaning towards not painting and using a bold rug and LOTS of wall art to make this room flow with color. What do you think?

Birth of a Studio Part 1

An important part of keepin' the mojo flowin' is your workspace, sayin? I'm not a New Age kinda gal...but do know that if your workspace does not make sense, your Shui will get all Fenged up, and no one wants that. Your Chi could get stuck somewhere...OUCH!

At the moment, I am in-between workspaces to call my own. I was living in El Paso, Texas. And you can see my workspace (and me!) in this wonderful feature. So as you see... I was tucked into one side of a large family room.

Right now I am temporarily ensconced in a section of my mom's work area. She sews awesome aprons, purses, and the occasional quilt, and most graciously allowed me to use part of her space while we were here for a long visit. Insert moment of silence while we are profoundly grateful and admiring of Toca's awesomely accomodating mom here I am NOT showing you that space. But what I have done to it is truly frightening. Insert ANOTHER moment of silence while we are profoundly grateful and admiring of Toca's awesomely accomodating mom here

Today I got word of the house I will be moving into in a few short weeks... and I get *drum roll!!* a Room. Of. My. Own. A creative haven, if you will. A Studio. The room is 7.5 ft by 12 and has a closet, a full bath (Ha!) and a tiny window to the front yard. It's also just a few short steps away from the garage, which is awesome since I plan to start working more with power tools in the months to come.

Now. My worktable is black. I want another, but right now I just have the one. My shelving units are white cubbies of 4x2 blocks that can stand upright or horizontal. I have two of them. So let's start with room color. I'm thinking a slate grey with an accent wall of brick red. And then LOTS of etsy artwork for the walls, plus a chalkboard and maybe a collage of my own making. What do you think? What would you recommend for my new space?