Studio Peek

I have been a busy bee around here this week. I have made a few things and I will give you a little peek into my studio 

Studio Spring Cleaning

 

 

One spot is ready to work now I just need to get everything else finished. Will post more soon. I am turning my studio into a class space and will be offering classes beginning in April.

Painting in Progress

This is going to be a photo heavy post today. I want to show you this painting in progress. It is still not complete but it is to the point where I am going to stop and decide what I want to do next.

Here it is after the layers of color were added.

Adding shapes

Filling in with white paint. Very hard to paint over the background this way. It makes me worry if I will mess the whole thing up doing this, but then I have to remember that it is just paint.

The pattern is starting to make itself shown.

At this point I really like how it is turning out. The contrast of light and dark is starting to make me happy.

Here is a better view of how it is going to turn out.

Here it is at the point where I think it will stop at, for now. I think I will add some more black of gray to it to add shadows and shading to bring out the pattern a little more.

Here a close up to show the texture of the piece.

This Week in the Studio

I have been very busy this week starting backgrounds on a lot of pieces and new sizes and shapes. I am really excited about the new shape and what my ideas are for taking them to completed pieces.

This week was all about limiting my palette of colors and working with colors that made me happy when I saw them. I went very bold on the backgrounds with a golden yellow and magenta. The finished pieces my not be so bold but right now I am loving the color and textures that is happening.

Here is a little detail shot so that you can see the layers of colors that have been added. (One trick to get such vibrant colors is to make sure that each of your layers are completely dry before adding another color. This will keep them from turning muddy.)

Here are the long pieces that are in the works. I have a technique with these that I have added on top of this layer.

Here they are after adding a layer with my Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate.

Here you can see the color and texture that can be achieved by using the gel plate.

This is just one of the 3 large scale painting that have the backgrounds in progress. The messy layers are fun to create and really make the pieces pop when the others layers are added.

Here you can see the detail on the 2nd piece. These are very spontaneous backgrounds and really are fun to create.

 

This is the third one that has had even more layers added and is starting to show more movement and life.

Views from my Studio

Here is a peek into my studio. I am working with a new bookshelf that we put into the space on Wednesday and I have spent all day yesterday working on it. I am enjoying how it is turning out.

I used metal shower curtain rings to organize my ribbon by color and it is hanging in the side of my wire shelving unit.

I wanted to keep my vintage supplies together so I have displayed themin glass jars and containers. The large vase in the back has some small scrap balls of yarn. I thought that this would be a great way to display it so that I could see what I had and be able to use up what I have. The large mason jar is full of vintage zippers that I found at a local yard sale.

I am not very good with assemblages but I thought I would like to try my hand at a small one.

Here is a view of one of my worktables. This is a drafting table that was my aunt's. I really need to add something to my inspiration board. I took everything off when i was moving things around.

Organizing the Studio

I have been working on organizing my studio and downsizing some of my supplies and I want to share a few instagrams of my progress.

Paint,Paint Everywhere.

Organizing my brush collection

My Journals

Making room for School Supplies.

I will be turning most of my studio into our homeschool room, but I will still have at least 1/4 of the room for my creative work. This is what my girls and I have been up to for the past few days. I will have more to share in the coming days. You can follow me on Instagram here. 

Studio Organization

I have been on a kick lately when I am in my studio space that I really want to organize everything. Well today I am going to share my tip for taking your embroidery floss from a mess to beautiful organization. My oldest daughter has started making “Friendship Bracelets” and my floss was really looking like a mess. I normally buy it in bulk packages and keep them in the packages until I want to use some and then I don’t have to search for the color I want.

Well this is what my floss looked like before I started to work.

After a quick trip to my local Hobby Lobby and a couple of dollars later. I bought this

All you have to do is place it in your floss box and secure the floss bobbin with a small dowel and it really makes quick work out of the mess.

Once you have it secure you can get ready to start winding. (Be careful with the little dowel that holds the bobbins. It can fly. I learned from experience, I had to hunt it on my hands and knees under the back of my table)

Secure your thread in one of the slots and your are ready for wind.

It’s that easy and then you can have a beautifully organized collection of embroidery floss.

My New Studio Space

Earlier this week I shared the sketches of what I was planning for my new studio space. I am so happy to say that is is pretty much finished. I changed a few things up but pretty much everything is where I had planned to put it. So I wanted to share my new workspace with you.

I have a wonderful south facing window for great natural light. As you can tell it is already being used. I am using leftover paint to recycle mailing envelopes. (Post to come soon with a tutorial)

This area is also on the south wall of the space and I have a 8 space cubby that I have had since I had my retail shop. 6 years ago. I used it to keep my journals, my works-in-progress and supplies that I use often within reach. On top is a Making Memories cabinet what It think is such a great addition to my space because I can store small supplies in easy reach and keep them out where I can see what I have. whan I am sitting at my drawing desk all I have to do is turn in my chare and I am able to reach most of the supplies that I use all the time.

At the end of my drawing table I placed my flat file. This not only added a place for to to house my tools on top but a place to keep my stickers and embellishments.

I also use on of the drawers to store the markers that I do not use on a regular basis.

This is my sewing area. I also use my laptop here more of the time. I will do most of my blogging from this area now. In the corner is a Dave laptop table from IKEA and I found this it is the perferct place for my printer.

This is a area above my Ironing/Cricut Area, I like to use the vertical spaces and take advantage of all the space that I can. I have my cone threads and collection of vintage cigar boxes and and old brownie camera that I picked up on my honeymoon at a mountain flea market for only $5.
I still feel that this space is a work in progress and I hope to share more of it with you and also be able to create a few more tutorials and maybe a video or two in the near future.

Sketches of my Studio

I am working on a new studio space that I have been able to carve out for me, and I wanted to share the sketches that I have made of the space. I am in the process of moving everything out that is in there now so no pictures yet, just sketches of what is to come. The Space is 10’ x 11’ with a south facing window for wonderful natural light. I will have my drawing table right in front of this window.

This is the south wall elevation with my drafting table centered under the window. To the right of the drafting table is a 7 drawer rolling cart. I have had this piece for years and I plan on having it here to be able to keep all my most used supplies within east reach. to the left of the drafting table is my 8 cubby cabinet.(I just realized as I am writing this that I only drew a 6 cubby cabinet). This unit has 8 cubbies that are each 1 cubic foot of space. I use it for works in progress and holding current magazines and some larger cuts of fabric.

This is the east wall of the space and it already has the two shelves on the wall . They are 8” and are 12 inches deep. These shelves have been in the space since it was originally a home office when we first moved into our house. I really like how they add a lot of storage space without taking up any floor space. I will have my sewing machine and serger on this wall also. I use a vintage typing desk for my sewing machine because it is the perfect height ro sew and not hurt my back or shoulders. The larger drawer system to the left of the machines are from vintage greeting card displays. They were in my mom’s bookstore when I was a kid and I had them in the studio section of my retail shop. When I stack them 3 high and add the counter top piece it is the perfect height for standing and cutting our fabric pieces.

This is the north wall of the space and it will be where my ironing station will be. this piece of furniture was originally the changing table when my girls were babies. It is a piece of furniture that is supposed to grow with the child but because of the changing table area it is to large of a space to be used for an older child’s room. the cabinet below has two shelves and will be a great place to store my papers and fabrics, above the countertop serface is 3 cubbies that will hold small baskets, I will use these to hold small scraps of fabric and other items. The top of the unit will be used as a display space for finished projects. There is a door on this wall that leads into the hallway.

This is the west wall and the closet is behind that door. It is a standard small bedroom closet. I hope to add shelves at some point but it will be used for large supply storage. The bookshelf has been in the house for a long time and has been in many places. This is where it is at now and I don’t plan on moving it anytime soon. I t holds the girls books but I am thinking about moving them into the hall closet that I featured before and move all of my books out of there and let it be for them only.

For this room I don’t plan on making any new furniture purchases. Based on the sketches that I have made all the furniture items that are being used in the room are pieces that I already have that are either in use now or in the storage building in my backyard. The storage building was orginally going to be my studio space and and was used at such for about a year, but the utilities were almost double when the space was in use because of having either to heat or cool the space. I will be adding pictures of the studio as it progresses.