Miniature crafts studio - part one

from home & country June 2006 - I love everything about this page, the blue, the ceramics, the antique sewing machine and of course the whole nook aspect of it.

I feel bad I haven't posted in a long time. I'm not sure why, I'm still doing lots of sewing and knitting, and I've been sneaking lots of new things into my etsy shop. But I was thinking it might be because lately I've been obsessed with fixing up our home. You know when you reach the point where you have to apologize a little bit? You say things like: "Is it ok if I just tell you my idea for those chairs? Just quickly..."

In the last year we've replaced the light in our kitchen from a horrible flourescent fixture to a charming schoolhouse light. We also replaced the ugly living room light and added a lamp in a formerly gloomy corner of the room. And we finally hired a plumber to remove the sink we had in the living room - I guess it was a kind of bar area, but it's in an alcove and I was using it as a closet. Lots of wasted storage there! We still need to add matching hardwood flooring to the place where the cabinet used to be, but the hardest part was getting rid of the sink so thank goodness that's done.

from Country Living March 2007 - I had to get this great issue which has interviews with several women entrepreneurs that are so inspiring, including a peak into Amy Butler's studio! (this isn't it). I love this craft's room - so airy but still full of goodies (you can click on the picture to see it larger)

I've painted more things than I care to list, including shelves, doors, walls and boxes. Incidentally I discovered the secret to painting slatted bifold doors. This is it: a small brush. I mean really small, like an artist's brush, and you just take your time (preferably with a movie on in the background) and paint. The big brush may seem faster, but trying to get into all those corners by waggling the brush (and pretty much ruining it) isn't worth it. I've tried both methods and the little brush was downright relaxing. It took around an hour per coat but it didn't stress me out and there aren't any drip marks either. Then I added a pretty glass doorknob.

I've sorted, rearranged and gotten rid of things. I've moved furniture, put things in our new storage space (for three years I didn't even know there were any in the building!!) and bought new furniture. The best pieces were an IKEA table that folds down to about 12 inches wide, but is perfect for dining for two or working on when one leaf is up, and can seat six when both leaves are up. And of course my beautiful secretary desk that is everything I hoped it would be.

from Blueprint March/April 2007 - An incredible small space makeover - that's why I had to get this issue, the apartment is even smaller than my place at 307 square feet! This is where I got the idea for the shelving I'll be doing.

So what's next? Well I wanted another secretary desk but this one would be for my crafts things. But that seemed greedy. And as my always patient friend Jaimie (who luckily is also obsessed with home-making at the moment) mentioned might draw the limelight away from the one I just bought. So using a plain desk I already have I'm planning to create another miniature studio - but this time for crafts. And the pictures in this post are all my inspirations derived from my magazine addiction (but that's another story).

Of course I'll be showing the reveal in my next post!