Winter 2013

   

SO what have I been up during 

this long, long, cold winter?  

Doing a much needed studio makeover!!

Before Makeover - What a mess!

As you can see from the collage photo on the right my studio was a big mess. I was spending more time looking for supplies and most times not finding what I needed. Bags, boxes and booth supplies lined the floor; I ran out of places to put things.  

I couldn't create anymore because I wasn't able to locate what I needed to work with. The lack of storage, huge messes and the color of the walls in my studio (slate blue) was so depressing that is was overwhelming me, I had to make some changes.  

Being snowed in for weeks was the perfect opportunity I needed to make the transformation.

I schemed and planned on how I could make changes without spending a lot of money.  I spent hours on Pinterest looking at studio designs and getting ideas on how I could make my small space more workable.  

I choose bright colors of lime green, teal and purple to paint the walls, these are my favorite “HAPPY” colors.

Bay Window with New Valance - A Pinterest Idea

Things were starting to come together and I figured it would take me about 4 weeks to accomplish it all.
I had everything all tore up, my boxed studio supplies were occupying space in the hallway, guest bedroom and living room, what I mess I had.

I had two walls painted when I got sick.  Put me out of commission for two weeks and blew my 4 week makeover timeline all to you know what.

My Closet Office

Anyhow, it seemed to take me forever to get the painting, arranging and mass purging accomplished but I did it.  All in all it took me two months to accomplish instead of the 4 weeks I had planned.

It was well worth all the time and hard work it took because I now have a studio that I LOVE!   

The drawers and storage bins are labeled, my files organized, tools have new homes, my assortment of pliers hang on the wall inches away from my work desk, everything has a place (well almost, I’m not perfect you know) and the layout works.

 I have created an uplifting, inspiring work atmosphere where I can create and explore my world of jewelry designs.   

    Now if I can just keep it this way, so far so good!

  

  Check out the  photos below to see my new studio!

  

Between my office closet and my workbench I moved out the old file cabinet and  put one of my bookcase sideways. This formed a wall and defined my office space and gave me much needed space for my books and  files.  I painted the end of the bookcase with black chalk board paint and added white trim to resemble a screen door. ( a Pinterest idea)  The back side of the bookcase needed help so I cut sheet metal and nailed it in place and now it provides a safe place to solder and also allows me to hang things from magnets.

Tool Bench Before and After

The before/after split photo here allows you to see the changes I made to the workbench.  Ken built the bench top and peg board area for me a few years back and included a row of narrow hidden shelves along the right side of the peg board allowing me to store my chemicals out of site. The big problem I had with this bench was clutter and lack of organization. The newly revamped bench now stores oodles and oodles of my jewelry supplies and I can quickly located what I need now that they are labeled !  The second drawer from the top when opened becomes my design tabletop space. 

Painting the peg board was another Pinerest idea and I love the bright colors instead of that drab ugly brown. The best part is I can now USE the top of the work bench since I have re-organized. 

I use to have 3 bookcases centered on this wall. By removing one of them I was able to move my kilns to this side of the room.  All of my beads are now in one place!  Even better, I color co-ordinate the stacking plastic boxes and used  paint swatches to make punched out butterfly's that I glued on the boxes that corresponds to the color of beads  inside. 

The  storage boxes have all been cleaned out and labeled.  I even created a space to take photos and the lights are hidden away in one of the drawers along the right wall.  When I need them I pull them out and clip them to the edge of the bookcase.  

Look at that bright purple wall!  I love this color! Only one wall is painted purple, and I have plans to do add some lime green to it when I have more time. 

Painting the ceiling fan turquoise was a lot easier than I thought and I love how it came out.   I just love the pop of color and this room just makes me smile the minute I walk in to it!

I should of taken a better photo of the one place I spend most of my time at designing jewelry.   My antique work desk now sets in the middle of the room instead of in front of my window with my back to the world.  I wasn't sure I'd like it out in the middle, especially since my room is so small but it couldn't be in a better place.  I can see out the bay window, see down the hall way and watch TV if I want, all without moving.  All of my supply's are right behind me and it works so well.  I even made "curtains" to go around the bottom of the desk in purple (of coarse) to covers up my jewelry cases and wastebasket. It brings the color down to the floor and conceals the clutter.  

I'm so excited to see all the plans I'd worked on for my studio turn out to be the fun work room I needed for creating
 my one of kind creations!!!

So now you know what I've been up to the last couple of months!

   

National Jewel Day

Today, March 13th, is National Jewel Day

This day is a day to give or receive jewelry however, it may also be celebrated by honoring jewelers. 

Maybe today you would like to make some jewelry yourself or sign up for a class to learn the art of jewelry making.

Check out the Buchanan Art Center Website

 or an art center near where you live

to see all of the classes that just 

might be designed just for you!

Buchanan Art Center Class

Students in my Fused Glass Class

Last Saturday I had 6 students in my Fused Glass Tapestry Class at the Buchanan Art Center and what a great time they had creating.  Students “practiced” with colored sand as they learned the techniques of manipulation and movement.  Once they mastered this, it was time for them to start creating scenes and patterns from a large assortment of colored crushed glass frit to make their one of a kind glass tapestry panel.

The thing that was the most amazing to me was that none of them had worked with glass or fusing prior to this class.  They came into the class with such a desire to learn and were free of the pre-conceived notions of how glass fusing is normally done, thus allowing them to soak up this new technique like a sponge.  It was wonderful to watch these ladies as they planned out their color schemes and worked to create their designs.




To the left is one of the designs prior to going into the kiln.  These glass frit panels go through a 12 hour firing cycle before they are fully fused and ready to take out of the kiln.



I get so excited when the cycle is done and I can open the door to see how my students designs look.  Below are some of the finished panels after the firing cycle is completed.

                  

              

I can't wait till they see their designs when they pick them up this coming Saturday.  I must say they all did an incredible job!  They are all works of art!

I will be offering this class again this summer in case you too want to learn this process.  I will post the dates once we do the summer class schedule!