I have been SO dying to get back into my studio after all this traveling.. but have to tell you that all this traveling has also put a new desire in me to start creating more! And not just in canvas and art journaling, but sewing, and jewelry and metal and.. just be creative! SO.. I have finally decided what sort of challenge I am going to give myself this summer for the blog! I will tell you more next week when I launch it.. but boy it's going to be fun! A new series! Can't wait!
Speaking of art.. now that I have my own art space (meaning I no longer share the garage with our Scarlet Lime store, Beadstore and the kit club).. I have a lot of room to make the space my own. And to make it a space where my kids can create with me. It's just a single car garage.. and the older home style.. (you can see a vidoe of my current space here in this post). But It still is HUGE for me!. It's the biggest creative space I have ever had. I thought it would be fun to spend the summer "renovating" it. Making it more functional and a fun creative place to be in. I also want it to be very eclectic. I want to try and 're-use" everything I either already have.. or find things that will work from thrift stores, etc. I feel like that would just represent me more. I LOVE my art carts.. the current "organizational" source I already have. Will definitely be keeping those.. but I need more organization for other things too. I need a place for fabric and jewelry and metals and woods and canvas. I need a place for my sewing machine that actually functions as a sewing space. I need a space for me to do jewelry or other things that aren't "paint" related. I need a space where my kids can come and sit and be creative too. I love spending time with them and they love art. I need to make sure I make the most of my time doing both. My art is what we do for a living.. so it's important for it all to have it's own space. To be more organized. I also need a bigger art table than the one I currently have. It just doesn't hold everything I want to work on, it doesn't allow me to spread out AND it doesn't allow for anyone else to work across from me.
So last week I started looking for a table in stores and I just could not find ANYTHING I liked! Most just looked way to new and had no more space than what I currently had. Then I went to my local "antique/second hand store" and saw this amazing kitchen island/counter-top. It seriously was ALMOST perfect! It looked like it was a 100 years old and had all sorts of storage underneath for baskets, drawers, etc. I WAS IN LOVE. It was the perfect height, width and the perfect color! RED! But it was NOT the perfect price. It was $1200!! yikes! I honestly stood there and stared at it for so long I think my husband thought he would have to drag me out of the store. I told him I NEEDED it... and he said. Um. Not for $1200 dollars you don't. And he was right. I would NEVER spend that kind of money on something like that. Heck I was thinking maybe I would find something for like $50 bucks or something! lol. But I just could NOT get this table out of my head, so my husband said.. why don't I make it for you? My husband is an amazing carpenter.. don't get me wrong, but he is just as busy I am and my first thought was.. um yeah right. It will never happen. So I semi-dropped it (except I kept sending him text every hour asking him to please please please buy it for me... or make it for me that night? lol) and it finally worked. He sat me down that night and said.." draw it up. tell me what you want it to look like and I will build it tomorrow" . I just wanted to kiss him right then and there! okay.. so didn't just want to.. I did :). The great thing about building a table is that you get to modify the table to your liking. I knew I wanted all the bells and whistles that other one had, AND the look, but I also need a space for my legs to fit if I decided to use a chair and I wanted it a big wider and more drawers and shelves. . After I got done drawing it.. he asked me.. "is there anything else you want me to build while I am at it?" I was like.. UM.. heck YES!.. how about a square art table (not quite a fancy mind you) for the kids.. and how about a sewing table/station.. and a "jewelry/whatever" station.. (I should have never visited the Gilded Life Girls Studio.. LOVED how they had a place for everything! lol) So we drew those up too. The next day he went to work on the art table.. it's not quite finished.. but this is what he got done in 1 and half days..
I had him make it out of old barn-wood we had. It gave it a more rustic feel to it. I wanted an open space under the table. in the middle, for two people to sit or stand across from each other.
I wanted drawers on each side of where I would stand, so I could keep small "go to" items in there. Like my favorite pens, or paintbrushes. Things I didn't want my kids to just get into.
I wanted shelving underneath, so I could put baskets on either side.. for storage. I wanted it enclosed at first.. covered maybe with beadboard.. but my husband suggested the open shelving idea.. he said it looked more antique because that is how they built furniture in the "olden" days. he was right. I LOVE the look! Can't wait to find baskets for it! I saw some cute open wire ones at the thrift store the other day..just need to decide if I want to see everything inside them or not!
He built the top out of wood slats that he cut down from larger pieces.. I had originally planned on buying a plexiglass piece to set on top of the table.. I am still on the fence about it. I kinda like the idea of working on a wood surface and paint getting all over the top of it from when I create each time. Kinda fun? Don't know.. haven't decided yet.
We still need to paint it (and I was SO set on the red.. but now I just don't know! I think White would be cool or even a blue).. Even the plain old barn-wood looks cool.. but I think I really like color. I plan to paint it and then distress it again with a sander and chains so the wood still shows through underneath.
Ben also found this awesome catalog that has antique looking hand pulls and hinges. He ordered some to put on the drawers and hinges to put on the sides to even give it more character. I am also having him drill a few holes in the top for electrical cords, so I can keep all those cords out of the way (as I still will video tape from this table and will need my overhead lights and video camera.)
I just can't wait until it's done! Ben is leaving for 4 days.. so he won't get to finishing it for at least another week. But in the meantime, I also found these REALLY cool lockers! at the same Thrift store!
I bought two sets of them.. for $100 bucks each (kinda pricey.. but so cool!).They will be great for storing things that I don't want to be seen. AND I thought it would be cool to give each kid their own "locker" to keep their art supplies in. Plus seriously.. they are just so cool.
I want a lot of color in this space.. so that was why I was thinking I would do the table red..
I thought he could do the kids square table.. like a kelly or lime green.. and maybe the other two pieces he is building, white and mustard yellow.
I got some REALLY cool things in Canton Texas last week.. at the antique/flea market. Two really old colorful quilts that were under $20.00 bucks each! and some cute colorful buckets, etc. I also have been picking up old rusted muffin tings and baking pans, for other storage too. I want a mixture of all kinda cool era's. The chairs I got (last october)from the same thrift store.. were $10.00 each. They are Grey metal bar-stools from like the 70's. They have black cushioned seats. They are SUPER comfortable and look SO retro. I think they will fit right in with all the "antique" looking furniture and metal lockers! I will show you all of that stuff in another post(all my fun finds from Canton and the pieces I have been collecting). and of COURSE, keep you updated on the process! The garage is all cynder block walls and exposed brick. So it kinda has a cool modern feel to the inside. I thought it would be fun to hang art on the walls and hang christmas lights from the ceiling, maybe even paint the floor or something fun. I plan on keeping the metal shelving I still have in there still. It's SO functional. Why change it? and my art carts.. from Sam's club. I know they are "guys" tool carts.. but they just work perfectly! Maybe if I get some time I will paint all the grey bins some kind of color? who knows.. the idea was just to create a really great space for me and my kids to create art and to also keep it organized AND functional. Which doesn't always mean "pretty". which I am okay with. I think good spaces have the both of best worlds AND I don't think they have to cost a lot either.
Okay enough about my new art studio... onto actual ART!
I wanted to share with you a girl I created recently.. It reminded me of my dad.. always giving. She reads..
She lived a life of Charity
I actually love how colorful she is! One of my favorite things about her. She's not afraid to be colorful.
Anyhow.. thanks' for letting me share my art studio space with you! And my art..
Friday I will post about the second part of my trip to Texas! The classes at the Gilded Life event AND Canton! Wahoo!
Happy Wednesday!
