My Studio Reveal...

Happy Friday, folks! I am certainly glad its Friday - yesterday I lost my keys and was stuck at home all day with two less-than-impressed kids and the trio of us were a great old laugh I don't think! Today, I am hosting a morning tea disguised as a birthday Dora-the-Explorer party for Fern's 3rd birthday... she sort of insisted on it and my mother-guilt at not organising a party was high on the richter so I've pulled this together in about 6 minutes and I'm hoping the lovingly decorated Dora cake husband and I dallied over last night makes up for my lacklustre party efforts!

Anyway, I promised you a studio reveal and a studio reveal you shall have!

Have I mentioned how my studio has changed my life? No? Well, it has folks, it has! One can only run their hobby-turned-proper-business from one's kitchen table for so long. In my instance, about 10 months. By the 10th month, my kitchen looked a bit like Spotlight during their half-yearly sale. Not pretty. Not conducive to inspired creativity. Not fun to live with.

My renovation downstairs was necessity in the end... which is how I somehow managed to pull the whole thing together in one month from woe to go! Here's a little reminder about how it was before:

before. Red brick. cockroach infested carpet. Green windows. And junk junk junk.

I wanted something light. Something bright. Lot's of desk space. Storage. Somewhere to photograph my items. Somewhere to INSPIRE me. I didn't need anything especially huge. Which is just as well, because in the end we went with the decision to turn the one longish room into a small studio for moi, plus a fourth bedroom and bathroom (without shower) for guests and resale later on. Basically you come in from the garage and this is the room-turned-three rooms along the back. I made a half-wall so the studio would not feel too boxed in and it is in fact an alcove. A sliding door leads to the extra bedroom (reveal on bedroom/ ensuite to come later!)

The paint is Dulux half-strength Lexicon - walls, doors, roof.... the lot! I still have blisters and paint in my eyes weeks later! Carpet is a mocha colour. And my decoration palette is yellow, pink and turquoise.

Enough talk. Want a looksy?

My creative space! You can see my purpose-built desk which is built at a right angle into the entire wall. Of course, I have filled up every inch already! But basically its big enough to house my sewing machine, a mini-ironing board, a large cutting mat and some open shelving. I am loving loving my new chair - a replica Eames in sky-blue that is actually surprisingly comfy! All my fabric I store by colour in large tubs under the desk.

A close-up of the desk where I work and my storage solutions! Noticeboard from Typo.

That's it, folks - my entire studio! She's compact, but beautiful...

A peek over the half-wall into the studio. You can see my groovy woven light from Beacon Lighting, my birdie wall hanging by Bubby Makes Three and my 'You are My Sunshine' print by Kathy Panton 

My sexy twisted-string light from Beacon. Switched on it gives lots of light and I loooove it!

The long-shot where you can see the half-wall into my studio, plus the open 'corridor' that leads into the extra bedroom.

Adjacent to the half wall is this bricked wall -- now my photography studio! These bricks were red originally and it took us about 300 gallons of paint and an awful lot of elbow grease to get them white... but we got there in the end. Not sure why we didn't gyprock this last wall, but there you go!

A close-up of my wall hanging!

A very awkward alcove space above the back wall is painted white and used as 'display' space for my art letters and love heart, purchased for a song from Typo.

closeup of print by Kathy Panton

My self-covered table lamp finally finds a home!

I got two packs of three little cubes from Kmart for $12 each.  Button container from Freedom. Ribbon-box from a little Chinese store. Birdhouse from Bed Bath and Table. 

Little Bubby Makes Three labels stored in a sweet little pink bowl by Royal Albert (always wanted to find a use for that bowl!), the yellow wire storage box is from Domayne.

My 'cupcake' pink cushion bought for a song from my local handmade market

My business card holder: a little nursery hold-all from Bed Bath and Table bought for $2!

... and that's it, folks! She may be small, but she's perfect for me. I am so pleased and proud of the result and every day when my kids lay their sleepy heads down on their pillows and drift into slumberland (that's on a GOOD day ;) I sprint down the stairs into my little space and sigh with pleasure. I love what I do. And now I love where I do it!

I would love your feedback/ thoughts... and I'd love to peek into YOUR creative space if you have one! Do post a link if you do! xx

My Studio Reveal...

... is coming. Tomorrow, folks!
Do pop by for a sneaky-peek into my 'work'place!

xx

and so she (finally) covers a lamp...

I did it. Only took me 6 weeks to get around to it but folks, I covered me a lamp! Turned out to be (like most crafty endeavors) super-duper easy-peasy and made me wonder why I didn't do it sooner. But she's covered, folks!

I really appreciated the words of wisdom from Anna, Janette and Emily on how to do such a thing but actually when it came to the task and my computer wasn't turned on, I just followed my nose! There are countless covering lamp tutees out there on the web so I won't bore you with my own how-to... I made one teeny tiny mistake and had to discard my first fabric cutting, but second time worked a treat! And so, with nothing more than a bit of fabric, some fabric glue, a hot-glue gun and a bit of trim my black Ikea monstrosity now looks like this:

And I'm happy! Looks all kinds of flabby in my new studio which - yes - I will reveal to you next week. I am happily ensconcing myself in my studio at every available second and I'm like a happy pig in mud! Can't believe it took me 5 years to gat around to it! What crafty endeavours have you got up to this week??

and now, back to (my) studio! The built-in desk post...

Despite the fact that my entire house has been shrouded with 'builders white dust' as I like to call it (and I have long before come to the realisation that it doesnt matter what TYPE of building works you are getting done, or where in the room it is, or even whether its outside) you are STILL GOING TO HAVE WHITE DUST FROM ONE END OF THE HOUSE TO THE OTHER), I am beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel for moving into my little studio! In fact, the light is getting brighter because Ive booked for the carpet to be laid next Wednesday which gives me exactly 6 days in which to sand the gyprock, prime and paint all the walls and roof, tile the bathroom and get the lights put in! eeeeeeek.

Last weekend, my husband disappeared off to Bunnings and returned with all manner of power-equipment I wouldn't pretend to know the name of. He also brought back with him some rather large planks of wood. There was a lot of noise emanating from downstairs for the next couple of hours but at the end? Check it:

My own built.in.desssssssssssk!


Roughly 2100x2050 and she's lovely. No legs and seemingly floating against the wall. If you craft, I know you need no explanation about why I should need such a large desktop. Craft spreads. Like builders white dust from one end of the house to the other! I have not seen the top of my kitchen table for literally months. My husband has been good about it, but it is driving ME crazy! I had no choice, my children insist on having a bedroom each and I didnt fancy working in the laundry! No folks, my current bm3 studio is my kitchen table and I won't pretend I havn't dreamed of something more for the better part of a year now as I come to the realisation that this is what I want to do. Like, for a long time.

And now I can!

Despite my intentions to work minimally and only have about the project I am currently working on, but I know myself too well and within hours I'll have 400 bits of fabric, 2000 buttons and goodness knows what else covering the surface of that table, but who cares? It will be mine mine mine and guests most definitely will not be wanting dinner parties from the top of it!

This weekend will be a painting marathon (if any of you care to come help me?!) and I'm painting my new desk white (I was considering staining it but my daughter attacked it with both poster-paint and pen within minutes and I think sees herself with her own chair working merrily away while I sew - sounds good to me!). I'll need a new chair which I will have to pretend I've had for ages as I am sure my husband wont understand why I cant use one of the twenty I have parked away in the garage. I like this one:

No, it's not practical and it doesn't swivel. But pfffffft to practicality! I'm a shameless Eames girl, and I've always loved that chair. A replica from Matt Blatt will set me back <$200 which sounds reasonable to me -- I might just do it and deal with the marital consequences later! Although there is this one, too which could be kinda fun...

Anyway, better fly -- typing does not = painting and I've got work to do!!

Have a great weekend xx

And now, back to (my!) studio...

Hey guys! How has been the week that was? As usual mine has flown at the speed of light -- where does time go? Firstly, can I thank everyone who gave me some great advice re re-covering my lamp; I dont feel nearly as intimidated now! Gonna try to give it a try over the weekend! But today I wanted to share with with you a little studio update!

A lot has happened since my last post and my previously hideously rat-infested back-of-garage room now has the distinct resemblance of a studio, a bedroom and a little bathroom! The studio space is going to be small -- about 2x3 metres in total, which isn't large by any means. But its a damn sight larger than the kitchen table, I can assure you!

My husband is dreaming up the makings of a built-in wraparound desk so I have plenty of counter-top on which to work (I do tend to spread myself about) and I'm planning lots of pigeon holes underneath and shelves above the desk in which to hold all my stuff. The walls have gone up. I've ordered the carpet. And now I have a week-and-a-half to finish the gyprocking, install the sliding doors between the studio and bedroom and into the bathroom, do all the priming and painting, tile the bathroom, and finish the electrical before my carpet arrives and is installed! Eeeeek!

Here's some (really bad) pics so you can see the progress:

looking from the long end past my studio (its got a half wall and no door into my space; didnt want to close it all in... and into the new bedroom

my studio! Not using that desk, just there to measure depth. And the door is just leaning there for support! Don't you love my awesome pics?! ;)

the rumpus/ spare bedroom and ensuite!

What are you up to over the weekend? Me -- I'll be making lots of bm3 orders and hopefully catching the latest Twilight flick. There, I said it. Im a closet Twi-hard ;)

Studio Lighting

I've decided, folks. As much as I would love to claim the whole gigantic (well, gigantic compared to the kitchen table) space downstairs as Bubby Makes Three headquarters... I can't do it. We simply need an extra space for the kids. And an option for when people come to stay. Which admittedly isn't often, but often enough to make pulling sheets onto the lounge annoying.

And so. My space downstairs is in fact going to be two rooms, connected by a sliding door and with the addition of a little 'powder' room as well.

A little studio! To call my very own! So excited.

But as usual, I am drilling down on all the finer details (like what sort of pencil tin to sit prettily on my new desk, and what artwork to hang on the wall) before I contemplate the boring stuff like measurements and where the hell the plumbing connects to and so on. I found myself on Etsy last night, researching prints. I want one that says "love what you do, do what you love" Its kinda my mantra and motto.

And then yesterday I picked up my new lights.

No, I haven't booked an electrician.

No, I don't even have the space divided yet into two rooms.

But I have my lights, folks and the rest will work itself around it!

My studio light? I purchased this one:

bought here

It's a fancy office light granted, but what the hey. I want a light, bright, white studio space with pops of yellow, green and turquoise and I thought this light would work a treat! And I plan to team it with a desk lamp that I am repurposing from an existing Ikea lamp I own -- but I'll save that for another blog post!!

And the playroom/ spare room light I chose is this one (the one on the far left):

It is a bit more sophisticated and soft and will match the chocolate carpet I'm putting down on the floor. Chocolate + kids = smart.choice. 

And so, its officially begun, folks! Studio bm3 -- here I come!!!!

Have a lovely weekend, do tell me what you'll be getting up to, its gonna be sunny! x