A New Table Top

As I work more and more in my studio, it seems I need more surface space to work on. The other day, a new table was made from two sawhorses and an Ikea table top. 

Now, I don't like anything to be boring, and the dull black of the table was not working for me. So, with some paper, contact paper, a ruler, a pencil, and an X-Acto knife, I set to work 'redesigning' the top.

And voila, a fun new table top for my needs:

Domestic Project

Today was my first Sunday in a long while where I had absolutely nothing to do. So I decided to make curtains for the bedroom.

Our bedroom had curtains when we moved in but they were just your basic off-white color and, since we haven't hung a lot of artwork in the room yet, I felt like we needed to add some color and spice things up.

This wild fabric came from Ikea. It was from a set of ready-to-go curtains but, since we have 2 long windows and 1 short one in the bedroom (and kittens that like to climb curtains), I customized them a bit. 

I cut the curtains shorter so they wouldn't be floor length, and wouldn't collect so much dust. Then I ironed, and hemmed them on my sewing machine. Out of the scraps I was able to make another 2 short curtains for the window over the bed. The measuring was the hardest part, we don't have any table or floor space in the apartment large enough to spread out the curtains so I had to use 2 rulers and do it out on the back deck!

Ready to iron

TA DAA! Here are the 'after' shots of the bedroom:

Studio Tour

My non-digital cameras on the work table, in easy reach should a photo present itself

I'm excited to share this round of images because, this past week I finally got my art making room set up. It may technically be a studio but I prefer 'art making room' because it really is more of a room (probably originally meant to be an office or child's bedroom) than a studio, which conjures up thoughts of a space where you can do whatever you want, make huge messes, have large equipment, etc. and my room is none of those things. If I ever want my security deposit back, I have to keep things relatively contained. Still, it's the first dedicated art making space I've ever had, and I'm happy to have it.

The view from my preferred spot at my work table (hopefully we'll have some plants and flowers in the yard soon, so the fence line is a little more comely)

There's this little nook in the room, and I have an 'arts and crafts books (instructions and zines)' book shelf

Some stuff on the work table (the light in this room is actually really good all day long, it's my exposure that was off- oops)

A drawer of tools and supplies with a bunch of collage material, magazines, and book making scraps organized on top (I spray painted the containers on the left)

I have precious little wall space that I want to save for hanging works in progress and the work of other artists I find inspiring, so I decided to hang my rulers between two of the windows

My reading/break chair, in the nook, surrounded by rolls of paper and other stuff

A little glimpse of downstairs and another box of collage material

As you can tell, I really like these wooden boxes I spray painted, mostly because of the spray paint

There is no closet in the room, 5 windows, and not much wall space, so I had to get creative about storing things. I got a bunch of these wooden boxes at Ikea. They are really hard to put together but handy.

My work in progress cube. Hopefully it'll continually rotate as I become a creating/art making monster!

The top of my art supply cabinet with my trusty sewing machine and some more of the wall cubes on the right

A better view of the cubes. I have Gocco printing supplies up top, paper in the middle, and books to collage with on top of the bottom most cube