Where Bloggers Create Studio Tour!

I've been soooo looking forward to this event...  Thank you so much Karen for all of  your effort to make this happen.  You won't want to miss the other fabulous spaces either.  Here's a link back to Karen at My Desert Cottage for you....  Just click HERE.

Karen's space is SPECTACULAR!  You'll want to see that, for sure.  But look at mine first please...  It'll look a whole bunch better...  it's gonna be pretty pitiful after seeing Karen's.   :-)

I am CRAZY about Cath Kidston, so that was my inspiration ...  It's so HAPPY isn't it?

I have a teenie, tiny studio space, but have SO much stuff tucked into every, single nook and cranny.

I've tried to get things as organized as possible....  Whew, is that ever a tough task....  If you're an artsy girlie, you'll exactly what I'm talking about.   So many things carry over from one project to another.

Secondly...  I LOVE STUFF...  really love it.  Yep, one of those hoarder kind of girls.  I admit it.  There it is.....  in black and white.      :-)

Here we have my work table ...  I made it... yep, sure did.  It works great.... lots of storage behind that little curtain.  I also made the bigger scalloped shelf and the one with points.  Those little babies hold a lot of goodies.  

Try to ignore the hideous office chair.  The new one  I ordered was really poor quality, so it's going right on back.    I had an old one before that I had made a sweet, 'lil slipcover for, but it was so big and bulky I could hardly move the darn thing.

Making every, single inch count was a priority Chickies...  Just look at all that goodness on crammed onto a six inch wide shelf...   :-)

I've had this odd, old sewing machine table for about a century now... I'd love one of those dandy Koala, fancy ones........... but one would never fit into this beensie space....  And, this one works just fine.

Edward Scissorhands, where are you?  I LOVE the things... probably have at least fifty pair....  

Ugly lamp shade?  Feather boa is the fix!  You can barely see it back behind that stack of books, but that jar with the ribbon?  It's full of precious notes from my daughter.  LOVE it.  And, it was one of my most cherished gifts evah!

No, there are NO diamonds to be found...  but it was easier to write that on the tag than "little, fake, stick on rhinestones"...   :-)  And, more colored pencils.   These are watercolor pencils...  Can't have too many colored pencils.  Seriously.  You can't.  At least that's exactly what I tell the Hubbster.  * I have HUNDREDS of 'em.   :-)   

I bought those two small, fancy 'lil shelves at the thrift store...  just perfect for small stuff...  

Rolling right around to the crammed FULL side of the room.  So happy that you can't see this wall before you're actually IN the room.  But, let me tell 'ya...  I have A TON of stuff stored here.  I just bought the Billys at Ikea knowing how fantastic they would be....  Three of the regular sized ones and one that's skinnier.  Fills the whole wall!  I wish I had been able to buy matching and beautiful containers to use, but that would have been super, duper expensive so I used mostly what I had already.  Yep, PENNY PINCHER...  Tilly Tightwad, for sure.

  

The little child's chair doubles as a footstool and a step stool to reach higher things.  Short.  Yes, I AM.

I bought the little drawer do-hickie at the thrift store for a couple of bucks.  It was part of a vanity, but with some wood filler, paint and knobs it's just great.  

See that adorable red heart up there?  A gift sent to me by Sue at Rue Mouffetard..   I LOVE her.  Thank you SUE!

You still here?  Wow...   :-)   Geeee...  Thanks!

New chair, Ikea.  I swear, I couldn't make the slipcover as inexpensively as they sell them.  And, those shelves!!!  ...  See, I couldn't fit another thing in there!  Packed as full as possible...  Everything is marked, but I want to make a "map" of everything as well.  I'm going to print the pix on regular printer paper and write on each container what's inside.  And, eventually make new and fancy tags.  Right now these will do.

This stool serves as a ............wait for it..........stool...   How clever am I?..... and as an end table when I'm using my chair...  need something more that that little lamp, but where........WHERE ..........would it fit?  

So DEAR Chickies...  there you have it...  TINY... I think my space is about  9 X 10 or so, but it really is my HAPPY PLACE.

So glad you came by.  Now, pop on over to see lots and lots of wonderful places Where Bloggers Create!

Huggies and Lovies...  

Spencer

xoxoxoxo

PS....  Can anybody explain to me how to make my pictures bigger and not run into all that stuff on my right sidebar?  I cannnnnot figure it out.

Yippppeeee! It's The Where Bloggers Create Shin-Dig.... Welcome To My Studio

Hi Chickies! Oh my... I have SO looked forward to this party.... That sweet 'lil Karen over at My Desert Cottage is hosting this party for the third year. I've wanted to participate before, but my Studio (formerly known as the sewing room, but studio sounds so much fancier, don'tcha think??) just wasn't ready... well, it still isn't, but what the heck... might as well share the progress so far, right? :-)



I have lots and lots of things to finish, including a wing chair slipcover.... Pictures strategically taken to avoid the nasty thing. *wink*



I shared before that my goal was sort of a Cath Kidston look. I don't use that style anywhere else in my little cottage, so I thought it would be a happy place to "whip things up"... And there is no red anywhere else either, but I love it here.

I had already purchased a pale greenish paint for this room when my plan changed, so I just added other wall paint and craft paint to come up with this color. I LOVE it.....and..... no waste either.


Beware: Lots of pictures in this post.... and if you'd like to see bigger shots, just click on any photo.

Rather proud of these little shelves. I made them myself. :-) And, they hold lots of lots of supplies and other happy little things too.

My space is very tiny..not luxurious like so many lucky chickies have, so I have to make every little inch pay. As I've said before, nothing is very big here at the cottage.

I made my cutting table too. .... and installed a little light strip up underneath the shelf. It really helps when I'm doing one of those late night projects.



As always, I try to do everything on a dime, so nearly all the fabrics here are from the thrift store. I love the satisfaction of making something out of nothing. And, most of the doo-dads are second hand as well.

All of the eyelet was from thrift store dust ruffles. I got yards and yards of it for $3.99. Bleached, starched and ruffled......just perfect to add to lots of things.


I just couldn't get a decent picture of the darn curtains..... dang.

A studio necessity.......TV and DVD player.... It seems like I'm in here a LOT at Christmas and I love being able to watch It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas and Holiday Inn while I'm working.


My sewing machine table used to have a drawer on the left side... I took it off so I could fit the Ikea drawer unit underneath it. Oh how I LOVE Ikea.... that little drawer unit holds so much and keeps my tools close at hand.... just above the drawers is a keyboard pull-out. I sew lots and lots of home dec projects and needed a bigger area for the weight of the fabric to rest while I sew. This does the job nicely.

Tons of baskets to hold supplies and a little, vintage shoe bag to hold "stuff"...


Another little Ikea drawer unit to hold elastic, snaps, rick rack, zippers, etc. It works perfectly.


I've had that old oak armoire forever and ever. I hide gifties in it. :-)

I bought the little magazine holders at Ikea too. They're actually still empty. I have four hundred thousand tear-outs from magazines to organize ....eventually they'll be in those holders. I've been going to do that little project every summer for the past five years........or more..... yeah, probably more!

Just smidge of fabric. Oh my.... I have bins and bins and bins of it in the garage. I have to either get rid of some of it or come up with another system for storage. I wish I had some of those great shelves like so many of you chickies have. I think I'd have to hang it from the ceiling. No more space here.

More fabric hidden under my cutting table.... well, that and our luggage. I have nowhere else to put it.

I think the little holes in the shelf make it look like eyelet. :-)


Have I mentioned that I love vintage buttons? I have soooo many of them and still keep a look out for them.

My little grandson made that little cart out of styrofoam and Popsicle sticks for me a long time ago.... It's so sweet and I save everything..........EVERYTHING he makes for me.

That shelf thingy is actually a bookcase I found for five dollars at an antique store sidewalk sale... not old, of course, but it does the job here. It doesn't have a back on it, but I stapled fabric to that back of it anyway.



The dresser was in my husband's closet when I met him. It was HIDEOUS..... and I was going to throw it out. It was on the driveway when we were moving so we could dump it.... I drove in one night and saw the darn thing in a whole new light. A bit of paint and new knobs and now I just love it. FREE! Whooopeee!




And, jars of walnut shells, lavender and flax seeds for projects.

I am CRRRRaZZZy about ribbon.... I have lots more than this. Those bins on top of the armoire? Lots of them hold ribbon... and there's more in the garage too.

My Hubbs calls me Honey Girl.... found the sticker in Hawaii last time we were there.... can you see it there?

How Cath Kidston is this rug???


I found it at the Goodwill for $3.99 and it's quite long..... It matches everything perfectly. I danced out of the store that day..... I worried that it would bleed like crazy when I washed it, but it did just fine. It's probably originally from Ikea too. :-)

I had a horrible time taking pictures, the room is so small... this shot is into the mirrored closet doors. Not a huge fan of mirrored doors, but this room doesn't get much light and I thought the reflective factor would help....

I made the desk chair slipcover too.... After seeing it in these pictures, I figured out how to fix it so it will hang straight... Wish I'd have figured that out before... Darn it all. Ya'all just pretend it's hanging right, OK?






Isn't this fabric sooooo Cath Kidston-ish? From the thrift store..... naturally. :-) And, it's originally from Ikea. Can you see the little Cath Kidston label? No, nothing about it is genuine Cath, but I bought her book and it came with a label to make a little handbag....

The sewing table was nasty wood... with a FORMICA top.... YIKES. Isn't paint just the bestestest solution? I still don't love it, but it's so much better than it was and my sewing machine fits perfectly in it.... so I'll be sticking with it, probably forever.



So, that's about it..... nothing fancy... Well, there's really nothing fancy anywhere, here at the cottage. I don't even own a serger.... but make slipcovers and other things all the time without one..... And, where the heck would I put it, if I DID have one??



I can't wait to come to visit each of you. There were so many yummy spaces last year... Such clever chickies out there in Bloggyville.



Linking to: Where Bloggers Create Thank you again Karen.... xoxox



Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home



Flaunt it Friday at Chic on a Shoestring Decorating



Sherry @ No Minimalist Here


and


Beverly at How Sweet The Sound for Pink Saturday








Thanks so much for coming to visit.


Have a wonderful weekend.



Huggies,


Spencer


xoxox

Happy Second Birthday Pink Saturday!

Happy Pink Saturday Sweet Girlies..........




It's a big birthday for that special day of pink beauty.




I hope you'll buzz right over and wish Miss Beverly a Happy Day.



She's been so sweet to put this event on every, single week for us.


www.howsweetthesound.typepad.com


One of these days I WILL learn how to add a link. :-)



Oh yes.........I have been over at the Cath Kidston website shopping around. I ADORE everything and as soon as my ship comes in I'm gonna fill the darn thing FULL of Cath Kidston.


It's the happiest stuff, I think.


I've already shown you this little box bag before. I actually own this little cutie. It cost nearly as much to ship it as it did for the darn bag, but I LOVE it. My daughter and grandson think it looks like a lunch box. Oh well, maybe I'll just put a sammie in there too.

Oh, how I need these right now..........It has been raining here, in the Pacific Northwest NON-STOP!

And this!

Floor tile. Now, this is one of the cutest darn things I've ever seen............ *sigh*... :-)

I swear, everything would taste better on these cute little plates, don'tcha think?

And, I wouldn't mind washing them with these on my little fingers.

Well, I'd actually prefer a GREAT BIG 'OL diamond..........but as a second choice... :-)


Don't tell the Hubbster................He's rush right out and buy these for me and think he'd get off realllly cheap.

What a cheery little kitchen item. I need it.

The English call clothespins pegs......Store those little cuties from the past in this handy, dandy bag. It makes you want to hang the laundry on the line, doesn't it? Yeah, that won't be happening here anytime soon...........They'd NEVER get dry. It's a BEEEE.U.TI.FUL green place to live.........but let me tell 'ya...........it's WET!


My posies will NEVER grow!


I hope you're spending a wonderful Memorial Day weekend with family and friends, doing something realllly special. I'll be spending it with my daughter..............Picnic, you ask?


No.


Shopping?


No.


She's going to come and help me paint............the master bath and bedroom!




Isn't that just the best?



Gosh I love her. She has a three day weekend and she's spending it helping her Mum. I'm soooo glad she's mine. We'll have lots of fun and there will be lots of giggling, I'm sure.


The sewing is ALL finished and I'm ready to go.



Huggies and Lovies Dear Ones....



Spence


**Cath Kidston has totally redone their website......it is full to the brim with the cutest things ever. You really must pop over for a peek.....**

Oh Girlies! It's Pink Saturday!!!! And, I'm A Cath Kidston Wanna Be!

 

 Hi Dear Girlies!

I hope you've been having a glorious week, and that you're warm and cozy.  I can't imagine being without power when it's soooo cold, and I've heard some folks still are.  Brrrr.

It rained a TOTAL Pacific Northwest rain today.....pouring.......and the raindrops were each the size of a golf ball.  Ok, that's only a SLIGHT exaggeration.  It was horrible.  Puddles everywhere.

Could it be on a "stay home and be cozy day"??  Oh no........it was a "have to stop six places" kind of day.  Great.

I looked like a drowned rat by the time I got home.

YIKES!

Ok, that's enough whining, don'tcha think?    :-)

  

 A while back I told you about the black tapestry chair in my sewing room and the effort to decorate around it.......Well, I just couldn't.  YUK.....So, I've decided to slipcover the chair so I can have a cheery and bright room.  YIPPEEE!

I ADORE Cath Kidston.  She has wonderful things and awesome fabrics.

However, I am on a budget and can't spend forty nine gazillion dollars on fabric and then add sixty four hundred thousand dollars more for shipping.......so I'm a girl on a mission.

DO IT ON THE CHEAP!

So, I guess we'll call the new room Cath Kidston-ISH...   :-)

  

  I dug through my fabric stash and found LOTS of fabrics that will have the Cath sort of look.......and I've been to a couple of thrift stores too.....NATURALLY!

Don't they look happy?

  

 Nope, not a Cath Kidston bowl, but it sure looks like it doesn't it?  1.99 at the thrift store....as was the little spotted (The Brits call polka dots spots, so I'm just getting in the mood)...box.  I was so excited to have found it.

  

  The green storage box is from Joann's....I need LOTS of storage. 

I'm also re-working some baskets.  I'm anxious to show you those too.  I've been collecting them for a couple of months now.  That's a whole other story....I'll try to keep the chatter on the minimal side............Ok.........that was a fib.  I HAVE to talk a lot...it's in my nature.    :-)

 

Look at this old rick rack.........isn't it divine?  Eight cents?  Isn't that hilarious?

I have some that is marked 13 cents too.

I think the old stuff is so much better than the new stuff.

Gotta love vintage.

So, I'm pretty well stocked up on supplies for all of my sewing.

And, I did finish the slipcover for my desk chair.

I'll be showing that to you really soon.

It was a trial, but I prevailed.

Have a wonderful and blessed weekend Sweet Chickies!

Huggies and Lovies,

Spence

PS

Lots more delicious pinks at www.howsweetthesound.typepad.com

www.howsweetthesound.typepad.com 

Thanks again Beverly for hosting!

Miss Beverly's just had her gall bladder removed. 

OUCH!

Please send her get well wishes!

xoxoxoxo

Don'tcha Just LOVE Cath Kidston?

Oh YUMMMM!  I LOVE Cath Kidston!

Isn't it just sooo happy?

I searched for the "SEW" book for my daughter for Christmas....yep, she's a big fan too!

I actually ended up ordering it from England.  Whew, that shipping'll kill 'ya!  So, as long as I'm paying that dasterly shipping, I might as well order two, right?

So I ordered one for me too!    :-)

It actually came with a little smidge of fabric to make that little tote on the front cover.

Gotta love that!

My sweet daughter couldn't leave it at that, of course......so she ordered MAKE! too.....

Did she order one for me?  Nah.........none for her Mama!     :-(

That's perfectly OK with me.....I want her to SAVE her money....(hear me honey??)

So many cute ideas AND patterns in both of them.

I have an old upholstered chair.......black tapestry.  I couldn't bear to part with it because it was my Mum's.........it's in my sewing room.  It looks soooooo horrible in there...it doesn't match anything!

But, I've been moving things from the den to start the re-do there and that's the ONLY place it would fit.  Remember, the Cottage is eensie beensie!

I bought fabric in a black and ivory ticking to re-do the curtains and some other things in there, trying to tie the whole thing together........I haven't even cut anything out yet and already I HATE it all.  How can I be tired of something I haven't even made yet?  Crazy.  It's just not happy enough for my taste!

So, I've decided I'm going to slipcover that little chair.  (It's a wing chair and I've never tackled one before).  And then..............it's going to be cheery and Cath Kidston Style!

I can hardly wait.  I think I'd love to be in there if it's all bright and cutsie, right?

Just one more thing on my agenda of things I need to accomplish.  YIKES!

As always, more projects than time.

***********

Now, my sweet and wonderful girlies.......I'm gearing up for my one year anniversary of blogging.

January 23!

I actually signed up for my account months before I blogged.  I had to think about it for a bit, you know.   :-)

A whole year?

Yep, that deserves a little celebration.

So be watching Saturday......I'm thinking a giveaway is in order.

Big hugs to you dear ones!

Huggies and Lovies,

Spencer

Happy Pink Saturday Girlies!......Oh How I LOVE Cath Kidston!

Hi Sweet GIRLIES....

Well, still not "in the PINK"....but much better than I was a week ago. Who knew a silly virus could make a gal so punie. :-)

I LOVE, love, LOVE Cath Kidston....it's just happy to me...........so, when I saw this little bag on their website I knew it would be mine. I swear, I think the shipping was nearly as much as the bag. When my daughter saw it she asked why I was carrying a lunch bag...........ok, I know she can give me a hard time.......but...later, my grandson (you know, the one I adore?) came in and asked why I was carrying a lunch bag! :-) Phoooooey.

Edit: The Cath Kidston website does NOT call this little TOTE a lunch bag dear daughter and darling grandson............although.......I don't think it would have mattered to me.....and besides that, little family,.....it's Labor Day....off with the white bag! :-) So there.

I don't care, it makes me smile. And, it's realllly light, which is a great change for me.

And, it's summery, right?

So, I'll use it to carry all of my favorite pinks for now in spite of the teasing.

Now, really, isn't that a cheery little label?

And, pink flowers? Could it get any happier?

Ahhhhhhhh.........the Juicy camera case.........OK.......it's really for a cell phone, but I'd never get the darn thing out of the case before it stopped ringing. I knew when I saw this little dandy it would be perfect for a little camera.....however, mine was way too big for it.

I asked for this pink army knife for Christmas for at least five years.........finally.......

And, a pink cover for the car. lock. bob do-hickey? :-)

My darling daughter bought the little emergency first aid kit for me....and the Hello Kitty business card case. Isn't it cute?

And, there it is.........the PINK camera. I'm telling 'ya......it took LOTS of research to find a pink camera that also took movies, used an SD card, had a good zoom and still fit into the little case I had already purchased. I was one determined gal!

Mmmmmmmmm...........

Oh, lookie here.......my DD bought me that fluffy little pink glass case too! So cute!



So, I know you'd really love to peek at lots more pink goodies!

That sweet Beverly over at howsweetthesound.typepad.com is hosting AGAIN....isn't she just the best?

Please go check out all of the other cuties.

And, have a blessed weekend!

Huggies and Lovies,
Spencer


PS.........I soooo appreciated all of the wonderful get well wishes from you sweeties. Thank you so much.