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

Crazy Pup And Random Thoughts....

Hi Sweeties!

My crazy Ruby.... She's is such a hoot... We call her Little Crooked Face...and the Hubbs says "she'll never win Best In Show"... :-)



She does appreciate being snuggly though... It looks like she's peeved, but really she's happy..... REALLY.



I'm working away on the sewing room... Hopefully I'll have it finished by the next "Where Bloggers Create" party?? I can't even remember who hosts this little shin-dig, but I'll sure find out if I ever complete this little space.....and I do mean LITTLE!

I'm trying to find jars and vintage tins to store some of those handy, dandy supplies in....so today I popped by the Goodwill. Well, two Goodwills.. Let me tell 'ya...it was RAINING here in the Northwest today... No REALLY raining..........the kind where you can't get your wipers to swipe quickly enough??? Yeah, well, I pulled into the Goodwill and there was not a single parking place to be had.... I did the loop around the lot and still no spot so I went on to do the rest of the errands.

Thankfully the second Goodwill... (on the way home) had plenty of parking.... I have a little Goodwill routine and by the time I got to the furniture.... There was a VERY MEAN lady who got there first and had in her hot little hands a really sweet little ottoman...........I silently tried to talk her out of it so I could snatch that baby up....but she tucked it under her arm and headed for the checkout. Now, seriously, this was probably a dear woman and is going to give that little lovely a great home.... I just realllly wanted it. And. needed. it.


I did find a couple of great things though... I shouldn't complain. But, next time I'm wearing my cleats... Just kidding. I think.


The Hubbs is taking me to dinner tomorrow night..... at Ikea... ;-)

I have a smidge of shopping to do.


They have a little drawer do-hickey that will fit perfectly under my sewing table. I NEED it.


Have a wonderful day sweet chickies...


Love you alllll Lots and LOTS...


Spencer