Studio Friday: The Heart of My Studio

Here's this week's prompt for Studio Friday:

"Where or what is the heart of your studio/creative space? Is it your desk or maybe a special piece of furniture, a window, a piece of art on the wall, your idea board, or one of your tools, a jar with ribbons on the shelf...? "

Part of me feels like the heart of my studio/craft room should be something "deeper"-- more meaningful, somehow-- than simply where I spend the most time when I'm there. . . But when I stood in the room and looked around, nothing really jumped out at me. My supplies are important, of course, but there are so many of them-- and they're so dispersed across the room-- that to say that my supplies are the heart of the room would be like saying the whole room is one big heart. (g)

I don't really have a "mascot" of any sort, either-- no muse-- no object that is my all-of-the-time inspiration source. I have an inspiration board, but honestly, I rarely touch it. I like to look at it from time to time, but it's more of a wall decoration than a constantly-changing canvas. When it comes down to the nitty-gritty, it's just me in a room full of craft supplies and the things I've created. (And quite a few books of sheet music, too, but mostly I just ignore them. ;o))

So I decided to be prosaic and say that the heart of my studio is where I do the work. Whether I'm claying, sewing, stringing beads, or scrapbooking, 99.9% of my time in this room is spent with my derrière settled on one of two identical chairs, such as the one pictured below:

(Notice how I tried to make it seem a little more artistic by getting down on the floor to snap the photo? ;o) Did it work?)

There's nothing inherently special about these chairs. They're just decently comfortable pieces of furniture. They came to me from my parents' house; I grew up sitting in these chairs. (Back then, they hadn't yet made the transformation from stained wood to aqua.) I didn't even make the strawberry-print cushions myself. They're hand-me-downs from my grandmother-- but they're comfy, and they serve the purpose.

Practicality with a dash of fun (aqua and strawberries)-- I think I can live with that as the "heart" of my room.

~*~*~*~*~

While looking at others' submissions for SF, I found a link to a very impressive studio. The colors are so beautifully soft-- but also playful. I love the green island.

Though I certainly don't need a room like that in order to create, a room like that sure is pretty to look at!

Very, *very* early spring cleaning? ;o)

This afternoon, I decided it was high time to give the craft room a major overhaul-- not so much moving around large pieces of furniture, but clearing away accumulated "stuff" and maybe coming up with some new storage solutions. A few other rooms in the house could also use a good "deep cleaning", but the craft room is the worst of the bunch (at least as far as clutter goes), and it's also more fun to go through art and craft supplies than it is to scrub toilets (Anyone know a good way to remove extremely stubborn rust stains?), wash out the inside of the refrigerator, and clean dusty baseboards. ;o) (Anything to postpone the more serious cleaning!)

I even took a few photos to document the pre-cleaning horrors. We'll see if I'm brave enough to post before and after shots. ;o)

So far, I don't think you can see a whole lot of difference. There are a couple of large boxes out of the room, now, but to be completely honest, they've just been moved into another room! (I'll have to deal with them later. . .)

Part of the problem is that there's just so much clutter-- so many little bitty things that have no real "place". If something has a place, it's just a matter of putting it there. It takes a little time, maybe, but it's not too bad. Just pick it up, identify it, and put it away. But with things that have no real specified "home", you have to stop and think. Is it something worth keeping? (If it has no obvious use, that can take some time to figure out.) Where would it most logically go? Do you need to rearrange things to make it fit? Moving just one item off the table can potentially lead to a "sub-task" that takes ten or fifteen minutes. I'm trying to organize things while I clean, and I find myself constantly being sidetracked.

I've barely touched the clay table, which is a huge mess. I'm down to a clear area of less than six square inches, I think. Everything else is covered with mixes of clay, containers of stuff (glitter, flocking, tools), and WIPs (works-in-progress, for those unfamiliar with the abbreviation). However, at least I've sorted through the majority of the loose beads and "bits and bobs" of cured clay. Every little bit helps!

I hope this will teach me not to let things get into this bad a state of disorder again-- but I doubt it will have any lasting effect! (g)

Just chatting a bit :o)

I'm still far from completely settled back in, but I'm getting there. It's funny-- I spent hours of my vacation reading the two polymer clay books I brought with me (the new book by Donna Kato and the bead bible-- er, I mean Making Polymer Clay Beads (g)). I day-dreamed about all the wonderful things I would do with the clay when I got back home. I wrote down ideas. I missed my clay table. And now that I'm home again, I'm already back in my old bad habit of not spending my time as wisely as I ought. That didn't take long! ;o)

Joking aside, I have spent a little time at the clay table since returning home. There's one project (based on a project in the new Kato book) that I'm in the middle of. (It didn't go quite as planned, but I'm going to try to make lemonade.) Then I've also been using up some scrap clay and taking advantage of the opportunity to try out some of the bead shapes I admired in the Blackburn book (as well as online, in my contacts' Flickr photostreams).

I've taken a few photos of my first attempts at that "new-to-me" style of bead. I'm not sure what the name for this style of bead is, if it even has one. Basically, it's just a base bead covered in one long string of extruded clay. To jazz them up, you usually use a few different colors of clay to make the extruded snake.

I was excited to finally try my new homemade clay gun leverage tool. My husband made it for me based on the design I found on-line. (You can see the page here: http://kelliesklay.homestead.com/pusher.html.) It doesn't look like much, but it works like a dream. I had only used the clay gun once before, and it was so difficult that I never cared to try it again. Now, with this nifty tool at my disposal, I see more extruding in my future. ;o)

Here are my first attempts. I was using up some scrap clay and didn't realize that my color choices were so similar that there wouldn't be much variation in the extrusion. There is some variation, but it's very subtle and may not be visible in this photo. . .

Next, there are a few more from that first batch, in a slightly different color.

As you might have noticed, I decided to experiment a little with the basic idea by adding some texture to the beads. I used rough sandpaper and a toothbrush (my favorite texture tools, and also some of the cheapest I have (g)).

Oh, and I also experimented with whitewashing/antiquing a few from this group. I used white acrylic craft paint. I don't like the fact that they even further dim the colors, but I think this might work well for some styles of jewelry. They remind me of some pottery I've seen. . .

These in the next photo aren't even baked yet, but by the time I made these, I had at least managed to choose colors that didn't completely blend in the extruder. ;o)

While I was taking photos, I snapped a couple pictures of my clay table. At least it looks like I've been busy, right? ;o)

Before I decided to try the "extruder beads", I was using some scrap clay by playing around with some stamps and acrylic paint. . .

Oh, and I made a few of one of my other new favorite bead shapes (which I also admired in Blackburn's book). I've always loved spiral seashells, so this shape has a strong appeal for me. :o)

This photo definitely leaves something to be desired. I'll have to give it another try the next time I'm "really" taking photos. (This was something of a spur of the moment photo shoot.) This is something I made before our vacation. I was just in the mood to try something different, so I tried my hand at applique. It's a bit time consuming, but enjoyable. (Probably would be more enjoyable if I put it up on a taller surface so I wouldn't have to hunch over it.)

Here's another in the same style. (Actually, I think I made this one first.) I'll have to give this another try, someday. Maybe think up some new flower shapes. . . Planning would probably yield better results than just free-handing it.

So, what's in my near future, clay-wise? I need to start work on a special order double cheeseburger. There are a couple other custom order things I need to look into, as well, not to mention that I really ought to list some new items in my Etsy shop, as it's dwindled down to nearly nothing. I have a tutorial in the works (nothing ground-breaking and it has definitely "been done", but I don't think anyone has dibs on it. . .)-- plans for at least two more tutorials/projects to work on-- and I've spotted some glaring errors in my last tutorial, so I need to fix that. (It's nothing sunstantial-- just an accidental repetition in the instructions.) Then there are a few things I really want to try soon, just for fun.

Plus there's all that other stuff-- you know, the rest of my life. ;o)

Vacations are nice, but it's good to be home again!

Studio Friday - Inspiring Dream Studio

This week's prompt from Studio Friday is as follows:

Inspiring Dream Studio

"We get to see these wonderful studios, - how about not showing our own, but choose among the great studios we know about now? Tell us a little about why you like this studio, what you would like to do if you could work there for a day as it was your own, and, - if it is so, - you have learned from this studio/ artist?"
~ mereteveian

Well, while I've seen photos of various people's studios (or humbler work spaces), I don't believe I've seen one that stuck in my memory so much that I'd say it is my "dream studio". But I have noticed some things I've liked and would enjoy having myself. I also have a few ideas of my own.

Things you'd find in my "dream studio"--

• Lots of room-- Sure, you can produce beautiful works of art in a tiny room-- or just a corner of a room-- but so long as we're dreaming, let's dream big.
• Plenty of work surfaces-- I'm the type to have multiple projects going at the same time, something that extra work surfaces would make so much easier. Plus I like to spread all my resources out in front of me so I can see what I have to choose from.
• Storage, storage everywhere!-- I need things to have their own place where they "go"-- even if they're actually left out on the table 90% of the time. ;o) Abundant storage is wonderful when you decide to reorganize between projects.
• Lighting-- Good lighting is a must. You have to be able to see what you're doing to tell if you're doing it well!
• Comfortable seating-- to save your back (and behind, etc.) on days when you're sitting at the table for hours on end.
• Entertainment-- There are times when I'll clay (or bead, or whatever) to the sound of silence, but most of the time, I want music, talk radio, the TV-- or something for background noise and to occupy my mind during the duller parts of the work.
• Displays-- I doesn't have to be anything fancy, but I would like a place to display some of my work-- particularly pieces of jewelry. I'd also like a place to put up things that inspire me-- such as swatches of coordinated colors and jewelry sketches.
• Materials-- A well-stocked studio is inspiring. I love seeing lots of materials-- clay in a rainbow of colors, bottles of ink and paint, a bountiful collection of beads, wonderful tools and books-- and some things that maybe I've never even seen before. There are so many possibilities in all those materials.
• A nice view-- Not a necessity, but a pleasant view from the window(s) is a plus, too.

Now that our tables are about to be delivered-- today, between 1 and 2 p.m., if all goes as planned-- my work space will take a big step toward that "dream studio". I'll have lots more room to work-- one (larger) table for clay and another table for beading, scrapbooking, or anything else that's "dry" and not messy. There'll also be some extra storage, and once I get everything sorted and put away, I'm planning to put up some more things on the walls to make the room more my own and more to the purpose of a craft room.

I've been looking forward to trying it all out! It'll feel like a whole new place, I'm sure. :o)

No tables, but a link...

Still no sign of the tables, despite phone calls to the "help" line. Apparently it's "out of their hands", now that the delivery company has the boxes. Maybe the delivery guy decided to keep them for himself. ;o) Seriously, if they don't come today, it's going to be time to get a number for the delivery company and contact the local branch directly. This is getting to be ridiculous.

. . . . .

I was redirected to Donna Kato's website today, where I found some new tutorials that she has up. So far, there are tutorials for a carved, antiqued bead, toner transfers, a new style of opal, jellyroll millefiori, and something she calls "layer dichroic effects"-- all very nice. I'm definitely going to try the new style of opal, one of these days. The only problem is that she uses Kato Liquid Polyclay, and I only TLS, which probably won't cure as clear. Maybe I'll get some Liquid Kato sometime. If it's really that much clearer than TLS, it'd be nice to have for some other projects, as well.

--Excuse me a moment while I get rid of this disgusting zinc cough drop. Yuck!!! Well, they might lessen the effects of a cold, but I think I'd rather have a cold than have to take one of those every three hours. Why are almost all medicines so horrible to take? Why can't they taste like pizza or candy? I wish someone would come up with a cough syrup (for example) that is pleasant-tasting-- or at least neutral. Now I need some chocolate or something to get rid of the taste! ;o)

So, back to the website I was writing about before...
There's also a gallery of some of Donna Kato's polymer clay art. Some of it's older, some of it's brand new. Some pretty things there.

Still waiting...

Here it is the next day, and still no new tables. :o( Well, they're sure to get here sooner or later, but it looks like it's not going to happen today.

In other news... ;o) ...I buffed up a few of the beads I made a week or so ago-- the ones with crackled paint on translucent clay, placed paint down on black clay. I only buffed three of them, because so far, I've only sanded three of them. Oh my gosh, how I do hate sanding round beads!! It's so much worse than sanding other shapes of beads-- not that I love love love doing that, either. Maybe when we get the tumbler tumbling, I can leave the round beads for it to handle. :o)

Anyway, the beads buffed up beautifully, if I do say so myself. They have a gorgeous glossy finish-- without a finish. I do prefer to leave my clay "naked" whenever I can. The finishes just take more time (and trouble) to apply, and I don't like the feel of the finish as much as the feel of the polished clay.

However-- I did learn a few things in this process-- things I hope to remember when I try this technique again. Namely, the following:

• Sanding round beads is a major pain (as previously stated).
• But on the other hand, round beads are nice for a change from my usual bead shape choices.
• The paint didn't crackle enough for my tastes. Next time, I need to start with thicker sheets of translucent, so that there's "room to crackle". That way, more black (or other base color clay) will show through the decoratives strips and shapes, and I think the beads will look better that way.
• I ought to also try this technique with metal leaf-- with the original colors of the leaf, but also with pre-tinted translucent clay to alter the color of the leaf. (Of course, this will tint the whole piece of translucent clay, but that might not matter so much against a dark background color. Or... I could try tinting the leaf priot to adhering it. I wonder how well metal leaf would "take" alcohol inks...)

While buffing, I tried putting the round beads on a rod (copper wire), holding either end of the rod, and letting the beads spin freely against the buffing wheel. (I did them individually, but come to think of it, I guess there's no reason I couldn't have put multiple beads on the rod at the same time.) One of them worked out well. The other seemed to buff more in one place than in another, which I don't quite understand-- unless the bead was just that uneven. Anyway, it made the bead easier to hold, that way, so even though I still had to buff the ends (near the stringing holes) off the rod, I'll probably use that technique again, the next time I'm buffing round beads. (Which, given what a pain they are to sand, might not be often. (g))

I'm still thinking about how best to display/store my finished necklaces and other pieces of jewelry... It would be nice to have a way to keep them so that I can see what I have and keep them from becoming tangled or potentially scratched or otherwise damaged. I think I have the supplies already around the house to make one or two strips with cup-holder hooks for hanging jewelry. They'll only hold a certain amount of items at a time, but that's better than nothing, for a start.

Not today...

With less than twenty minutes left until 5 p.m., I've decided that the tables simply aren't coming today.

This is rather annoying, considering that the e-mail notification specifically stated that they would be delivered today, sometime between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. So after waiting and waiting all day today, I'm left to wonder whether they'll deliver them tomorrow-- the next day-- or ever. Maybe I need to call the help line tomorrow morning, to make sure there wasn't a mistake somewhere along the line.

Honestly, I'm so tired of faulty delivery systems!! Why can't they do what they say they'll do? Why such incompetence?! If they know it's going to take a day or two more, why not just give that later date from the get-go, rather than leading us to believe (or at least hope) that we'll receive the item on an earlier date?

I know (I guess) that they aren't doing this "on purpose", but it does seem that every time I'm expecting a package, it takes longer than it's supposed to-- and oftentimes, there's some bizarre mix-up somewhere. Either they can't find my house (which isn't really that hard to find), or they can't find my post office (or supposedly no-one is there when I know good and well there must have been people there), or something else weird happens to delay the arrival.

Ok, I guess I've grumbled enough (for now). It won't bring the tables here any faster (well, not unless I'm grumbling to someone over the phone-- that might make some difference!), but I still needed some sort of outlet. This has been a cold, dreary day, and I'm annoyed that I spent the whole time waiting for something that never came. Plus I'm probably a bit tired after my late night last night. And I have one or two other things on my mind-- such as, if I have to go pick up the car from the mechanic tomorrow, there won't be anyone here to receive the tables. So anyway, I'm grumbly. It happens, sometimes. ;o)

Waiting, waiting, waaaaiiiting...

I hate waiting for deliveries. (Yes, I'm strikingly unique from other folks in that way.)

I'm trying to get some things done today, but between the cold that's steadily creeping into the house and the waaaiiiting for the tables to be delivered, I'm not having a very productive day. If I go into the back of the house (away from the driveway), I keep hearing phantom noises and "having" to go check to see if someone's pulled into the driveway.

There are still four and half hours in which the tables might possibly be delivered. On the one hand, that's good, but on the other hand, that's over four more hours for me to keep thinking I've heard something on the road.

Well, better try to go get something accomplished...

Too much caffeine!

Even though my sugar-free sweet tea was half decaf, I guess it wasn't decaf enough to allow me to drink as much of it as I did and still get to sleep at a normal hour... So now I'm sitting up with a hungry tummy. (Am I the only one who turns ravenous if she stays up an hour or two past her bedtime? I could really go for a slice of pizza or something similarly bad for me...) However, eating now will probably only keep me awake longer, so I'm going to wait it out.

I haven't done any claying in the past few days. Part of the time, other obligations have kept me busy. And now my clay space has fallen into such disarray that I don't want to clay until I've put it back into order.

For once, the jumble isn't due to my habit of starting project after project and accumulating lots of "works in progress" (or more accurately, clay bits left over from completed works, waiting for me to make more completed works in the same style). Well, ok. There are several "projects underway" remnants on the clay table-- everything from tinted, glittered translucent from my opal-making enthusiasm to crackled paint on translucent clay from my latest experiment. But those could have been easily set aside or otherwise organized, were it not for The Renovation.

With the news that my sister-in-law and her S.O. will be coming to visit sometime in the next few months, I started thinking more seriously about what to do with the guest room situation.

Since my in-law's visit last year, which prompted us to turn the spare room into a full-fledged guest room, I've slowly but surely been taking over and turning it into a craft room. I moved in my clay table (a pitiful relic that was left in our old trailer by the previous owners), steadily filled up the chest of drawers with clay supplies, and covered the bed and floor with jewelry-making paraphernalia.

It had gotten to the point that the room really was "my" craft room; it just happened to have a guest bed and bureau in it! ;o) I decided (after some discussion with Donald) that it was time to convert the library/music room (seldom inhabited for more than five minutes at a time) into the new guest room and turn the former guest room into a craft/music room.

A couple of bigger craft tables are supposed to be delivered here tomorrow (Yay! Room to stretch!), and in the meantime, we've started the transformation. The former library/music room now has the bed, bureau, nightstands, and vanity in place, along with a couple of extras (including one of our full bookcases). Meanwhile, the craft room is... Well, right now, it's mostly just a cluttered mess, but it's a somewhat organized mess of clutter, and I'll work to set it to rights tomorrow morning. If the tables don't take too long coming, it just might be recognizable as a craft room by evening. ;o)

I think we have it all plotted out, as far as furniture placement goes. Donald helped me move the heaviest pieces of furniture this evening, and I hope that (if they even arrive tomorrow) I'll be able to move the new tables into place myself. If nothing else, I can at least move Donald's sheet music and some other books into the craft room bookcase and sort through the piles of stuff around the room.

Once I get the tables in place, I can really start to put the clay and jewelry supplies where they "belong"-- most of which is yet to be decided, based on how things look and feel at the moment. Then I'll look into decorating the room a little. Well, both of the rooms, actually. The guest room needs a little more wall decor, as does the craft room. I'm thinking I'll move the cork board tiles we have in the office (where they never get used or looked at) into the craft room, somewhere where I can see them while I work. There'll still be lots of room for adornment, so that should be fun. I'm thinking that something with hooks on it would be nice-- to give me places to hang completed necklaces. I'll have to see what we have around the house...

I have so many ideas bouncing around inside my head, it's no wonder I was having trouble getting to sleep, caffeine or not! ;o) But I think I might be able to coax myself into dreamland, now, so I'd better give it a try-- or else I might not be awake for the table delivery!

Now won't I be annoyed if the tables never come tomorrow!? ;o)