The Best of Dads!

Hello all Bloggy-type friends! It's Saturday again.

I have the day to myself, which is unusual and rather nice for a change. I plan to work on the commission for LittleRose soon, but first I'm "blogging".

My DH has been away this week, in Sweden again.  He set up our laptops with Skype software, so we could have free phonecalls and video calls. This has been great, as we talk each evening "face to face". It also means he can stay in touch with J. and talk to him about his day. 

This week there were problems with the Internet connection at his appartments, which means the link was down in the evening, after about 6pm.  D. came up with the idea of "Skyping" at around 4pm instead, after J. got home from school. 

He also had a very good idea for him and J. which has made J. a happy boy...  They both have sets of "Warhammer" models and play games with them.  For the uninitiated majority, "Warhammer" is a fantasy gaming set-up, like a modern version of the old toy soldiers.  It's popular with boys in their tweens and teens, also with a number of adults (mostly male).  J. got very keen on this about 18 months ago and D. has acquired a set of models too, so he can join in with J. and help/support his hobby.  They build and paint their models together and play games, both at home and at the local Games Workshop, when they can book a big game table for a morning/afternoon/day. 

D. had the idea that we could set up a small board in my Studio, with some of his models (that he chose and J. fetched out of the box) and an army of J's stuff too.  They would play a Game, one move per day (note that this is not like Monopoly, where you throw a couple of dice, move your piece a few squares and maybe follow some instructions on a card you pick up, or buy a property etc).  Each move takes about 30-40 minutes, so it's quite good to do one a day.

Aerial View of the Battle so far!

J. has a Plan for his next move... he hopes to beat his Dad! 

At the moment, they are about even, so we'll see what happens next time!

Meanwhile, this sits on the floor of my studio. It's not too big, being a spare shelf for my new wardrobe, so about 1m x 50cm.  Still, it's made us clear up some of the clutter that had collected and made me keen to hurry up and get the sofa-bed I want to put in that space!

I think D. is a wonderful dad.  He thinks of great ways to keep involved in J's life, even when he is hundreds of miles away.

I love you my dear! xxx

More Treasure, More Monkeys!

So, last night, while I was browsing through various blogs of my acquaintance, I popped over here to see how Kirsty was getting on.  Found that lovely Fabric Flowers Tutorial, but I also bought myself one of these:

I am going to put it on the wall of my workroom. It will be Fab!

To buy one of your very own (or Keep Calm and Carry On, in red), go to Kirsty's Blog Shop.

Meanwhile, today I did a little browsing of new listings on Etsy (having just relisted a couple of things myself, including this by the boy...

J. did the drawing and I made the notebook cover for him.

But I also found this!

Monkey! 

He's actually a Scarf. He's made for adults and you wear him a bit like one of those old-fashioned "fox fur" stoles. Isn't he ace?

So, anyway, I just thought you might like to see these little treasures.  I haven't much to tell otherwise, except that the car conked out on Friday night, with a big flashing "Exhaust System" fault light.  I had to drive it to the garage this morning, for repair. It went veeery sloooowly and I was really getting worried that we wouldn't make it! It started to really struggle in the last mile or so - good thing it wasn't any further, or I'd have been calling them for a tow!

I had to take two buses to get home; one into town, from the garage, then one out to our village, from town.  I waited 15 minutes for the first bus (just missed one), after a 10 minute walk to the stop.  I then had to walk just across the bus station, to the bay where my local bus goes from.  I was lucky, as I had hardly sat down, when the bus came in.  The driver let us on straight away and we left within 5 minutes.  Even with the lucky timing, it still took me 1 1/2 hours to travel a distance that would take 15 minutes by car! 

Car is still sick. It needs a new part, which they have ordered. I hope to have it back before tomorrow night... my neighbour offered to take me to pick it up today, but I think she'll be at work tomorrow.. More buses, or a taxi?

So, you can see that I needed retail therapy (not that I bought anything - trying to be good!).

Hope you liked my treasures.

The Plan continues...

Today I got up early and told D. to get up soon. We had jobs to do! We ate breakfast and he kept telling me that we needed to get started on the jobs. So he went upstairs for his shower, while I finished my coffee.  When I went up a short while later, there he was, playing computer games! "I'm washed and dressed" he said, in a defensive voice... and proceeded to spend 1 1/2 hours on the computer! 

Meanwhile, I emptied the very large box of stuff we'd left in the hallway when we moved bedrooms. The "stuff" consisted of bags, shoes and boots (those  I hadn't been able to find and pull out of the box at the start of the cold weather!), dance shoes (which I don't use now but can't bear to part with), scarves, bits and pieces. All these things had been stuffed into our wardrobe in our old room (or rather, they had been stuffed into D's wardrobe, which he and I had shared for 3 years!).  I now have some wonderful wardrobe space of my own, so my things (most of the box contents) are now put away in there. D's belongings are in his own wardrobe and he's happy. 

We cleared away 3 boxes from the hallway, which contained various things.  Then we moved the bookcase from the corner of our new room, back into the cleared hall-space and replaced the books that were taking up 2 more boxes. Result!

D. looks quite pleased with himself!

You can see the doorway to the new bedroom, behind D.  We still need to replace the wallpaper, where the old window was removed and partly bricked up, then paint the walls in that little entrance area. Then we've finished the Project! Those are Springtime jobs though, but the moving and tidying is still ongoing.  Now that we've cleared this space, I can think about a small storage unit for our bedroom, to put books, videos and a couple of baskets of things onto. The space for this is now free, as the bookcase is back in the hallway! I will take some of those books off it and redistribute them around the house - it's looking far too well fed!

Next job is to get those shelves for my Workroom and transfer the rest of my crafting stuff upstairs.  Then we will have a clear Utility room and we can re-arrange the clutter from the kitchen/top of fridge etc.  Also, once we've organised the workroom, we can move the sofa-bed up from the dining room, then re-organise that room too! How lovely it will be, to have a tidy house at last!

The Plan continues apace!

Treasure For My Studio - What Price Art?

Warning! This post contains lots of pictures (and lots of writing!). Cup of tea and a biscuit is recommended!

This morning I'm stuck at home, because of more snow (well, there's a surprise!).  The up-side of this is that I can have some time in my studio/workroom, sorting things out.  I decided that, as the light was the best we've had in a few days, I would update the photos for some of my Etsy Shop items. 

While I had the light-tent out, I took some snaps of my Art Collection, that I have bought and been given, for my new studio.  Doesn't it sound ostentatious "Art Collection" - but that is what it is, even if it's on a simple scale, as I'm not wealthy enough to buy big or expensive art.

It made me think though, about the value we place on art.  I am delighted with my modest purchases and presents. I think that, once they are mounted and framed up, they will look fabulous on the back wall, above the soon-to-be-brought-upstairs-sofa-bed!  For me, these pieces represent many things, not least because I chose all of them myself and paid for many with money I have earned by selling my own work. 

A number of these artists produce original art on a larger scale, which they exhibit in other locations. Several of them sell items for far more than I paid for my pieces.  Yet, they are happy to offer simpler, inexpensive items - and I am delighted to buy them!

What price Art?

So, here are my pieces of art-work, which I am storing carefully, waiting for the chance to get them all framed and put on that wall: -

Firstly, three lovely items from our wonderful Blog-Friend, Rinda

During December, Rinda was following the Tim Holz prompts to make "Twelve Tags of Christmas".  She was experimenting with various ideas and made some additional tags, two of which she offered as a Giveaway on her blog.  I was lucky enough to win these and they arrived at the weekend.  I am so pleased with them (and wish my photos could be better to do them justice).  The item in the centre is a lovely hand-made card that Rinda sent to accompany the tags, with a friendly greeting inside:-

 

I think this is a piece of art in itself. The work that went into it is obvious and it's just lovely.

Look at the detail, where it's been stamped and embossed with crackle ink or powders. And the inked edge, to give it definition, and the sweet little stamped girl. Add that to the misted or dabbed background, with its lovely textural look, all placed on a very soft eau-de-nil card... it's just a great little item!

Here are the tags, a bit more in-close-up.  Again, there's all that work on the background, the edges, the stamping, splashed-on snow, embellishments, layered papers.  They may be simple little tags, but they are definitely pieces of art, that I will treasure, especially as they were a little gift from a relative stranger, who took the time and trouble to be friendly!

You know, since I started joining groups, forums, Twitter, Etsy, my blog etc on the internet, I have "met" so many lovely people.  The Crafting Community is, in general, comprised of so many generous, friendly people, who don't mind sharing their knowledge, experience, time and even their work, with others who share their interests.  There's such a support network out there for an aspiring artist or crafter! We are so lucky. Why can't the rest of the world get on as well as we crafty lot do? 

I think we need a new slogan - "Make Art, Not War!"

So, that's Rinda!

* * *

Second, is this wonderful lady, Keri-Anne Pink, alias GingerLillyTea :-

This is a photo of a photographic print, so it's not very good - see it at her Etsy shop for a better idea!

 

This set is extra-special, because I was at the fairground when the pictures were taken! We were at the local kite festival, to celebrate my birthday and we had a lovely day!

Again, my photo does not do these justice - see them here!

Keri-Anne has been learning photography for about six or seven years.  She has progressed to the point where she has had work published in a number of online magazines, she has made sales in her Etsy shop, published a book of her work and has recently done a couple of shoots for clients. Our family are all very proud of her achievements and she continues to get better and better!

The reason I like her work though, is not because Keri-Anne is my niece.  Her work is popular because of the story-like, fairytale treatment she gives her subjects and the dreamy, soft, muted colours and old-fashioned quality of the images she produces.  Take a look at her shop and follow the links there to her Flikr site. You'll see what I mean!

* * *

Next is this great little item, which is already hanging up above my desk, helping me to count the days...

This calendar is by the fabulous Australian watercolour artist, known as Tummy Mountain. I follow his blog and it's my favourite - I love to read of the goings-on at the other side of the world, where the Little Ones have such great adventures!

I've been looking at his Etsy shop for ages, wondering if I could/should buy a piece of his work.  Another big problem was choosing which one! Now I have twelve (in fact thirteen, as there was a bonus piece of art on the page before January - see the pics in his shop!).  I can have a different piece of art in front of my desk every month this year. Then I can put my very favourites on the wall. And I may even have enough saved up to buy my own special, original piece of Tummy Mountain for myself!

* * *
And now for Melanie Ann Green, known by various types of alias, but in this incarnation, she is InkMeUp Designs!

Melanie does lovely bird illustrations, which she prints in beautiful ways.  Her shop offers prints of a bird, placed on a page from an old, vintage book about birds.  She prints her birds onto pieces from an old map. Or you can buy a notebook with a bird or mouse printed on its cover, or the same mouse print on a piece of sheet-music, a blue-tit on handmade paper... her ideas are great and the presentation is lovely.  Go and see her shop, for some real inspiration.

My four little pictures are printed with her gocco, onto stiff paper, cut to postcard size.  There are a few different sets of these available in Melanie's shop and they are not at all expensive!
As well as her lovely bird and animal illustrations, Melanie produces fabulous birds and monsters, from felted wool, in bright colours.  They are lovely and would make wonderful presents too!

* * *
Next is Lori Dean Dyment, a Canadian artist, who shares a studio in British Columbia with her husband, painter Jean-Francois Dyment.

Lori produces a range of prints, using different printing methods, including linocut, collograph (a printing plate is made by sticking a variety of items to a base, producing a raised, textured surface), monotype (where ink is laid down on a metal plate, then an image is produced by marking the ink base with a variety of tools, fingers etc. Paper is placed over the plate, which is then put through a press, producing a one-off image - hence "monotype"), hand-tinted monotype and other prints, also original paintings and reproduction prints of her original pieces.  She also offers a range of fun pendants, using her images reproduced on art-glass mini-tiles. 

This set of three prints were produced as a limited edition linocut.  I have been admiring them for some time and finally decided to treat myself, after a few good sales prior to Christmas!

* * *

Also,  I have this print, by the artist Nina Moscrip, an artist based in Hampshire, England.

This is a print of a drawing, called "Dandelions".  It was given to me by Keri-Anne, as a present.

Again, this is not a good photo! See Nina's Etsy shop for a better image, also a better idea of her range and versatility!

Nina's work includes delicate pen and wash drawing, but also more robust pieces of ink and watercolour, including many wonderful studies of buildings and street scenes and her interpretive illustrations of stories, such as Little Red Riding Hood. She offers prints and original pieces, which means her work is very affordable. She even offers a custom service, producing an illustration of someone's home, using their photographs.

* * *
Finally, I wanted to show you this:

This is obviously not going to be hung on the wall of my studio! It's a pendant by my friend, painter and sculptor, Sue.  She lives in the Rocky Mountains, Northwest USA and has a shop on 1000Markets.  She is a wonderful artist and a truly interesting person, who I have got to know over the last year or so.  I just love her work, which is full of colour, texture and detail. 

This pendant was part of a range of  "wearable art sculpture" that she made from polymer clay.  I really wanted to buy it but, as 1000Markets doesn't accept payment from UK cards, or paypal, I thought I couldn't.  Sue was happy to come to an arrangement over payment, took the pendant out of her shop and sent it to me, along with another pendant, just because... It is one of my favourite pieces of jewellery and I wear it often. 

Do go and see the variety of Sue's work in her shop, or here at her blog.

* * *
Well, that is my little gallery of artwork! I am excited to have all of it and can't wait to put it all up in my room!

This Morning I Made...

Hello Friends! I'm still busy with my workroom.  I can't seem to stop, now I've started. Of course, having a second person around to help (one with more muscle power than me!) is a good incentive to do stuff.

This is my bookcase. It has been languishing in the garage, pretending it's not there, for three years.  We brought it indoors a couple of weeks ago and it sat in the workroom, in pieces, drying out.  It was definitely not in the best of health. It had a bad cold and soggy bits from being out in the garage, where the roof leaks in bad weather. 

We dried it out and put it together today.  There are one or two areas that are damaged, but mostly it has made a good recovery and is good enough to sit in my workroom and go back to doing its old job. 

I don't know if the boxes will stay where they are. I bought them from Ikea last Tuesday (well the white ones) and put them together today.  You know, even the cardboard storage boxes from Ikea are put together with nuts and bolts! No rivetted pop-stud fastening - too feeble.  Each side of each box has 3 screws with a nut to hold it together. That's 12 nuts & bolts per box. And 2 boxes. Took me ages. But I defy those boxes to fall apart any time soon!

We also managed to tidy up the floor a bit (had to as we needed room to build the bookcase!). The pile of board games are now on the top shelf, as are the other 2 boxes - which actually have stuff in them, as opposed to the ones on the bookcase, which are currently just pretending to be busy.

The cat is very impressed. He has taken up his place on the Guest Chair, which is just the right size for a little cat. There are small "z's" coming up from his mouth. He is happy.

See those "Z's"?

Last night, by way of celebrating my progress, I made some more cards.  Bear in mind that I used to make All my greetings cards, until I fell and hurt myself, and that I made up to 50 Christmas cards every year. So, this year, so far, I have made.... 12 cards! They will have to be for special family & friends, as there's no time to make enough to post. We have bought ones again this year (!!!), which will be posted on Monday (I hope).  The ones for abroad are late, but I hope they will arrive anyway.

Quite nice, aren't they?  Not very sophisticated this year, but they will do nicely.  Thanks go to the card-making magazine that D. bought me, for the card toppers on 6 of the cards. And thanks to WHSmith for the flowers on the card at the front!

So, on that positive note, I'm off... taking the Menfolk out to Frankie and Benny's for a "big hamburger with cheese" - that's what J. said he really fancied for his supper yesterday, so I promised he could have it for tea today. Not often he has burgers, so it's a treat!

Bye All, enjoy your Saturday.

Making the Best of it!

Well this morning I wrote a comment on yesterday's post, to say I was about to go to Ikea. 

Didn't go.  Truth is, that since I had my 'flu jab last Thursday, I've been feeling a bit rotten. Today I got downstairs and just felt that it was a bad plan to go out, in the car, in the fog, when I felt a bit yukky. My head is a bit fuzzy and keeps aching and I have gungy ears.  For me, gungy ears is a bit iffy, because since my accident,  I have developed a problem with recurring bouts of vertigo.  Didn't want to be caught half way to MK with my head spinning, feeling as if I was out on a ship in a force 10 gale (yes I have been and it isn't fun!).

So I stayed home and made a cup of tea.  Then I thought about my problems with shelves and decided I would make the best of it. 

I went to the Untility Room and swiped one of the long shelves from the wall there. It was nearly empty because I had removed most of its contents already, so not a big deal.  I put it on the brackets in my workroom. It is a bit long, which means it can only be a temporary solution, but it will do fine for now. 

Then I moved stuff about, put up my new work table and tried to organise things just a bit more. It's not too bad now - have a look.

This is the view from the doorway.  I have put the new shelf over the desk, so I can clear the workspace a bit. Looks okay.

This is my work area . A bit more tidy - though there is a Christmas Card Factory on it just now!

Here's my new table. See it has little legs - they are clipped to the shelf uprights.  The table top is just rested on them for now, but I think I will screw it in place. However it will be possible to lift it and hook it higher up. The feet unscrew, so I can adjust its height a little that way, or else I can "stretch" the legs by moving the screws that hold them together (you cant see that bit).  I can now work sitting or standing.  A good place to do book binding work.

My computer is at home on the new table too. I will try keeping it on top of the drawers for now, though I don't know if it will be ok long-term.  It's all in a permanent state of ups & downs!  Once I have proper shelves I can start re-arranging everything and store it all properly.  Looks like I may have to wait til after Christmas now!

Still, it looks ok and I can work in this much more easily.  I look forward to having everything from downstairs put away up here, in properly labelled, organised containers! I can't find things and it's such a pain.  Often I am sure I have something, but it's such a nuisance to find it in all the muddle. Other times I find something that I had forgotten about, which would have been so useful last week!  Roll on organisation... one day.. perhaps... sigh....

And This is my new clock! Isn't it pretty?  I was in Dunelm Mills last week (remember?) and it was in a pile of stuff by the tills. It was so cheap (£3.99) that I couldn't resist it.  A pretty, feminine touch.  Not sure where it will end up just yet - on the wall somewhere - so it is on the (dusty!) windowsill for now.

Cookie Jars are not just for Cookies...

I have been "playing" with my new stuff from Ikea.  I put some of my inkpads (the little ones) in a lovely cookie jar I bought (for almost no money). They look so fab -

And what's really good is that there is room for more! I had run out of space in my little "ink pad drawer", downstairs in the laundry hole...  Now I can buy more and know I have somewhere to store them! 

I got some teeny little spice jars too, that look like the cookie jar, with shiny silvery tops. Haven't done anything with them yet, but I soon will...

It is frustrating not being able to get on with the shelves and moving in/ sorting out storage etc.  I have done a bit of sorting out, but there are just things all over the place - messy desk shot coming up!

See, I had to put some card behind my cookie jar, because the mess on the desk just got in the way too much! I so want to have a Tidy Desk (at least at the start of a project!). I do hate my work area to be messy and it's been like this for soooo long!

Still, I am making progress. Not long ago I had to use the dining table. Today I used my new desk to make these -

The ink-pad-cookie-jar came in handy for this project, as I used ink for the edges of the paper, cards and little panels I added.  I also stamped the greeting at the bottom. This is what it says -

Cute, isn't it?  Decided against heat-embossing it. I think the sort-of hazy, faded look is rather good. 

The "black" music notes above are actually punched out. I have a paper punch with that pattern on. Thought it would be a nice little touch on a "Fa La La" card!  If you look closely at the top picture, you can see that I used the punched-out notes on the centre panel with the singers on.

So I have had some fun today, with my inks, punches and sticky stuff, sitting on my new chair, at my new desk in  (wait for it..) my new workroom (only its not so new now!)

And the man came to fit a new tv aerial too. It's a proper Digital one, so D and J will be able to get the digi channels to work properly. They can watch Star Trek together now. They will be pleased! (oh and I might catch the last few episodes of Gilmore Girls - they were showing the whole run all through, but after the first few episodes, the signal got so bad I couldn't get it to tune in any more... ) I can maybe find out what happens at the end - I missed that bit last time too!

Must go and look at the meal situation.  J has a friend coming home to tea tonight. No idea what to feed them. Maybe chicken pasta... better go see if there is any chicken left!

Have a good evening everyone (and a good afternoon / morning to our friends from USA / Aus!)

What A Pain!

Well, yesterday was certainly a Day! I got organised, wrote my list, along with the warehouse locations of all the big items and headed off to Ikea.

Digression... I woke with migraine. Dosed myself with ibuprofen and felt ok, so went out...

So, I went round for Round 1 (as I always do - big stuff first). First I went and tried out all the office chairs.

I liked this one - it's pretty and nice for a spare room too. It also comes in all-white.  So I sat in it... yuk! The seat has this kind-of ridge all the way round. It tips slightly back and is deep, so it cuts into the back of your knees... shame but I couldn't sit in that for more than 2 minutes without a serious pain somewhere!

So I tried this one.  Ahhh... it was sooo comfortable. It has soft, comfy upholstered seat and back rest, with a lovely wool fabic cover.  Also there are lots of different adjustments too. The back rest can be moved up and down; the seat tilt can adjust and be set to move when you do, or just stay fixed at the angle you choose;  the seat goes up and down; the seat can also be moved forward or back, closer or further from the backrest, to allow for taller or shorter people.  It was wonderful. 

Problem - it cost £149!  My budget? Up to £80.

So, after trying lots of chairs and finding all wanting in some way (pity about that price!), I chose THIS!

It's the big-person's version of the chair I got for J's bedroom.  I have a wedge cushion for the seat, to avoid back-ache and the lip at the front means it doesn't cut into my legs. It is comfortable, functional and looks nice too.  Cost? £38. Not bad eh?

So that was the chair... also got another DVD tower for J, in red this time - to display his favourite models and to store stuff.  I found a nice table top (plain white) and adjustable legs, that clip to the shelving uprights on the wall.  This means I now have (for under £30) an table that I can adjust in height and also take down and tuck away if we have guests to stay, or if I want the space for something else. I can put it together for extra workspace (I already have a desk if you remember) and invite my friends to come and craft with me too.  Bargain!

Then I went to get my shelves... they were all in stock, brackets and shelving boards.  Problem - they are stored on those rotating shelf things that they have in warehouses. The staff get them off the unit for you and put them on your trolley.  The unit broke down half way through getting my things.  It stayed broken all day.

So I have 6 sets of brackets, two more uprights, but no shelves... and no smaller brackets or shelves either. 

No shelves. Piles of stuff to put away and no where to put them.  No time to go back to Ikea this side of Christmas.... waaaaa!

Ah well, that's how it goes sometimes.  I had a very nice lunch in the cafe anyway and did Round 2.  Got a few little bits and bobs for storing things - spice jars and one of those big round cookie jars - to put my ink pads in. Some nice boxes that fit my new storage unit, magazine files, a lovely work lamp. Also got paper plates and cups etc for J's Christmas Party with some friends on 23rd. A few bits to decorate the dining room and some gift-wrap stuff.  And a few more bits... you know how it is.

In all, I got most of what I went for. But now I have to organise another trip asap! Thought I would be done with Ikea for a few more months...

And of course, the minute I got home, the migraine returned. Probably been there all day and the relief of being home brought it back.  So an early night for me.

Win some, lose some...  

The First Project, a Sale and a Purchase

Last night I sat down at my New Desk and completed my First Project in my new workroom (time I stopped using capitals for those words)!

This is a traditional-style design photo album. I have made it as a Christmas present for our neighbours' family, as they recently had two lovely kittens.  I hope it's ok to admit it was a bit of a practice-piece for another present I want to make for my mum... that will use more expensive materials and I wanted to try a few ideas out.  However, this is largely successful and will, I hope, make a good present that they will all like.  I can give them some "new kitten" photos too, as the kittens were from a cat that my sister was fostering. 

I'm quite pleased with how the book has turned out.  It has 12 double-sided pages, made of stiff card, but faced with some brown packing-paper (courtesy of DoCrafts online shop!).  I had the idea for the album before my last shopping expedition, so I found the orange "Meow" cats paper, by gotmoxxie.com.  The rest of the cover is Electric Blue Canford art paper (smooth surface) and Mandarin Murano art paper (textured finish).  I inked the edges of the orange papers, to make them stand out.  Each of the brown sheets inside has little stamped pawprints, in either brown / orange or blue / white.  Each page is slightly different, which makes it nicer, I think. I made it look as if kittens had just wandered about over each page!

Then today I returned home to find an order in my Etsy shop.  I sold this -

There seems to be something about these cats that people find very appealing.  I have sold several now - two in my shop.  My baby niece has one and plays with it regularly.  They are just "friendly" and people love them. I am very pleased that this one will have a new home for Christmas.  Time to make more! There's a rabbit one on the go at the moment, so I will finish that - maybe tonight.

And also, in the post I got this:

I bought this from an artist who lives and works at "Tummy Mountain" in New South Wales, Australia.  I have followed his blog for a while - it's my very favourite - and wanted some of his artwork. I couldn't resist when he produced this calendar and bought it for my new workroom.  It really couldn't have arrived with better timing! No room to show you all of it, but it has lots of the work shown in his etsy shop - http://www.tummymountain.etsy.com/ . The link to his blog is in my favourite blogs-list on the right...

Must go and let J. in... he'll be home soon and wanting his tea! 

Back later to look at all the "17 Again" blog posts...

Moving In Day

I've started moving stuff into my New Workroom!! Wooo! I am still so excited about this. I've been looking forward to it for months and months. Now I finally have a workroom that I don't share with the washing machine, dryer, fridge, freezer, laundry, ironing pile and cleaning equipment!!

There is still a bit of mess in here and I can't get all my stuff upstairs yet - partly because I need to add more wall shelves (which I will have to buy!) and partly because it's all a bit much for my back, which is on strike today. I may have to just cope with the stuff I have brought in so far - and do a little project by way of celebration!

Oh, and the other good news - we have a Dining Room again! Yesterday we invited my niece, her husband and the baby to dinner. 

We ate dinner at the table for the first time in weeks - because it was no longer covered in J's models (moved yesterday morning), or my crafting stuff - put in boxes.  I even ate my breakfast at the table this morning.  You can even see that we have a desk and a chest of drawers, instead of them being obscured by model-making equipment!

Woo Hoo!

I am writing this on my New Laptop sitting at my New Desk in my New Workroom! Woo hoo!

As you can see, there isn't much here, except the shelf unit, the wall shelves, the desk and drawers, my PC, paper cutter and cutting mat, by way of "Token Moving In"!

D. has been lovely and helped me all weekend.  We moved all of J's model stuff from downstairs in the Dining Room, to his new room, onto the shelves that we put up specially. Everything has a place and there is even room for expansion!

Then he moved the stuff around for me, so I could decide how to lay it all out. There is a fair bit more to do and I need to get more shelf space organised, but the basics are here now. I at least have a Desk to work at and could bring the most important stuff upstairs and stow it away. The rest will have to follow as/when I have time and space.

I am very excited!

Slowly But Surely

Well, we are getting there - gradually. The shelf unit is finished and we've almost finished J's shelves etc in his room.  Progress, but slowly. Today I've had sore kneck and shoulders, so we've had to slow down and do much less than expected.

The shelves are nearly finished and the stuff is pretty well organised now.

Now we have to put the desk together and decide where it all goes! Another trip to Ikea will be needed, to sort out more shelves and a few other bits & bobs, but I should be able to start moving my stuff and using the room at last!