In Which I Have A Crafty Sort Of Day

Today while Connor was at school, I drove downtown to browse the antique stores. 

I've started to think about exactly what I want my craft/art studio to look like, and so I'm shopping for some of the things I'll need to make it look like it does in my head.  I already have a lot of the things I'll need, like my card catalog (I'm lining the drawers with aromatic cedar and using it to store my felt), some apothecary jars for odds and ends, a large work table, and so on and so forth.  I'm still missing quite a few things I'd like to have in my space, though.  Because this will be a relatively small space we're carving out and I'll be using it for my creative pursuits, I feel like I should really go all out to make it pretty.  That means the plywood shelves held up with huge grey brackets that currently are above and below the window in the space aren't going to cut it.

So my mission today was to find some wrought iron shelf brackets to anchor my shelving in the craft room.  I didn't find any, but tucked up behind some other things in an out-of-the-way corner of one of the stores I found this glorious copper boiler, marked down to such a good price I knew it had to be mine.  I'll need a gift wrapping and shipping station in my space if I'm going to try and make things to sell, and I figure this will be the perfect container to store my wrapping paper in. 

I want to paint the one actual wall of the space (I have grand plans for room dividers made of unbleached canvas paint drop cloths, but we'll be here all night if I get started on those) the same dark gray as our bedroom, and use moss green and copper accents.



Speaking of which-- after Connor went down for bed tonight I decided I could get another quite project out of the way.  The walls in the garage are currently painted dingy, ten-year old beige and have matching dingy, ten-year old outlet and light switch covers.  I'm a total cheapskate, so I figured that rather than buy new outlet covers I'd just make over the ones already in the room.  I had a bunch of copper paint and patina maker left over from my steampunk roller derby costume, so I figured I'd just try a little sanding and painting.  These aren't the best pictures and the patina will continue to develop over time, but already they look a ton better than they did before. 

After.  Not designer, but vastly improved.



Before.  Ew.





So anyway, while the first coat of copper paint was drying I figured I'd tackle another quick and easy craft project I've been meaning to do.  The cats keep stealing my Makeshift-Scrap-Strip-Of-Felt-With-Needles-Jabbed-In-It pincushion and running around the house with it like it's a toy, which is not exactly good for the health of all parties involved.  Something a little more substantial was needed.  I dropped a clay cup a few months ago and chipped the rim of it, but thought it was too pretty to throw away.  So I put a cardboard base inside it, sewed up a quick ball of felt and presto!  One little mossy green pincushion.  Jeremy says that with the pins in it "looks like a plant of death," which I'm taking as a compliment.

Ta da!  Total work time: five minutes.  Now that's my kind of project!

So it felt like a very productive day, even if I didn't really do all that much besides paint stuff and make a felt ball.  Oh, and laundry of course.  Every day is laundry day in this house the way Connor goes through shirts.

I can't wait to get my craft room up and running!

~Jess