Diversions and roadblocks

Just as surely as I get started on a big project like redoing my studio, other things come along to get in my way. We had a conference out of town, Gabriel's been sick, I am sick now, and we're getting ready for our big Thanksgiving celebration the Saturday after the holiday. That involves a lot of long-put-off work on storage and reconfiguring different areas in our house, so my studio (regretfully) has taken a back seat. I hope to get most of the house stuff done this weekend and try to get back to the studio over the next week so that after the holiday I can get to work on the gifts I'm making. I won't have an entirely handmade Christmas, but I do have handmade gifts to give to several friends and family members. I'll also do goody plates or bags for neighbors and several friends, of cookies and pumpkin bread.

I still sneak into the studio every day to do some plotting and thinking about what I want for the room. I need a better solution for the sewing machine for one, and I need to decide what should be stored in the basement and what should be put on the top of the book cases. I think I know where I want to put the printer, but I have to get through of mounds of junk before I can do any rearranging.

With luck I'll come out of this with a pretty streamlined work area, one that I can feel confident moving from project to project on. More on this later!

Freeform beading

I've always loved freeform beading, but have been frightened to try it. I have beaded around cabs (that I've made with polymer clay) before, but nothing terribly freeform. Recently I took out some face cabs I've made and a few regular large ovals and decided to jump in. The first one I backed with a medium-stiff interfacing, but I find it too flexible and hard to hold taut. I'm also unhappy with the glue I used. I stopped in the middle and switched to a thicker fabric (I think it's buckram. It looks & feels like it, but it was in the remnant bin and unlabeled) for the second one. I hate to give up the work I've done on the first one, and considering that I need it done by Friday I will probably muddle through. I'm hoping the second one will work better.

This is all part of OUS for me, Operation Utilize Supplies. I'm using this new therapy to not only use up what I've got, but to try things I've been longing to try. Look for photos of the freeform stuff, and also of the studio as I excavate it over the next few weeks.

The Studio and Operation Utilize Supplies

I have done a little bit more work in the studio. I brought home some lime green tubs from Home Depot to fill up, and with luck we'll get to Ikea on Sunday to get my new cabinet. Tomorrow is a "day off" for me (meaning I don't have to get up and get the husband off to the train, or pick him up) so my big goals are to get the left side of the room cleared, then reorder the closet. If I can get that done, I can fill the cabinet on Monday with what's on the floor under the desk... and then I can move the tables and tackle the bookshelves!

With luck I'll be able to call the studio totally workable (including being able to sew easily & do clay and scrapbooking as well) by the end of November. *fingers crossed* Then I'll be able to throw myself into Operation Utilize Supplies with vigor!