Working from home

Like many people we are adapting to a new reality of all of us being home together. We are blessed that Stephen and I can both do our jobs at home. Jack is doing online school through IDLA as well. Still unsure how crazy this covid-19 is going to get here in Idaho. Right now it’s unsure about school, for right now we have an early spring break.

Jack and I were working on the kitchen table, both of us doing school work. The problem was we were right by Stephen who was on phone calls and web meetings.

So we headed out to the studio to get it ready for homeschooling and a place fore me to work. Stephen set up his big shop heater to help warm up the place and dry it out.

So now the kids, dogs, and I have a place to hang out and work during the day so we aren’t in the house being a distraction.

Now everyone has a place to be, and there are plenty of crafty projects to do!

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studio glimpse

One storage solution

I have a small weakness for suitcases. If you’re local to the Boise area, the small table and black make up case came from Stop and say hi to Cheri!

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Thrifted Scores!

A couple of weeks ago the kids and I were “treasure hunting” that’s our name for thrift stores. They love it and love searching for something new. A couple of things I always am on the lookout for: art and craft supplies, old books (cheap), and interesting office things. I have a method when I go to thrift stores and depending on my location I have a system for hitting which store first.
My first score: 4 brand new in boxes Higgen’s drawing ink for 50 cents each!

I skipped the yellow and got blue, brown, red, and green. These are permeant, acid free, and light fast. Plus they are great for drawing.

My next score deserves the a life time achievement type of award. This is something that I have wanted for a very long time, something I’ve rarely found, and when I have found it has been way too much money.
Introducing: My map drawers!

This was $14.99 at Goodwill. I nearly squealed when I saw this thing sitting on it’s side. (okay I did squeal audibly which got my kids attention>)

I knew there was no way I could leave with out it. The only problem was I had the car and my sweet hubby with the truck was at the gym on the other end of town.
Sure, I could have paid for it and came back the next day with the hubby and truck. That would have been smart.
But, I couldn’t leave it there. So I pulled my car around to the loading area and the teen guy working there was very doubtful that it would fit. And it didn’t, it hung out the back of my wagon by a foot. Goodwill doesn’t have rope or flags or anything to help tie stuff down for liability reasons. So I did what every desperate thrifter does and improvised. I rigged a rope out of plastic grocery bags, tied the hatch down and drove home slowly.
My kids thought I had lost it and were really worried the whole ride home. 🙂
But we got it home with no problems, and I wrestled it out and under my table in the garage-which is another story which my husband asked me not to share with him.

All the drawers work, and one had a new block of Fabriano watercolor paper! So double score!!

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a room of one’s own

In college I read Virgiania Wolfes’ essay A room of one’s own where she wrote: “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction”. As I remember the idea was that if women were to be writers they needed to have access to the same resources and space that men were given at the time.
As a mother, I struggle with having something of my own. There are no spaces in my home that are not shared (or invaded) by kids and kid stuff. How many times have I crawled into my lovely bed and find a hot wheels car, stuffed animal or some other toy? My purse, car, coat pockets, and counters all show evidence that a kids was here. The sketch book I carry with me daily has some random drawings and writings done by these two little people I live with.

Of course I love being the mamma to these two, and most of the time I love finding evidence of their presence. But, I don’t have a space to work, to craft, to paint, to leave something out to come back to later. I share an office with my husband who gets a bit cranky when my piles of stuff encroach on his space 🙂 And, it’s hard to get real crazy with paint when your computer keyboard is right under your canvas.
So, I claimed a spot in my garage. Originally I had a big folding table which was a loaner from a friend of my husband’s, so I kept it covered and tried to be careful. Then today my hubby tells me that someone in the neighborhood had a free dining table on their curb. He immediately regretted mentioning this to me when I got the “crazy gleam” in my eye. So I cajoled him into taking his truck to get it for me.
Introducing Emily’s Studio!

This table is solid wood, and heavy! The neighbor’s kids had already drew on the surface so it’s in perfect state for me. The extra leaf makes a nice little shelf on top of the table.
“Studio” may be a bit lofty considering it’s in the garage next to the furnace and hubby’s jeep. But I decided since I am an “artist” I now have a “studio”.
So now I have a room of my own. That I share with the husband and the garage and the cars and the kids. But I can paint and splatter to my heart’s content.
I also have a space for the kids to sit and paint with me 🙂

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my craft studio aka “the rat hole”

Since being in our house since 2004 my crafting area has evolved from being a very large room of my own, to a hallway, and now a spare room that has become an office of sorts that I share with my husband. I am a messy crafter. And actually I’m just kind of scattered all over the place. My sweet hubby calls it my “comfort clutter” which he noticed not long after we were married. He said it’s like the little cloud of dirt that always follows “Pigpen” from the “Charlie Brown” cartoons. And I have to admit he’s right, everywhere I go I have little piles of stuff that I’m working on or through.
He’s a little better at containing his things, so sharing the two of us sharing an office has always been a bit of work. Now, add in two three year olds and you can imagine the chaos! My husband has turned the closet into a very efficient computer set up with all of his electronics and is lockable to keep the kiddies out! Here’s my computer work area complete with tv/kid craft area.

A note: all photos are taken in situ, or as they normally occur in real life!
Opposite of my computer desk is my crafting area which consists of an old kitchen table, a book shelf made by my hubby years ago, a stamp pad rack, and paper trays.

This is pretty clean for my desk, normally I end up working on top of piles and it looks like this

I have my spools of ribbon in a double wire basket on top of my stamp pad holder. Plus other ribbon in jars on top of the wood shelf along with paints and brushes, and a variety of adhesives.

And yes, I did create those small art pieces. More reasons my table is always messy!

I also have my “custom” memo boards covered in Amy Butler fabrics. Next to them is a very large painting I did about 6 years ago and have yet to find a place to display it.

Not pictured are the kids easels and wiener dog who is normally hiding under the computer desk!
Hope you enjoyed my studio tour! I like to think that one day I will have a pretty, organized studio all of my own! But then I realize I’d probably just keep it messy! LOL

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