Wednesday, March 30, 2011

A Place For Me

When we moved to this house over 6 years ago, I was excited that there was a work area down in the basement. In our previous house, we hadn't even had a basement.  But I was also pregnant and working and tired at all times.  I did manage to slap a coat of some leftover pinkish paint on the work area, but after that update, I pretty much called it a day.  Since then, I have found that I have actually been working around my workbench.  First of all, the lighting was horrible.  Secondly, the area that would have been the workbench has this ridiculous cabinet taking up the left side of it and also sported a 30 degree slope from the front to the back wall.  How am I supposed to build anything on a slopey work table?  On top of that, with two young children running around, I barely had any time to put away any tools that I took out, so they mostly just got throw in a heap on the remaining work surface.  I have been building furniture for the last few years on my back deck or on a crib base that I placed over an old rolling kitchen cart in the middle of the basement.  Suffice it to say that my "work area" was a hot mess.  Observe:


tool area mess



"workbench" disaster area



Recently I decided that in order to be a more productive and creative me, this situation HAD to change.  I roped my Dad into helping me fix several lighting situations.  (thanks dad!)  I sold the old rolling kitchen cart on craigslist to clear out some space.  And then the demolition began.  I ripped out the weird cabinet and the funny step type thing in the back of the workbench.  I built some new legs on the right side where it was sort of droopy.  I covered up that horrible brick basement wall with a whiteboard.   I painted with some oops paint that I got at Lowes for $3.  I covered up the paint can area with a curtain to keep the sawdust out.  And best of all, I leveled the top!





Now that I have my work area all straightened out (literally)....  does anyone need anything built????  I have the itch again....

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Crazy Roll-Ups


I've just finished my first bulk order!  So, it was for my sister-in-law.   Whatever... still counting it.  A couple of years ago I made her kids some cute little crayon wraps that I saw on line and decided, "hey - I could replicate that...".  She loves them.  The kids love them.  I had to make more when subsequent kids were added to that side of the family.  So it was only fitting that for her youngest's first birthday party, my sister-in-law wanted to give every kid a crayon roll-up as a party favor.  So she placed an order... for 35.  (an "order" - sounds fancy, no?)  Needless to say, I have been at it all week on these crayon wraps and I'm not sure that I ever want to see one again, but they are cute, right?  And it really was good practice for me and good to see if I could handle an "order".  ;)  Does anyone else have a toddler birthday party coming up?  Or just a toddler?  Or just a love of coloring and roll-ups?


Close-up of the girls' versions 


Close-up of the boys' versions (Don't worry - I made some unisex ones too.  Just in case some random party-crashing one year old shows up.)




All ready for your purse or diaper bag!