Are you ready for the "Finale?" Really? You know when I started this 'tour' I had no intention of it being this LONG....but, here we are....many photos later and I'm still showing you stuff. Yes....it has been a long tour, but I hope you have enjoyed it. We left off with a mannequin last time...so we begin right next to it...here perched on top of twelve of the many plastic drawers I have in this place...are where the beads are. Well, and some other treasures also. Long ago, I began to collect these little cabinets. Meant to hold nuts and bolts...every time I found one, it would come home with me, but I never could find many that matched, so you will notice they don't match and don't even fit together all that well, but I use them anyway. It works for me. There is a glass lidded box..I have it on it's side, with some of my stitched treasures in it. Three jewelry boxed filled with goodies, two of my collages on the upper left, a couple of vintage framed pieces, the vintage flower picture I showed you not long ago...and some trinkets here and there.
A few weeks ago, I found a stack of these plastic trays in Walmart...you know where the closet storage items and other things are. I bought a couple, brought them home and found them just 'perfect' for storing odd bits of jewelry, buttons, beads and such...even old watches...which I save, but don't know why yet. I had to go buy more! See that little lady over on the right...she is broken. A victim of my clumsiness. Dropped on the floor, poor innocent thing! There is enough of her left, I do believe, to surround her with a bit of embroidery or something on a collage....at least, that is where my mind is going with her for now. We'll see.
More stuff I've recently transferred to these trays. I intend to clean out a couple of those drawers and insert these trays into them....so things won't get all dusty. Besides, as I said in a previous post...those drawers NEED cleaning out. My sister says 'dust is a protective covering for furniture.' Sure doesn't do trays of blingy things any good though!
More!
And even more!
Some of my rayon seam binding.......I will never own enough of this stuff!!! A collaged book cover I made. And, tiny drawers of beads. I once dropped one of these bead cabinets....beads went EVERYWHERE! That was NOT a good day.....but being pretty patient....and OCD also....I hunted them all up, sorted them all out and reloaded the cabinet, hopefully to never repeat the experience!
A closer view....if you'd like to read that whole poem on that framed rose piece...well, like I said before, I can take some closeups so you can do that....just let me know what you want to know more about. Found that old tin can at a flea market, someone had taken the time to paint roses on it...it has a wire to hang it from. $1.00. Well, who wouldn't bring that home? See the two girls on that clipboard? The one on the right is my late Mother-in-law. She was a teenager in this photo. No, I did not use the real photo, just made a copy.
A stack of glass boxes....holding mostly green glass buttons. Yes, I LOVE green.....and glass buttons are dear. There are other things in them too....but hard to see unless I take closeups. I may dip into them and show you a couple of things as time goes by. The floral box holds beads I use to make beaded stars....I think I've used up all I've made by now...and given many, many stars away. But, it's here waiting if I get the urge to make more. One of my readers said she was now saving and collecting things so she can save money when she is on social security, as money will be tight. Yes. I'm there now, so I can identify. Actually, that is why I began to save all the stuff in HERE.....and it is true, I could never have all this if I hadn't started long ago to save....I think it was seeing the writing on the wall...and acting on it. It's never too early to start and I've thanked myself many times. I mentioned to her that I am also trying to limit my visits to the flea market. Oh, my! That is so difficult! Haven't been to one in nearly a month....seems forever, so may have to give into the urge before long...and I always limit the amount I can spend too. The old navy man used to say "what are you dragging in the house now?" These days he says "why don't you go walk around the fleas?"
More beads!
A closer view of that vintage picture.....with two angels. The one on the left given to me by my daughter...the smaller one given to me by my friend, Bibi. So sweet. And, two little birds. (They sneak into the oddest places here!)
This old chest came from the in-laws...years ago. It's about had it...but right now is holding a load of vintage linens, my notebooks, copy papers, folders, card stock, and so forth. Found the cabinet at the local restaurant supply of all places for $10. And, now it holds the tv my son sent recently. I had a tiny one there....but, well, he thought I needed a new one. He's right...I can actually see this one from across the room. Mary Englebreit doll doorstop was a gift from my sister.
Here is where I sit to talk to YOU. I bought this desk when we moved to Arkansas in 1981. From a moving and storage salvage kind of place. $30. The matching table you will see next, $20. Had to have it and have used daily ever since. Weighs a ton! I could not live without it. It's been moved to three different homes now. The male members of my family say they will not move it again. Well, when and if the day comes, we will see. My computer....a very lovely and miraculous thing to own. I will never know all the miracles it can perform because I'm not a techy person...but I can talk to you and that is pretty much all I need. The quilt I made a few years ago. I don't like the blue in it....but I do LOVE the embroidery in it....so lesson learned. Sometimes you just don't know what you like until it's too late. So, it's hanging here to remind me to think twice sometimes...or maybe even three times?
At my guild's last quilt retreat in 2011, I purchased these decorated clipboards from the guild store.
The product of my friend Shannon's hands, along with some recruits too. I don't think I bought them all, but I bought all I could. They are decorated front and back and were screaming my name. LOVE them!
More!
A close up of that quilt. There is a monogram in the middle...don't know why I didn't photograph it, but my favorite thing about it is the appliqued hearts with the embroidery around them...AND, that embroidered border. Loved doing that!
There is a shelf full of ink bottles, vintage dipping pens, old twine, an old typewriter and such and on the table, also my pencil/pen holder etc. There can never be enough pens....NEVER! In my younger days, I once worked for a manufacturer's rep who sold pens and office supplies. We had a two person office...him (he was gone nearly all the time) and ME. I had the office all to myself and LOVED working there.
I also became permanently and forever hooked and in love with 'office stuff.' Oh, goodness, those were my phone answering, shorthand taking, filing and typing days. I'd never make it in an office these days....the computer would do me in! I could, however, write a book about some of the jobs I had back then.
This funny little thing was made by my favorite son when he was a kid. I've saved it all these years because...well...it's profound, isn't it? As a young guy...oh, he was probably in his early twenties, he had a dream and told me about it the next morning. I thought it was also VERY profound.... I wrote it down so we would remember what he said in the dream: "I would soon reassure myself that in the future, I shall heed my own instinctual warning mechanisms." He later gave it to me with the words in very large type and I had it hanging here for years. I still have the paper too. Yes, never a dull moment!
All this writing stuff.....FUN!!!
An assortment of stuff I love.....a beautiful bird from my friend, Mandy in England. One of my collages. A heart card from a friend, a birthday card from Jim one year, along with this crazy 'queeny' birthday gift he created for me.....and a little note from grandson Ty when he was ten. It says: "I am sorry. Love, Tyler." And he cut out a paper 'boy' and added it to the note. I've no memory of what he was sorry about....but it is dear and I enjoy seeing it there. He's twenty-eight later this month!!!
Here is where I do all my hand sewing....applique, beading and such. I can look out the window and see the birds while I stitch. Yes, I haven't been doing that as of late, but sure want to get back to it asap. And this is the table that matches that old desk.
DMC threads...one of my greatest loves in the world. I've tons of it.....yes, in those drawers you keep hearing about and these are the threads I have selected to use SOON. I have a special 'storage system' I've developed to keep track of all that thread...let me know if you are interested in seeing that, although you can find it in my archives. That little heart dish I found. A quarter or so at the flea. The pink cup pincushion I made a while back. Jim gave me that little tea box with the bird on it. My sister-in-law, Sandy, brought me this sweet little dish...right there in the middle, a couple of weeks ago. Beautiful!!
More at the sewing table. My bead trays....and tools. The lamp came from a small flea market....it's made of parts of several lamps, then put together and rewired. I like it.
That cup pincushion. I embroidered the top, and added that really cool trim. Meant to sell it, but liked it too much, besides, I filled it with sand, so it weighs a ton...too heavy to mail without spending a small fortune! Yes, selfish, isn't it? A postcard from 1910.
And, here we are - almost out the door. Pink shelf headed for the garbage as I claimed it as my own.
My XM radio, books...and these drawers and boxes ready for going through to 'save the good' and send out the bad. Just didn't get to it before I wanted to take photographs. These are all the books left out here...you wouldn't believe the ones I have hauled into the house...remember, I am making my dining room into a small 'library.' Work on that ongoing at the moment. And, yes, even a broom! As a three year old, I told my mother "I was born to sweep." You'd think I could have come up with something a little more interesting than that to be born to do....but, here we are...evidence!!!
OK...this is my very favorite thing in the whole place!!!! The old navy man made this 4 foot x 8 foot table for me when we built this Nest. Grandson helped too. It's on wheels, but you can't see them here. Greatest thing EVER! And, my dear friend, Kelley, gave me a cutting mat for it too. And, this is where I do a great deal of work....drawing, cutting, sometimes painting...whatever I need to do. It's just the most wonderful spot on our property!!
Some of my collages. I have enjoyed making these and did these at the downtown studio. Sold quite a few too. Great fun!!!
This chair was in one of my favorite flea markets. I call it my $12 art chair. A perfect place these days for these four bears. They are quietly awaiting a 'makeover' as I want to dress them in old buttons, lace, ribbon and whatever.....my fave is the odd looking light brown furry one. They never complain.
More of the collages...not the best photos...but you get the idea.
And, more.
And, here...another one, not yet finished. But, look, isn't this table the BEST thing?
So...there you are....my little backyard studio, about to explode with stuff....and always my favorite place to be. I hope you enjoyed the visit and will return to see what comes out of here next. I wanted to say something about studios though. Mine is dear to me and I KNOW I am lucky to have it. I have heard from some of you that you would not want to show yours because it might be too small, too messy, too whatever. So, I write this in response:
Everyone's work space is different. Some are quite pretty, some are large, some are small, even very small. Some are utilitarian, some fancy, some are professional, some are cozy....some are cluttered, some are minimalist. Some are dark, some are light. We all have different personalities, different views, different economic circumstances. etc. And, so, our studios are different. I think each and every space is interesting in it's own way. I must tell you that I once visited one that was so full and crowded that you could not sit down...anywhere, but I had more fun in there than any other place I had been. WHY? Because the occupant of that studio was one of the most fun and interesting people I had ever met. So, don't worry about your space....just love it and enjoy it. And, share it. You will love it even more if you do. I saw this sign on Pinterest:
Someone will always be prettier.
Someone will always be smarter.
Someone will always be younger.
But they will never be YOU.
What is the most interesting thing about your studio? Even though we may all love your 'stuff,' the space itself, the stories, or whatever you share about it...the most wonderful
and interesting thing in it is
YOU!! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
So, as I say goodbye for the night....and walk out this door........just know that I have so enjoyed sharing my favorite space with you....and take care. BIG hugs, pat
