Studio Updates

Slowly but surely, I am adding little finishing touches to my studio. The more I work in here, the more I decide where I would like things moved and where I need more lighting. I still have a few pieces of art I've purchased that need hung on the walls, but I'd like to wait until I'm done moving things around so I can see what space I have to work with. Here are the additions so far...

A new pink chair! Before I just had a folding chair with a couple pillows for cushions...lol. This chair had my name all over it. It's the perfect height for this table and is comfy as well.

I also got a cool new rug. The gray ties in with my wall color and the chevron patters was calling to me. (Ignore the line of boxes around the rug. They tend to pile up when the delivery guys are here 2 or 3 days in a row!)

I've also added some fun new pieces to my desk. I found one of these little signs on sale at Hallmark for under $3! And got the matching one with a coupon! The lamp was another piece that just had my name written all over it! Pink AND chevron, yes please.

As I mentioned, I'm finding out where I need more lighting in my room the more I'm in here. We installed 15 can lights when we built the studio. According to the layout provided by the store, that was way more lights that I should have needed. We even installed a dimmer switch because the electrician was afraid it would be too much light...wrong! One place I've found where we missed a huge lighting area is right over my shipping station. So instead of cutting into the dry wall and having to tie into another light, I just decided to add a scissor light above the desk.

I'm not entirely thrilled with the colors, but it ties in okay. I'm thinking the shade may have to be painted pink at some point though :)

Have you been updating your work space lately?

2014 - My Year of Growth

Last year I didn't set any real goals for my business. I dubbed it The Year of Growth. And my only goal was to continue growing my business and continue doing the things that were already working for me. I outlined three areas where I wanted to focus my growth.

 

The first was to grow my space. And boy was that a big one! I had previously been working out of an 11' x 11' spare bedroom. That is, before I started taking over the whole house! I moved into my studio last June and expanded to 850 square feet dedicated to just my business!

This space has allowed me to grow my business by keeping me organized and more efficient. There is no way I could have gotten as many packages out each day had I been in my old work area. I now have a dedicated shipping station and two entire shelving units full of shipping supplies. Everything is (mostly) organized making shipping packages so much easier.

And I have space to store the rest of my inventory as well. It's more easily accessible and more easily found. No more searching through stacks of boxes hoping to find the right one.

The second area I wanted to grow my business was by hiring an employee during the holiday rush. And let me tell you, it was one of the best things I did. As I mentioned in my "things I learned" post last Wednesday, I just wish I would have had my shipper here more often. She was only able to come twice a week and I will definitely have someone here five days a week this year.

And the last area of growth was in equipment. This is one that I'm really excited about. I wanted to get moved into my new studio and see how things would get arranged and see if I would add a second laser or new equipment to make new/different products. Things are still doing well with the laser engraving and honestly, I don't have time to dedicate to new/different products. If this crazy holiday season taught me anything, it's that I need another laser! Not only could I produce more with a second laser, I would have a backup if something happened. Right now, if my laser goes down...my business is basically down! A very scary thought in mid-December! So I'm working on purchasing a second laser now and hope to have it by mid-March.

So while I didn't set any goals in the traditional sense, I do feel I reached all my hopes and plans for the year. Now it's time to start planning for 2015!

Pink & White Acrylic Clock

Something I've been wanting to make for my new studio since I moved in was a clock. I'd seen some really cool clocks made with a laser and knew I wanted to try my hand at one. I have to say...I'm so excited with how it turned out!!!

At first I was just going to have a pink face with the numbers cut out and white acrylic behind the numbers. But once I started putting the pieces together, it looked kind of boring.

In the process of cutting out the white ring to put behind the numbers, this left me with another white circle cutout. I played around with it for a little while trying to decide if I liked it on top of the pink clock face. Then the idea came to me to cut out a pretty design!

In the end, I didn't even use the white ring to put behind the numbers, I liked the cutout look. But that step led me to the white center of my clock which I think really finishes the clock of nicely!

 This is something I do hope to eventually add to my shop. I have a few other colors of acrylic on hand, but would like to add a nice variety of options. And I need to find a good source for clock hands as well. I would like to offer a variety of these as well, like black, gold and silver.

What do you think?

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Mama Kitty is enjoying the new studio (when she sneaks in), but Harley is keeping a watchful eye on her :)

Studio Update - All Moved In

I'm happy to announce that I'm all moved into my new studio!!! I've been working in here full time for a couple of weeks now and I must tell you that I LOVE this place! I love having lots of space and not having to step over things all the time. It's still a work in progress as I figure out what works best where, but it's coming together nicely. Let me take you on a little tour.

Here is the view from the front door. I have a work table set up (and I can watch TV!) and several shelving units down the center of the room.

 Directly behind my work table is the shelf my Uncle Dave built me. It holds all my scrapbook papers and some other supplies I use often as well.

 Here is the corner where all the magic happens :) In the left of the photo is a shelf that holds a lot of my wood supplies like wood sheet stock and cutting boards as well as organizers with cuff links and earrings. (this self sits next to my shipping station as well). Under the widow (with my awesome pink curtains!) is my laser. The table that looks like a huge mess is my "holding station". I need a place to put things as they go in and come out of the laser. So this table is usually full! And my awesome desk is hanging out in the corner.

 I love having a nice big corner desk! And lots of storage too! The only thing I need to figure out is where to put my printer. I had forgotten how BIG it is! It's in the way when I want to use my mouse and when I open the front door so paper can come out, it's really in the way. I have another small desk/end table that I might set next to my desk for my printer. Otherwise it will have to go up on top.

 This may sound crazy, but one of my favorite areas in the new studio is my "kitchen" area. Almost everything I make has to be washed, so it's nice to have a dedicated area for this. I love the large counter space for drying things! And I don't have to fight over space with dirty dishes anymore...lol! And check out that awesome pink rug!

 I also love my sparkly pink door knobs! I can't believe how many options there are for door knobs...and how expensive some of them are! Hello wooden door knobs for $1.99 (for a 2-pack) and spray paint!

 

Another area that I'm really excited about is my shipping station. My old "shipping station" consisted of our love seat and 1/2 the living room! I had seriously taken over the house with shipping supplies and inventory! This desk (compliments of my mom!) is so perfect. It is perfect to stand at and holds all the supplies I use on a daily basis. I bought two gray trash cans (they didn't have pink) to fit under the desk. One holds air pillows and the other holds packing paper. I recycle all the shipping supplies I can and these cans work great.

 What's even better is the sides of the shipping station...look at all those cubbies! And they're on both sides!

 I also have one of my shelving units full of boxes as well. This unit sits right behind my shipping station and holds my fancy bubble wrap dispenser (compliments of my dad!).

 

Next to my shipping station is my "drying rack". This is actually an old entertainment center that Jesse built that we no longer use. I had used it as a drying rack when I'd taken over the rest of the house and it seems to work great, so we moved it to the new studio. All of my wood gets rinsed and laid flat to dry before shipping

 

 I'll end you with a picture of my awesome curtains! A friend of my mom's made these for me and I LOVE them! They bring so much color to the room!

As you can see, I haven't had a chance to decorate anything yet! I have a few things in mind that I want to make myself, then I need to do some shopping. I did finally buy a world map so I can mark all the locations I've shipped to. I just need to figure out exactly where I want it. I'm sure I'll move things around more before I'm all settled in. But for now, I'm just happy to have a place to call my own :)

DIY Runs in the Family

When I built my new studio, (pictures to come soon, I promise!) one thing I knew I wanted was a bubble wrap dispenser. Before, I just had the rolls or bubble wrap laying on the couch (my old "shipping station") and they were always in the way and always falling over or unrolling. When I got online to buy one, I couldn't believe how much they wanted for one...and I actually needed two! For a metal bubble wrap dispenser, they wanted $90 EACH!

When I told my dad about what I was wanting and how I wasn't going to pay that crazy price. He said to give him a few days and he'd see what he could come up with. Luckily my dad has the brain of an engineer, so this was a perfect task for him. A metal bracket, a bolt and some PVC pipe was all it took to make my bubble wrap dispenser...and he made me a double sided one too! All for under $15!!!

I love my new dispenser! It fits perfectly on the end of my new shelving/cabinets. We put two units back to back and the dispenser fits perfectly and sits directly behind my new shipping station. I can fit a roll of 3/16" bubbles and a roll of 1/2" bubbles on the same dispenser and as the rolls get smaller, it pivots, so the rolls are always against the cabinet so they won't unroll on their own!

 

When it comes to creative ways to save money, my dad is the guy to go to! DIY runs in the family :)

Easter Weekend

I hope those celebrating had a wonderful Easter weekend! Mine was spent with family festivities and lots of great times.

We started the weekend on Saturday with my cousin-to-be's bridal shower. One of the games was making wedding dresses out of table clothes and decorative duct tape. I got nominated to be the bride and thought my dress was quite nice :) I even got my mom to pose with me.

 

Sunday at Easter dinner, my cousin created the cutest favors for all of us. She has the crafty gene too, which runs in our family.

Then, after lunch, my parents came out and we finally started moving into my new studio! There's still a long way to go to getting everything organized, but we're getting a great start!!!

Almost Wordless Wednesday - One Step at a Time

It seems like work on my new studio has come to a screeching halt! We only have a few more pieces of trim left, but it's taking forever to get everything finished. We did get my new computer desk put together though :)

Friday Features - Mirrors

I'm still finishing up little touches here and there for my new studio. It feels like all the little things are taking as long as the actual construction! But this is the fun part where I get to pick out decorations and decor. Yesterday we went shopping for a bathroom mirror and light bar. I thought I was going to buy a white framed mirror and white wood light bar...simple and stick with the colors I already had. Well, they didn't have a white light bar where we shopped, so that threw out my idea for the white mirror. I ended up with a brushed nickel light bar and found a mirror to match. I decided to go with a more fun mirror than I would normally put in our bathroom in our home. It's a studio, right...I want it to be fun :) I hope to show it to you next week. For now, I've found 4 other fun mirrors you could put in your home or work space...enjoy!

Clockwise from top left:

Craftsman Style Mirror with Shelves and Hooks in White Wash EXPEDITED

 SALE / Oval Scalloped Mirror Handmade Wall Mirror

 glass subway tile mosaic mirror

 Children, baby girl nursery baroque Ornate Syroco mambo pink mirror

Which is your favorite?

Wordless Wednesday - Making Progress

Studio Update - Let There Be Light!

This last week went really well getting lots of work done on my new studio! While my parents were here, we got the counter top installed and the sink ready for the plumber. We took out the window and got ready for the door to be installed. Now we can actually get into the room without having to go outside! And we got lots of little things done like hanging shades and touch-up painting.

Sunday we finished up the wiring and have actual lights in the room now! It was so great to see it all lit up!

And yesterday the plumber came and finished up the "kitchen" sink and bathroom.

What do you think of my pink cupboards? Okay, they're not really pink, it's just a protective film. But I had a lot of fun letting people believe they were pink. I must admit, had I known how cool they would look with a white base and pink door...I might have ordered them that way :) Instead, I'll just have pink door pulls.

(And that window is history!)

My mom and I did lots of shopping for finishing touches. Her friend is making my curtains and I cannot wait to show them to you! They are pink and ruffled...the coolest! We also bought all the finishing touches for the bathroom and a towel rack for the "kitchen" area. And some fun rugs!

This week I'm hoping to get the door installed and the trim all finished up. As much as I want to just go ahead and move in, I want all the little details finished. I know if I don't go around and fill all those stupid nail holes in the trim now, it will never get done. I figure I've waited this long, another week or two will be okay (I hope!).

In my next update, I'll get to show you all the fun finishing touches!

Bloggy Break

I'm so excited...my new studio is really coming together. Once the wiring is finished on Sunday, I'll be ready to move in and start using it!!! This week my parents are here and we're finishing up lots of little things like the counter top, curtain rods, towel rods, the bathroom stuff, etc.

So between working, finishing my studio and spending lots of time with my parents, I've decided to take a bloggy break this week. I'll be back next week with more pics of my studio!!!

Studio Update - Getting Close

Wow, after looking back at my last Studio Update post, I really dropped the ball on updates and photos of the studio progress. The good news is, it's come a LONG WAY since my last update. Above is a photo of my last update.

And here is what it looks like now! Jesse, our friends and family have been so awesome the last few months helping to get us to this point!

Dry walling happening as I type this!

I'm not sure if I'd ever mentioned how big the addition will be, but hopefully you can tell from the photos above that it's HUGE! My new studio will be almost the same size as the whole rest of our house!!!

7' x 7' Bathroom

What's been accomplished:

*Sheeting on the rafters and walls

*House wrap (siding will come in Spring)

*Metal roof DONE! Including soffit and fascia (still need gutters)

*Wiring run, but not hooked up yet

*Spray foam insulation on the inside

*Bathroom built

*Dry wall hung (contractor is mudding, taping and painting right now!)

Window will become a door

Still to be done:

*Hook up wiring

*Cut out window, install door between existing studio and new studio

*Flooring (bought, just needs installed)

*Trim (bought, just needs installed)

*Cabinets, counter top and sink (on order)

*MOVE IN!!!

I'm hoping to be moved in within the next month! I am SO excited!!!

Wordless Wednesday - On Top of the World

Studio Update - Coming Together

Coming Together - The title of this post really has two meanings. Obviously my new studio is really coming together! But the title also refers to the coming together of our family and friends to help us get where we are. Last Friday and Saturday, we had tons of awesome help show up to put up the rafters and stand up the last wall. With Jesse being out of commission for the time being, it was so great of everyone to pitch in and really make my studio come together.

Also, with Jesse being out of commission, that means I'm getting to do more of the manual labor. I helped pour the footings and the concrete slab, but I haven't done much since then. Jesse and his dad built all three walls and got two of them stood up before his surgery. This weekend I was the muscle...lol. Friday I helped lift each rafter up on to the walls and lean them on the existing roof. And Saturday I got to climb onto the roof and push the rafters back off and help stand them up. Boy am I sore today!!!

It's just amazing how fast things come together. The process seems to be taking forever and winter is fast approaching, but it's amazing what you can get done in a couple of days! Next will come the sheeting on the walls and roof and tying in the new roof to the old roof. Sounds like a lot of work, but I've been told the sheeting goes fast...fingers crossed!

Weekend Wrap Up & Studio Update

This weekend we were able to get more work done on the new studio! We started framing the walls and it's really coming together! Every step makes it that much more real that I'm actually going to have my own studio!!!

We got the east and west walls frames and will hopefully get the north wall framed this week. Our trusses will be here early next week, so it should really start coming together after that!

We also went to a huge car show. I didn't take many photos because I didn't want to carry my camera for 4-5 hours while we walked through the show. But I did get this fun cell phone pic of this great license plate. This would be so perfect for Jesse!

Friday Features - Pops of Color for my Studio

I've really tried holding off on thinking about how my new studio will look all finished. I know if I get the end vision in my head, I'll want it done that much faster. But the more work we get done, the more I have to think about where I want lights and outlets. And if the how many windows I want to still allow enough wall space for shelving. I already know I want gray walls and white trim, but I also want some fun colors in there too...that's where the accessories come in! Check out these great items I found on Etsy!

Don't you just love the drawer liners!

Fabulous Hot Pink Desk Dressing Vanity

by TheLeahJaneOriginals 

Glass Pendant Light Teal Blue Stained Glass Handmade OOAK

 by Nostalgianmore

Custom Ruffled Curtain Panel, Hot Pink, or You pick the Color 108 inches

 by avisiontoremember

dresser/ shelving

by  LucileStDesign

What do you think? Surprised by all the pink and teal...lol :)