Feline helper

Maybe Sammy thought the frames would blow away.

Or perhaps 3 wooden frames are more comfortable than carpet.

Meet my furry assistant.

Never underestimate the power of whimsy

Perhaps your craft room doesn't include the following but why the hell not?

anthropomorphic kitties

disco ball

boombox toting frog

lava lamp

a visual reminder
to get the finger outta your ass
and make something!

She's right

Yesterday, Kristie left a comment that included the following:
Congratulations on what must feel like Utopia to you now.

What a generous thought.
Thank you, Kristie!
You're right, it is my own "happy place" and I'm gratified the picture in my head now matches the new studio down the hall.
It's been a fun project and it's nice to have ya'll check it out.
'Preciate your interest!

Watch yo' shelf

While mapping out the room, I decided match the shelving depth to the 24" work surfaces for a more cohesive look.
Edsal shelves were on sale at Lowe's so two went home with me. Metal posts and shelves were spray painted ivory to coordinate with the purposely neutral walls and floor. The wood shelf inserts were black and not raw wood as shown online or on box. Woozy from spray paint fumes, I opted not to paint the shelves.


Word to the wise: have a buddy assist when assembling. The pieces aren't heavy but must be level.


The posts and supports are metal thus magnet backed glass top boxes are perfect storage for extra needles and such.

WooHoo! It's time to fold some fabric and sort and alphabetize it accordingly.

I am floored

Check out the tile I used on the floor of the Skitzo Leezra Studio. After ripping out the carpet, the cracks were filled in with a tube of grout. (The grout in a tube is better than the grout in a plastic bottle.)

Oh wait, I forgot to buy tile.
Nevermind, let's paint the floor instead.
You heard me.
Valspar Latex Porch & Floor paint.

This stuff dries super fast. Woo Hoo!

Lines drawn with pencil.
Determine the center of the room.
Draw lines out from there.
Believe or not,
my line placement is near perfect.

Get this, two visitors touched the floor to make sure it wasn't genuine ceramic tile but it was way faster, super easy, way less expensive.

Let's start loading the room.

Starting at the top

Okay, the carpet was gone. Room emptied. If there was a time to scrap the the nasty ass cottage cheese ceiling, it's now.

Man, oh, manoshevitz, how I wish I could meet the guy who invented that textured shit. It would be a serious ass kicking for sure. Maybe not, I've never had a physical fight but I can guar-damn-tee ya, it would at least warrant a windmill swinging and slapping of arms and hands.

Anywho, here's how get rid of the crud.
Get yourself a sprayer. Big but not too big because water is heavy, don't ya know. Lay down some plastic.
Spray the ceiling. Spray it again. Try a scrape. If it releases easily, get to it, be-yotch. If it doesn't, spray it again. When your fabulous sister and wonderful mom come over to help, restrain yourself from weeping from joy.

Scrape it, patch it, prime it and paint it.
Slap up a cool light fixture (Lowe's) on it and toss some shiny stuff on that.

More is more, I say.
Of course it needed a disco ball.

How it started

Late one Sunday night I realize I'd forgotten to put fresh sheets on the now stripped bed. Too lazy to remake my bed late at night, I decided to sleep in the guest room.

"What a cozy room," I thought to myself. It felt better than my much larger bedroom. Build a ginormous house with super high ceilings and note most folks will congregate and linger in a smaller room with a lower ceiling. It's an animal cave-like anthropological type thing. Anywho, I realized I never liked my bedroom because it was simply too large. Furniture had been brought in, rearranged, switched, etc but it never felt right.

All I did in there was sleep anyway . . . why not switch rooms? The guest room could become my bedroom, my craft room, the new guest room and my big bedroom would be the newly expanded Skitzo Leezra Studio!

The room was quickly measured and I began to graph out the new project. Holy guacamole, the current craft room was overflowing and could be consolidated in the larger studio! I could barely sleep that night in anticipation.

The next day I emptied my bedroom and ripped out the carpet . . . .

Skitzo Leezra's New Studio

WooHoo!

The new and expanded Skitzo Leezra is being unveiled! It's been months in making and I am ready to share photos and how-tos from painted floors to fabric covered peg boards.

Take a look at a few sneak peek photos and check back for detailed tutorials and ideas.

The Master Plan

Ribbon Gutters make an appearance

Gotta be organized!

You label me, I label you

This has been me

A wooden artist model used to reside on my closet shelf where he held bracelets until stuff was relocated while the closet was painted.
There he sat on the hall bath vanity for months as the project dragged on and on.
And one day, I noticed a change in posture.
Pretty sure my wisenheimer sister Rikki Tikki Tavi adjusted him to be funny but it was a reminder to me to get my finger outta my ass and get goin' on my much-too-long project.

Here's hoping YOU won't need a wooden digit in your backdoor to come back and check my progress.
New stuff tomorrow!

Trippin' on ribbon

Being a ribbon whore/hoarder, I have plenty of grosgrain stash to make the (say it in a high-pitched tone) fabulous cosmetic bags!

Sew some ribbons together then add a zipper. With right sides together, sew one narrow side and long side. Make sure the zipper is open. Fold other narrow side and sew.


(Wish like heck I could give credit for the concept but I cannot remember the ribbon craft book title.)

Craft supply suggestion: buy in bulk from eBay.

Book cover

Kristie the commenter asked where I've been.
Down a rabbit hole, I think.
Last year, I had an easy job where I blogged from work and worked on volunteer group obligations to pass the day. Now that I have a "real" job, volunteer work is done in the evenings thus, cutting into my craft and blogging time.
Very little crafting lately and I gotta tell ya, it's been wearing me down. However COMMA I am working on a new and improved craft room. More soon. I promise!
Here's a cute book cover sewed for a volunteer group friend. One handle made longer; the other, shorter. The longer handle pushed through the shorter handle holds the book closed. If you make one, note the ends of the longer handle could be placed closer to center. Fray Check applied to webbing. (It's not yet dry in the photo.)

Upholstery fabric, cotton webbing handles.

Super fast + super easy = just like your ma.

Fabulous floribunda (that's Latin for fabric flowers, I think)

Looka, I made a whole mess o' fabric flowers for my hen party Girls Night Out friends.

This one is silk necktie fabric.

The wool fabrics are my favorites.

Home dec fabric

Gingham. Me love gingham.

Click fabric flower link for the original Design Sponge tutorial source plus check out my suggestions for quicker, faster, easier flower success.

Trixie gives me stuff

Trixie sent me a box o' goodies. Yay!

My very own just-add-water prince

Ribbon, fabric and tulle ~ oh my!

Purse handles, neckties and fabric

Beads!

Thanks for thinking of me, Trixie!
A home for craft cast-offs.
That's me.