The workstation is almost finished and I have plans to run 1 or 2 children workshops next week during half term! There is still a lot to do in the craftroom but it would be good to give the children something fun to do. Must get cracking on planning kits and advertising to make it a success!  More news to come as things are finalised, watch this space…..

The workstation has been painted, just the top to have its gloss coat! I planned the drawers to be different colours and to mark the tools to match for each workstation. When I had picked my colours I set up a spreadsheet to plan everything, and it looked fine on paper, but then when I came to actually ask the painters to do it I realised a big clash in colours.

This was what I was presented with on arriving

I was not keen on the red and purple together as they clash in my mind. So I decided to change the red with the pink so that pink and lilac go together and red and orange go together.

This is the result and looks much better on the eye.

The scrapbooking station is coming along nicely, almost finished now. The tiling on the wall behind has been completed and it makes the area look more finished off now. The white area behind is having a magnetic roll stuck to it so that I can attach all my dies for easier accessibility and to look attractive. The scrapbook area, below.

I am going to tidy it up in preparation for the kids crafty workshops during the half term holiday, it won’t be completed but it will be well on its way to being functional. Off to the craftroom now…

I was commissioned to create a Bookatrix card with the Twilight theme from Stephanie Meyer’s popular series of Twilight books. I love the films and have the books but not reading Breaking Dawn until I have seen the final part of the film.

This is what I came up with for my first attempt.

It comes with a box made to house the card perfectly and I decorated the inside so that it becomes a further item of display while the card is being displayed on its own stand.

The Bookatrix card has 4 layers including an acetate top layer. The layers have quotes from the various books written on them and a personal message has been included on the back. This one is done in red but the colours can be varied and the pictures will also be different so every card will be unique. I will put some on my website very soon so please keep coming back to check when they have arrived.

I have been selling Gothic style cards in my shop on ebay and I was approached to make this for a Twilight fan. I do these Bookatrix cards in many themes and the Gothic ones are the most popular, followed by Art Deco Ladies.  I think that Twilight ones will soon be taking the lead!

The workshop has been coming along nicely, but it is very difficult to work properly in the mess that it is in. You can see in the photos that the workstation is so full it makes it impossible to work on properly and I have been a bit late in getting comissions out, but all will be back to normal soon. It is nearly done now.

This photo above is looking from the top of the stairs and shows my printers and Cricut. The drawers and cupboards hold paint, paper, envelopes, embossing powders, and punches, painting materials, embellishments etc.

I have a sewing machine table and a knitting machine table on the right of this picture, Enchanted Space recommended that I have them especially built in to provide more space and a more aesthetic look. I agreed and after briefing him of what I would like for the area, I am very pleased with the result.

There is a lot more to do, but the basic area has been finished. The left side houses my knitting machine, lace attachment and ribbing attachment. Underneath are other sewing and knitting accessories. The right side houses my hand knitting machine and boxes of wool underneath.  The sewing machine has its’ own table extension integrated into the centre front and can be swapped with the overlocker when it is required. There is still a lot to sort out with the accessories, but that is coming later…

This is the look down the room to the stairway from the storage drawer area. The scrapbook area is still in the before stage. The blocking in of the wall by the stairs has been completed now and I have ordered some magnetic roll to attach to the wall so that I can attach all my templates and cutting dies. Enchanted Space suggested that we utilise the area above the stairs for storage of empty boxes and items hardly ever used. Rob, their No 1 has made a start as can be seen in the photo below.

The scrapbook workstation has been designed and will be made a start on tomorrow. (Monday) and the doors will be put on the top storage area. I have been moving stash and tools  around to streamline everything and still a lot to do. Keep coming back to see the results. I will start workshops while the downstairs shop is being designed and refurbished.  I will advertise special startup prices, so keep checking…

Time is just whizzing by these days, so I must be enjoying myself, so they say…   I am in a way, but it is taking so long to get everything organised and I seldom have time to craft properly.  I spent the day sorting out my garage to put all the surplus stuff in from my shop refit, organising items for ebay, charity shop or keeping and throwing the rest.  Well, I did a fair chunk of it but still got bags of clothing, toys and bric a brac to sort. I did throw a fair amount but my garage is still full, just organised differently!

I packed that job in at 8pm because it was cold and dark and I was hungry. After a snack I set about making 2 cards, I was just using some Debbi Moore toppers that I had with one of her magazines.  I have 6 magazines of Debbi’s and they are well worth the money. The other card I made was using Debbi’s side of the Art Deco Bookatrix board from the Glitter Girls. I have only just finished them and very tired so I will not take photos until tomorrow.  There are a couple of embellishments I want to add and with doing them at home instead of in my craft room means I do not have everything at my disposal.

Talking of my craftroom, I believe Enchanted Space was getting someone in to do the tiling today.  I have seen the tiles, but have not been down there at all today with doing the garage out. It will be a nice surprise for me when I go tomorrow afternoon as I am at Stephen’s in the morning.  I am still trying to find a place for everything and put everything in its’ place. I can’t see me doing any workshops before Christmas now as I had hoped, but it will be nice to start the New Year off with a whole new start.

This is Abbeys first Art Deco Bookatrix card that she made with The Glitter Girls new embossing board in conjunction with Debbi Moore. Abbey makes cards and items to sell at church and her own table when we sell at craft fairs.  She is only 10yrs but I have aspirations of her taking over my craft shop one day when  I am no longer able to do it myself!  It is good to let her practise now, so by the time she has left school and able to have a job, she should be expert in her field…

I was not quite happy with the card that I made yesterday and so I added a little more to make it look more finished.  The gold makes it look too shiny in the photo not like it is in real life.  A sentiment, some more gems and a border strip make it more complete.

I have made a purple stand and a box base to post it in and so will post it to the customer tomorrow.

I have just completed a Bookatrix I started yesterday.  It is a special commission, and I had to make it at my flat while looking after Abbey while she off school with ear infection and vomiting.  Everything is down my shop now and so I had to try and anticipate what I was going to use and bring it home.  You can guarantee that there would be quite a few things that I needed and did not have, and so it was,  so it kept changing direction, but I am pleased with the result.  Hope the customer is too! It is a very poor picture, but the lighting is not good in my lounge, good job I have a daylight lamp at my craft workshop.  Anyway, you get the idea…

I forgot to bring a stand home to post with it so will  nip down to the shop first thing in the morning to pick one up and include in the box.

No 1 (Rob Turner, projects manager of Enchanted Space) has finished building the Work table for 8 in my craft room. It has 8 workstations that are going to be fitted out with 8 sets of identical kit. I have been ordering scissors, craft knives, ball tools, pricking tools rulers etc so that each place will have a complete kit so that when I hold my Crafting workshops, 8 people will be able to work comfortably with everything at their disposal! The base colour will be black and the shelves and drawers on each station will be a different colour, the tools will be colour coded to match so that there will be no mix up.  I will start advertising for places as soon as it is finished

The handles have been fitted to the top cupboards, and just waiting for me to add my stash now.

Abbey is ill again and I am still suffering from toothache so don’t know when I will get around to it.

Abbey and myself attended a  Charity dinner in aid of Eclipse, a charity to help bereaved children overcome their grief easier.  Abbey was helped by this charity when she lost her real Mum and so I like to help out when I can.  There was a very good dinner at the Ashiana Indian Restaurant and an auction of goods and services donated by the local businesses.

It was a great night and a most delicious meal.  Ashiana is in the same complex as my shop Top it All and Abbey and I frequent it regualar when working late.