My Dream Art & Craft Studio

My workroom/studio/office/creative zone has finally reached that place.

The place where every time I come in here, it happens.

The Happy Dance.

It’s been quite a while since a room where I lived prompted The Happy Dance.

Years, in fact.

I once had an entire house all to myself. No husband. No kids. No roommates . . . except for kitties.

No mother-in-law.

One room was my office. One was my sewing room. (Back when I was still sewing, before I started painting.)

30” x 80” Worktable – two bookcases with old door on top. Cost: $44

It.Was.Glorious.

Everything was organized.

I mean everything.

Paint bins from dollar store, David Tutera labels. Cost: $12

Then I met him.

My life became a rollercoaster ride, full of thrills, spills, laughs and, yes, fear.

Fear that is felt by a 34 year old woman who all of a sudden has three small boys living with her.

And one big one.

Duck Tape edging on worktable. Cost: $4

Life changed.

Dogs replaced kitties. His brown velour patchwork bedspread replaced my handsewn Samsutta wedgewood blue duvet.

My peach and aqua décor was accessorized with kids shoes.

And dirty tube socks.

One bookcase holds paint, the other has specialty paints, markers and glitters.

All rides come to an end, eventually.

The kids grew up and moved out.

Then moved back in.

Rolling cart for papers – $22.

When they finally were grown(ish) and found their own homes the rollercoaster took an unexpected turn.

Those turns where your stomach lurches and is left somewhere behind you on the tracks.

Rolling cart from thrift store – $4

Enter Mother-in-Law, stage right.

Enter mother-in-law who had just had a stroke and needed constant 24 hour care.

sigh.

Old dresser that was my dad’s.

Four years later, mother-in-law was well enough to move into her own place.

“Photography Studio” using roller blind from thrift store – $4

Let The Happy Dance commence!

Dresser top drawer hold photography supplies and floral arranging tools.

Less than a year after MIL moved out, my mother was diagnosed with non-Hodkin’s Lymphoma.

Lower dresser drawers hold current seasonal & holiday supplies.

The Happy Dance was then confined to weekends when I’d go home, kiss my husband hello, and dash to the back of the house . . .

Worktable is large enough to hold multiple ongoing projects at once!

to the room that used to be mother-in-law’s . . .

Full spectrum light – $20 at Big Lots

and became MY art studio when she left.

Daily “Board” – Thrift store frame & scrapbook paper – $2

 

That rollercoaster ride stopped completely on May 14, 2012.

I had to find another ride.

Something to fill my days.

Something to inspire creativity.

So my Life could begin again.

The new house helped. A lot.

But this room here?

Two words . . .

Happy Dance!

Hey, you don’t need a ton of money to have the room of your dreams. Just get creative with your creative space.

You’ll be so happy you did.

Colleen

about Colleen

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