Creating Space :: Another 8 days of office reorganisation. [And a herd of zebras takes up residence]

Hey you. It's me.

Here's a second look inside my Creating Space office redecoration project. Fortunately for you, you get to look from a distance; any closer and I'd have dragged you in here to sort through a box or hold a tape measure for me.

[The first instalment was here ... in case you missed the part that made me cry!]

So here are days 8 - 15. Not that the days are necessarily consecutive ... I'm afraid I'm not dedicated enough to tackle it day in day out;  more like 'as and when'. But I am chipping away at it!

Day 8: How has it taken so long for me to do this?

A good proportion of my work for crafting magazines involves card making and yet ... until now I'd been storing my card blanks in a box [albeit a nice box!] on the floor, beneath another [nice] box. Let's just say reaching for one wasn't exactly ergonomic.

And now? Now they're all on a shelf in the cupboard directly behind me when I'm sitting at the desk making it so easy to swivel around in my chair, open the door and grab what I need. Makes perfect sense!

It also proves to me exactly why - as stressful and as messy as it's been - it really was necessary for me to have reconsidered where every single thing in the room was best suited.  

Day 9: Feeling a little exposed...

After re-painting I didn't put my old curtains back up straight away as I thought it would spur me on to get the new ones made.

In reality it just led to the bin men, road cleaners, neighbours directly opposite plus any one passing by having a really good view of me sitting at my desk adding kits to my shop and die-cutting!

I put the old curtains back up the following day.

Day 10: Organisational advice Coldplay*-style

I used to have all these rolls of wrapping paper, speciality papers, tubes etc standing in a basket on the floor. But in this tiny space floor space is at a premium and, once I'd moved everything out ... I liked the feeling of space it created. So I looked for an alternative storage spot:

Then ... in the opposite direction ... I swapped out the 5 green plastic boxes beneath the cupboards for these cream 'Curver 'My Style' storage baskets which I found at The Range: 

[*'High up above or down below' is a line from Coldplay's Fix You.]

Day 11: Beginning to see some progress [and some flooring]!

My poor spare room has been awfully put upon lately. But I'm finally making a dent in all the rubbish!

Day 12: Adding a personal touch

The sorting process unearthed an old box frame that I'd always planned to do 'something' with and, as I wanted to bring some personal touches into what was so far a pretty efficient/mundane redecoration I had an idea of what that 'something' could be!

So, I sanded it, painted it white, distressed it and hung it on the wall ...

Day 13: Filling the frame 

The frame came with a card tray insert and I thought that, with the addition of a few new cardboard shelves, it would make the perfect home for my collection of zebras.

[Yes, I have a collection of zebras, if this is news to you, you might need to read this.]

I have a few more photos of this upcycling-in-progress which I think I'll share in a post of their own soon, so you can see how you too could turn a boring old frame into your own printer-tray type display.

And the fact that I do indeed own a zebra collection might just help explain my choice of curtain fabric ...

 Day 14: There in black & white

I finally felt motivated enough to make the curtains which, I now realise, are not the first pair I've made but the first pair I've made to hang in my own house ! Well, it's only taken me 10 years to get round to it!

Day 15: Curtains!

In curtaining, as in cups of tea first thing on a morning and TV adaptations of Sherlock Holmes ... 2 are so much more welcome than 1.

So I finished up my curtain making on Day 15 and I now have a matching pair:

My window was small enough, and my fabric wide enough, that I could've made the stripes run either way. But horizontal won out in the end.

And I'm very happy to report that, the stripes have not dazzled my eyes into a migraine as I had once feared they might!

Oh and on the subject of messing with your eyes ...

How's this for camouflage?

Clearly I'm naturalising into my new environment rather nicely!

Julie x

Creating Space :: DIY paper-covered doors

Hello hello.

I'm happy to report that, in my grand 'Creating Space' office redecoration project progress [along with two curtains and even more mess] has been made!

You might remember - either from my earlier 'work in progress' post or if you've landed on my Facebook page in the last few weeks - that I'm turning down the colour dial in there.

There's just something sharp and clean about black and white that I find really appealing right now and so I'm exchanging colourful busyness for monochromatic restfulness.

Just think of it as a reverse Wizard of Oz or Pleasantville.

But this desaturation process meant I had to refresh my Technicolor paper-covered boiler cupboard doors [try saying that fast 3 times and see how far you get!].

So - should you wish to try something similar in your own space - here's a quick look at how I did it.

DIY paper-covered doors


BEFORE: [but it's also kind of after too ... let me explain ... ]

Yes, these are the cupboard doors before I decorated them last month ... but, obviously, they'd been decorated previously!

It must be close to 10 years ago when I first covered them with my favourite bright, graphic print scrapbook papers so they needed a change really.

[Actually those of you out there whose Mastermind topic would be to identify the range and brand of any given sheet of 12x12 might be able to recognise and date these designs better than I!]

But ... if your doors aren't already decorated, then just treat the photo above as another 'after' image to inspire you ... and take the photo below as the real 'before':  

PREPARATION:
I didn't actually do anything to prepare the doors before I covered them.

Because I'm lazy a rebel like that.

The base was just the old, yellowing, paint that was there when we moved in, and hiding that with patterned paper was certainly more fun than repainting them with white gloss!

However ...

• if you've got a particularly uneven surface;
• or if your cupboard doors will be handled often [mine are hardly ever opened];
• or you're just more professional than I am ...

You could always sand the surface of your doors first to  create a 'key' for the adhesive to grip to.

But now the boring work's out of the way let's move on ...

DECORATION:

Here's what you'll need:

Papers:  here I used a couple of full sheets plus scraps of patterned scrapbook 12x12 papers but you could use anything at all such as:

• wrapping paper;
• sheet music;
• old book pages;
• tickets, labels, ephemera etc

If you're using heavily patterned designs or a mix of colours, then consider the position of each individual scrap as you go along; so that the overall effect is a balanced one.

eg. don't have too many solid colours together in one corner then a cluster of prints in the other. Spread them out around the entire surface; think of it as a patchwork quilt design with a nice spread of designs around the finished surface.

Adhesive: This time around I used Anita's Tacky Glue [Anita didn't mind.] Which is just a kind of PVA glue. It's not a specialist glue for this kind of thing and regular PVA would work just as well.

• I poured some of the glue onto a non-stick craft mat and kept a pot of water next to it.
• Rather than water the glue down exactly, I just kept dipping my paintbrush into the water before dipping it into the glue. It just helps to move the glue around more easily. 
• Then, once I'd decided where my scrap of paper was going to go, I pasted the slightly watery glue on to the back.

At this stage you're ready to start covering up that uninspiring white gloss!

[NOte: I mention a 'clean' brayer ... be careful all that previous inky/painty fun you've had with your brayer doesn't end up smeared across your fresh new papers!]

Wriggle the paper into position - to line it up with the edge of the doors - before the glue sets [which will depend on the temperature of your room.]

And just keep adding papers until the whole expanse is covered. That is ...

... unless, like me, you're hanging notice boards / white boards / magnet boards on to the doors too. If so you only really need to cover the areas that will be visible surrounding the boards.

TIPS:

• Keep the papers flush to the front of the doors; unless you are using very thin paper DON'T try to wrap/return them around the edges. This will cause too much creasing and will most likely catch when opening and closing the doors.
• 'Sealing': I didn't feel the need to 'seal' the end result with anything. However ... if your project is going to be handled frequently [eg. a chest of drawers or your wardrobe] then you might need to protect it from daily wear and tear.
• Book pages etc can be sealed with a watered down PVA or a layer of Glaze Medium [you can get Matt mediums if you don't like the idea of having a shiny finish].
• However ... I'm not sure that all scrapbooks papers would respond happily to this method. If I did try it I'd definitely choose the Matt option.

And really ... that's all there is to it! Here's the finished result:

AFTER:

And finally ...

... if you've been inspired to give it a go in your own room, or even on a smaller project ... you're welcome to link me up to your version any time.

Visit me here on my blog, on Twitter or on my 'WithJulieKirk' Facebook page and let me see!

Oh and ... importantly ...

 

I thought I was smiling. 

 

I was wrong!

 

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If you've enjoyed this post, or found it useful ... or if you just think the world needs to see my sad little 'why are you making me do this?' face ...

 

... then please pin this tutorial to Pinterest or share it in whichever way you share things!

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Julie x

Overheard: Because it's the 'cake' part that's bad for you

Hi you.

While tidying out my craft room [a task which, at times, has resembled and archaeological dig] I unearthed a sheet of paper, torn from a notebook, containing a few overheards I'd scribbled down on our annual summertime trip to Lincoln last year. And, as we're in a Bank Holiday kind of mood here ... I thought I'd share ... enjoy ...

Because it's the 'cake' part that's bad for you.

Date: 07 July 2013
Location: lunchtime in a tearoom in Lincoln, England.

While we were eating our lunch an elderly man came in, sat down at the table closest to the serving counter, and began browsing the specials board, trying to decide what to order. From the way the lady running the café spoke to him it became clear he was a regular.

A regular whom, on that day at least, had some specific, if not entirely consistent dietary requirements ...

Café lady: We've got a lovely cheesecake if you'd like some?

Elderly chap: It looks lovely but ... I've been told to cut down on my fats and cheeses.

[Do bear this point in mind as you read on ...]

 

Café lady: OK.

Elderly chap seemingly considering something less dairy based: Are jacket potatoes on the menu today?

Café lady: Yes, but I don't know if we've got any of your usual cheese filling left. I can do you a mix of the cheeses we do have though, if you like?

[Well no, he's been told to cut down on fats and cheeses ... so we know how he's going to answer. Don't we?]

Elderly chap: Yes please. [Oh, I guess we don't know then ...]

Café lady looking into the chiller cabinet: Stilton?

Elderly chap: Yes. [And he's not done just yet ...]

And ... any Cheshire?

Or Cheddar?

Café lady:  Yes. I can do you a mix of those.

Elderly chap:  ... and Feta.

Feta would be nice.

[But still no cheesecake. Heaven forbid!]

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Not that I'm in any position to judge the man's weak will when it comes to cheeses. The images I've used in this post today come from a scrapbook page I blogged a few years ago here which told the tale of a very similar cheese-heavy lunch I had with friends. And then ...

... there's the story of the cheese we had to leave out on a window ledge one time. And even, like today, another overheard which involved elderly gentlemen cheese.

I think it's best I stop there. I know it's good to have a blogging niche ... but this is just getting silly...

For other non cheese related overheards you can visit the link page here [the list needs updating though].

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If you think you know someone who'd like my overheard today ... do share / Facebook / Pin/ Tweet etc. There's not nearly enough cheese-themed humour on the internet right now ...

Julie ;-)

My Month in Numbers 2014: April

Hello hello.

When I came to look for this post in my Drafts list I kept skimming past it thinking:

"No, this is the post for the end of April, where's this month's post gone?" ...  followed shortly by "Oh ... yes .. this is the end of April ...".

Which can mean only one thing ... it's time for some monthly memory-keeping-by-numbers.

• If you haven't joined in with your own round-up of the past 4 weeks before then you can find all the details you need to play along with My Month in Numbers here.
• And if you have joined in before - and some of you have kept me company while I count for years now [Happy Monthinnumbersversary Paula!] - then you know the drill by now ...
• Write your post, comment, link me up and I'll be round to yours to chat and pin any day now.

Right ... we might as well get going ... I'm starting with you anyway ...

15 [plus me] = the number of people who hopped on the number train for March's round-up.
From reading all your posts I see we seem to have designated March as the official 'Let's Go Crafting in a Converted Barn' month - lots of creative get-togethers in rural settings happening last month! While the remainder of the time was spent making things, eating, meeting up with friends and having days/nights out. Go March! Go us!

44 miles = the distance travelled to see author/humourist David Sedaris.
It's a funny thing going to watch a writer 'perform' live. Fortunately he didn't just sit there and write in his notebook while we watched! He read excerpts from his diaries, unpublished pieces and read stories from his autobiographical books. Oh and he's very very funny.

I was so excited when he began reading one of my favourite chapters from one of his early books. As satisfying as going to see a band and hearing them strike up the opening chords of the song everyone loves ... a definite 'greatest hits' crowd-pleaser moment for me!

And those 44miles we travelled were ... 

206 miles fewer than the distance we travelled last time!  [ talked about that trip in my 3rd ever Month in Numbers post back in March 2010! I love having my number posts to look back on like that!]

Despite having toured for years this was his first tour of the UK where he visited towns outside of London! In the Q&A after his readings someone asked why he'd never gone elsewhere and he said he just ever imagined he could. I think he was just being humble, implying that it never occurred to him he could fill theatres outside the capital ... and while I have mixed feelings about that [we read books up North too!] ...

... I'm just glad he's now realised that non-Londoners also appreciate him. So much in fact that some of them have travelled 588 miles [there and back] to see him!

0.1 miles / 3 minutes = the distance our hotel was from the venue:
Being able to walk to the theatre was the key reason we chose to stay there:

Fortunately is was a great place to stay for other reasons too - but I chatted more about the fabulous hotel - especially the décor -  here in my 'Zoom In Zoom Out' post earlier in the month.

20m high + a 54m wing span = the size of Angel of the North who we dropped by to visit.
In the '52 Weeks of Photos' project I've been following since last August one of the categories of photo I need to collect is 'With an angel' and so ... as we had to pass a GIGANTIC one on our way to stay in Newcastle ... it would have been silly not to stop by for a quick photo:

We've met before, Gormley's Angel and I ... but it's equally as impressive and wonderful every time. [The same can't be said about my little windswept self though!]

Meanwhile back home ...

My #CreatingSpace work-room redecoration project has so far accrued the following statistics:

• 4m of stripy curtain fabric = my curtains will NOT need all 4m worth. In fact I could almost wrap my entire room with that much fabric but ... it was a spur-or-the-moment purchase, I had no sizes with me, IKEA is miles from home .. .and it was better safe than sorry. Depending on how much is left afterward I might make a bag, or an apron or a dress with it! 
• 1 new chair in black. Black was the only colour I said I didn't want for a chair. But, I saw it and liked it .. .and it matched my stripes!  
• 2 tins of paint [read the full story, complete with tears - mine, not yours, it's not that sad! - here]
• 2 days spent painting [see above!]
• 0 floor space in my spare bedroom where I've dumped everything I've yet to sort out.
• 2 charity bags filled with 'stuff'. [How did it all fit in one tiny room?
• 1 big box of stamps, papers, cards etc which I'm still debating where to send. [Charity / a school / Ebay ... basically anywhere but back in my room!!

2048 = the number I managed to reach on the 2048 game which means ... I WON!!

If you haven't yet played the game [quick, run for your life, do not click the link, you will become addicted.You'll lose days ... don't say I didn't warn you!!!] ...

... then basically the idea is to move the numbered tiles around the board bumping ones of the same value into one another. When you do, they merge into one tile and its number doubles. And all you have to do is keep doubling the values until you reach 2048.

Sounds simple enough. But my goodness you just try it ... [no, don't! I've already warned you!!]

Hundreds = the number of hours I spent seeking that elusive 2048 before I finally won.
I'm not being flippant when I say that it was extraordinarily addictive for me. I'm just so grateful I didn't have to pay to play ...

Oh and if numbers aren't your thing then

• (a) I guess My Month in Numbers really isn't up your street either!
• and (b) go Google for variations of the game ... there's one to suit all tastes! My sister reached the end of the Dr.Who version where to win you have to push two David Tenants together to form a Matt Smith!

And with that not-entirely-unpleasant thought floating in the air around us ... let's raise the cultural levels just a little before we go ...

We celebrated Shakespeare's 450th birthday in a manner befitting the genius that he was ... with felt facial hair:  

To add a Shakespearean twist to one of our usual nibbles / wine / TV evenings I prepared felt facial hair in the style of Will's beardyness and printed out some appropriately food and drink related quotes by the bard himself. Such as:

"Do you think because you are virtuous, that there shall be no more cakes and ale?" Twelfth Night: Act 2, Scene 3.

And "O thou invisible spirit of wine! If thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee devil!" Othello: Act 2, Scene 3

BTW: Did you like how I aged the photos. For authenticity. So they looked like original snapshots from Elizabethan England... ? ;-)

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Right enough of me! Over to you. Comments are welcome whether or not you're joining in with your own numbers. I wish Shakespeare had said something about blog commenting ... I'd have deferred to his greatness here ... but he did say something about goodbyes ... so allow me to paraphrase ...

Parting is such sweet sorrow that I’ll say good night until April becomes May ...

Romeo & Juliet [and Julie] Act 2, Scene 2.

See you soon.

Julie x

'Creating Space' (OR: redecorating because I could no longer move for 'stuff'!]

Hello again.

Continuing the 'it's-spring-and-it's-about-time-I-got-motivated' theme [which I started earlier this month with my 'Get Up and Mow!' post] ... I've been re-thinking and redecorating my craft room / office.

Although ... seriously ... I don't really feel 'grown-up' enough to call it an office. It sounds so ... well, so 'official'. Mature. 'Proper'.

And that's actually part of the problem I'm trying to address with this redecoration project.

Yes, the walls needed a new lick of paint, the floor a steam clean and the cupboards a de-stash. But, to be honest, my head needed a spot of clearing out too.

When we first decorated the room I had a full time job in Education and crafting was just a hobby; a decade later my situation is completely reversed ... and it was about time my room reflected that.

And so ...

... I've begun the mammoth task of sifting and sorting; of debating and donating; of prioritising and, eventually, prettifying. And, along the way I've been taking photos and sharing them on my Facebook page - but I thought I'd share the on-going story with you here too.

Anyway ... here's a look at the first 7 days of my #CreatingSpace project [not necessarily consecutive days ... I've been fitting it all in around actually continuing to (try to) work in there! 

DAY 1: The most vital part of any project!!

Just begin! Do something!!!! Anything!! ... so I dragged everything out of one cupboard ... and threw a lot of old paperwork into the recycling.

 

If you saw the photo I posted on my Facebook page today - of the gigantic tag which came attached to my new coat - you'll know I have a thing for clothing tags. And here's further proof of that ... the collection I've amassed for 'future' projects ...

[Anyone know exactly when the future's due to arrive?]

DAY 2:

All those 'blank' items need to live together ... for when inspiration strikes!

 

DAY 3: Indicative phrase: "I didn't know that was in there!"

Earlier in the day I made the happy re-discovery of a packet containing these handmade ceramic beads and buttons which I'd bought from the Harding House gallery in Lincoln one summer holiday ... and clearly forgotten all about! It was a very welcome reunion and then later in the day ...

 

... I found this entirely random selection of items ... lurking ...

In case it's not patently obvious these are: 2 goodness-knows-how-old-they-are toffees, a glow-in-the-dark shooting star and ... a photo, printed using my PoGo printer, of some bottles of antacid sitting on top of a freezer full of pizzas in Aldi.

You may well ask why I have this. I may well not entirely be able to answer ...

 DAY 4:

Now all the bubble envelopes I need for my Etsy shop orders can live directly above the shelf  containing the products. Makes sense really ... especially when I'm trying to get 'serious' and streamlined.

DAY 5: The cavalry arrives ...

James spent his entire Easter break [except for Sunday ... hey, I'm not that demanding] helping a very stressy woman to:

1. empty an over-stuffed room ... then ...
2. analyse every shelf unit on the IKEA website seeking out a better storage configuration than the one we already own [FYI: there wasn't one!] and ...
3. paint the walls with the paint she chose [FYI: 'Grey Hints']

And as if he hadn't already been patient and marvellous enough ... 

 DAY 6: Think: Groundhog Day for decorators ...

On Saturday morning, the day after we painted the room I went in to see how it had dried ... and my heart sank.

It just was NOT the colour it looked like in the tin. It was much colder and more lilac than anything called 'Grey Hints' had any right to be.

So I left the room, wondering if I could just live with it.

"What have you done?" asked James and full of suspicion [clearly I must have had the same body-language as when I've managed to hurt myself in a freakish clumsy incident or when I've broken something ... ]

"Nothing" I replied.

[Insert here a long drawn-out conversation where I deny everything and he simply doesn't believe me ... and then I eventually confess we wasted an entire afternoon ... and then I cry a bit.]

I say I could try to live with it and then this happens:

"Do you LIKE it?" he asks. I shake my head.

"Do you WANT TO like it?". I nod. [BTW: Isn't that the best question? I might have put up with second best if he hadn't put it like that!]

"Get ready." he says, like a parent says to a child who won't get ready for school. "We're going to get some more paint".

 And finally for now ...

DAY 7:
Almost without planning I've reverted to team colours with the room décor . Team Zebra that is ... and the green and blue accents around the place have now been replaced with black and white. Including the paper-covered boiler-cupboard doors:

I might do a separate blog post about the doors [the cupboard doors that is; not the rock band from the 60s] ... so if you're interested in them ... I'll show you more later.

But in short [who said 'too late'?] I've made a pretty decent start at #Creating Space, in my room, and in my head since I started this project. I'm hopeful it's going to mark a fresh beginning for me and for just the hand-picked, important, useful and useable 'stuff' I decide to allow back in!!!

Just promise me you won't go and look in my spare bedroom for a few weeks ... where everything that I've tipped out of my 'office' has been dumped on to every available surface ...

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I've already heard from some of you about how you're planning to redecorate / redesign your creative spaces too so, as always, feel free to link me up or share your tales on the subject with me. 

And if you're already the proud owner of a welcoming workspace ... what was your secret to getting things 'just right' for you?

Julie x