New studio and new projects

 Hi guys! Since my daughter moved out, I have decided to turn her room into my new studio. I had space down in the workshop that I had planned to redo, but I hate being down there for longer than it takes to run something through the scroll saw! It is too removed. I thought I was going to repaint her room white, but then I remembered..oh yeah..I really don't LIKE white walls! I like them when I see them in a magazine, but they are so not me. I remember when she picked this color for her room I was a bit dubious, but it really is cheery and energizing..and I need all the help I can get!

 So I have begun dragging all my boxes of stuff from rooms and closets and my poor dining room where I had been doing most of my work up to the new space. I plan to leave the bed for when kids come for a visit. My box pile is actually deeper than this now..lol. I have sorted through them and made piles of categories of boxes of "stuff"..vintage papers, metal, fabric, altered art bits..wow..I have a LOT of stuff!

 The closet is my new sewing area. I have 2 tables..one enamel top kitchen table and a mission oak era desk of Ed's gramma's as work space...an art deco bar holding some of my fabrics, vintage suitcases for vintage papers. I have 2 huge cabinets to drag up there yet too. My "infra structure" is all vintage and antique pieces that are either family pieces, left overs from my booth that wouldn't "move" or pieces like the art deco bar that used to hold my clothes and undies in my bedroom for years! The sewing desk is one I painted years ago and my daughter used as a desk..now mine again.  think I paid $20 for that and the chair once upon a time! It is pretty messy up there right now and I have told my husband it is going to get worse before it gets better! He bought me a small TV for my BDay to put in here. It really helps get me up there in the morning knowing I can have my favorite programs keeping me company in the background.

 I have had some requests for sold items in my Etsy shop so that is what I have been working on lately. I had a request for my clockface ornaments, so I filled the order and made more to list.

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 I can never make a couple of anything..I have to make a dozen..or 3..or 4..lol.

 I make these with layered images of antique clock faces from my own collection. I need to display the actual faces in my new studio!

 Sorting through my fabrics, I ran across some old feedsacks and lots of vintage fabric so I have been making a few pillows. This one sold 2 hours after I listed it!

 This is a tall one. I like this one because Aberdeen is 40 miles from my hometown of Redfield, SD. Some of these have such fun graphics!

 This I made from a vintage wheeled cart frame I had and a vintage cement sack from Chattanooga/ Signal Mountain TN..just down the road a bit from where we live now. The sides are Waverly checked fabric. Cool for a laundry room or to wrangle toys.

 I had a gallery shop in Louisiana approach me about making some of my religious themed tart tin ornaments for her store...so I did..plus some more of the ones I sold out of last year.

 I make these with vintage tart tins and vintage and antique lighting pieces.

I add images of antique prayer cards from my collection, German glass glitter, and vintage and antique crystal chandelier prisms from my stash. I always look for those when I am out at an estate sale! So..that is a bit of what I've been up to lately...more to come! Stop back and see me again! Julia

Empty Nest

 For the last 6 years, I have taken care of my Grandbaby Hunter while his mom was in school, in college, at work. They lived at home with us. When he was born I closed my antique mall of 10 years to stay home with him. I had taken my son Jack to work with me every day from 3 days old to when he started school, Jack had just started kindergarten when Hunter was born. I was burned out of 7 days a week for 10 years and decided it was time for a change. I closed and went online and helped raise Hunter. He was my daily "helper"

 When he saw me taking pictures for my Etsy shops and EBay, he'd come over and say, "Me Nina! Me!" So I have tons of pics of him.

 Sporting cookie face..because Nina's let you have cookies for breakfast..

Helping me with my outdoor shots..

 He loved to help me paint my makeovers..so much I'd try to sneak and do it when he was napping..shame on me!

 He loved to help me edit photos and we would have to edit his pics in Picasa too.

 My blog photo assistant..

 The last 2 years he went to pre school 2 days a week which helped both him and me as we both knew that eventually, he'd be moving and it helped us ease into it a bit. His momma graduated from college and started grad school in August. They moved out and now are 40 miles away instead of underfoot and bossing me around.."Nina! I. need. coffee!" (chocolate milk) He is now in kindergarten and happy and doing great.

His momma is engaged to a great guy who adores both of them and Hunter loooves Shane. While I am not totally home alone, as we still have our 12 yr old son Jack, things have definitely changed around here! I suddenly went from having Alexa to talk to about "girl topics" to living with 2 guys and being the only "girl". SyFy and ESPN channels have taken over! I miss my little man like crazy, but I am glad that he has flourished  and is so happy and healthy and loved. I do sneak up to see him if it gets much over a 10 day-2 week span without some Hunter snuggles!

 So on I go..my days have changed but I seem to have a new assistant...

Daisy has now moved up the ladder to fill the position. She edges in while I am taking photos.."Me! Me!"I am in the process of taking over my daughter's bedroom as a studio (my downstairs space was too removed and I hated it down there!) and I will be sharing pics soon. 'Til next time! Julia