Studio Love

The Studio..my studio

My haven, my escape, my dreamland, my vision spa.

Aaah I waited so long for this space. I never knew where it would be or how it would look, but, someday, I knew it would exist. My art supplies, sewing items, crafting tools, scrapbooking papers, stickers and embellishments all used to be crammed into boxes and tubs in one of the closets in our house. At this time, I can’t even envision how they all fit and where they all fit. There were years when it was just simply too daunting to work on any little project. The whole procedure of pulling out what I needed, setting it up and beginning to work was overshadowed by the fact that it all had to be put back away afterwards. We have a small homestead. I wouldn’t have it any other way, but when the girls lived at home the space was maxed out with the four of us. There wasn’t any extra space to use as a creative “work-in-progress” area.

I wouldn’t say I’m an artist. I’m a creative. I have a creative soul and I have my parents to thank for that – they truly get all the credit here. They are the artists! But, I love to create things.

Whether it’s dried flower and herb wreaths, paintings, holiday ornaments, small quilts, scrapbook pages, custom greeting cards, handmade books, collages, potpourri, soap, etc. Anything really is fair game. I love working with handmade items and also digitally created designs and mixing both media together.

So, here it is – my studio.

We converted half of our garage into this creative zone. Of course, it’s a work in progress. We’ve spent minimal money so far and slowly but surely it will be complete. Up to now, we’ve added a window, put in shelving along one side, re-built the doors, re-roofed the whole garage, acquired extra furniture from friends (including a tv cabinet, sterno crackle fireplace, orange suede lounge chair, desk, drawing table, etc.) and until recently we had covered the ceiling in fabric. This created a sort of “artsy” feeling in the space which also helped reduce draft and dust.

It is this last statement that I would like to expand upon here. See, while my fabric covered ceiling turned out pretty cool – I was quite pleased with myself actually – it also turned out to be the perfect environment for creating a RAT APARTMENT COMPLEX! My long strips of sparkly fabric stapled to the ceiling draped just enough to give a herd of rats the perfect space for creating a party pad.

I’ve been complaining for months that I’ve seen random rat droppings in the studio. We’ve attempted to seal all open cracks around the building. We’ve also plugged in those buzzing noise makers that supposedly only the rats could hear and they wouldn’t like them and so they’d move away. Pops moved the bird seed he had been keeping stored in his side of the garage to remove any food temptation. Basically, we had done all we could think of – even spraying some all-natural stuff that rats shouldn’t like around the space. But still, every time I would go in to play, there would be a few droppings here and there.

Then, one day, while I was out there making a birthday card for a friend, and while Bubba was snoozing in his favorite chair, and while essential oils are scenting the air, and while music is playing softly creating a perfect, serene, creative moment, I see something move in the corner of my eye. I look up and…

a rat is waving at me

his paw sticking through a seam in the fabric. It’s as if he’s completely taunting me!!! I, of course, screamed loud enough to be heard in the next 3 states. Bubba who couldn’t be bothered to move stayed in his chair while I ran into the house to get Pops. Pops came out and I showed him the rat – the one that is still lounging there in the fabric. We can actually see it’s heart beating.

Pops makes the call that we should pull the fabric down as maybe they’ve created a nest up there. Of course, I don’t want to hear this. This is my fabric ceiling! But finally he convinces me and I realize he could be right. He proceeds to start pulling on the first sheet of fabric. Use your imagination here, think about rain and then change the raindrops to mousedrops!!!! Those few droppings I had been seeing were nothing compared to what fell from the ceiling that day…it was horrifying and disgusting!!

Can you say “hours of cleanup here!”?

Now, it has been a few weeks since this incident, and I have found zero droppings since then, so, I can speak of this trauma. The ceiling is much less-cool now and I’m sure there will be a bit of a draft this winter, but I’m more than willing to light the crackle fireplace, put on an extra sweater and create away knowing that the rat den is gone and I will no longer be taunted.

Looking forward to sharing more inspirations from the studio with you soon – more less disgusting stories I hope.

~Lita