New house……new life!

FINALLY………..getting a little bit of studio time after my move - and a moment to update my long-neglected blog!
The new house was an awful mess when I moved in - there was still a lot of the previous owners junk here and the place was very filthy - as if it hadn't been cleaned for about ten years. Well, I love a good challenge and a few days of scrubbing with the help of friends and the place was in a state where I could bear to stay here. And the unbearable smell has diminished to undetectability with cleanliness, air, sunshine and painting. (I don't think the curtains or windows had been opened in years) Just to give you an idea, here are some of the clean-up pics:

As you can see, there were some very interesting and downright dangerous diy electrical and plumbing solutions in place!

Here are a few pictures of the house as it is now - still plenty to do, but cleaned up, comfortable and liveable - I'm just chipping away at what needs doing as I have the time and energy. I've given myself a year and a half to get it how I really want it - inside and out.

Here's my "inside studio" (spare bedroom)

…..and the separate backyard bungalow that will become my "outside studio"

In between all the house and garden refurbishing, I have made time to get back into the studio and producing work again after the enforced hiatus:

I'm looking forward now, to being able to take it a little easier than I have for the last few frenetic months and settle back into my normal routines.

It Had To Happen................

When you are a dollmaker, people, with the best of intentions, give you stuff.............their dog clippings, pieces of fabric they don't want, the lumpy stuffing out of old cushions etc. Don't get me wrong - I am very appreciative and sometimes the stuff is priceless. But it does tend to accumulate and storage space runs out. Also dollmakers need an incredible variety of stuff on hand - a list like you wouldn't believe. I am quite bad at throwing things out, but there comes a point, creative clutter notwithstanding that A STAND HAS TO BE MADE and a big cleanout is called for. I have reached that stage in my studio, drowning as I was in a sea of mess and disorder like this:

and this:

and this:

and this:

It got to the point that I was losing things in the mess and disarray and it was affecting my ability to work.
So, to start 2011, I have begun the mammoth task of throwing out useless, unwanted, old stuff and trying to organize my supplies a little. I'm being ruthless - anything I haven't used in the last 5 years is going; all those jars of forgotten and un-nameable substances are going; all those out-of-date things are going and all those ugly fabrics I will NEVER use are going. All those doll starts that are never going to be finished are GOING....GOING........GONE. As  result, I'm finding all kinds of things I had thought lost forever and I'm getting that pleasant feeling that comes after a purge. This cupboard was previously crammed with junk.......look at it now! It is tidy, I can see what is in there and there is even spare space. I know better than to try and do this all in one go - I'm doing a small section at a time, but it is amazing how quickly order is established! There - I've revealed my dirty little secret - I feel better! Now, if I can just get my husband to build me some more shelves.....................