The Workspace

Well, I've been busy. :)

The semester has started off quite well, and I feel way more into my work this time around than I was last semester. So, of course that's good. Also, my workstation seems to..."show" it more this time around.

Don't know what I mean? Check it out.

This would be a part of my desk. We're each given a workstation that we'll use all semester. It's only ours (as in no other class comes in) so we're encouraged to make it "homey".

Each station has a metal "desk" and a "rack". This is my happy little corner. I had my eye on this station last semester, but a classmate nabbed it before I could. It's a bit secluded, which is sometimes sad but mostly nice (it keeps me focused) and is in the corner of the classroom that opens out to the balcony. The door is literally in my space, to the left there where the quality of the picture turns fuzzy.

There are more than a few "key" things to look at here, things I'm quite proud of.

First of all, the projects.

The tree in the back, I regret to say was not an original idea, but I love it just the same. The idea comes from Apartment Therapy / Re-Nest, and can be found here. I'd much prefer my tree (and other decor elements) to extend farther up on the wall, but being only 5', I thought against it... But thanks Re-Nest for the brilliant idea! I've gotten more than a few compliments on my tree, everyone asking how I did it. So super simple, other than the leaves it's nothing but yarn and push pins. :)

The leaves, though, were my own idea. They act as something of a calendar, marking the days of the month and soon (when March finally shows up) each leaf that represents a date that a project is due will have a flower-shaped paper clip attached to mark upcoming events. Cute, I know.

I should have taken a better photo of it, but if you look closely there's a little box on the metal desk, green with a blue top. Yep, another hand-made accent. This one's idea was found at Life As Lou. I fell in love with the idea as soon as I saw it. It's a rather simple project, but the results are absolutely adorable. I definitely recommend it for all ages.

The rest was more of my ideas and creations. I covered old pink bulletin boards with green printed contact paper so it would better match, and strung leftover brown yarn through the "rungs" (I guess you would call them) of the rack to make more room to hang important papers and assignment sheets. I can't stand the clutter and this way every piece or specific stack is easy to get to and see all at once.

Also...there were a few more..cute touches to my studio. Have some pictures. :)

A little bee, guarding the yarn hung on the rack. There's another of those little buggers buzzing around somewhere in the pics above. See if you can find him!

Also, meet Rufus. He was introduced to my studio decor last semester, and while I changed up my ideas for decoration and personalization this year - he seemed to fit in seamlessly without me giving it much thought.

But, a workstation is not a workstation without Rufus! Someone has to keep me (and the rest of the studio) in line!

But I'm sure you've got to be wondering by now: if I have all this time to decorate my studio, where's all the schoolwork? Well, worry-not readers! Just last night I completed my most recent assignment: a name tag. Odd, right? I thought so too. But this week we're being visited by the one and only Judy Betts for a four-day water-color workshop, and of course she should be able to easily read our names. And so the assignment was born.

I'm rather proud of how mine came out. My strategy was...non-existent and it was difficult to brainstorm ideas in the middle of hobby lobby with a rumbling belly, the promise of Joe's Crab Shack (YUM!), and the persistent pelting of a foam sword that Mason found. But, I managed, buzzing through the store and picking up things here and there with only a loose idea of what I wanted to do.

The result?

And before your face scrunches, I promise the rest is readable. I just don't need any stalkers! I've got enough stress! :P Anywho. The name tag was supposed to be readable and express ourselves a bit while also being creative. (I am getting graded on it, too. Couldn't get by with a "Hello, my name is ____" ripoff.

This name tag took approximately three hours (I know, right!?) and a lot of love. The actual tag is felt (a bright green and a light tan paisley-ish pattern) The "frame" of the tag was cut to overlap the green tag, and sewed together. (Don't look too close, I've never sewn anything before in my life. But it holds together, and that was the goal...) The flowers are attached with leather cord, tied both through the centers of the flowers and behind the tag itself. The bee and his little perch are held on by the metal wires the bees came on, and there is a safety pin sewn on to the back. (I must say, for never sewing anything - I did a pretty good job of hiding that stitching underneath the frame. :P Go me)

All in all, the name tag ended up an entirely glue-free project. Which is always a win in my book.

Stay tuned, though, because Mason and I have hatched a devious plan for new wall decor. Here's a very ambiguous sneak-peek.

Happy crafting!

~Ashi