The Painted Squirrel: Where the Magic Happens!

The holidays are done, the guests are gone and I have finally managed to clean out my studio! I'm still working on the holiday waiting list (Yep, a waiting list, how great is that? :)) but I thought I'd show you where I work. We are lucky that the house we live in came with a "hobby room", complete with ventilation fans and located right next to the laundry room where the deep sink is located. It's a total mish mash of furniture and supplies, but for me I like the organized chaos better than a properly designed room where everything matches and supplies are hidden from view.

I was told by a friend who collects art that generally it is better not to use any color but white on the walls in a studio because other colors can reflect on the paint you use for projects and change the look of them - but I wasn't sure I could live with white walls. After seeing a similar treatment at a home tour in Maryland, I decided to do the walls white, but make a stencil and try to make it look more like wallpaper. Then, because I live in a house full of boys, I painted the ceiling bubble gum pink! It's worked great because none of the boys like to be in my "girly" room and I love it!

I keep leftover paint behind the pink curtains on the right

My Ooh Rah wall. That's my Dad in the middle and bottom row center. The Marine to the right of the large center photo is my nephew, Thomas and bottom right is me.

Storage for all of those little bits and pieces crafters use!

I just used a plain metal curtain rod and glued on some of the bazillion buttons and beads to decorate it.

I hosted a dinner years ago for my design group. Inspired by the ladies below, I made each designer their own place holder out of roofing tin for the table with their company on it.