Studio Tour >>>


 This is my special place to create.  I recently remodeled the whole room with some of my parents furniture, and hundreds of little trinkets that belonged to my parents that I have been holding onto.  It feels so wonderful to be completely surrounded by these things while I work each day.  It brings me constant little reminders of their love.  There are moments it makes me sad, but more often then not, it brings a sense of comfort.  I could spend hours telling you the story behind each little thing in this room... I could not have formed a more perfect little sanctuary to spend my days in.  I just wish my mom could see it.  She would be so delighted.  The AMAZING cubby shelf my dad built a long time ago.  Im so honored to have it in my home now.  I love love love my studio!

You can view all of the photos in my flickr set here also.

 PEACE,
 Laura

A peek into my studio makeover...

Yesterday was the day that we moved over furniture from my parents house for my jewelry studio makeover. Today we got the shelves hung, and I spent close to 12 hours decorating and putting the room back together. Im not 100% finished, but Im pooped and had to stop for the evening. A girl does need to eat and shower, sometimes... It is looking more amazing than I could have imagined in my head.  Everything fit exactly where I wanted it to go.  (I organized it in my mind before we brought everything over).  I have had boxes of my mom's little trinket-y things packed in my garage b/c I did not have the proper place to put them... now every little button and stone has a home.  I think it is going to be magical having a whole wall shelf of her 'special' things in front of me while I work everyday.  The only problem, now that I moved so much other stuff in the room, Im having a hard time getting all of my important jewelry making supplies back in a functioning place.  It is going to be a bit of a challenge to get it just right.  But Ill make it work, I always do!  Here are just a few sneak peeks into the room.  Ill take real photos when it is all done.  

I even started off the morning in the room with my breakfast and the laptop :)
I now have an official shipping station!!!  It is grand!  I did my first shipping from it today and it was the best experience (as much fun as shipping really can be)... Its sort of the dreaded part of the job, but such a major part of it... So Im pleased to have a space designated for it, with plenty of space, and easy storage to put everything away when Im done.
James mom gave me a whole bag of very old little bottles.  I love them, and I was excited to find this little wooden display box among my mom's sewing room, its perfect for them!  I use old tin cupcake tins for some of my jewelry supplies.  I usually have them spread out, but now I have to stack them...
When you finally see this shelf you will understand how truly amazing it is.  My dad built it, and its like a puzzle, a true work of art.  And its filled to the brim with odds and ends from their life.  This little brown cup came back with my mom from France.
I found old photos of my mom, and one of my dad standing next to his brother and sister, and I put those right in front of me on the shelf.  The cute pic of my mom (on the right) she was standing next to their sign on top of the driveway to their property, so Im assuming its one of those 'look its our new road sign' photos of when they first moved out here.
My mom loved the doll Poor Pitiful Pearl.  I remember her telling me about her when I was younger.  My mom had a love for the tattered, broken souls of this world.  She was like a mother (in a good way) to anyone she knew.  Here is also a tin full of her mother of pearl buttons, a stone that she held as she was dying, and a crystal my aunt gave me soon after.  Very special things.
More little trinkets, feathers, old milk glass, wooden nickel, old stamp. 
I love little vintage sewing machine.  And her wine cork collection.  I think she was planning on making something with them someday...
Just a few of my old mason jars filled with beads and buttons.  And the corner of my Roots and Feathers storage board.
A corner of the wall decorated with things that remind me of my mom, including a hand written note from her...
James brought me home the other day these amazing old cigar boxes from the 50's.  I love love love them.  They were in his dad's storage.  Im now using them to store my business cards.
And I got Bella's paw print of approval.  Which is very important around here :)

I cant wait to get some real photos of it all set up!  Its nothing compared to actually being in the room, especially with some good tunes playing in the background...  And I couldnt have done any of this without the amazing help of James and his two friends Joey and Dominic, those guys were life savors through this!

You may have also noticed some changes to the blog over this past week.  Im in the midst of re-vamping it as I can.  I dont have time to sit down and do it all at once, so it will be a slow progression.  And dont be surprised if you see it change several times, Im known for deciding I dont like something a few days later.  Ill eventually get it just right. 

PEACE,
Laura

The Sewing Bug...

Yesterday I got to break in my sewing room.  I enjoyed it so much I sewed all day long.  And even sewed up some things for my own summer wardrobe, which I never ever do.  Im thrilled b/c Ive had the shopping bug lately in the worst way and its been sooooo hard to contain myself.  So this satisfied it a bit :)

Here is a few snaps into my room and projects.  Still working on photos for the home tour, eeek!  Ill probably do it in segments, by room.  ...My nanna gave me these velvet swatches... they are vintage and completely inspiring in color and texture.  Its like they used all of my favorite colors in each swatch.  And Ive always been in love with velvet.  Ive been enjoying incorporating them into my designs here and there.  And they are so pretty just to look at and touch.


This sewing room makes me one happy girl.  I cant wait to start busting out some new digs for the shop!  Oh my Im inspired right now.  The hardest part about being inspired is having all of the 'right' pieces at my finger tips.  I have alot of stuff, but my mind is always dreaming of something just out of reach.  But it always comes together in the end after a bit of digging and pondering.

PEACE,
Laura

Craft Space Makeover

Since I am in such a change/organization mood, yesterday I also re-vamped my jewelry creating space.  I wish I would have taken a before photo, b/c its hard to tell how much better it really is.  This space is literally about 4' x 6' big.  The desk sits behind our couch in the living room and there is just enough room to squeeze behind it and sit in the chair.  And I have ALOT of beads and such, so it is quite hard to keep it clean and orderly.  So making this space fresh always makes me feel really good.  I have 3 big orders I will working on over the next few weeks, so this is very inspiring!


If I had more room to play with it would be totally different.  I cant wait to have enough space to spread all of this stuff out!  I love organizing my beads in old rusty cupcake tins and old jars.  The jars of buttons are a mixture of my moms collections, ones I have gotten from aunts and even friends from online (Jamie, thank you).  I love collecting old buttons.  The big box of antique pearl buttons were my mothers.  They are more for keep, I use one every now and then if a project calls for something special.  Im very selective when I use these ones.

Im excited to have made room to put up a little photo or two of my mom to look at while I create.  It warms my heart.  And there is even room for my coffee cup and chapstick, if that tells you anything of how crowded it was before!

Today we are going to have a mini date in Boerne and walk around to see their christmas craft fair.  My friend Nikki will be there selling her adorable baby leg warmers, Im excited! 

I added two new poems to Roots & Feathers.  They were actually written several weeks ago.  Funny how emotions change, one of them, I dont even feel that way anymore.  I love how poetry can capture just one little glimpse of a life.  And then the world turns and things change.  That is the nature of it.

PEACE,
Laura