.........Summer House Studio Space!

Hi!

At the beginning of last year we decided we would make the grown up decision to turn our front reception room (then being used as a rarely used arts and crafts room) into an actually usable reception room aka the new lounge. 

Of course I didn't want to get rid of the craft space completely so we decided to build a summer house studio at the end of the garden. It always looked very bare down there and we thought it would add some interest to the garden. 

Here's how it went...

The pieces of the summer house were made from untreated solid wood so we decided to use our festival trading marquee to protect it all during the build. 

The base is down.

Its actually starting to look like a building!

The paint goes on to protect the wood.

Ta dah! All finished and weather tight. Complete with different coloured door and windows to our original plan as we chose maroon at first but then worked out that it would look like a certain football team's colours from a City not too far away. Ha ha!

Toby enjoying the new room.

Finally have a purpose for this amazing log that Tom found in our log pile a few years ago. The perfect doorstop. So amazing to have that shape naturally!

As always happens when you have an empty space in your house the summer house quickly got filled up and unfortunately was left like that for a few months. Just before Christmas we decided it was time to finish it off properly and invest in all the wiring etc to give it the last thing needed to make it come alive - power! It took a few dark cold nights with torches to get it all set up but now it's all finished and is so cosy and snug I didn't want to go back in the house!

For the past 8 years or so I have been avid textile artist dabbling in weaving, feltmaking, knitting, crocheting and hand and machine embroidery. That many subjects involves a fair bit of equipment so the summer house was a perfect size for a studio. It also gives Tom a space to use when he's doing his silver clay jewellery making and painting.  

We have light!

One of my prize posessions - a handmade table top weaving loom which was made by a female weaver in the 1950s.

While sorting out all my things I found I had three almost identical old typewriters! Once I know which  one works and which one I can get ribbon for then I can hopefully whittle it down to one and sell the rest.

My fave recent purchase all the way from Bruges Flea Market. Old  metal bicycle tax discs. 

Here's to a year full of crafty goodness in 2013!