Got my table today!

Just got back from another trip to Ikea where we bought a table for my classes. Rick is going to work on the lights this weekend, while I finish building the last 3 shelf units. I wanted to put some cabinets in for a refreshment area, and some more for a work table, but we saw some alternative ideas at Ikea. We're not going to get anything else now cause I've got everything I need to get my classes going again (oh, still need chairs). Rick thinks the other items can be birthday & anniversary gifts. All I want right now is for him to finish the lights and painting so I can start filling those shelves!

Ooooops!!!

Did you ever rush to get a mess cleaned up, and ended up making a new mess 3x the size? Hello! Just did it! Rick wanted the garbage out because it was starting to smell, but I can't stand throwing out half empty garbage bags (we have to use special bags in my town that cost $.50 each!). I decided to grab all the styrofoam packing from the shelves, plus empty paint cans, rollers, etc. The roller I used 2 days ago was soooo stuck on the handle that I asked Rick to help me get it off. Luckily (and I mean luckily!), he said "let's do this outside". Good thinking Rick! So, he pulled, and pulled, and not only did the roller pop off, but there was tons of wet paint inside that spurted big gobs of light turquois paint on my paver stone walkway! I had to laugh, but how to clean it up? I grabbed some paper towels to get most of it off, but it also smeared. Rick told me to use the sponge mop. Haha! OK, so I did. Now, we have wet, watered-down light turquoise paint that is in the grout and seeping under the ice! I have a bathroom right inside the front door, so I kept running in & out rinsing the mop and trying to get the paint off. Now, there's a new mess inside! My neighbors must've thought I was nuts! I think I got it all, but we'll see when it dries and the ice melts.

Drawers

Rick couldn't help me today because he got called out on an emergency job. He does industrial electrical work--mostly pump stations for the water companies in the tri-state area, so when they're down, he's gotta run or people have no water! We've got a huge storm going over us right now--ice, rain & slush!--so he's probably going to be running around in it all day. My poor baby!

I put together the remaining smaller units today. I've got two more of the big ones, but I'm gonna wait until Rick's here cause I needed his help with the others. Those big guys are definitely a two-person job!

I had lots of boxes left, so I opened one to check it out. Drawers ... I almost forgot! I ordered 3 different types of drawers ... 5 deep, 8 shallow, and 3 glass (don't ask me where I came up with these numbers!). The first one went together pretty easy, and pretty soon, I was on a roll! I installed two of them into one of the shelf units to see how they looked, and I love 'em!

Since I can't put these units in their permanent homes yet, I just laid the rest of the drawers on shelves of the finished units until I see where I want to put them.

I really wish I could just move these to where I want them and start filling them up, but I gotta wait for Rick to finish wiring the lights. Maybe I'll do the 2nd coat of paint today to get that done while I'm waiting for him.

Painting & Building Shelves

I built my first shelf unit! These Besta units from Ikea only come in certain heights, so in some places I had to order a 48" unit that would get a 24" unit on top. This is one of the top pieces. Unfortunately, this is one of the units I can't put into a permanent spot yet because that's where Rick needs to work to finish hooking up the lights. When the delivery men came, they just stacked up all the boxes, and since I have to get everything built anyway, I just started with the top box.


Rick came home and informed me that's he's got lots of work this week, so he wouldn't be able to do any work in the basement. About an hour later he came down and started taping and preparing to paint. Lucky me! He finished the work he had to get done and decided to get some paint on the walls.

It was nice having him down there with me while I was building shelves, but he's so used to having a helper work with him, it's easy for him to ask me to do something for him every 20 minutes or so--"can you tape that for me?" "Oh! Wipe up that drip!" "rinse that paint brush out" "lay some paper down here" "do you have a knife?" "maybe you can reach this" "where'd I put my glasses?" and so on, and so on. Of course, I had to jump for him! My mama didn't raise a fool ... I want this work done!

Rick also kept reminding me how much he HATES to paint. He'd also say things like "ya know, when this can is empty, I'm done here." Luckily, we had enough in the first can to completely finish the first coat.

This area here next to the stairs is where I'm going to set up my little refreshment area. The wall is slanted because the stairs continue up into the rest of the house, so I'm going to install a couple of cabinets with a counter top and a small refrigerator that I purchased when another LSS went out of business.

This is one of the tallest units. I purchased four of them to go along this wall. I had 3" clearance to the drop ceiling, and Rick was amazed that we stood it upright without hitting the drop ceiling! Ha! He thought, for sure, I wasted all that money on shelves that wouldn't fit! I love it when I'm right!

I got two of these built, and three of the short units. Still got lots more to build, plus I need to drive to Ikea to pick up the last unit that was on backorder. Time to get to work!

Scary Pictures

OK, so before you view the following pics, I have to warn you that these are quite graphic! It's a scary world I live in! Rick says I have more stuff than Michaeels! Maybe, but I'm sure there are lots of other crafters out there with lots more stuff than me ...

So, this is my main stuff right here ... my bread & butter. All my Stampin' Up! stamps, cardstock, inks. I also have a Cricut there, a new big screen TV for the basement that I won at my last crop, and a small portion of my tote bag collection. (Someone please stop me with those!)
Oh, the plastic drawers! I have mixed feelings about these. I can't wait to get rid of them, but they've served me well over the years. It's not easy finding shallow drawers for the little stuff like embossing powders, adhesives, markers, sissors, etc. I may have to keep a couple.

I've been trying to sort through this pile, but I just seem to keep moving it around into different piles. lol That white piece of furniture is my new die cutting station I snagged off Joann.com when it was on sale. I had to assemble it (lots and lots of pieces!), but it was a labor of love. Now, I have drawers for all my dies, and the shelves are meant for 12x12 paper, but I use them to store my Sizzlit strip dies & alphabets. Right now, I'm just storing stuff on top, but it's going to be the permanent home for my Big Shot & Vagabond.

These wooden shelves house all my Ranger stuff, chipboard, machines like my Bind it All, Circle Cutters, Craft Drill, Paper Distresser, Laminator, etc. I wish I had a better system for all my ribbons though. I've got some ideas in my head to design something ... I just need someone to build it for me! I'd probably make a million bucks!

So, that was my family room. Now, we move into my sun porch (which construction had to hold off on that because I needed more storage room for the rest of my stuff, plus family items). There's my 12x12 paper storage rack I snagged when a LSS went out of business, my cabinet with all my polymer clay stuff, and boxes filled with stuff I can't wait to go through.

Here are a couple of bins full of retired SU cardstock & designer series papers that I need to sell. I've also got my Scrap Rack that's full of stuff that I can't remember. More tote bags and my acrylic paint rack.

All finally, these skis are buried behind boxes of finished projects and more goodies I forgot I owned. At least two boxes are filled with craft books ... I love my craft books, and I really wish I could get rid of them cause I got waaaaaay too many! At least 20 just on rubber stamping ... another 20 on scrapbooking ... maybe 12-15 on jewelry making ... 10 or so on stained glass, and about another 10 or so on mosaics. You should've seen all the ones I got rid of when I had to move them up here! Please, someone stop me ... someone!

My shelves are here!

Look what the Ikea delivery men brought me ... 88 pieces! Now, to put them all together! I told Rick to power up that Dewalt drill for me ... I've got 8 shelf units to build! How long do you think it'll take me? Stay tuned ...

My Blank Canvas

It's actually happening! After years of promises of getting the basement refinished so I can have an actual classroom/craftroom, I can finally say my day is here!

Waterproofing--done; sheetrock--done; primer on sheetrock--done; ceramic tile in laundry area--done; drop ceiling--done; linoleum flooring--done; lights ... well, let's just say they're all up and in the ceiling. Half the room is wired. There's no actual light switch yet, so I have to go down in the dark, cross the room to the panel box and flip a switch. You see, my sweet hubby, Rick, is an electrician. Well, you know what they say about the shoemaker's kids don't have any shoes. But, at least it's a room now, and soon I'll have my shelves that I ordered from Ikea.