Spot The Punk.

Can you spot the Little Punk amongst this motley bunch?!

I discovered later that not only did she have so many toys up there with her, she'd actually managed to wedge several under the bed sheet.... I do believe I have shared this sentiment before; odd child!

I take it back.

Okay, I'm not going to go so far as delete my last post but I am going to take back the part about being the messiest person.... I mean, it's still true, I don't know anyone messier than me, but I know that there ARE messier people. I mean, there must be.

AND, I have been TRYING.

I really, really have.

I've found the key to keeping things *mostly* under control is STORAGE! So that means the more opshoped cupboards & the like I can get my hands on the better, more storage = less clutter which = less mess.

This little gem has only taken 28 years to come to me.

Some proof of my attempts;

Le Punk Residence;

Itty Bitty lounge;

What happens when I TRY to put my fabric away;

Okay... so I still have far to go... I just noticed the dust on the bench in this picture. Don't look!

My *coughs* "other" Creative Space....

As much as I have enjoyed reading about how neat & tidy everybody thinks my new craft area is (and I have... it is very nice..!), I am afraid I cannot live a lie.

I am the messiest person I have ever met. I wish I had met one of those hoarder people they show on bad current affairs telly, just so that that wouldn't be the case, but I haven't & I am.

My lovely new craft cabinet is so very neat & purty because I've not actually done any down & dirty crafting there yet - just really used it as a bench for the few days it has been in existence.

I am already having doubts about my ability to happily pull out my machines if and when I want to sew, and then.... put them back. I hope that I will feel somewhat obliged to keep the space tidy since it is in the lounge room, mostly because Le Punk would get up to mischief aplenty if I left it all "undone", but the reality remains to be seen.

My Mother has photos of my bedroom from various stages in my childhood - in most it is hard to even see the bed, if not impossible.

Which brings me to my "other" Creative Space I boasted so happily about yesterday.

That space meant to inspire my artistic sensibilities & creative vision.

*coughs*

I have MANY excuses as to why it looks like that, but I doubt any of them would really fly.... I mean, I can only really blame Punky for the stuff she can reach, can't I?

Basically I pilfered all the nice crafty stuff & placed it ever so prettily into my new cabinet - laying this area to waste.

I'm going to clean it up.

Again.

Really I am.

My Creative Space....

AKA My still new & shiny, smells like varnish in a good way, pretty, pretty, pretty crafty cabinet creative space...!

I am joining in with kootoyoo's "My Creative Space"! First of all I have to say that a) I can't believe I actually remembered to do this on the right day (or at all), and b) I actually have something going on in my 'Creative Space' to document in the first place!

So I guess the first thing to note about the week that was is the whole "new" creative space - as I mentioned earlier, this was intended as an occasional craft area but I just can't leave it alone. Yesterday I moved my machines in here & everything, so I've effectively made two completely separate areas, this one for crafting & my old one for painting. It is probably for the best - I kept using fabric to wipe my dirty paintbrushes on for a start....

The other thing going on in my nifty new space is a rare Work In Progress. I don't have many WIPs - I either finish what I start in a feverish can't eat ('cept for chocolate... have to keep the energy levels up), can't clean up (woohoo!) sort of way, or give up completely, but this I have started and it is a rather big, prominent piece of furniture that I'm not even half way through so I am committed whether I like it or not.

I don't know whether I want to reveal the exact details (that is a lie, of course I know... I don't want to), as I like the whole "reveal" of a before & after shot without the dodgey in between stuff, but you can draw your own conclusions from my Creative Space this week and whatever else I have already mentioned... you sneaky Sherlock Holmes types....

Dust Free Day!

Thankfully we have been spared the eery red haze of the dust storm that has engulfed Sydney & Brisvegas today - although I have been captivated by the images, I can imagine the discomfort that would come with having to actually, well, breath, in such an atmosphere.

The other day Le Punk got a balance bike - it is super cute & she loves it, she did have a little trike thing from last Christmas that was meant to be pushed along & then converted into a trike to ride alone, but alas, converted the thing stands still as a statue no matter how vigorous the Little Punk's legs whirl on the peddles, so, a balance bike seemed like a great solution for my bike loving little one.

Today was mostly windy & rainy, but we did get a teensy bit of outside time in.

Why is a raven like a writing desk? (Or, my latest furniture refurb...)

I am SO excited to be showing you this... I could pretty much only be prouder if I had built the thing myself.....

Before:

After:

What I did:

Scraped off the old varnish & sanded (by hand!!!!), painted interior shelves, stained & varnished outside with 3 separate coats, waiting 8 hours between coats, replaced handles, decoupaged desk top (whatever that green stuff is would not be painted...).

Filled with crafty goodness.

This was intended to be my 'little projects' craft spot in the lounge room, but I love it so much I think I may be spending a lot more time using it than previously anticipated.

You can probably tell I am pretty damn chuffed with my efforts - first time I have really got into the nitty gritty what with the sanding and everything - it was a test of my patience and my need for I.C.G (Instant Craft Gratification) but I got there in the end!

This would have looked much more impressive...

...if I had a better camera. Or lens. Or something.

To you I mean. To us it DID look pretty spectacular - a rainbow that seemed to arch right over our backyard. :)