Karla's Studio-Shed Project 2006

Karla's Studio-Shed Project!

The Finished Studio!
It's done! It's finally done! Beginning October 25, 2006 and ending on May 6, 2007; it's taken me just over six months to complete the studio. I want to thank my parents, my brother, my brother's fiancé, my husband and Haroula (from www.summerwood.com) for all of their help! I couldn't have done it without you guys, so thank you!!! I've already made my first beads within the new studio, and I have to say.....I really like this new space! :) Enjoy the "tour" below!
	Here's a picture of my studio at 99% completion. I spent almost 10 hours getting the gas lines hooked up and tested, installing the curtains, bringing in my glass stash, etc. Watson was along for the ride, so of course he ended up in the picture. :)
	A close up of my glass "collection". I used shoe organizers from Target and cut PVC pipe to add multiple slots per cubby hole. The glass on the bottom is my supply of Effetre and Vetrofond soft glass, while the glass on top includes my "special" glasses such as Lauscha, Czech, Kugler, Bullseye, Double Helix, R2 as well as some tools. Also, the kiln fit perfectly on top of the shoe organizers, so it minimizes space while making it easy for me to place beads in the kiln.
	My new workspace! I love the size of the table as it gives me plenty of room to work and lots of space to set tools, glass, etc. While moving into the new space, I threw out a lot of old stringer that I hadn't touched in a while, so what you see sticking out of the cup was all I kept. Eventually, I'll get one of those popsicle making trays to store the stringer, so I don't have to keep using cups. ;) I'm also wanting to purchase a magnetic tool holder to store most of my tools, in order to free up even more space. Once I have money again, I plan on buying a nice portable DVD player to keep in the far corner for movies, demos or whatever I feel like watching. :)
	Just to the right of the table, sits my oxygen concentrators. They're easily within reach, and fit perfectly next to the table. As I mentioned before, I placed the oxycons on a mat to help keep the vibrations to a minimum.
	Not the most exciting picture, but I thought I'd share a shot of the other side of my studio. This folding table sits next to my glass, and beneath the opening window. I'll use it as another workarea (for dipping mandrels, removing beads, making jewelry...) and will also set my air conditioner on it, so I can easily vent it outside (through a vent over the door).
	Another shot of my torch area, but I wanted to also include the range hood, so you could see where my presses are being stored. The hood provides a great shelf for storage, and keeps everything easily within reach. Heh heh....can you spot the Venezuelan cookies in the picture? I was munching on those while taking pictures. :)
	Another boring picture, but it shows how much storage room I have. There's a lip around the top of the entire studio that's perfect shelving for items such as frit, goldstone, enamels and anything else I can think of! It keeps things out of the way, but always easy to find!
Well, that's it for the tour! I hope you've enjoyed reading through my shed-studio updates and viewing pictures of each stage of the project. There are still a few minor things I plan to work on related to the studio, but they're purely cosmetic (landscaping, spraying for insects...). I also plan on adding some shutters to the outside of the shed, but they'll be functioning shutters to protect my windows and vents from the elements (we get some pretty strong and windy storms at my house). However, for the most part, the studio is done!!!! It was a long road, but well worth it!!!! :)
	UPDATE! I finally got around to building shutters for my shed's south-facing window. I had issues with the window leaking during heavy rain, so I built these functioning storm shutters! They work great! Click on the image to see the shutters when closed.
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