A Couple of Weeks

It's been a couple of weeks since my last post; and I must apologise for this. I have been cleaning out and looking at what needs to be done to fix up my place to make it better over this time.

However, I've also been working hard on my garden - and it's really coming along well. But I don't wish to bore you with the details of that until the time is right.... yeah it does get boring when one thing is talked about.

I have been working on the art area again, as I have been given two sets of plastic drawers from Oma's house and they're really coming in handy to store all the little things which need to be put away. In turn, that frees up the space on the bookcase in the hallway to the kitchen.

But I'm looking at replacing that with a larger one which will store everything which is leaning against the walls and blocking the way in a big way. This bigger one will be my birthday present to myself. Sure it will take up more wall space, but it'll also be a good thing for me too. I'll be able to get rid of that thin bookcase and spread out my books on art, shift any blank canvas' I will be using soon and store anything needed on top easily. Not a bad purchase really. 

I've got a few things to do in the next day or so in the way of donations. I have to get in and donate at my local Vinnies and then drop by to a Life Line Super Store and look around to see if they have any second-hand shelves (big metal ones are what I'm looking for). And if they don't, I'll drop off to Bunnings and see how much they are there... and see how much I have to save to get a set there. 

Yes, this will be a matter of me not spending up big on anything for a while; but it'll be worth it to save up on space. 

So, over the past couple of weeks, I've been cleaning up, cleaning out and planning. I know planning doesn't seem much; but it means I'm looking into working more on the house and how I store things. So, do tell, how is your decluttering journey going? Mine has slowed a little, but planning does that to the journey. 

Art Area Clean-Up - Part 2

Yesterday, I got in and cleaned up the next part of my art area. Because it's so cluttered with junk, it's going to take a few rounds to get it done.

Well, this time, I attacked the bench itself. 

I took everything off it, storing it all in my kitchen, and pulled out the cleaners and scrubbed off as much paint and glue as I could with paper towel, Ajax All-Purpose Cleaner and Gumption. This took about 15 minutes because of the acrylic paint which had dried onto the countertop.

When I built this bench with Dad, we went to a proper kitchen-building company on Compton Road and got the pieces cut to order. This was so it all fitted together properly and we didn't have to do anything much to the parts - well, okay, we took a few inches off the feet because it turned out the bench was a little too tall for me. But it's turned out to be a great bench to store my art stuff. And because we got it laminated, it's made it so much easier to clean.

Once it was all cleaned up and I had tossed out a bag of rubbish - yep, another one! - I wiped down everything from the kitchen with an anti-bacterial wipe and looked at the bench. This was a good opportunity to get in and see where I could place the big things, the brushes, the bottles of tiny pegs and other items I used every day. And so, I went and sorted through it all and made sure I worked it all out well, and it was all organised so I could reach my brushes, get to my paint and find my furniture polish as well. 

This took me about 2 hours to get done, and the results were wonderful! 

Art Area Clean-Up - Part 1

Being an artist isn't a clean and tidy hobby - and being one in a townhouse, is even messier than you'd think. 

However, in 2015, my Dad and I built a workbench for me - one that I designed - and fitted it into my townhouse and it's serving me so well that once in a while I had to clean it up and make sure it stays functional.

And yesterday was the day I got in and started the first phase of the clean-up - yes part 1 of the mess I called my art area.

It took me around 3 hours - between 2pm and 5pm and I'm darned proud of how far I got with it. 

First off, I cleaned off the top shelf hanging over the bench itself and had a good look at what things I had stored in the two plastic containers - to see what needed throwing out.
Then, I put everything from the art area which could be moved easily into the living room or the kitchen. Then, I looked inside all the buckets and containers which were on the top shelf and found better homes for the items inside each one. 
Any ceramic plates, bits of plastic and other things I didn't recognise were thrown away - seeing the plates were chipped and unusable. Then, looking over the back of the three-set of drawers, I found there was a ton of space there, and I pushed them back against the wall and have found more space for me in front of it. 

Great!

Getting the ladder out, I cleaned off the empty shelf so I had a nice new surface to put away things and sort out what I needed to keep that shelf uncluttered with items and yet still be able to reach for what I needed when I needed it. 

I found I had over 200 sprung pegs to paint (yep, I overbought supply) and a huge amount of dolly pegs as well. And I also have a nice little collection of canvas boards of all sizes. I also have no need for new brushes - as I seem to have overbought on them as well; as a good artist does. 

Once I got it all pulled back together, put my easel back, the right things tossed into the Donation Box and ready to be sent off to the charity of my choice, it was almost 5pm and the vinyl I had been playing finished. 

What an afternoon! I had gone through 2 bottles of ice cold water and there was 1 large rubbish bag by the garage door to throw out. Yes, this was a great success for a first go at my art area - but will be another afternoon of me attacking it soon. 

Oh! Photos! How could I forget the photos! Here they are! 

Craft Gear Toss-Out

Being a crafter and painter, I find it difficult to throw out things to do with my creative side. Seriously, you should see how much paperwork I have to do with books and my writing still sitting around my office! 

It's atrocious! 

Anyway, seeing I'm down with a head cold this week, I've forced myself to open the house up and pull out my craft gear from my bedroom to sort through.

As Peter Walsh always says in step 1 of everything: pull it all out onto the floor! And that's what I've done. And wouldn't you believe it? I've got a vintage suitcase of yarn - yes I have that much knitting yarn that it requires a suitcase to store it! I've also got about 5 other reusable bags filled with yarn too!

Man, have I got some yarn! But that's what happens when I buy it on the cheap at craft group, have nowhere to put it and toss it into the wardrobe without thinking. Then, months later, look up there and think: 'Wow, that's a lot of yarn!' 

Anyway, I pulled down a few bags and the suitcase and began going through them in my living room - it's just that I find it easier to work in a larger space than my bedroom there; plus with the front window open, it was nice to get some fresh air into the living room. 
I tossed out a full bin of crap I didn't need, found some yarn I wanted to use, found some needlepoint yarn I had been looking for and then found some ties I had stitched up to sew onto some old cushion covers from the lounge. I reorganised the suitcase to take everything better - put the ties into colours in ziplock bags and then found I had a lot more space in it... which will mean when I want to put it all away this arvo, the space will be there! 

Wonderful!

Well, that was only half the craft gear I've stored away in bedroom wardrobe. Now, to see what other crap I've shoved up into the top of my wardrobe over the past 6 months. I seriously need a craft room - that means a 3rd bedroom. Yes, that means I have to move out of here... but where to? So, how is your cleaning out going?