Re-calibrating

I have moved again. (If you wonder why I keep moving and downsizing, it's a sad story, and you don't want to know the details, but it wasn't by choice). I am now renting a furnished flat, which means that I have to adapt to the available furniture and arrange my workspace to the best of my abilities. It also means that still more of my stuff had to go to storage, and I only brought one box of supplies. I packed in haste, and it's funny to discover how randomly I chose what to bring and what to store. I have the most essential tools, but my cutting mat is elsewhere. I have paint, glue, fabric, paper - enough to do some projects. And I have a hobby shop close by.

When you live in somebody else's space it takes time before you can, first mentally, then physically, re-arrange it to your liking and your needs. Obviously, a folding table makes a perfect workbench, and if I ever have guests who require a coffee table, I can quickly put everything away. But the best thing about this place is that I don't have to clear it away every night.

My landlady has kindly given me one and a half book shelf, in a corner closest to the floor, but as I haven't brought any of my books - you see where my priorities are! - most of my Really Useful Boxes can just about be squeezed in. And I start by going through them to see what I actually have brought.

Maybe this is the time when I will choose projects based on supplies. All those saved posts from Facebook, when I thought: Yes, I can make it some time. Now is the time.

I have brought a small selection of kits that will keep me busy for a while.

And I have also brought a few pieces that I bought at a car boot sale just before I moved.

The broken dressing table begged for my attention. Apologies for poor picture quality - I haven't yet adjusted to the light in this place.

 

It is one of those pieces that are sort of ok, but crude, and the finish is dull. To do it properly you need to remove the varnish, for which I have neither space nor equipment, so I just sanded it and then painted. I haven't taken step-by-step pictures because it was quite straightforward. I painted with brown paint first and then antique white, with golden details. I distressed it a bit.

The only problem was painting around the drawer pulls. They seem to be glued on rather than attached with nails so I didn't risk removing them.

I also lined the drawers with Japanese paper.

 

This piece wouldn't win a prize at a miniature fair, but it was fun to upcycle a boring piece into something more exciting, and it was a good way of getting back into the making mode.

In a kitchen drawer I found some string - an opportunity too good to miss.

 

I am thoroughly thrilled with my first day back miniature making. I wasn't aware that I had missed it so much these past weeks. I am looking forward to many great projects even before I eventually get a place of my own with a HUGE hobby room.