I am not a draw-er, or a doodler, or even very artsy. I used to paint long ago, very abstract things that just made me happy. I picked up zentangle recently and am totally in love. I still am not sure if I’m even doing it right, but the rule to most doodling is, “there are no mistakes!” which is a rule I can embrace wholeheartedly!

Here are my first zentangles — I’ve been drawn to the mandala, or “zendala” circular tiles primarily, although the last one I did on a normal tile.

My very first zentangle! Overall, fairly pleased with this. I fiddled around with something in the very middle which I wish I hadn’t done. Stark white would have been better there.

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I wrote a lot of words… about rearranging my studio and my new height adjustable bench. If you don’t want to read it all, there are some cute kid pictures and a video – just scroll down!

Now for all the blather blather… It seems like as SOON as I get my studio set up in a functional manner that I’m happy with, something comes along to SCREW IT ALL UP!

My studio is a small room on the main level of our house, which was called a “bedroom” when we bought the house, but really is an office. The room has to serve several functions – our family computer sits on an Ikea desktop with 2 drawer units (which I LOVE, SO much space!), which the kids use daily for homework and playing. It’s my main computer as well for printing packing slips and shipping labels, as well as daily email, etc. A second Ikea desktop, solid wood, sanded and then lacquered by me is my main bench for cutting & bagging jump rings, and filing orders.

It works very well for 80% of what I do, but a traditional jeweler’s bench has a higher surface (as they say in Cougartown, about boob-high!) with a cutout for a bench pin, and a drawer underneath for catching filings, etc.

So when I wanted to do some metalwork — especially piercing, which requires sawing on the support of a bench pin, I was lowering my chair way down, and then hunching over my bench pin trying to saw things out — not extremely ergonomic or convenient. And any dust or filings just fell on the floor.
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… finally! The old one said winter 2012-13 — and it’s hot and JUNE! Jeepers, Amy, get on it!

Since I’m reorganizing my studio, I thought this banner showing how MESSY my bench can get is somewhat suitable.

Here’s all the things I can see in this banner:

pickle pot, container of water for quenching, bottle of flux, copper tongs, lamp, charcoal soldering block (with rings on it to solder), cannister of butane, glass, scrap jars, third hand, fresh cut coils of jump rings wrapped in blue painters tape, blue painters tape, scale, bench pin, electronic torch lighter/sparker, carmex, cup of brushes, tweezers, tongs, dividers, scribes, cup of pens/markers, empty pliers board, green finger tape, packing slips, wire wire and more spools of wire.

All I can think of when looking at this banner is, “OMG the pickle pot is going to fall off!”

You can see all my old banners here!