A peek into my studio and dream workbench

 I tend to be more reserved and an observer in life. That works for me most of the time but not in blogging. I realize I have to be more of a participant. So first I want to share with you where it is I go when my creative juices are flowing.

I am extremely grateful for my little studio. Back in December we had to make a transition to a new home and I wasn't even sure I would have one. You can read about it here.

When I first started my jewelry biz I wanted to have a workbench that would be highly functional. I wanted lots of storage and a sturdy top that could take a beating. I found one in a Handyman magazine and asked my hubby if he could build it. He said it was too difficult and probably very expensive. He was right my hubby, it was extremely difficult and costly, but not as expensive and buying one. The magazine said it would take a weekend...who were they kidding? It took us three months! A little over $700 and lot's of headache but very well worth it!

The very first cut my hubby did wrong, he made the base six inches wider than it should have been. Uh oh. I realized I needed to be the foreman for the job, so we set out to build it together;) We then went on to built a chicken coop afterwards which was nothing compared to this beast.

 

This is what I love the most. All the drawers for storage. And the three center drawer pulls are special. My mom found those with her metal detector 35 years ago. I went to home depot and chose some hardware to complement them for the other doors and drawers. We used full extension ball bearing drawer glides. That cut my hubby did wrong? Those drawers are a full 26 inches deep!

 The surface is made with glued and screwed 2x4's. We filed off the top and then sanded FOREVER so the top is smooth and splinter free. The total dimension's are 38" by 76".

I absolutely love the top hidden drawer. It's ginormous and always at my fingertips for easy access.

Behind me I have a old server with a cool etched top for my tumbler, pickle pot and food dehydrator. If you are wondering why I use a food dehydrator click here.  

I couldn't find that old magazine, but I did some research for anyone interested in building the workbench and came across this website. It has better directions than the magazine we used and is the same design.

 My office is right next to the studio, so it's very functional and highly productive. Thank god because I am preparing for my largest event in September. A two day music festival. I have been very busy making ton's of new designs and will be adding some to my Etsy store after the festival.

Can you see the jam on the desk? Every summer my sister and I do some canning and freezing. We just finished up making 64 jars of strawberry, cherry and plum jam. We still have lots of jars to put stickers and fabric on. Aren't the stickers the cutest ever? I found them doing a google search here. Very adorable blog with lots of  DIY and freebies.

So that's what I have been up too! I appreciate you taking the time to read my post, and please feel free to leave a comment or question!