A lot of painting going on....

Hi Everyone!  I had a helper today.  My mom came out to the farm to help me paint some items.

 The first thing she did was paint four boards to match the walls in the front room....

 ...once they were dry, she helped me hang them....

 ...so now there are picture rails to hang items from without filling the walls with nail holes.

 Then she painted the base coat of the window shutters...I still have to do the top treatment to give them an aged look.

 Then I put her to work painting the base coat of some signs I'm making...and painting frames...

 ...four different ones...now I know it looks like I wasn't doing anything while my mom painted, but I was busy in the shop cutting the boards for the signs, hanging the picture rails, taking the shutters down, and taking apart the frames so they could be painted.

 I also put the finishing touches on this set of dandelion paintings and I stained the long board for a custom sign that a client ordered.

I also painted the final code of red on this sign.  Now I just need to finish the signs, rehang the shutters and put away all the mess.  Thanks for all your help Mom!  And tomorrow they should be starting on my roof.  So what did you today?  Thanks for stopping by.

The big reveal...

Hi Everyone!  Well, it's time for the big reveal.  My parents came out to the farm for a visit yesterday.  It's so good to have them home!  And I shared with them what I've been doing since they left for Florida.  It has been so hard to not share it with you sooner, but I wanted them to be the first to see it.

Welcome to Full Circle Creations Studio and Shop

It all started last July when I changed my living room from the addition to the original living room of the farmhouse and created my studio.  I shared a little of it with you but I never shared an after picture.  By the time I finished it I was busy getting ready for fair season so I went directly into production mode without ever taking an after picture. When I shared it with my parents, it was the same weekend my brother, his family and my Marine nephew and his fiance were here.  But I was never happy with the fact that the front door opened directly into the living room and then you had to walk into the studio.  And my mom and I had talked about having open houses in the studio.

Looking from the front door, through the store and into the studio.

Fast forward to December when I was thinking about transforming the detached garage into a store.  It's directly in front of the big red barn so it would be like having a barn sale without moving out all the hay or equipment.  I started cleaning out the garage which was built in 1939 and has a small loft in it.  And as I was cleaning it out, I took a good look around and there was more work to do to it than I was anticipating.  I still plan on transforming it but it will take a while.  So the push to try to get it done by spring is gone...I can take my time. 

The Studio as it was today.  There's some organizing that needs to be done!

So in the mean time, what to do.  After a day of thinking....I decided why not transform the living room (or what my grandparents called the front room) into shop space.  This farmhouse was built in the 1880's and had an open concept floor plan.  In the original house there are three archways.  Two that are smaller and one that spans the length of the small room that the front room and kitchen are connected to and that leads to the bathroom which was added in the mid 60's.  I moved the living room to that small room and closed off two of those archways. 

Archway doors that lead to the kitchen.

 I built doors that open in the small archway into the kitchen and faux doors (although I still have a little work to do on them) in the long archway that won't actually open.  Nothing is permanent so they can all come down when and if I want them down.  But this way, I have separated the spaces into business and living space.  I can close the doors to the business and walk away from it when I'm finished.

Faux doors.  The living room is on the other side.

 I moved the kitchen island I installed a year ago and cut down the top I built and have installed it in between the studio and the store.  I have extra storage for supplies and a place designated as a sales counter space, a long with a space for tissue paper and bags.

Sales Counter with doors and drawers on the other side.

 I have more to share with you, but this post is already super long and I'm afraid I've probably lost you.  I will show you some before pictures and share some additional things I've done and what I have left to do. But I will tell you that my parents were really happy with what I've done so far and had some really great ideas on things to do next.  And I've enlisted help from my mom in the store and my dad on the outside of the house.  Thanks folks!  I wouldn't be able to do this without your help and support.  So that's what I've been up to.  And as always, thanks for stopping by.

It's almost time...

Hi Everyone!  Just stopping in for a quick hello and to say the snowbirds (my parents) will be arriving home from Florida today!  YEAH! 

I have several projects I need to finish so that I can share with them (hopefully by Sunday) and then reveal to you! 

I'll finally get to show you what these sneak peaks are all about.  So have a great day everyone and welcome home Mom and Dad!  Thanks for stopping by!

More recent finds...

Hi Everyone.  I thought I'd show you a couple of things I picked up this past weekend.  The junk store in a town not far from where I live reopened this past weekend and this is what I picked up...

 ...I spent $6.25 for all of it....

 ...I got these three wooden frames for $0.75 each....

...I got this larger frame for $2.00...

....and I got this stool for $2.00.  One of the legs needs to be reattached, but it's nothing I can't fix.  And I like the turned legs.  So it was a great little shopping trip.  Thanks for stopping by.

New junk!.....

Hi Everyone!  This past weekend I went to the Weston Primitive Company's Open House.  They had some really amazing things and this is what I came home with (after two trips).

 I saw this wheel sitting outside their building and thought it was really cool.  It's red, white and blue.

 I have no idea what it went to and neither did the gal I bought it from but I thought it would look great in a flower bed or on the side of the garage.

I also picked up these windmill blades.  My idea for these is to bury them into the flower bed on the front side of the farmhouse directly under the large picture window.  That flower bed needs something of interest in it and I think this fits the bill nicely.  But I think they need to be painted a bold color so they stand out.  And these are appropriate here on the farm since our windmill was destroyed many, many years ago in a storm.  The bottom of the base is there, but the rest of it came down.  I can't wait for spring to get here so I can work on the landscaping around the house.  Thanks for stopping by.

Recent finds...

Hi Everyone!  Today I thought I'd share some recent finds with you....My friend Lynett rescued this headboard and foot board from the roadside for me....Thanks so much Lynett!

 A couple of weekends ago, I had my first Saturday off that didn't involve a holiday or a craft fair...

 ...so I did a little shopping at a couple of junk places and came home with this antique dresser...

....I just love these legs with the casters!....

 ...I also found 15 pint jars...

 ...for a $1.00 each...

  ...and at another place, I found these.  The two half gallon jars are clear with the slightest hint of pink to them.  It was a nice little outing and the perfect way to commemorate not having to work on Saturdays anymore.  What have you found recently?  Thanks for stopping by.