Studio news

I know that this post is very long overdue. I promised some weeks ago that I would show you how the interior of my studio is coming along. Well, here I am today to shown you the first project, which was the installation of my work bench. I cannot believe how much I love my new outdoor space. It means that I no longer need to tidy away my current project indoors just to lay the table for dinner.

We have fully weatherproofed the outside of my studio with a very durable exterior stain which actually shows off the natural grain of the wood very well. I do not like painting  wood unless I have to. I love the grain of all woods and I don't like covering them over with paint.

Just after the studio was installed my Dad came over and installed my work bench with my dear Hb as his assistant.  My Dad is quite amazing with the skills he possesses. Before his retirement 14 years ago he was an Chemist in Industry but his handyman skills are to be envied.Since I was a little girl I have watched him make guinea pig hutches, build walls, make fish ponds, re plumb and much much more.

 He already had some pieces of teak in his shed at home, which many years ago were his work benches. When his firm relocated from South London in the early 1980s the old labs were knocked down and he thought at the time that the wood could be useful ,so he brought some home. Everything else at his old workplace was thrown away. I already have a shelf he made for our television in the front room and he thought my workbench could also be made in the same teak.

He took several measurement inside my studio and set to in his own workshop to create my tailor made workbench.

Here is the top of my workbench, you can see that it is a really hefty piece of teak. He cut it to size and bevelled the front edge.

He also put in very strong supports as I need to sometimes need to hammer on my bench with my jewellery making

Here you can see how substantial the support is...this just shows the front support under the window. It is also made of teak.







and after a day at my house with my Hb helping...

 here is the ta-dah moment!

Just look..................

What I love about my work bench is that it has a "history" and a previous useful life, complete with scorch marks, scratches, bottle marks where chemicals were used etc. It was part of my dad's working life many year's ago. I absolutely treasure it. It is the very best type of recycling.

A couple of coats of teak oil and just look at this beauty.

 I have a swivel working chair on order until then I  have made do with a folding chair. I was just too excited to wait. I wanted to get out there to work immediately.

And my very first project I have been working on...................

Yes I have been making bag charms!










So that is the story of my wonderful work bench, designed, made and installed by my dearest Dad....

My Dad hates fuss so I sneaked a photo of him hard at work here .....he has since been back and has partially installed the lighting and power in my studio at the weekend. He celebrated his 79th Birthday a few weeks ago, unbelievable isn't it....I am just amazed that  he just never ever seems to age, nor his skills diminish.  Bless you Dad, I am one very very happy daughter and thank you for my unique, one of a kind, very much loved, work bench.

I shall be back with more Studio news really soon!

Bye for now,

Jane x