Still Settling in -- Somehow

So I am back and things are finally progressing with unpacking my studio and all.  Wow, how did I end up with so many things?  And so many little pieces!  As I unpacked I did my year end inventory count so I wouldn't have to go through everything all over again.  I also sorted out a lot of items that I don't really need or want to use anymore so I need to photograph and list in my online store so look for some great specials soon.

It has been months since I have actually done any claying and now chomping at the bit to get back to creating again.  Unfortunately it will have to wait as I have nothing I can bake in yet.  I love the apartment condo I purchased together with my mom.  It is very spacious (2 bedroom, 2 bath plus studio) and is more than 1300 square feet.  An apartment this size is hard to come by.  It is in an older building that has been recently upgraded and totally updated.  Unfortunately, the apartment itself has not been updated and is still in it's original 30 year old form.  So before moving in we had to deal with some necessary updates which has taken a lot of time and effort.  The photo below shows one end of my kitchen that I did myself - before and after (except lay the new flooring).  It still isn't finished as you can see by the old cabinets at the other end which I am working on right now and will share later after I am done.

One of the items that required attention was the old appliances.  The fridge and stove were very old and fortunately still functioning but don't know for how long.  On purchasing some new ones, we discovered there was a major shortage and nearly every appliance in every store was out of stock and on back order.  This was because many of the factories were shut down last year due to covid.  When they started up again, they were working at a much lower capacity than before.  Another reason was that many Canadians couldn't travel south for the winter this year, so decided to put the money from their trip into their homes instead.  So after buying our new appliances, the fridge finally arrived 3 months later.  Unfortunately we were informed that our stove was still on back order.  We just received a call, however, that it is now suppose to arrive this Friday!

So I cannot bake any clay until my new stove arrives.  Let me explain why this stove/oven is so special.  A few years back, my late husband Dave had bought me a new stove.  It had 2 ovens that were both true convection.  I absolutely loved it as I could bake my clay in one oven and still prepare my food and bake in the other at the same time!  This oven was great as I could bake a lot of items at a time as well as larger size pieces.  And to keep everything "food safe", I always baked in pans that were tightly sealed so no fumes would escape.

I really loved that stove and probably should have kept it and replaced it with another when I sold my house in Chase but I felt I could easily buy another one later.  I just didn't realize how long I would have to wait.  So I am hoping it will still arrive on Friday as scheduled -- fingers crossed!

My studio is finally getting more organized.  At least I can now see my counter tops!  The above photo shows my standing corner where I condition my clay and mix up my colors.  I wanted it in the corner under the huge windows so I could look outside while working.  I have two other work areas (sitting) in the room that I will show you later.  I also realized I couldn't fit everything into this room and so set up my jewelry making station in our sunroom.  I have a feeling that my desk in the sunroom and this corner work station will be my favorite spots with so much activity to see outside!  Besides all the ducks (see last post) we have had some deer pay us a visit several times.  They had wandered into the courtyard -- probably by crossing the stream -- and seemed to really enjoy themselves.  It is difficult to believe we are so close to downtown with all this nature around us. 

So, I will keep you posted on my new stove if/when it arrives.  In the meantime, I am thinking it is not too late to start mixing up some new Pantone Spring colors!  I totally missed mixing up the colors from last fall.  This wasn't intentional but a result of all my supplies being packed away and in storage for several months between all the other chaos of moving.  I just took a peek today at the new colors and hoping they will be a great way to add that spark that I need to get back into my creative groove!