Hey all not much has been going down at the craft shed this week. We put in the lattice as you see in the video above. We used a chalk pull string from Lowe’s Hardware to measure the area we put it, the ground is not level so it was not an easy job. Hopefully we will be putting some wood planks over the top soon and painting it white to make it look even better.
Then we took down the 2 original posts that were from the original fence. I am excited the kids will have a little bit more room to run around.
The inspector is supposed to be coming out on Thursday to measure so keep our fingers crossed that all goes well so we can move forward with the electrical work.
Well, Rome wasn’t built in a day right? Me and Justin worked hard to put in posts last Saturday. He said that was the fastest and smoothest something had gone in awhile. I was proud of our hard work and that we had not argued (not that much) through out the process. We measured from our neighbors survey post as she had just moved in last year and it was still there.
The company finally came back on Wednesday to come finish leveling. I had called them every day to see when they were coming to finish the job. Justin said I would never make it in construction. My mom said it’s a “southern thing” and no one is in a hurry to do anything and I should just get used to it (I am really trying). What made me the most aggravated on the wait was when the supervisor said “they will be back tonight (Last Thursday) to finish the job!” Then they don’t come back for 6 days. It’s done now so at least that is out of the way.
Fast forward to Friday. Justin was getting ready to work on the fence to finish it out. He goes out to the site and sees new flags and a rope right over our newly set posts. We obviously did not put them there and so he took that as a sign we were over the line. As a result he moved the 3 posts that were on the neighbors property. She came out later after she heard his ban saw. He told her that he already moved the posts and she was appreciative and said she had hired a surveyor to put new flags out. My mom said that costs $300-500, so I was definitely surprised (a bit shocked). We were just a few inches off, but it is better that it is fixed now, then later on down the road if we ever try to sell. Now we just got to keep our fingers crossed that I pass inspection on the building permit and that we are 5 feet from the property line.
Saturday I had the license contractor come out and look at the building. He is married to one of my coworkers and does an excellent job. I had seen a few pictures of a previous she shed he had done and I couldn’t wait to collaborate. He is going to wire it, place inside lights, a porch light, insulate it and dry wall, and build a loft for storage.
We are planning to finish the outside of the shed today. We are going to put lattice around the bottom, steps, porch railings, and remove the 2 fence posts on the side. Stay tuned!
These miniature farmhouse rolling pins would look perfect on a three-tiered wooden tray! These could be decorated or adapted for every holiday. Follow the steps below to create your own! Comment below if you have any questions.
~Abigail Jean
Materials Needed
1. Plate for paint
2. Paint (Valentine’s day Colors) I use Acrylic Craft paint. I used pink, red, white, and hot pink.
3. Wooden Mini Rolling Pins
4. Paint brush
5. Valentine’s Day Ribbon
6. Glue and a glue gun
7. Scissors
8. If you are using a Cricut or Silhouette you will need contact paper and white premium vinyl and red premium vinyl.
9. If not using a Cricut or Silhouette then you might want to check your local craft shop for some small stencils to use to write your words or if you are feeling daring you can write them as well.
10. Regular Modge podge.
Step by Step Procedures
Get all materials ready.
Layout paper if you are worried about making a mess.
Step 3:
Paint each rolling pin just in the center. Take your time on this part and then lay it on the ends so it can dry.
Step 4: Download The Skinny font by Jusebox FREE from Dafont
Step 5: Install Font and Design in Design space or computer program affialiated with your cutting machine.
Step 6: I did my words at 0.75″ just to be safe, but you could try 1″
Step 7:
Cut out and weed Premium Vinyl letters. I use contact paper from the kitchen section of Walmart. I have literally had that same role for 2 years and it works much better than the Cricut brand (sorry not sorry). Use your credit card tool then peel off and apply to your Rolling pin. Either side will work!
Step 8: Apply a coat of Mod Podge. You technically don’t have to, but I always like to be safe when putting vinyl on wood.
Step 9: Attach Ribbon to each rolling pin by looping it either on the end or around the colored portion. Secure with a dab of hot glue if needed.
Side Note: I let the rolling pins dry in between each step.
Well it’s been a very interesting past 2 days. I have learned a lot about what not to do and how some people don’t care about specifics of a job.
Mistake #1: the salesman did not send anyone to evaluate my land area before delivery even though I had mentioned this.
Mistake #2: they couldn’t put the shed with the porch facing out on the truck because it’s top heavy.
Mistake #3: The shed couldn’t be turned the way I wanted so tearing down the fence was for nothing, but now we have decided to build around the shed and extend the current fence, which will give the kids a bigger yard.
Mistake #4: I hope this is the last one! The delivery men didn’t finish leveling the building, and then it snowed on Friday so now I’m going to be hassling them to come fix it until they do. I’m ready for this to be over so I can be done with Tuff Shed, but I want it done right!
It snowed on Friday it looks so pretty.
Comment below if you have any horror stories of delivery or builders.
Well nothing ever goes as planned these days. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. The Craft shed was supposed to be delivered Tuesday, but they called Monday and said that there was a mix up in schedule so they will be here on Thursday. Thank goodness it has not rained here in several days and the ground is dry and hard!
Some background research to do before buying a shed:
Find out if your county needs a building permit. (My building is over 12 feet high so they require it)
Measure your area in the yard and see what kind of leveling you will need.
Talk to your neighbor about the delivery and let them know that you will do your best to be respectful of their property.
Keep in mind that weather can effect your delivery time if other deliveries prior to yours get pushed back.
Building Permit requirements for my shed
The county inspection said that we need to be at least 5 feet from the neighbors property line. We fortunately still have the markers up from when we had our house surveyed a few years back.
I had to submit a drawing and how it will look on the blocks and how it will be anchored into the ground.
It cost me $95 for a residential building permit. The office took both cash and card, but it had to be exact cash so come prepared!
Prior to shed being delivered
I had my fence removed in the area I wanted it because I want the porch inside the yard. You don’t have to do that, but it is an option.
Remove any landscape or personal items that might be in the way.
Communicate with neighbors of the delivery.
After fence was removed
Stay tuned until the next post!
Comment below of any experiences you have had with building or delivering a shed!
Are you thinking of signing up for a craft show or fair in your area? Is the annual festival getting your creative juices flowing? Read ahead for the good, bad, and the ugly when it comes to craft shows.
I started making crafts in 2017 and I have participated in 5 shows. I always go in with low expectations so I won’t be disappointed. I always meet some awesome people and learn a lot. They are a lot of work, but also a lot of fun.
Whether you have been crafting for a few months or making quilts for years, anyone can sign up to sell products at craft fairs. There are a few factors to consider before signing up.
Is there a pandemic going on? Then doing a craft show right now might not be the best thing. People are not going out very much, they are buying online, and you don’t want to put in all that hard work for not that much outcome.
How to find craft shows in my area?
Facebook is a great place to start. In the events tab search for craft shows or festivals.
Google is also a great place to look up different events in your area.
Do Craft shows cost money?
Yes, most do. Some vendor fees can range from $10 all the way to $50. Sometimes it depends on the amount of space you reserve. Many times portions are donated to charities or non profit organizations. At one event I participated in there was a multi-seller family that all chipped in together and bought 5 spaces.
In our area a woman was so passionate about craft fairs, she started her own business. She collaborates with the local businesses in the surrounding areas. She then has an application process for each event. You have to submit pictures, social media pages, and information about what you are selling prior to the event. This helps you because as a seller you don’t want to be next to another vendor who is selling the exact same thing.
Do your research before hand to see how much money you are willing to spend.
How will I set up my vendor table?
Past craft fairs I have done!
This is my favorite part of the whole process. Get ready for an early morning and late nights when it comes to craft fairs. Below is a Pinterest board I created that you can follow for more ideas.
Be aware of weather and when to set up! I have heard horror stories of windstorms and bad weather comes through and wrecks peoples tents/crafts!
In the past few years Gnomes have taken on a life of their own. They aren’t just a part of fairytales and fantasy novels, they are a part of rustic decor. You can enjoy them on your mantle or even at your desk!
Here is the step by step guide on how to make Valentine Gnomes (or for any holiday!).
You can click on the materials to order them on Amazon.
I have included 3 different ways to make this cute little friends!
Gnome #1: Pinecone Gnome
Materials:
1. Glue Gun & Glue
2. Pine cone of any size (my uncle gave me a huge box of ones he had in his yard)
3. Felt for the Hat
4. Wooden ball for the nose. (I bought mine from HobbyLobby)
5. Fake Fur
6. Heart cut outs or buttons to decorate.❤️ (If you have a Cricut or Silhouette you can make your own cut outs)
7. Scissors✂️
Directions:
1. Cut fur into a slight triangle (you can always adjust this later)
2. Attach the fur to the middle or towards the top of the pinecone with the hot glue. Fluff out if needed.
3. Attach the ball above the fur with hot glue.
4. Cut out the hat in a triangle. (I measured it around the pinecone before I cut it just to make sure.)
5. I then attached the hat to the pinecone at the bottom of the hat over the nose. I put a dab of hot glue to secure it to the back. This will make constructing the hat easier.
6. Fold the hat how you want it. You can either twist the felt and fold it down. Stick it up or have it hanging. If you have any holes you can cover up with a button or heart. (No one will ever know!)
7. If your gnome is having trouble standing up you can try sanding the bottom of the pinecone. You could also attach it with hot glue to a small wooden circle.
Gnome #2: Sock & Fluff
Materials:
1. Sock🧦 (I got mine from the dollar tree, If you aren’t going to sell them, then you can use socks that you have at home.)
2. Fluff
3. A hair tie or twine to secure the sock closed.
Everything else is the same as the Gnome #1!
Directions:
1. Put stuffing into sock as much that will fit!
2. Tie the top of the sock with a hair tie or piece of twine.
3. Follow all the same instructions for Gnome #1
Gnome #3: Rice and a sock.
Materials:
1.sock 🧦
2. Rice (I got mine from the dollar tree)
3. Hair tie or rubber band.
4. Funnel or measuring cup for rice.
5. A container or cup for less mess.
Everything else is the same as Gnome #1 & #2.
Directions:
1. Put sock around cup or container.
2. Put rice into sock as much as it will hold.
3. Tie off sock if there is excess on top.
Everything else is the same as Gnome #1 & 2.
It’s ok if it doesn’t work out the first time. Just keep practicing and have fun with it.
If you have any questions, then please write them in the comments area.
Are you running out of space in your house? Did the pandemic of 2020 cause to start working from home? Do you want a space of your own to escape every day life? Then maybe a shed is just what you need.
I currently live in a 1500 square foot house that is 3 bedrooms 2 baths. I have a husband, 2 children, and a dog. The 3rd bedroom was meant to be probably an office of some sort. We moved into our house 6 years ago this January. It is a great starter home. Flash forward 6 years later and 2 kids later we are running out of room. So my next thought is why don’t we try to find a bigger home?
Reasons we don’t think its the right time to move: We aren’t exactly sure where we want to end up, our kids are still young, and the market is booming in our area. When I say it is booming it is a sellers market. The guy who lives next door sold his house in 1 day, had 10 offers and sold $10,000 above asking price!! My husband and I looked at 25 houses before finding our current house and that is a lot of pressure! I don’t want to be rushed into finding our dream home so for right now I think we will just stay where we are until we are ready.
So for my next thought, a She Shed/craft shed. It will create space in my home, eliminate clutter, and countless fights I have with my toddlers. (I can only hope!)
Here a few places to get your inspiration and start researching if a shed is right for you:
I recommend going out in your local community and actually going inside a few sheds. Some companies have websites where you can design your own, but its better to go and look in person to get an idea of the space. Take your measuring tape with you and consider what furniture you might put in it.
Finally, the last thing to think about: What is your budget?
Do you want to pay cash or finance it? See what the companies interest rate is first and then see if your bank offers something better! Mine did. Am I going to stay in my current house for awhile? Do I have enough money to hire a licensed contractor to finish it for me? Can I move it if I buy a new house? These are all things to consider about when making this decision.
I hope this helps get you started when thinking about buying a shed.
I called them very upset! They said we are going to make it out on Tuesday and fix it. I had my husband come out and work from home so he could be there when they come. Of course they call me 3 hours after they said they would be there and say they aren’t coming, but they would reschedule ASAP. Then they say Friday morning. Of course someone had Covid and they had to shut down the plant. I just decided to move forward with the job and get another company to move and then I will ask them to take some of the money they charged off after the fact.
After much discussion with the salesman I can say I am finally done with that company and got refunded part of the money. I would not recommend working with Tuff shed to anyone.
Well, well, well this week has almost made me throw in the towel! Not literally, but it has been a doozy. So recapping from my last post the shed was supposed to get inspected last Thursday.
We added a nice Porch Railing!
I came home and saw no signature on the sheet that I had taped to the front door. I was confused so I called the inspectors office and got in touch with the man who was in charge. He said that he needed one picket removed so he could measure from the line and that we would need to remove the lattice so he could see the anchors because he did not see any there.
I got home from work and investigated the under pin of the shed and started taking pictures. My husband later on the next day took off all our lattice work and in fact there are no anchors!! I repeat there are no anchors! That means that the shed is not fully secured to the ground! It’s Saturday so I can’t get in touch with anyone at the company to complain about this shotty workmanship.
So they did level the shed, but they did not complete the job and yeah I am pretty upset about it. So basically if a tornado came right now the shed would be gone!!
I started doing some more research about the delivery process that the salesman never shared with me. There was a video and this whole process to complete before they came that he told me nothing about. When I asked him about the requirements because our backyard is kind of on a hill he never said here is our website that has all the information or here is a sheet of facts of what to do.
Fast forward to Monday. I emailed all the pictures to the salesman and spoke with him about my concerns. I asked him why he never told me about the prep work and he said it was just a misunderstanding. I talked to the delivery guy again and scheduled someone to come out and fix all the things and install the anchors. They will hopefully be here on Thursday!
Update- Due to the rain they will not be coming until Saturday! I know that it will all be worth it in the end, but I am ready to get started and want this shed to be complete!
Ahh New Years Eve! The holiday that I usually run out of time to plan to do anything for. Looking back I did go to a few neighborhood parties with family and some nice house parties in college. Every year I say I am going to see The Avett Brothers in Asheville, but that has yet to happen.
When looking back at 2020 what will you remember?
The pandemic, the election, the riots, the marches for love, the endless amount of zoom meetings, not being able to find toilet paper or Clorox wipes, having to rearrange your whole life in the matter of days, becoming a stay at home mom or dad, losing your job, quitting your job because of your children, stress, stimulus checks, tiktok videos, binge watching, staying home, missing out on regular yearly events, and the list goes on.
I started 2020 out by being burned out by Christmas crafts and a sick infant son. My son had been battling pneumonia and several colds back to back. He even had to go to the hospital and was admitted for a week in the PICU for RSV. He pulled through, but was diagnosed with Reactive Airway Disease and had to continue breathing treatments nightly.
Fast Forward 2 months- Week of March 13th.
It was raining pretty hard that Monday. I work at a local elementary school and we were taking the students to the bathroom. My coworker’s phone started the emergency alarm that there was a tornado warning in the area. I instantly told the girls to get out of the bathroom and we went to our positions. This is a day I forgot my phone in my car. I have been in emergency situations before, but this day I wasn’t sure what the outcome was going to be and I was worried for my students and own children. After an hour of being on the floor, we went to lunch. My manic fear of the current state of the weather caused my mind to go blank and I couldn’t remember any student’s name in my class. After finally getting to my phone, I had a phone call from the daycare that my son had another high fever. Thankfully it was just an ear infection, but it added another layer to my already draining day. Did I forget to mention there was a full moon that day?
Then comes Thursday of the same week. The week had already been a wash because of all the excitement that Monday. There had been talk about some kind of virus that made its way to Washington and a lot of rumors and a lot of unknowns.
Finally, it is Friday, the 13th, 2020 (sounds like Alanis Morisette’s Ironic single from the ’90s). We don’t know what is going to happen or what the governor was going to say. The school decided to prepare packets and send materials in case we were going to close. No one knew we would be gone until the week before Thanksgiving. No one expected to be working at home for 8 months.
We missed out on a lot this year, but we also gained a lot. We missed memories of loved ones we didn’t get to see. We missed social gatherings, school plays and performances, trips to museums, restaurants, and parties. We got to spend time as a family, we got to see our kids grow up, we got to clean our house and love our house again, and we got to slow down a little bit.
Now it is December 31st, 2020. Experts and the data say we are in the worst of it. You are required to wear a mask everywhere we go. It is hard to escape the social realities of everyday questions: whether you should go to that party or not? Should I send my child go back to school? Should I travel home for the holidays? Is my mental health more important than staying home? Thankfully there is a vaccine slowly starting to make its way to the world. It could be awhile and we still have to be safe.
In the end you have to do what’s best for you and your family.
Here’s to 2021 and hoping its a little bit better than the last.
Krafty Kirkman 