How to get a sink into my studio without replumbing

I have a bit of a conundrum. I rather desperately need a sink in (or near) my studio. I must confess that my studio is currently a bay in my garage (with bits and pieces sneaking their way into the rest of the garage).

My home is small, my garage is small, and my space is ...well... limited (and that's probably a mild understatement). My garage has 2 bays (1 side filled with storage for the house and the other side is my studio) and the front part of the garage also holds the washer and dryer, and ironing board. There is a shop area behind the garage which I am SERIOUSLY considering moving into (and moving the shop out into the garage bay). But that will take a good deal of work.

So how do I get a sink into an area that has no space? Could I put it next to the washing machine and share the water lines and drain pipes? Not really - there's absolutely no room for a sink (the washer and dryer are wedged against 2 walls and surrounded by the only real storage we have for the whole house).

Currently, whenever I need to use the sink (say to wash out dyes, rinse out brushes, or clean my hands), I have to open the door to the house, open the door to the basement, and go through the sewing area and guys room in order to get to the bathroom - leaving the opportunity wide open, for me to spill some pretty hazardous chemicals in our home - where our dogs or cat could get into them before I have the chance to clean them up. I REALLY don't like this arrangement!!

Courtesy of NobleTreasures.com

I've found a sink for $90 at the Home Depot which is a free-standing sink (with legs, some plumbing, and a faucet). Or even better, they have a double-sink one with a faucet for $130.

Courtesy of RootSimple.com

And I've found some nifty ways of hooking up water without going into
real plumbing... but that still leaves me with my conundrum...where should it go?? sigh.

I am beginning to think I may have to switch my studio and the shop areas around. Then I could put the sink right outside of the studio - on our back deck. It could be easily hooked up to the existing faucet on the deck - the only challenge would be what to do with the waste water (especially if they are full of nasty chemicals). RootSimple.com put a big bucket under theirs - but they still have to dispose of the water. I know people who work with clay, have a double-bucket system so the excess clay will fall out of the water and not go down their drain... I wonder if that is something I should to? Anyways, I'm working on that. If you have any suggestions, I'd LOVE to hear them!!

So You Want To Make Your Own Vertical Stovepipe Steamer?

I wrote a post on my other blog several years ago, but was just asked to create a new document for the Silk Painters group on Facebook. So I thought I'd share it here!

Making your own Stovepipe Steamer is relatively easy to do and certainly cost effective! To buy one new (and made specifically for silk paintings) will easily cost you over $1000 bucks.... but making one yourself can cost under $100 (mine was less than $50!).

I've had several people ask: Why do you want a Stovepipe Steamer? Can't you just use a pot and steaming basket on your stove?
Both are good questions!
Yes you can use a pot and steaming basket on your stove. But I personally, don't care for the idea of the chemicals/dyes/etc being in my kitchen. They are NOT good eats (to borrow from Alton Brown). Plus if you use a steaming basket in a pot, you have to constantly watch the water levels. And you don't have a lot of space, which means you're probably only steaming 1 item at a time. And …

So you're thinking of making your own World Globe Bowl or Lampshade?

So you're thinking of making your own World Globe Bowl or Lampshade? (a series of 3 tutorial posts explaining how to select a World Globe, make a lampshade, and make a bowl).

Update To Testing Jacquard's New Water-based Resist

I was very excited to test out Jacquard's new Water-based Resist for silk painting. I've used a variety of resists and each has their pluses and minuses... and this new resist is no different.
On the plus side:
It's premixed and already at a good consistency for applying with an applicator bottle. It drys fairly rapidlyIt repels dye very wellDye painted on top of the line doesn't soak throughOnce dried it can't be scrubbed awayIt is relatively inexpensive and easy to get a hold of (Dharma Trading carries it - as does at least one local store)Dye can be added to it to tint the resistBut there are some issues that I am having some challenges with! So to be fair, on the negative side: It doesn't always flow out of the applicator nicely and I often get bigger globs (meaning I have a hard time getting nice, crisp edges on my lines!)Along with coming out of the applicator unevenly, it also tends to spread out rather than hold the line which also results in very uneve…

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