Well, it's probably a pinched nerve I thought (it's happened before, though never to this extent), but heeding Murphy's Law, I figured if I didn't get it checked out, I was pretty much guaranteeing myself a debilitating stroke, so off we went to the ER. When you walk into the E.R. with potential stroke symptoms, you go right to the head of the line. Long story short, after a CTscan, bloodwork, and several machines that went "PING!", the consensus was that I did actually have a brain, it was surprisingly "normal", and it was indeed most likely a pinched nerve.
Cleared to head to Home Depot!
By the time I got home, and unloaded the truck, I was beat, so spent the evening going over my next steps in my head.

This morning, I jumped right in and made great progress! I had all my feet and caps printed and installed on the shelf posts, and had a plan...
First step was the cleat that will support the countertop against the wall. Next, I had to wrangle the (very heavy) countertop into place. Once that was done, I laid out the position of the sinks and faucet, marked them, took a deep breath, and started cutting holes in my brand new countertop. In my life as an artist, I am definitely not the measure-twice-cut-once type. But I had a long talk with myself about countertops and grants not growing on trees, and took care to double check my measurements, took my time with my cuts, and am very happy with the result!
Everything is dry fitted at this point, I need a little PVC to run from the clay trap to the sewer line, but everything fits and it's the sink station I had hoped it would be. Tomorrow I will attach everything permanently in place, and then move on to the work/spraying station.

Stay tuned...
​CMCK

The first thing to do (in part because I'd like to have these expenditures on this year's tax filing), is to gather my materials.
Off to Ikea!
I had already ordered a double sink utility tub from Home Depot when I found the $15 stainless sinks at Ikea, so I will return the $150 plastic tub to Home Depot when it arrives. I will pick up the lumber I'll be needing on Tues, but until then, I can work on the inside of this area. I decided to start with the sink/glaze area. Despite all the shelving. it just doesn't work for me, so first thing was to gut it, set up the storage shelving that will hold the countertop and sinks. I also wanted to move my on-demand water heater to a better location,

I can't move forward much until I finish printing the feet and caps for the posts. They protect the posts from water damage, and raise them to the appropriate height for countertops. It takes about 6 hours to print four feet/caps.
While I wait for them to print, I'll fill a couple of trash cans with horded "art supplies".
Stay tuned!
​CMCK

​The CERF+ Get Ready grant is a $1,000 grant to assist artists "to safeguard their studios, protect their practices, and prepare for emergencies". In December 2025, I was approved for this grant, which I intend to use to weatherproof my outdoor kiln area, and create a safe and comfortable space to work and teach.
One of the things CERF+ encourages grant recipients to do, is to document how they use their grant. My grant will cover enclosing my outdoor workspace, and provide much-needed storage and sinks. A small windfall I received in 2025 will allow me to complete this project in total.
I'm really excited to share my progress with you, and encourage other artists and craftspeople to apply for this grant.
​
So, let's begin with the current status of the outdoor (kiln) space, and the overall plan...

​Because it is completely exposed to the elements, it's not only difficult to work in year round, but anything I store in that space gets wet, dirty, and buggy. It's certainly not a space I can comfortably hold workshops in, or work on anything other than clay projects (I also work with screen printing, laser etching, and 3D printers).
The outdoor area has a chimney, and ceiling fans, and I have a portable AC, and a patio heater so it should be comfy to work in.

The intended improvements are:

• Enclose the space and add doors to the exterior entrances.
  For this, my plan is to use siding to enclose the lower half of the area - I'll be using siding panels that match the siding on the enclosed portion of the studio, For the upper half, I'll be creating removable panels from clear, double-walled Lexan. These panels will allow plenty of light in, provide some insulation, and can be propped open or removed to allow fresh air in. I will be creating barn door style doors for the two large exterior entrances, again, using the same 4'x8' panels that the building is clad in.
• Sinks
  I currently have an old laundry sink that I use. It's OK, but too deep. Also, if I'm going to be successful with screen printing, I really need a separate, non-muddy sink for rinsing and washing screens. I managed to get two large stainless sinks at Ikea for $15 each, so I will have an ideal situation. I was also gifted a plaster/clay trap for the clay sink.
• Storage and Work Surfaces
  Ikea hacks! I found a nice shelving system at ikea that matches what I already use in my studio. Because I will be using it as under-counter storage, I was able to buy one unit, and cut it in half  to make one 68" high unit into two 34" high units. Yes, that's a little short of countertop height, but using my 3D printer, I will print feet and caps that will raise the height of the shelving units to 36".
  I also purchased 3 countertops - one for the sink area, and two for my storage/spraying/utility area.

So, those are the primary projects. My budget is $2,000, with half of that being the CERF+ grant.
Stay tuned for progress reports!
CMCK