610 Open House / Studio Reminder This Sunday, all day 10am-8pm, 610 city rd, Manchester, Mi. 48158 Join us to explore her transformation, current status and the potentials of loving and living with reclaimed, re used art and craft.
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610 City Rd, Manchester, 48158 Sunday June 8th 10 am -8 pm 
Many fine aspects to see at 610 using reclaimed, recycled materials in creative ways. Also as much Folk Art as M Shaw can put together for this first annual spring Open House. The house and yard welcomes you. Spread the word , bring a friend (s).
Hoop house deer guard mostly done, read how. Come see it sunday June 8th open house. Date and time invitation coming.
My new garden spot being tilled and readied for enclosed garden hoop to protect from deer.
The base frame, reclaimed deck boards, note black conveyer belt 12" strips to act as weed block, mower protection and discourage digging. I staked each arch with 1/2 conduit pounded into ground. 2/4 pvc held in place with screw going through base board, pvc and conduit.
We hung a screen door inside a frame. Door open out. Added braces. My brother and I.
This is the other end. Framed 2 wood frame salvaged screens. Added braces. Next i will staple rabbit fence to open areas on ends and cover entire hoop from side to side with deer mesh. No plastic sheeting at this time. Maybe in the fall to extend growing season. It is awesome!!! I will get compost/ manure , till some more and begin planting. Very excited... Thank you Greg ( my brother).
I added more ribs, stabilizing side braces, painted pvc black AND covered in deer mesh. I suspended the roll on rope lopes while i stapled and zip tied to frame.
It's done except for beefing up zip ties that attach mesh to frame. It is awesome. I am ready to begin planting. I tilled ground adding 6 40# bags manure compost. My small honda tiller is powerful and fits in tight spots. The birds are a bit confused, a robin kept hopping around frame trying to get to fresh tilled dirt. A sparrow flew into mesh. I may need to add sparkle ribbons to warm birds. I wonder if i'll need to reinforce lower 24 -36" against paws, racoon. Didn't think of that till i was done. So it goes with an inventors tinkering.
Very happy to discover blood root in full bloom after being transplanted again. It likes it here! Witnessing plants i put in make a come back is causing a huge wedge of happiness in my heart. I am rigging up a new deer proof vegetable garden. I've got a plan that i believe will work. Now to gather materials. This afternoon i put up a pvc hoop to test actual paper plans out in the real garden space. I will add more ribs, build a door entry on one end bracing hoop ribs and cover with deer mesh. 
This is the new garden location, cleared away decayed stump wood ( used as mulch along rose of sharon hedge planted last year). Tried out pvc hoop. Yes a 20 foot section makes a nice arch. I'll use wood doweling i reclaimed and set screws to join 2 10 foot sections of pvc. I pounded in 4 ' pieces of rebar to support pvc. See picture,
First tilling with honda tiny tiller workhorse ( me too). I'll need to introduce nitrogen to soil that has a lot of woody compost material. After this settles, a good rain dries up i'll till again, rake it out and plant. In the mean time i'll begin the deer proof shell hoop. Feels good to be moving on this project, so looking forward to a beautiful enclosed kitchen garden. Marigolds planted along outside border.
My sister was here at 610 and when i went off to work she enjoyed some fin creative moments digging through my art supplies and recycling. So far i have found 3 messages that she placed in various locations, what fun. She's still here, her spirit and creative joyful nature. This one was placed in my bathroom cupboard. It fit in so well i just noticed it! Do you?
Here it is!
This was the sweetest so far, found it above stove on shelf. Bottle cap message
This fun one "custom house" of course points to all the home improvements here at 610. I look forward to finding more, maybe, i'm not asking if there are any. Smiling big, i love you too Vicky!
New bathroom art. I found this adam/eve mural painted on chip board at habitat thrift. I installed it on the only wall large enough in my bathroom. Perfect color range i want to explore. The small mirror is temporary and i 'd like to find additional art to include, plus maybe frame rough edges of the mural. Now i want to sit in my bathroom and look at that wall. Lol
Mini blinds make great easily cuttable plant markers. I pulled this life time supply from a trash can. I plan to use them in my garden too. Right now they are marking rows in vegetable flats. My father in law taught me about using them. Thank you, re use and recycling second nature to folk from earlier generation.
Required to buy 6. So sweet, the tiniest peeps are pecking and scratching. They are under a heat lamp. Joey acts frisky, romping and saying "pet me, pet me!". Now or soon to get on to the business of building a hen room at the back of the garage. Put in a window for light and a hen door. I put up posts last fall, now need to reinforce and enclose hen run and install a door to such. Anyone have wire or mesh to donate? Or 2x4's?
Bought lots of seed to start plants for garden and yard. Wouldn't you know it! Lowe's only had miracle grow soil, drat them! I ended up getting soil from my basement and adding peat moss. I will be using my worm juice that I've been making from my indoor worms to fertilize the soil. Thank you Dave. Some day this spring i'll build cold frames and a outdoor worm compost.
I saw a indoor feeding station for bluebirds and other insect eating birds. Here is my own design. I will be using old window pane glass my mother passed to me 8"x11". The top and 2 sides will be glass. Love my table saw, i can easily cut dados to set glass. Then a small removable pyrex glass bowl will hold dried worms. Still have to figure out clean out. Entry holes will be too small to reach through, i want to keep Interlopers out. I've been making glass wall wren houses, watch for spring sale at 610 to buy one. Maybe i will have above mentioned feeding stations too. Some bluebirds winter in michigan. I hope early robins find respite in this insect feeder too.
These are dried, extremely blow away. I anticipate the enclosed feeder will protect birds and expensive food. Large bag costs less.
610 news stand, made from salvaged wood window frame and old glass pane (thanks Mom). This self serve news stand is currently jammed in snow bank. It will herald the news at 610. Here goes, now to print the news. Which can be seen on my web site too. Share my joy
Salvaged copper pipe 3/4 ", began by cleaning with vinegar and green scratchy pad. Some sections had interesting fittings so i included them. I did have to cut off ends with pipe cutter gizmo to get clean even round ends to join.
I thought i was going to solder them but the planing required a piece at a time put into place because of odd lengths and uneven walls and several turns and angles to deal with. I found some doweling i had picked up at an estate sale and used it as inserts between sections , then drilling holes and set screws to secure joins.
I reshaped 1 1/4 " new copper pipe brackets to mount to wall, securing to studs. These keep the railing close to the wall as the stair is pretty narrow. At the bottom ( or beginning) of stairs i actually carved wood joints as pipe fittings were not the correct angle. The stair way is not a straight shot, nor is it standard. It's a bit small to grip tightly and there are joints , however i feel much more secure knowing it's available for balance for others using the stairs. I think in a few months there will be a lovely patina again on the copper visually connecting it and it's components.
I still aspire to solder so i can collect and construct Fun stuff using copper pipe, it too will be a thing of history as plumbing relys on plastics. |
M Shaw
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