Okio B Designs

I got nothing.  Seriously, I haven't had a chance or opportunity for any great Goodwill or garage sale makeovers in the past week.  I sit in my craft room/office looking woefully around and thinking to myself: "I got nothing."  Every weekend in July it seems we had something going on so I'm hoping August will slow down just a bit...

Anywho, I did manage to whip up a couple of new tins for my Etsy shop Friday night.  The first is a lovely image you've probably seen on The Graphics Fairy. Don't you just love the blue hue?:
The second is by far my favorite.  And I couldn't believe on my first try I got the perfect circle using my Cricut.  Of course no luck with the second and third tries.  Oh well:
Hopefully some fabulous new project or find will land in my lap this week because I've got the craft itch!

Linking to Between Naps on the Porch: Met Monday and The Graphics Fairy: Brag Monday.

Jeanine

**Thank you to everyone who let me know it was Michele Raven Designs blog that I drew my inspiration from!**

I can't for the life of me remember which blog showed a beautiful farmhouse basket with a stenciled number on it.  If that's you, please drop me a note and let me know as you are the inspiration for this post!

I picked up this basket at a garage sale a couple of weeks ago.  Once I saw the other blogger's basket redo, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do with mine:
I gave it a light coat of white spray paint.  Once that was dried, I used a stencil and black paint to add my number 4.  Two is my favorite number but I couldn't find my 2 stencil so when my boys asked me why I did the number 4, I said because there's 4 of us here.  That seemed to satisfy them.

I haven't found a permanent place for it yet but I am loving how it turned out.  So to that other blogger, I say thank you!

Linking to Savvy Southern Style: Wow Us Wednesday and Faded Charm: White Wednesday.

Jeanine

Happy Sunday everyone!  The boys are back home and everything is back to normal in the house.  =)  I'm also excited to share my latest Goodwill makeover.  Remember this 3-tier pastry stand I got last week.  I was so inspired by some of the where bloggers create that I came up with this:
First I spray painted it white.  Easy enough.  Then I dug out some old vintage lace and cut pieces to match each tier.  I used my hot glue gun to carefully add each piece of lace.  It was quite the challenge because of the "lip" on each tray but I got it done and now I have a sweet little place to store some of my crafting supplies.

And now for the winner of my LOVE giveaway banner.  It is so true that what goes around comes around - in a good way of course - as Sandi from A Cottage Muse is the winner!  I won one of her giveaways last year and I'm thrilled to return the favor!  Congrats Sandi!

Linking to Between Naps on the Porch: Met Monday.

Jeanine

Does this ever happen to you: you have a hard time finding something you collect and then once you find it, you see it everywhere?  Case in point, I found some vintage Jello molds on Etsy a few months ago, bought em and now, lo and behold, I see them everywhere.  So of course when I popped by the local thrift store today, guess what I found?
Yup, you guessed it: more vintage Jello molds.  Ha!  Of course I couldn't just leave them there.  It was $5 for the entire set including the smaller sized non-Jello tins.  I also picked up another vintage lace doily, a bag o' buttons for 50 cents and some string to add to my toolbox caddy.

Now for the dilemna: can I sell these new found Jello molds on Etsy or will the other seller think I'm re-selling the ones I bought from them?  How does one tactfully approach this or do I just throw caution to the wind and say what the heck, I know they are not the ones I bought from them.  Touchy situation, no?

Jeanine

Woohoo!  Sorry but I can't contain my excitement that the men are away for the weekend.  Of course I miss my little guys terribly but I'm getting so much done since they left this morning.  Finally, some much-needed craft time!  I literally just finished up these Goodwill picture frames a little while ago. 
Here is the before with the lovely 3-tier pastry thing-y I also picked up from GW.  That's undergoing it's own makeover tonight!  But before I get to the reveal, I just want to ask: has anyone else noticed that the price of frames have shot up?   I mean even the ones at Walmart are over $5 and those are for a mere 5x7 size.  Oh well.  I guess I'll just have to keep grabbing them at GW and spray painting them white or black:
I ran out of flat white spray so I had to use gloss.  I'm not normally a big fan of gloss paint but I do like how it looks with the vintage French map images I printed from The Graphics Fairy.  Light and airy!  Just the look I was hoping for!

I'm also busy adding new items to my Etsy shop.  Now that the candle madness has died down a little, I hope to get as much done while the kiddies are away.

Jeanine

I stopped in our local Home Goods over the weekend and spotted a cute little glass dome butter dish.  For $3.99, I thought it was a steal.  No, not for butter but to use as a petite glass cloche!
I laid a vintage doily on the bottom of the dish.  Then I added a skeleton key and a distressed French poetry page.  Everything fits perfectly!
And it's the ideal size to display on my vintage book stack!

Jeanine

I'm a huge fan of Funkyshique on Etsy.  I recently purchased one of their beautiful LOVE burlap banners.  And as luck would have it - they sent two!  One for moi and one for YOU!
The one I'm keeping is pink and brown, the other for one lucky winner is gray and pink and every bit as irresistible as the one I'm keeping (it's already hanging in my tea room!). 

Here are the giveaway rules:

1. Of course, become a new follower if you aren't already.  Leave a comment letting me know (and let me know if you are already a follower.)  Pretty simple, right?! 

You can earn additional entries by:

1. Posting about this giveaway on your blog or put it on your sidebar and let me know in a separate comment; and/or

2. Tweet about this giveaway, let me know in a separate comment with your @ name; and/or

3. Become a follower of Okio B Designs on Facebook.

This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only (sorry!).

Winner will be chosen via random.org on Sunday, July 24, 2011.

Winner will be announced shortly after that time and will have three days to confirm or an alternate winner will be chosen.

Good luck!

Linking to Between Naps on the Porch: Met Monday.

Jeanine

Remember that mirror I got over the weekend at a local garage sale?  Feast your eyes on it now!
I actually used the chalkboard paint over the mirror.  I didn't know how it would come out but it actually is holding quite nicely.  You'll notice it's on the floor because I still can't figure out where to put it.  I'm running out of wall space - ha!

Not bad for $2!

Jeanine

So excited that my French script candles are featured in the August 2011 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine!  I'm a bit overwhelmed with orders but loving every minute of it!
Not the greatest scan but you get the idea!

Jeanine

Super excited to share this morning's garage sale finds.  So many sales, but so little time since my husband's niece is getting married later today.  Here's what I scooped up:
How about a nice old whiskey barrel for $5?
This ice bucket with stand was also $5.  I'm going back and forth on whether or not to paint it white or keep the metal color.  The basket is definitely getting a makeover.
The green chalkboard reminds me of elementary school and the gold mirror is getting a chalkboard makeover.  Oh and can't forget the vintage 1938 math book.

I could have spent the entire day shopping but, alas, I could not.  How'd you do?

Jeanine

I've been really bad this week in terms of getting to my craft to do list.  Truth be told, my husband and I were watching the Casey Anthony trial - literally from day one three years ago! - and we were both a bit shell-shocked this week by the verdict.  I think it's a terrible tragedy for the little girl and I just can't believe the outcome.  And I promise that's all the venting I will do!  On to my latest project:
I got this little jar from a garage sale a few weeks ago.  It has such an odd shape that nothing seemed to be sitting right on it.  So I simply, tore out a page from an old French poetry book, ripped it all around and distressed it for a more aged look.  I mod podged it to the front of the jar.  Normally I'll do another coat on the front to "seal" the image but I thought that would take away from the aged look for this particular jar.
I looped the key onto some twine and then tied that around and around the top of the jar.  Finish up with some dry flowers and done!  I'm debating whether or not to leave it in the bathroom or use it on my kitchen counter.  Decisions, decisions...

Jeanine

Hope everyone had a safe and happy July 4th!  I didn't get to do much crafting this weekend but I did manage to make this little no sew sack that I plan to store some craft supplies in.  The bag is actually from some Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic sheets I got from Target.  The little bag was too cute for me to toss so I came up with this instead:
I added some vintage lace with safety pins for the strap.  I broke out my ink and stamps for the wood tag. 
I distressed the edges and then stamped "moms sack" on the front in brown ink.  I tied it on with some tea-stained seam binding. 
I also added the little bird tag which I've used on other projects.
For the back, I used some fabric glue to add my burlap pocket.  The finishing touch is the hand-stamped French clothes pin.

I think it makes a sweet little catch-all for my craft room!

Jeanine

I bought a bunch of these little chalkboards today for use in my Etsy shop.  Here is the first one I did and truth be told, I like it so much, I'm keeping it for moi!
I used some Distressed Ink to "age" the wood frame.  Then I tied some twine around it and added the coffee-dyed hang tag and French paper.  Finishing touch was some dried flower buds in the middle of the paper scroll.

You can find these soon in my Etsy shop.  For now, this one has found a new home on the ledge dividing my kitchen and diningroom.

Linking up to Between Naps on the Porch: Met Monday.

Jeanine

I picked up these hotel napkins at the Pottery Barn Outlet on Friday.  While I wanted a crisp, white napkin, I still felt they were missing a little something.

I dusted off my Cricut and got busy choosing a sweet font to use to stencil in my numbers.  This is from the Storybook font.  After the Cricut cut out the numbers, I used a black fabric marker to stencil them onto each napkin.  Thank God for fabric markers - they make the job so much easier and less messy!
I can't wait to use these at Easter.  It'll be easy to figure out if any are missing after the guests leave!

Linking to Between Naps on the Porch: Met Monday.

Jeanine

I'm forever playing around with my kitchen counter.  The problem, among others (don't get me started on the green color), is, I don't have much of one and whatever I seem to display on there always gets in the way of our day to day lives.  Still, it doesn't stop me from trying!

I got this vintage pitcher from an estate sale a few weeks ago.  She sat there kind of lonely in the corner.  So I decided to add a few shabby items to keep her company.
I took a simple metal can (can of corn to be exact for any baseball lovers!) and added this shabby chic drawer paper to it.  Then I added the French label (from the Graphics Fairy of course!) to the front of and some French script candles.  Then I took the Ball jar and hot glued some vintage lace around the top and a button for a touch of color.  I had some leftover pink sand from Valentine's Day so I added that to the bottom of the jar to anchor my candle.

Lastly is the little matchbox which I covered with drawer paper as well and a Martha Stewart flower. The tart tins I got off of Etsy. 

I think everything gives the corner a nice shabby chic touch!

Jeanine

A few weeks ago my sister Kathy from Creative Home Expressions shared with us that Fabric.com was having this great sale on fabric.  Prices were $5.99 and under!  I picked up a few yards of this Osnaburg fabric.  I didn't love it when it first arrived but I do now!  It has the look of burlap but not the feel, which makes it perfect for pillows!
I whipped up this "beach" pillow using it last night.  We live about 10 minutes from Jones Beach and about 20 minutes from Gilgo and Oak Beach (the beaches where they are unfortunately finding those dead bodies).  Luckily there is a highway or two between where we live and those beaches.

First I stenciled in my letters.  Then I used different blue hue fabric markers and simply stenciled in each letter alternating the blues.  It measures about 16"x16". 

Once the weather is nice here for more than a day or two, I'm going to put it on some old-fashioned, metal slider chairs we got at Lowe's a few years ago.  They are blue too and I think it will make them look more comfy and cozy with the pillow.

Jeanine

I came across these great vintage-inspired buckets and knew immediately what I wanted to do with them. 

Wouldn't it look lovely holding a beautiful Spring bouquet?

Linking to The Graphics Fairy: Brag Monday.

Happy Monday everyone!

Jeanine