Okio B Designs: June 2013

I was just about to dump this pickle jar last week when inspiration hit.

I gave it a couple of coats of robin's egg blue spray paint. Once that was dry, I added a chalkboard paper tag. It's kind of small so I really had to squeeze in the word fleurs on there.

Add some faux flowers from the Dollar store and voila, instant pickle jar vase! Definitely my speed on these scorching summer days we've already been having.

Jeanine

2 comments

The winner of the Mason jars book giveaway as chosen by Random.org is...

Patti from Ivy and Elephants!

Congrats Patti. I'll be in touch for your info shortly.

Jeanine

2 comments

Just a reminder, today is the last day to enter to win this fabulous Mason Jar Crafts book. Enter here. I'll be picking a winner tonight!

Jeanine

No comments

Long before I was a wife and mother, I started my crafting endeavors by making jewelry. It was the perfect distraction for what seemed at the time to be a stressful life (little did I know!). When I first started my Etsy shop, I had some earrings and necklaces in there that quickly sold and that was the end of that.

Over the weekend I popped into Michael's and saw some nice jewelry templates from Mod Podge. I grabbed a packet not sure if I was ready to plunge back into jewelry making.

At about the same time, I bought these precious religious images off of Etsy. It seemed like the perfect fit.

While my boys were busy upstate with their Dad over the weekend, I sat and made some necklaces. It was like revisiting an old friend.

And it was right then and there that I realized how much I truly missed it. I'm sure I will take baby steps getting back into it but it is like riding a bike: you never forget how to do it. In the meantime, I'm enjoying these pieces so much that I'm struggling with deciding on whether or not to add these to my Etsy shop.

Jeanine

2 comments

It's been a gorgeous weekend here! The perfect weather to hit some garage sales. I hit about 5 or 6 of them yesterday and found a few goodies.

I love this vintage sleigh. I saw a clever idea on Pinterest where someone made their sleigh a welcome sign for the winter holidays. I'm definitely going to do something similar with mine. It was only $5.

The shell plate was $2 and is from Pottery Barn. Can't wait to use it for when we get fresh oysters over the summer. The pieces of lace were $1 for all three.

I love embellishing spice jars so I grabbed these for $2. The little wood shelf is going to get a makeover as well.

Not bad for $10!

Jeanine

4 comments

I wanted to add some beachy-colored Mason jars to our porch. Since I just got a bunch at Goodwill, I painted two of them this pretty robin's egg blue.

Here they are in the lobster tray I did a few weeks ago. Loving the color. It really stands out next to the starfish.

They are waiting for some tea candles and a nice warm summer night.

Today is the first day of summer, so lots of nice warm nights are a coming!

Jeanine

2 comments

**Don't forget to enter my Mason jars book giveaway here.**

I always have bits and pieces of pretty fabric lying around. They are never big enough for a pillow or sachet, but yet I just can't throw them out. Glad I didn't because I used them for some sweet fabric covered match boxes.

I used some ordinary dollar store match boxes and fabric glue. After I glued on my fabric, I printed out some petite French images (two from The Graphics Fairy and one I bought from Etsy a few years ago).

Add some rhinestones and faux flower embellishments, and you've got yourself some shabby chic match boxes! I'm displaying these in the tearoom in a vintage dish my Mom gave me (a Goodwill find for her!).

Super duper easy!

Linking to The Graphics Fairy: Brag Monday and the Creative HomeAcre Blog Swap.

Jeanine

2 comments

**This giveaway is now closed.**

The theme of my week so far seems to be Mason jars! I popped into Goodwill yesterday and found a bunch of fabulous jars for 99 cents each.

I've never had this short size before and I'm really excited to work with them! I'm even more excited because I have another wonderful Mason jar book to giveaway to you!

Mason Jar Crafts by Lauren Elise Donaldson (you can find more of her work here: LaurenEliseCrafted.com) is a new, full-color book featuring 30 innovative Mason jar projects and more than 150 step-by-step photos. You can find projects for home decor, weddings, holidays and more! Here are some of my faves:

Mason Night-Light. Super cute for a kid's bedroom.

Mini Ribbon Chandelier. So pretty for a wedding or outdoor party.

Dessert plates. Yum!

I can't wait to try some of these great ideas and you can too! All you have to do to enter to win a copy of Mason Jar Crafts is:

1. Like Okio B Designs on Facebook and let me know in a comment that you did;

2. Follow @okiobdesigns on Twitter and let me know in a comment you did;

3. Blog/tweet/Facebook about this giveaway and let me know in a comment you did.

Open to US residents only - sorry! I'll pick a winner via Random.org on Wednesday, June 26, 2013.

Good luck!

Jeanine

P.S. If you want to pick up a copy of the book yourself, it's only $14.95 on Amazon.com.

*I was provided a copy of the book for review. Opinions are my own.

11 comments

Do you ever see a project on another blog or on Pinterest and say to yourself, "I have got to try that!" So you bookmark the page or pin it to your Pinterest and it just sits and sits. Well, I have been wanting to make a chicken wire frame for at least a year now. I finally got around to making one over the weekend.

Now I'm kicking myself for waiting so long! I just love the look!

Excuse the darkish pictures. I put it on a nightstand in the bedroom and we don't get a huge amount of light in there.

I'm having so much fun clipping random Frenchy pieces to it. And of course, wondering why in the world I waited so long to do this!

Linking to Between Naps on the Porch: Met Monday.

Jeanine

3 comments

We had two estate sales in the neighborhood yesterday. While the boys were at school, I popped by both. Holy moly! Boy, were they loaded!

I could have gone crazy at the second one but the prices were a bit steep. I might head over later today to see if there are any better deals to be had.

Love the religious statue. I can't recall the saint's name though. The chalkboards are real slate. I can't stand the faux ones so I grabbed two of them.

I never pass up sheet music! The scale is my favorite find. It needs a good cleaning. I'm debating on whether or not to paint it. The Mason jar was 50 cents!

Not a bad haul. I spent about $23 on everything.

Jeanine

2 comments

I'm a huge fan of decorating with bottles. Old, new, big, small - you name it, I love em! These two are old sparkling lemonade bottles that I got from Home Goods a few years ago. The lemonade was yummy and the bottles have been embellished.

I printed out both images onto label paper. Both were found on Pinterest.

I love this religious one. It brings me back to my goth days. I distressed the image a bit and then added it to my bottle. I added a teeny tiny rhinestone to her crown, and some tea-stained seam binding to the neck of the bottle.

Love her!

I also used some Distressed Ink on this Frenchy hotel label to give it an aged look. Finished it up with some twine and a skeleton key.

It's raining here...AGAIN! Hoping it'll be nice by the weekend so I can get some garage sales in.

Jeanine

3 comments

I don't do a lot of decorating for the 4th of July. It's less than a month away, so over the weekend I put out a few patriotic touches.

Found this great download from Pinterest.

I've had these little wood tags for a few years and love putting them out for the 4th.

More tags.

Red, white and blue mason jars.

I have these on both sides of our porch. Filled them with sand so I could add some French script candles.

I have a few more ideas in the works.

Jeanine

5 comments

Here's a peek at some of the goodies I picked up yesterday at the Country Living fair.

Lots of ephemera. Vintage price tags and petite French flashcards.

Brass number tags.

I'll bet you recognize the graphic on this little crate! It's one of my faves from The Graphics Fairy.

Nautical soaps.

My boys picked out this little Trick or Treat sign.

As I said, I did not go crazy but am totally happy with my little purchases!

Jeanine

4 comments

After two days of rain, the sun came out and we headed on out to the Country Living magazine fair in Rhinebeck, NY.

This big guy greets you as you head in.

Love the huge cover posters! My little men were my models.

Tons and tons of booths. We weren't sure where to start!

Most were set up in old barns on the fairgrounds.

Saw a lot of grain sack bags, dish towels, etc.

And tons of frames, letters, old silverware.

This booth had a bunch of pillows and runners with images we all know and love from The Graphics Fairy.

Kitchen set-up for a live demonstration.

More goodies.

I'll share my finds tomorrow. I didn't go crazy. Some of the prices were a bit too steep for me. And it was a little disappointing because it was so crowded, you really didn't have time to look through everything. Some booths we couldn't even get into. If we go again next year, I'm making sure we get there first thing in the a.m. to avoid the crowds.

Jeanine