Okio B Designs

I know I've been a little MIA lately. I wish I had some fabulous reason - like I jetted off to Paris or that we won the lotto. Sadly, the reason is a lot less interesting. It's the weather.

I'm not a winter girl and this year's weather has certainly put me in a funk. I've had zero inspiration and zero energy. I've long suspected that I have SAD (seasonal affective disorder). I'm trying to shake it, but when they are forecasting snow - AGAIN! - it's hard to get back into your groove.

So where've I been? Home, working the day jobs, being a mom, posting on Instagram and perusing Pinterest. I did manage to put together this cute little Paris postcard wood plaque today. I found the Dreams Factory image on The Graphics Fairy. I simply printed it out on waterslide decal paper and added it to a wood plaque I had painted months ago.

And I put together his bucket of faux cotton for our livingroom. Not a lot, I know, but it felt good to do something creative. I'm hoping things will warm up in the next couple of weeks and I can get back to doing something I truly love. In the meantime, I'll just keep reminding myself: winter can't last forever...

Jeanine

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Run - don't walk! - to your nearest Dollar Store for these cute little buckets. I mean, seriously, how adorable are they? I picked up two which I plan on using on our porch or patio this spring.

And in other news, for some reasons your comments are not coming through on Blogger. I've been trying to figure out what the issue is to no avail. Until then, feel free to leave a comment on my Facebook page, Instagram or Twitter. Or shoot me an email at jeanineb4etsy(at)yahoo(dotcom).

Jeanine

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Have you seen Yoplait's new Oui Yogurts at your local supermarket?! I was drawn to the glass jars they are being sold in and since I've been on a health kick, I picked up two of their "French-style" yogurts.

Good yogurt, but even better jars to use for your craft projects! Goodbye Key Lime Pie and hello mini nest jars for Easter. I used two of my favorite French images (from the Graphics Fairy) and printed them onto clear label paper.

Simply peel and stick, and add whatever embellishments suit your fancy. I tied on some tea-stained seam binding for mine. Add some faux Dollar Store moss and petite eggs, and you have an instant Easter decoration.

I have mine on the kitchen windowsill.

Jeanine

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If you love the look of school metal lockers as much as I do, head to your local Walmart and pick these babies up! (Mine had them on clearance, so a set of 2 cost me $8.) Once you get them home, use a hot glue gun and enamel tags to add a fresh touch! This project literally took 5 minutes and I love the look. Fun and functional for our family room.

Jeanine

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Anyone else itching for spring? I really can't complain. It hasn't been a terrible winter here. We had one major snowstorm. Still, this time every year I start getting cabin fever and just want to be outside.

While I wait for the official start of the season, I started working on some spring-inspired projects. This little black wood frame is from Kohl's (you might remember the other one I did with a B monogram). I decided to give it a quick spring makeover using my Cricut and this little bird's nest.

I cut out the letters for nest onto sticker paper and then carefully added them to the frame. I used my hot glue gun to place the bird's nest on top. Done and done!

And now I have a sweet new piece for spring.

Jeanine

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I've been experimenting with my Cricut and adhesive-backed vinyl lately. I purchased a few new cartridges from Amazon and couldn't wait to experiment with them. First I painted this random wood piece from a flower press. I simply painted it white and then used the Anna's Fancy Lettering cartridge to spell out home.

It got a little tricky peeling off the letters and getting them even on the wood, but I think I did a pretty good job for my first attempt.

Using a 99 cent wood board from Kohl's (less than 99 cent since I used my 30 percent off coupon!) and the Monogram Motifs Cricut cartridge, I made this pretty B monogram board.

I used regular label paper for this one, and added the enamel number tag for a French market look. Again, a little tricky using such sticky paper, but once you get the hang of it, it's super easy.

I'm working on a third sign as we speak! Affliate links are below.

Both of these were added to my mini basement gallery wall.

Jeanine

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Ever feel like your front door is missing a little something-something?! Once our Christmas decorations came down, I was struck by how boring our front door looked.

I got a dose of inspiration when trolling Instagram one day and saw this adorable hello sign. It's from Etsy Seller LittleTouchofHeaven1. It's a die-cut piece of wood that came unpainted. No problem for me! Once it arrived, I gave it a few coats of black spray paint and had it on my front door in one day. Yes, one day!

I'm loving the look and it really gives our front door a touch of personality. Best of all it was under $10 including shipping! When you have a chance, make sure you check out this amazing Etsy shop!

Jeanine

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I've been doing a little of this and a little of that lately. First up is this Alice in Wonderland-inspired mini gallery wall I've been working on. This is one of the walls leading down to our basement. I've been snatching up little frames from the thrift store, painting them black and then adding my images.

Next up is this pretty French tray. I had already painted it white and it was lined with dictionary paper. I added white paper over the dictionary pages and then printed out my French graphic on cardstock. Now it has a fresh look that I think will look pretty for spring.

And then there's this wood plaque. It was a thrift store find. I painted it white and then used the Wax Paper Transfer Method to add my graphic (from The Graphics Fairy). Unfortunately I sanded a little too much and took off part of the graphic. Yikes! But the more I look at it, the more I like the worn look. So it's a keeper.

What have you been working on?

Jeanine

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Who else misses White Wednesday?!

Jeanine

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If you've been following my blog regularly, you probably know how much I adore vintage sheet music. It's one of my favorite pieces to work with.

Not only do I use it in my Etsy shop; I also use it in a lot of my crafts. It's perfect for adding that little something-something to an otherwise ho-hum project.

Each of these new prints are available in my Etsy shop. I must confess: I kept a copy of each one for myself!

Jeanine

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Today I'm sharing a quick Valentine's Day project I whipped up over the weekend. All you need is a Mason jar, stick matches, match strike strips (or whatever you call them!) and some clear label paper.

Start by choosing a font for your label paper. I used my fave - Autumn in November from DaFont. In Word, simply add your text to a document. The hearts can be found in symbols (in Word). I made mine red, but you can make them any color. I printed out my text in a few different sizes (onto the clear label paper) because I wasn't sure what size would fit my jar. Simply cut, peel and stick. You may have to work out some air bubbles.

Next, add your stick matches to the jar. Using matchboxes I got from the Dollar Store, I simply cut the match strips off and used Glue Dots to add them to the front of the jar. I added two more on the top of the lid for good measure. Done and done!

How's that for a sweet gift for your Valentine?!

Jeanine

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Wishing you all a very happy new year!

Jeanine

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It's probably no surprise that I've already started working on some Valentine's Day projects. Today I'm sharing some sweet framed prints that were super easy and relatively free to make. To start, I jumped over to Pinterest and started searching up shiplap backgrounds.

After scrolling through what seemed like 100 shiplap wall paper pins, I finally found a pretty background that perfectly captured what I was looking for. After downloading it to my computer, I headed over to DaFont to find some faux calligraphy fonts that I could use for my prints. My favorite is called Autumn in November. It's what I used on this "i love you more" print above.

Then I found this great old typewriter font that was just screaming out to be used too. It's called Lucky Typewriter. Now if you're not familiar with DaFont, you simply search up the type of font you are looking for and then download it safely to your computer. Yes, you have to go through the whole extract all files hub-bub, but believe me, it's worth it!

Once you've downloaded your font, simply print out your shiplap background onto plain white paper (or cardstock). Then open a Word document and line up your words for how you want them to look on the shiplap paper. Feed the shiplap paper (that you already printed) through your printer and simply print the Word document onto it.

Super easy, right?! Total cost $0 - unless you're like me and you had to head to Target to buy a new 8x10 frame to put one in. So this cost me $6.99 total.

Jeanine

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Merry Christmas to my bloggy friends!

I've been such a naughty blogger of late. Hopefully I didn't end up on Santa's naughty list! I plan on getting my craft groove back on after the holidays. I've missed it, but as we all know, life sometimes gets in the way. I'm wishing you all a very happy and healthy holiday season! See you soon,

Jeanine

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Guess who just signed up to become an Amazon Affiliate? This girl! I'm still learning the ropes, so any advice other affiliates care to share will be much appreciated!

Jeanine

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I dressed up this mini pail with a free printable from On Sutton Place. Sometimes I like to keep it simple. I also used tea-stained seam binding, faux moss and one of my French script candles.

Jeanine

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It's definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Okio B house!

I actually started decorating inside a couple of weeks ago. Yes, I am that person. Ha ha. A lot of the pieces and projects you've probably seen from past Christmas posts. I switch things around though every year for a new look.

There is a touch of Christmas in just about every room in the house.

My hubby did the outside lights over the weekend. I have to snap some pics of that. He did a great job again, but we still have a few random pieces to put out.

My decorations are a mix of handmade and then pieces from Target, Ikea and Home Goods. I couldn't resist the stocking from the Gaines' Target line.

Remember these little tins from last year?! So much fun to make.

My snowman corner hutch.

I feel like this is missing a little something.

This little crate is under our tv table. I love stocking it with bits and pieces.

Last up is this little tote in the kitchen. I have to keep it simple because we don't have a lot of countertop space.

Hope you enjoyed this mini Christmas tour!

Jeanine

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Sharing a super easy Christmas ornament you can make in 15 minutes or less!

I actually made these last year for a Christmas fair. They went over really well, but I did have some leftovers. All you need are some Jenga blocks, Scrabble tiles, a glue gun and wire (paint optional).

I started by painting some of the Jenga blocks red. Some I left plain because I think they look more rustic. Anywho, start by drilling holes on either side of the block - this is so you can add your wire. Next use your glue gun to glue the tiles onto the front of each block.

Once that's dry, you just slip your wire through the tops and coil them up at the bottom so they stay in place. You can add your own embellishments. I added the rusty bell to my JOY one (and most of the ones I sold had the bells). Super easy, right?

While I was at it, I used a vintage ruler and some Scrabble tiles to make another design. This one has a rhinestone embellishment and I used a soda tab to string some baker's twine through for easy hanging.

Think of the possibilities! You can do family names or other seasonal expressions - as long as they fit the Jenga block. This idea is floating all around the blogosphere and Pinterest, but everyone has their own take on it - and now you can add yours too!

Jeanine