Okio B Designs

***Don't forget to enter my giveaway here!***

This basket sits in my livingroom and normally holds all of my favorite magazines: Country Living, Romantic Homes, Martha Stewart Living, etc. I wanted to make it a little more exciting so I turned it into a basket o' book stacks:

I picked up some old books this morning from the church thrift store and started tearing them apart once I got home. Once they looked good and old, I tied them together with some twine and added them to the basket.

The book stack in the front with the flower is one I bought off of Etsy a couple of years ago. I love the colors in the book stack to the left so I kept them as is. The one to the right I made last year and features some crowns from The Graphics Fairy.

Yup, I think this looks much better and my magazines are safely tucked in under the stacks!

Jeanine

4 comments

I promised a giveaway and here it is! I've spent the past couple of weeks picking up craft items for me and YOU! Here's a bird's eye view of what I'm calling Crafter's Delight:

The winner will receive a paper mache dress form, paper mache cone (or tree depending upon which way you look at it!), black tulle netting, ribbon galore, pre-strung mini wood plaque (great for using with chalkboard paint!), a fat quarter of shabby chic fabric, mini clothes pins AND...

Pink beads, silver beads, Distressed Ink, hand-dyed ribbon (from my favorite Etsy shop!), Tiffany & Company ribbon (also from a favorite Etsy shop), plain tags for your embellishments tied with baker's twine, jingle bells AND...

A black fabric pen, fabric brushes, popsicle sticks, a wood plaque, wooden spools, alphabet stamps and more!

How does that sound to you?

Here are the rules:

1. Become a follower of OkioBDesigns.Blogspot.com. Leave a comment letting me know you are a new follower (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 at 5 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 30, 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!

Jeanine

35 comments

I'm not the biggest fan of working with glitter. Mainly because I always seem to make a mess with it. But I do love the look in the end. This week I broke out my German glass glitter and some Martha Stewart glitter for some quick Xmas touches. First up is this old pocketwatch:

I've seen this look on Etsy and wanted to take a crack at it so when my husband dug up this old watch, I immediately staked my claim!

I covered the top part and part of the front with Mod Podge, and then I dipped the watch into my German glitter glass. I love the icy/snow affect the glitter glass adds to it! It's hanging from a piece of that plaid fabric that is quickly becoming my go to for holiday projects.

These little birdies are from Ikea. They come in a package of 4 in plain white for something like $4.99. When I saw them, I knew I wanted to give them a quick sheet music makeover. I also added the French stamps and gave them a generous coating of the Martha Stewart glitter. I left the backs plain - just with the sheet music. I think they have a Pottery Barnish feel to them with the sheet music, don't you?

Jeanine

6 comments

First I wanted to send a big thank you out to Karen at The Graphics Fairy for featuring my sled on today's Brag Monday. It really made my day! And thank you to everyone who left such lovely comments about it!

And now onto today's project. I had a ton of leftover Dollar Store matchboxes from two years ago. Yup, you read that right. I bought them two years ago to do a copycat Country Living advent calendar and a bunch of them were still hanging around:

Today I wrapped each one in vintage sheet music and tied some with twine, and red, green and silver ribbon. Some I just left plain, while others I stamped joyeux noel on or added a simple rhinestone.

Then I added some shredded sheet music to my apothecary jar. Just enough to bulk up the bottom of the jar. Then I carefully added each matchbox so they settled nicely on top. I grabbed my favorite plaid fabric - yes the same one from the church thrift store fair! - and tied that to the front of the jar.

Oh yes, it's beginning to look a lot like Xmas here. I am waiting until after Thanksgiving to decorate but it is getting harder and harder!

Linking to: Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday and My Uncommon Slice of Surburbia: Tuesdays Treasures.

Jeanine

8 comments

I popped into my local Goodwill earlier this week and came back with a lot of goodies:

The bucket was only 99 cents.

The candle holder was $6.99 - pretty pricey for Goodwill but I couldn't resist considering it came from Target where it was probably originally double the price. I also got 5 little bottles that I plan to embellish. First makeover is the bucket:

Can you tell I ran out of white spray paint?! I had originally wanted to paint it white but I just ran out of it, so plan B of course was to paint it black. Then I stenciled the 8 onto to some scrap fabric with a fabric marker. Once that was dry, I sewed it onto a piece of burlap. Hot glue to the front and done! Right now it's holding some of my French script clothes pins.

Next up is the candle holder which I really didn't do too much to except that I added some of my hand-stamped joyeux noel candles.

I think it's going to look stunning on my Xmas table!

Linking to Between Naps on the Porch: Met Monday.

Jeanine

10 comments

Got to play Martha Stewart yesterday. Well, not really but I did use the fabulous stocking template mentioned in the December issue of Martha Stewart Living. You have to go to: marthastewart.com/stocking-template to download and print it, and then you get to make one of these:

I used the larger template for this stocking. I have been wanting to do a burlap stocking for the past two years. I don't know why I never did one before because I do love the rustic look of burlap and lord knows I have a ton of it left over from other projects. Seeing the stockings in MSL gave me just the nudge I needed.

I added the white wood B (for our last name) with a grungy red safety pin. You probably can't tell but I used a little brown paint to distress it a bit and then sanded it here and there. I'm planning on stuffing the bottom of the stocking with tissue paper and then adding little wrapped "presents" or other Xmas-appropriate goodies for a kind of "spilling" from the top look. This will probably go on our front door this year in lieu of a wreath.

I also printed off the smaller MSL template which I plan on using with some of the fabric I got at the church thrift store fall fair last weekend.

Jeanine