#JollyVoxBox

I recently joined Influenster and got my first VoxBox in the mail today!  Influenster is a program you can join that sends you free (often full size samples) in exchange for sharing your feedback about the products.

 

Here is what was in my #JollyVoxBox:

Skinny Cow Candy – Milk chocolate and delicious peanut butter crème. I’ve always wanted to try Skinny Cow snacks, so I’m super excited to see these in my box!

The Puffs Plus Lotion To Go pack came at just the right time! I’ve been sick this week and the lotion will be soothing to my poor nose!

Rimmel London Show Off Lip Lacquer in Luna. I don’t where a lot of lip gloss but this seems like a nice neutral color. It isn’t sticky and doesn’t have a bad taste.

NYC New York Color HD Color Trio Eye Shadows – Long Beach Sands. These browns and tan will go with a lot and they are labeled as highlighter, all over lid, and crease for easy application.

Ducklings Mini Rolls - Paint Splatter. I’m a fan of Duck Tape and this little duckling is adorable. Can’t wait to use this!

 

*I received these products free from Influenster

 

So true…

I found this on Pinterest, pretty much sums me up!

Thanksgiving themed cards

With a lot to be thankful for this time of year, here are a couple Fall/Thanksgiving themed cards. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

 

Owl Pillows

A while back I got the pattern for these adorable owls from Just Another Hang Up. I love all things owls and these were too cute not to make! I made mine out of flannel that I got at Joann’s on Black Friday and stuffed them with fiber fill. I think the next one I make will be rice filled for heating up on cold winter days.

Silent Night Holy Night Pillows

It’s beginning to look a lot little like Christmas. Christmas preparation has started and these pillows were at the top of my list.

 

Using Photoshop I printed my text (Porcelain font at 300pt) then pinned it to my linen fabric that I purchased at Joann’s (with a 40% off coupon).  

 

I then traced the text with an Ultra Fine Point Sharpie filling in smaller areas as I went. After filling it all in I used a regular Sharpie and went over the larger areas to make sure it was thoroughly colored. I ironed the back of the fabric to set it after I was done. I finished up my pillows by sewing them into envelope style covers and inserted my pillow forms.

 

These were super easy and a great start to the Christmas season! I’m thinking of doing a few more with other Christmas songs or phrases. Any suggestions?  

Christmas Cards

Since we are having our first official snow of the season I thought I would share with you some of the Christmas cards my mom and I made this weekend.

If you are interested in stamping check out Stampin’ Up’s website for ideas and catalogs. Order through my mom LuAnn Johnson and receive a 10% discount!

Pinspiration – Black, White, & Green Quilt

 

My favorite color is green and when I saw this quilt from Film in the Fridge I knew I would have to make one for myself. I amped up the green color and only used green in the solid stripes. The finished size is 68x49 and is perfect for watching tv on the couch.

 

Antique School Desks with Chalkboard Tops

A couple summers ago I got these two antique school desks at a garage sale and started working on sanding down the top, but the weather got cold and I never finished them. This time when I pulled them out of the basement I set out to finish them! I bought chalkboard spray paint at Hobby Lobby (using a 40% off coupon), for the legs I used black gloss paint, and to seal the wood I used leftover polyurethane from another project.

Using a fine grit sand paper I took what sealer was left off the desk top and seat. As you can see these were definitely desks used by children. One has more wear and tear than the other but I think it shows the history of the desk. After taping off the top of the desk I applied a few thin layers of the chalkboard paint. I was concerned how the chalkboard would do on some of the deeper grooves, but after sanding they weren’t quite as deep.

After using a wire brush to removed any loose particles from the rusty areas I then applied Rust-Oleum’s Gloss Protective Enamel. I think it looks great and will prevent any more damage to the beautiful scroll work.

I applied two coats of poly to seal up the wood and love that I got a darker finish without having to stain it. I’m so happy with the way the desks turned out! Now I just need to find small metal cups to put in the ink well holes to hold chalk. Anyone have any ideas?

Pinspiration - DIY Tablet Holder

 

I use my HP Tablet a lot in the kitchen when trying out new recipes (from Pinterest of course) and can never find the right place to set it up. After finding a tutorial on Mamie Jane’s I decided to make one myself. I like the cutting board idea for the kitchen but I also want to use it in my craft room, so when I came upon this chipboard plaque ($3.99 & 40% off) at Hobby Lobby I thought it would be a perfect substitute.

 

I used scrap wood I found in the garage to make the stand and ledge. To assemble I used wood glue and small finishing nails. Originally I had painted the plaque Valspar’s La Fonda Ortiz Gold and then used Valspar’s Perfect Storm to make a chevron pattern, but it turned out to sloppy, so I painted the entire thing Perfect Storm. I wanted some contrasting color so I left the ledge Gold. After assembling, I painted the stand and touched up spots that needed it.

 

I like the way it looks and think it will do the job, but I think that if I were to make it again I would look for a plaque that could be flush with the stand. Because if its shape, the point is longer than the curved edges and therefore can’t add support to the stand.  Using a cutting board would definitely make it more stable. Maybe I’ll check Goodwill for a cutting board and make another holder to keep in the kitchen and leave this one in the craft room.