A New Bunny

I’ve added a new bunny to the warren here at my house.  Thanks to my sister, Jeanine, at Okio B Designs, who pinned one of the bunnies made by Carol Ann at DoxieDoo on Etsy.  She’s got other bunnies and dolls, too.

Here are some of her other dolls.  I think they are all so cute!

I bought the bunny Carol Ann had dressed in black and white.

She is able to sit and I gave her a prime location here in my black and white living room.

I also sat her in my black and white chair thinking you might be able to get a good idea of her size.

Love her face.

And her outfit!

She will have plenty of company here at my house.  I’ve got bunnies all over the place ~ all year long!

Nature Collage Wood Box

I found this wood box at an estate sale over the Summer and brought it to my booth “as is”.   I decided to channel my inner Dawn at The Feathered Nest and give a nature collage box a try.

I started by gathering a few things together that would fit inside the sections of the box.  I used some scrap book paper, as well as some dictionary pages from a book I have just for crafting, and an old date book that had some nature quotes and illustrations.

We were forecast to go up to a whopping 64 degrees on Monday, so I took advantage and gave the box a quick spray with Rustoleum’s Heirloom White 2x spray paint.  I did a very light coat on the top because it will be getting covered up.

I used Mod Podge to attach the papers/pages to the inside of the sections.  You can see a couple of sections got scrapbook paper, a couple got dictionary pages and a couple got a combination of the two.

For the inside of the lid I used a scrapbook paper that is supposed to look like burlap and added a floral bookplate illustration.

For the outside of the lid I used a script scrapbook paper as the base layer, then covered a pretty shaped wood piece I had with another paper. 

To that I added a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that came from that date book I mentioned.

I used hot glue to add in the different elements. 

A nest with eggs and feathers to one of the dictionary page sections, which has the definition for nest on it.  Right above that a faux butterfly.

Off to the end in the one long section I added a lone flower with some greenery that I put together with floral tape.  I felt it went well with the dictionary page I used there.

The middle I left blank for someone to add their own special touch.  Maybe an old bee’s nest to the section with the bee graphic.  For the other free section, perhaps some small pinecones or acorns, even some pretty rocks.

This will be making its way into my Etsy.

On a side note, I kept that wood tote I updated!

Going with my feelings, and popular consensus through your comments and emails, I couldn’t bring myself to put it back in the booth!  Like most of you said, I thought it looked pretty good on my coffee table as well, so that’s where it will be going after I put the Easter décor away.

Linking up with:

Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Swing Into Spring at DIY by Design

Treasure Hunt Thurs. at From My Front Porch To Yours

Be Inspired at Common Ground

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

The Artist Behind The Etsy ~ Okio B Designs

Being a part of the Etsy community, not only as a seller but as a customer, I have come across many talented individuals.  With this new series, I hope to introduce you to some of these creative people, finding out where they find their creativity, and a little bit more about them.

To start the series off, I asked my sister, Jeanine, from Okio B Designs {both her blog and Etsy name}, to share some of the creative inspiration behind her Etsy shop.

Thanks, Kathy, for picking me to be your first Artist Behind the Etsy!  For those of you who don't know, Kathy is my sister and I run my own blog OkioBDesigns.Blogspot.com and Etsy shop: OkioBDesigns.Etsy.com.  I'm a wife, mother of two boys ages 8 and 6, and I run a small business during the day in addition to my Etsy shop and blog.

I started my Etsy shop back in 2009.  I originally started crafting about 20 years ago.  I made earrings that I displayed in pretty decoupaged boxes.  My Dad and I did several craft fairs together - he with his handmade birdhouses and me with my earrings and boxes.  I relished that time together!  However, once my parents moved from New York to Maryland, I shelved my crafting for almost 10 years.

I discovered Etsy through the blogging community and opened my shop with what else: earrings and decoupaged boxes.  I also made coffee-baked holiday tags that didn't go over so well.  I still cringe when I think about how amateurish they were.  I'm not sure when exactly I moved onto country chic and French-inspired pieces, but I do credit Romantic Homes magazine with my transition.  For years, I flipped through the pages and admired the shabby chic decor and romantic French touches.  I thought to myself: I can do that.  So I did.

I've had quite a few hits and misses along the way, but I still get excited when someone purchases one of my handmade items.  I typically keep the oopsies and use them to decorate my house.  I continue to draw inspiration from Romantic Homes, but I'm also inspired by everything from a Pottery Barn catalog to a small, local boutique.

My Etsy shop gives me the creative outlet I need that my day job sometimes lacks.  Sure it can get hectic juggling a family, full time job and shop, but I wouldn't change it for anything.  As if I wasn't busy enough, I just opened a second shop: OkioBVintage.Etsy.com, where I sell my vintage finds.

My advice to anyone looking to start an Etsy shop: be patient and most importantly: have fun!

Jeanine

Thank you, Jeanine!  You can visit Jeanine’s Etsy shop here and her blog here.

New Kitchen Vignette

Last week, Jennifer Rizzo shared a post with a few of her past projects.  One included a vignette she put together in an armoire that used to hold one of those big ole televisions.  As soon as I saw it, it gave me the idea to do a new vignette on top of the refrigerator.  This is what I had up there.

I grabbed a few things that I had stored away and used them to make a new vignette.

I’ve got a new look I love and was able to use some things I already had. 

 Linking up with:

Fabulously Creative Friday at Jennifer Rizzo

New Spring Wreath

I totally forgot I bought a wire wreath form {actually two}to try my hand at a burlap wreath.  It’s been sitting in my craft room, in a bag, for several months now.  Seeing everyone’s Spring décor reminded me of it and I decided to make up a new wreath for our front door.  I checked out Pinterest for some ideas and found these.

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I’d like to try one similar to this hydrangea wreath for Summer through Fall. 

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These are the supplies I used.  I didn’t think I would have enough wire so I pulled out some floral tape, although I didn’t wind up needing it.

I was really drawn to the pastel colors of these florals at Hobby Lobby.  Definitely very Springy!

This is actually the first time I worked with a wire wreath form.  I usually use the grapevine wreaths.  It took me about an hour to get this to where I liked how it looked.

I hung it on the door right away.  I don’t know if that will help Spring arrive any quicker, but I’m ready for it!

Hobby Lobby really has some of the nicest faux florals I’ve seen.  Expensive, but nice!  Plus, it was nice to spend some shopping time with my granddaughter while I babysat her.

Even if it’s not feeling quite like Spring yet, it was a good day because the cashier thought I was my granddaughter’s mother.  If that doesn’t put a spring in your step . . . !

Linking up with

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Swing Into Spring at DIY by Design

Be Inspired at Common Ground

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage