Eightymillion

A DIY craft and photography blog. Dogs included.

Five Friday Favorites

Welcome to my new series titled, Five Friday Favorites!  I decided to give my previous Top 10 List a makeover and this is what I came up with.  Same concept, with a few changes.  
Everyday while surfing the web I come across so many things that entertain, inspire, and educate me.  So, I’m choosing five of those to share with you here.  Enjoy!
Have you ever heard of free lensing?  Here’s a tutorial that’ll inspire you to pull out the camera this weekend. I’ll be giving it a try. {Photo credit: Digital Camera World}
My next project!  How cool is this handmade chipboard album?  {Photo credit: A Beautiful Mess}
Being an entrepreneur isn’t easy.  Especially if you wear all the hats like I do.  Have you ever picked up a copy of Entrepreneur?  It’s one of my favorite business magazines.  Check out this article they recently shared on their Facebook page where they give you 14 tools to help you manage your social media. {Photo credit: Entrepreneur.com}
I have two tires to recycle in the yard this year.  This is one option I’m considering.  {Photo credit: casa-atelier.com}
The funniest video I came across this past week.  {Shared from YouTube}
Until the next word…
~Jennifer

Friday’s Top 10 List: 1-25-13

Disco is anxious for Spring to arrive as well.  Only 53 more days.  There’s only so many episodes of Criminal Minds and Big Bang Theory that one can watch.  Yes, the boys watch tv with us.
Until then enjoy this week’s Top 10 List.  I’ll be sharing another post in my What’s On My Plate series tomorrow.  The meal has turned into a staple item in my house. 
I’m waiting for a package from Ebay which will turn into an awesome DIY project.  Be on the lookout for that this upcoming week.   

*****
For a sweet snack try these angel food cupcakes. 
A boutique on wheels.  For those of us that don’t live in LA we have the option to shop online with them.  Born and raised in a small city I find this concept interesting. 
I found this blog post in the Twitter feed this week.  I’ve been blogging for awhile now but I’m finding her tips most helpful.  I highly recommend this article for those who are doubtful on weather or not to start a blog.
My absolute favorite commercial this week!  I will be watching the Super Bowl this year for the commercials only.  Time to plan the snacks.
I love my electronic gadgets, but I also like the tangible items.  Books, vinyl records, cds, etc.  Check this out!  The ten cooliest libraries in the world.  I’m definitely adding these to my bucket list destinations.  I could get lost in every single one.
Love their music.
Speaking of music, this idea is awesome!  Someday when I locate all of my concert stubs I’ll make some.  I can picture the huge zip lock bag that I put them in for safe keeping.  I fear that they may of ran into somebody known as the garbage man.
My niece turned five this past week and my gift will be arriving late.  I’m making something similar to these for her.  Five to be exact.  She’ll love them!
Check out the balloons in is post.  They are hanging upside down above the party table.  Drop a marble inside the balloon and then blow it up.  How cool is that?
Someday I hope to have my own vintage letterpress machine.  Until then I drool over the goodies here.  And here.  And one more.

*****

Until the next word…
~Jennifer

Friday’s Top 10 List: 8-3-12

Vintage Dog Collars in Galena, IL

The first Friday in August is here.  Where does the time go?  Christmas is getting closer and that freaks me out because I have so many projects that I’m working on.  No worries though I’ll get them done (positive thinking).  Handmade rocks and sure beats receiving a gift card for a store you don’t shop in.  I might even take a leap and bake all those yummy goodies this year.

I’ll be working in the shop in Galena, IL today.  In between customers I take time to photograph items in the shop to share on our social media sites.  I really don’t mind (ha).  I started with the dog collars.  Surprised? 
Enjoy the links and have a great weekend.
*****
The World’s Longest Yardsale is happening right NOW!  My parents have gone a few times and I hope to go someday.  Talk about a pickers dream trip.  
I’m a bit skeptical to put up a large Christmas tree in my house.  Why?  I have three dogs that pee on them outside and I fear they may repeat this inside.  Perhaps I’m just overly worried but I don’t want to take any chances.  That brings me to this tree.  The perfect DIY project for the holidays.  
A brain game.  
The Bark.  It’s one of my favorite magazines.  I’ve been a loyal subscriber for years.  Each issue I look forward to Lee Harrington’s installment of the Chloe Chronicles.  She shares life with her adorable rescue dog.  Which reminds me.  I still need to pick up a copy of her book, Rex and the City.   
I can’t explain in words how EXCITED I am to see this band perform live in five days.  It’s very rare that an international musician comes to my little town.  They are passing through the city between venues so that’s why the show is on a Tuesday night.  It’ll be a struggle with my work schedule, but so WORTH it!  
Check out this table setting.
LOVE these camera crafts.  When I get my first SLR camera I look forward to experimenting with the Bokeh lens kit.

A friend of mine that runs a Wine & Martini Lounge down the street from our Vintage Shop found this video on Vimeo.  It was filmed by a group of friends during a visit to Galena, IL.  Watch and you’ll see that they visited our shop.  Cool.

This topic came up in my Twitter feed last night.  A television show that was discussing a new breed of synthetic drugs that are cheap and dangerous.  Some even causing death.  Very scary that kids are heavily involved in using them.  I had only heard of the bath salts, but there are so many more available and legal.  To The Maximus Foundation is a non profit organization that advocates and educates against synthetic drugs.    I hadn’t realized that the problem was that big.

My favorite kind of pizza.  I will also try it this way.

*****

P.S.  Working on another DIY inspiration project tonight.  SUPER EASY!  And it’s cheap.  Details soon.

Until the next word…
~Jennifer

DIY Tip: Extending the Use of Scissors

In the process of cutting up all the recycled food boxes (for the smash books) I came up with a little tip.  Craft supplies aren’t cheap.  If your like me my top desk drawer is full of scissors.  It’s that one item that craft geeks use on a daily basis.  Let’s get the most out of them so we don’t have to replace them as often.  Agree?  Save a little extra mad money for the fun stuff, not just the necessary items.
Each pair of scissors has a purpose.  They cut fabric, cardstock, ribbon, precision cuts, etc.  When you reach for a pair do you grab what’s handy?  This tip took me about five minutes to complete.  If you designate a pair for a sole purpose you’ll extend it’s use.  Does that make sense?
A:  These were purchased from the dollar store.  I used them for the prep work for the smash books.  I knew I would be using them a lot, so I experimented with a cheap pair for the task.  To my surprise they worked great and are still as sharp as when I bought them.
B:  I chose this Singer pair from my Grandma’s house when we were cleaning it out.  I wanted to take items that I would use.  They are solely for cutting fabric.
C:  Used on cardstock.
D:  Found this pair in one of my craft bins.  No sole purpose yet. 
E:  Used for precision cutting.  An expensive pair of Fiskars.
F:  Used to cut ribbon 
Supplies Needed:  Scissors, brads, hole punch, fine point sharpie marker, ribbon. 
I had some odd strips of ribbon that were leftover from another project.  Wrap a piece of ribbon around the handle, punch a hole, secure with a brad, and write what they are used for with the marker.
That’s it!  I try to contain the clutter in my office as much as possible so I have them in a drawer.  You could also hang them on a pegboard with the loop you made.
When I reach for a pair and see the label, I’m more conscious as to using it only for it’s intended purpose.  That way I’ll get more life out of them. 
I’ve been a bit lazy this week.  My evenings have been consumed with watching the Olympics.  Exciting games this year.  Do you ever wonder how much food one Olympian consumes in a day?  Just a random thought that ran through my brain.  
Goodnight.
Until the next word…
~Jennifer

Recycled Beadboard DIY Project

LOVE IT!  Something old with something new

This recycling project has been on my list for over 2 years, seriously!  I picked up the IKEA towels during my first visit to their store after dropping off my sister at the airport in Chicago (Julie, you will know how long this has been).

And can you believe that it took us less than 30 minutes to complete from start to finish?  When I say us I’m referring to my dad.  I presented the idea to him and asked what tools he had available to help me out.  I had the blueprint in my head, three vintage spoons, and three super cool cotton linens with hooks on them.  The only piece I was missing was an old board.  My mom suggested using beadboard.  My dad found a piece in the basement and it was the perfect size.  I used sandpaper to give it a distressed look.

Beadboard with three vintage spoons

I don’t have much experience with tools, especially those with power, so I left that part for my dad.  Using a hammer he flattened the spoons.  As you can see in the photo below it gave them an even more aged look.

Spoon on the right flattened with hammer
Using his vise tool he tightened the spoons in place and bent them back with a clamp to create the hook.
I eyeballed a location on the beadboard for each spoon to be attached.  As with my handmade cards, I hate to measure.  I just wing it!
Almost done…

He added the hardware to hang the finished piece.  I asked him to sign the back.  I suggested that he should make some more to sell in the Vintage shop in Galena, IL.  I got the same smirk from when I asked him to sign the board.  Perhaps I’ll just get some additional spoons and place them on the workbench.

I thought about hanging photos from the hooks as well.  Making a frame out of transparency paper around a photo.  Then adding a hook with fishing line.  Lots of possibilities.
Total investment = $5.30.  
$5. for the three IKEA linens and .30 cents for the spoons (antique store).  The piece of board and hardware was given to me.
A BIG “thank you” to my dad for helping me with this project.
P.S.
I’m trying to convince him to help me build a sofa table.  Just a few simple pieces of wood for the base and legs along with some nails.  I’m sure there’s something out there I can recycle and create the table.  I need it for in front of my picture window in the living room.  My dogs love to jump into it every time there is movement outside.  And the exercise bike and tv trays that I have there now don’t look attractive at all.  I’ll keep you posted on what I find.  Any suggestions?  Please share in the comment section below.
P.S.S
Another goal off of my resolution list has been met!
Enjoy your evening.
~Jennifer    

Recycling: New Project

Clue:  think green

I want to give you a little sneak peek of what I’m working on.  This is part of my latest addiction (another clue).  If you read my post on facebook you’ll know what I’m speaking of.   

Have you ever bought something with the plans of reselling it?  That was the case at first.  But plans change all the time, right?
I’ll share more with you soon.  The boys are sleeping on the floor in front of the fan.  So, that means I have time to create in my studio.
Have a good night!
~Jennifer

Spring Cleaning Leads To a New (Recycled) End Table

Spring cleaning has started in my house.  As I work my way through each room I’m looking at everything I have and asking myself, “Does it work?”~ “Do I use it?”~ “When’s the last time I wore that?”~ I think you get where I’m going with this.  I don’t care if the furniture matches the wall art or the pillows with the curtains.  If I can get a good deal on something that’s all that matters to me.  Handmade is best and thrift stores rock.
Dump Day is approaching here in East Dubuque.  It comes around once a year and it’s a day in which you can take those outdated television sets, old computers, furniture, broken down appliances, and whatever large items you are looking to get rid of to a central location in the city and “dump it”, for free.  I look forward to this day every year.  Sounds silly right?  Well, I’ve finally got the BF convinced that there are a LOT of items in the garage that need to be put to rest.  We are now on the same page.  Perhaps it’s because he’s getting a work out area in the used space. Whatever works.
This brings me to my first renovation in the living room.  I have this huge old dehumidifier sitting on top of a wooden cabinet in my hallway.  One of my lamps sits on top of it.  A long tube runs down into a blue bucket for the water to drain it.  It doesn’t work very well and the wooden cabinet is starting to crack.  It was relocated to a pile for Dump Day.
Now I’m left with a lamp that needs a new home.  I have these two vintage wooden crates that my mom gave me (along with the lamp) that I wasn’t sure where to use them.  Flipped over and stacked they make a nice end table.  The upside down wording adds character. 
My next project is the lamp.  I’m looking for ideas on how to give it a new look.  Do you have any?  I’ll look around on Pinterest and see what I find. Maybe using mod podge I’ll attach magazine pages/b&w photos to the base.  Again, I’m open to suggestions.  Use the comment section below, thanks.
Another good thing about the crates is the metal edging on them.  This helps with a certain someone in the “house” who likes wood.  I’ll save that story for later.  
You can also share your recycling project photos on my facebook page.  It’s my little hub for the dogs, photography, and all things vintage.  I would love to see what your working on.
~Jennifer 

DIY Outdoor Recycling Inspiration: Think Spring, Part One

Has cabin fever set in?  It has here and I can’t wait for Spring.  Mother Nature has been dishing out some funny weather, so I decided to look back on projects that I did in my yard last year.

I try to recycle everything in some way.  The vintage doors were given to me from my mom.  They were already hinged together with the flower box attached.  The only thing they needed was some color.  So, I found a quaint little corner in my yard and added some flowers.  The silver teapot was a $5. Ikea find.  Love that store!  The greenery is from Hobby Lobby.  

My favorite part of the door is this pair of crocks I found at the thrift store for $1.00.  Instant flower pots.

A local downtown business had a pile of bricks in their alley.  One day I decided to call the owner (whom I knew) and ask if she had plans for them.  Sounds crazy, right?  Well, they are now mine. Score!  Again, another instant flower pot.  I lined them along the sidewalk by my back door. They fit the length of the walk way perfectly.  I “thought” they would serve as a distraction to the dogs and prevent them from jumping off the edge. Perhaps encouraging them to use the steps.  No, didn’t work. They jump even higher now over them.

And then there’s the garden.  The best part of spring.  This was the third season for planting and as my three beloved dogs got taller the need for a taller fence grew as well.  My neighbor had multiple pieces of a dog kennel leaning up against her house.  I asked her if she would be willing to sell some of it.  She told me that it was free if I could make it disappear.  Another great find!  But I couldn’t take it for nothing.  A case of cold beverages put a smile on her face.

So, my boyfriend and I found the pieces we would need to complete our project.  We relocated our exiting garden by expanding it to the corner of the yard.  Therefore, we only needed panels to cover two sides. And we were lucky enough to find a piece with a gate. It helps with the maintenance.

A new season brings new projects.  There will be a part two to this post.  I have additional recycling projects I’ll share as soon as the snow melts and the ground softens.  And yes it involves me asking people for their junk.

Do you have any outdoor projects to share?  Feel free to share links for your projects in the comment section below.

DIY Inspiration: Handmade Burlap Curtains

House loves to model the new projects

This project has been on my *to-do* for quite some time.  I’ve lived in this house for 5 years and the kitchen needed a fresh look.  First on the list was painting.  As I was cleaning up that mess I noticed how the entry/exit door looked.  I hung a pair of blinds when I first moved in and over time the connectors came loose at the bottom.  And I got tired of fixing them.  So, every time you opened the door the blinds would go flying.  Drove me NUTS!  In the garbage they went.  The window needed a new look as well.
That’s when this idea came to mind.  When I purchased the paint I also got a piece of burlap to place on the floor.  I never used it. Instead, I made a pair of curtains out of it.  It was simple.  I held them up to the window, estimated the measurements, and then cut the piece in half to make the two panels. I hemmed a zig-zag stitch using red thread.  The burlap is cream and red is the main color in my kitchen, so the two fit well together.
I have a couple of strips leftover after measuring the length of the window.  Those will get used for card making using the sewing machine as well. Recycle:)
I was thinking of stamping or stenciling something on them.  What do you think?  They actually look good as is.  Simple is my motto so they just may stay as is.  I can always add something later to change the look.
And my youngest son “always” has to be the one in the photo when I take a picture of a completed project.  Perhaps he wants the credit.  He is silly!
Here is an image of the curtains close up. 
  
You can see that I added an extra hem to the top as well.  Defines the stitch and color a bit more.
The burlap cost under $5.00.  The time invested was about 30 minutes.  
Conclusion:  Coming in and out of the door to the house is much more quiet!
P.S.  I have several other DIY projects for the kitchen, so stay tuned for more!
Jennifer~