Message Board Project

So I have been wanting to make something like this for awhile but haven't found the time or the frame to do it.  After constantly checking the clearance frames at Hobby Lobby (and even making some stops at the Good Will) I finally found a frame I was ok with and was within the price range I wanted.  I got this frame at Hobby Lobby for......(pause for effect)......$13 for the 2 foot by 3 foot frame!  The original price was $130 and it was an ugly gold color, but the price was right and it was nothing a little spray paint couldn't fix. 

So with a few weeks left in this pregnancy I thought it was about time I get my butt into gear and get this thing done before baby #2 comes.  This just goes to prove that an 8 month pregnant lady can still get down and do some prey painting, even if it was in LOTS of stages, with plenty of breaks, and outside on a windy day just to make sure I have plenty of ventilation (and plenty of room for the mess). 

So, here it is, the finished message board.

We've got the cork board on the bottom, the chalk board and dry erase section, the weekly menu planning section, and the monthly calendar, grocery list pad, and storage areas last.  So, the hope is that this will help us stay organized, especially with the weekly menu thing.  No more of the nightly dreaded question "What's for dinner?", now we will know exactly what we are cooking, but it will hopefully help us with the grocery shopping as well so we know exactly what to buy.

The bottom portion with the cork board, chalk board, and dry erase board.

The top half with menu planning, monthly calendar, grocery list, and storage.

The menu and the containers that hold all the menu options.  The weekly thing is a magnetic dry erase board I got at Target.  I did modify it because it was a bit too thick for what I wanted so I ended up taking it all apart...with my husband asking me every 5 minutes if I needed help because he didn't want his 8 months pregnant wife to cut herself on the metal.

Close up of the weekly menu.  I got some magnetic printer paper from Office Depot and printed all the options on it, which took awhile because my printer didn't want to feed it in, but I got it all done.  We have green for main dishes, orange for side dishes, blue for bread, rice, and potatoes dishes, and brown for desserts.  I know, this is starting to sound a little OCD, but hey, I may not be the most organized person in the world but I like some things to be nice, neat, and organized. 

The top part with the monthly calendar, a pad of paper for the grocery list (which I got from Michaels craft store for $1, so I got 2 of them), and extra storage space for whatever else we need to have up there.  All the bins I made myself out of scrap chipboard I had and covered them with paper.  I used one sheet of 1/4" foam core board to put everything on, except the cork board which was already 1/4" thick, and then backed the entire thing with another sheet of 1/4" thick foam core board.  Once it was all in the frame, this is going to sound cheap but, I used packing tape and just taped it all in the frame, but it works.  Now all that's left is to have my hubby hang it up on the wall for me.

Toy Storage

Holy cow it's been awhile since I blogged!  Guess that's what happens when you are busy.  Lately I have been busy making all sorts of things, mainly a "busy box" for my son.  But that is a whole other blog. This one is about toy storage.  I don't know if you have discovered Pinterest or not, but I'm totally addicted to it.  I find all sorts of great ideas on there.  Some I'm going to do, some I'll never get to, and some I have already done!  This idea though I just finished.  Here is the original post.  While she may have gotten her bins at the $1 store I got mine from Target.  Found them in the $1 section up front.  The bins were $2.50 a piece and the zip ties cost me about $3.  So for around $18 I got some new, fun storage for the boys room.  Just line them up, drill some holes, and connect with zip ties.  I also used some clear packing tape to tape down the end of the zip ties so little hands/arms don't get scratched.  Sorry for the short post, but I got to go pick up the little boy from pre-school.  :)

Encore Handmad Fair

This past Saturday I had my booth at the Encore Handmade Fair.  This is the second year I have done it and I felt that this year went a whole lot better, not only for me but for the people who put the show together.  I feel this show will keep getting better every year.  I had a mark I wanted to make (money wise) and I reached it!!  I even went a little bit over it, which just made my day.  So here are some photos of my booth and some products that made their debut there.



Me at my booth.




Another one of me at the booth.




Dinosaur Pull Tab Baby Book - SOLD




4x6 Photo Box Set - Baby Boy




4x6 Photo Box Set - Baby Girl




Baby Girl Pull Tab Book




Wallet Photo Book - Baby Girl




4x6 Double Photo Book with quote about Grandmas




4x6 Photo Book with quote about moms - SOLD




4x6 Double Photo Book




1/2 Sheet Journal




Wide shot of the booth.




Left side of the table.




Center of table.




Right side of the table.

 And now it is time to get ready for the Handmade Promenade on the Ave. this Friday.  So if you are in the Indianapolis area please stop by and say hi to me and see all the awesome stuff that will be for sale.  And who knows, maybe you will find that perfect Mother's Day gift.  :)

Learning to Blog

So since I am still new to this whole blogging thing and I would like to learn how to promote my products by using my blog I signed myself up for a free blogging e-course from Sunday Afternoon Housewife that is basically ALL about blogging to promote your business!!  How great is that?!?!  Well I think it’s pretty darn great.  Did I mention that it's free!  So I’m hoping that it will get me blogging about the right stuff to attract more followers as well as customers and to just blog more often too.  J 

So for my first blogging prompt I’m to write about something new that I would like to share with my readers/customers.  I have recently heard about this thing called Picnik and up until today I had no idea what it was….at all.  So I did a little poking around and playing around and have found that it is kind of a cool little website for photo editing.  There is a large chunk of it that is free to use and some more advanced features that you pay a monthly subscription to use but all in all I found it kind of cool.  You are able to add some effects to photos that normally only the pros know how to do as well as some cute stickers and “accessories” (check out my doctored photo) to your photos. 

I also like that you don’t have to just have fun with it but for the more serious person who just wants to clean up their photos there are a lot of useful tools in there and some only the pros know how to do…like creating that airbrushed effect or cleaning up that mad solar glare on your forehead.   Now, I will say that I have been using Photoshop for years for all my photo editing and I have become pretty comfortable with it so I will probably still stick with that but for being a website that you can correct photos on, I think Picnik is pretty darn cool.  Check it out sometime.  J

BIG News!!

So I have some really BIG news to share.  I got accepted into my FIRST juried craft show!!!!!  I have been accepted in the Handmade Promenade show on May 6^th!  I know, I know, that is the weekend after the Encore Consignment sale!  Wow…I’m going to be doubly busy the next few weeks.  At least I have a week between shows so I can whip up whatever products I need to for the second one because they sold unbelievably well at the consignment sale….right?....I guess I can dream…and hope that will happen.  I guess I can’t complain because I need to make MORE product right?  So this will be a new experience for me, one that I am very much looking forward to.  I feel excited and scared and overwhelmed and a whole bunch of other emotions all at the same time!!  I’m going to be going crazy by the end of the month I think.  This show in Indy will be my first where I have to set up EVERYTHING….from the canopy to the table to my products (because it’s my first outdoor show too!!)  I’m hoping that with me new network of crafting friends that I will be able to hear about many more craft shows and be able to apply to them.  So here’s hoping that all goes well and I sell lots of books!

GIVEAWAY

So I have been thinking for awhile that I need to get myself out there more.  And since Facebook* is such a great way to get people to hear about you I thought what I could do is have a giveaway once the JO Designs page has 100 "likes".  So get busy and tell all your friends about JO Designs!!

How it will work:

• I will do postings periodically about the giveaway on Facebook* as reminders, posting links back to this blog post.
• You just have to:
• "Like" the JO Designs page on Facebook*.
• Then comment on this blog posting.
• If you are already a fan on Facebook* then you can still post a comment on this blog post and be entered into the giveaway.
• Once we have reached that goal of 100 "likes" a random winner will be picked by Random.org.
• I will count how many people posted comments on the blog post and enter that number in their random number generator. 
• Which ever number comes up is the winner.
• Numbers will be assigned in the order the postings are posted on this blog.
• I will post the winner here on the blog.
• Then (and only then) will I ask you to send me an email with your contact information.
• I will post on Facebook* when the winner is announced but will not post any information there.  The name of the winner will ONLY be posted here on the blog.

Prize:

The prize will be one(1) handmade Matchbook Photo Book.  You will have the choice of requesting a color scheme or any theme you would like and you will also have the choice of wallet size (2.5x3.5) or 4x6 size.  Whatever size you pick the book will be big enough to hold 20 photos.

Disclosures:

*This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You are providing your information to JO Designs and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for the purpose of sending the winner of the giveaway their prize.

**Please only provide your name on this posting.  The winner will be asked to send an email to JO Designs (jodesigns08@gmail.com) with their contact information for the purpose of sending the winning prize.

***If you have any questions please feel free to email me at jodesigns08@gmail.com.

Getting Ready

Now that I don't have 3 classes I'm taking I finally have time to do some more books!!  YAY!!  And since Spring is in the air that means the Encore Consignment Sale and Handmade Market will soon be here.  And that means I am busy making new products to bring, but don't worry, for those of you who went last year I will have some of the same stuff.  So here is a sneak peek of two of the items that will be new this year.

Pull Tab Book

I'm really super excited about this book, because the applications for it are really endless...as far as your imagination can go!  :)  I plan on having a few books already made for the sale but I also will have them in kits so you can make whatever kind of book you want!  I will also have a sample book made up to show how the book can be used.  This one is a baby girl book.  There is room for one photo for each month (1-12) and then you pull the tab out and there is space for recording the weight and height for that month as well as the "story of the month".  Great way to keep track of all those special moments in that first year but in a simple way!

Matchbook Photo Book

This little book is really fun!  It's a great place to put those wallet size photos you don't know what to do with.  Also great to keep in your purse to show off those cute kids/grandkids of yours!  It holds up to 12 wallet size photos.

Don't forget to come back often to see what else will be making a début at the

Encore Consignment Sale and Handmade Market 2011.