Jazzing it up.....

"Jazzing it up."

My Sister In-law uses that phrase and I've adopted it from her.

We say it when we take something boring and make it better by spicing it up and or embellishing it with other "junk" we already possess.

I found a junky old Sewing Box at Goodwill.

Holy crap I love that place.

I was in desperate need of a jewelry box.

Seeing as how I gifted my old belov-ed golden jewelry box to Ivy.

Yes it was golden.

It got left behind.

She said it matched her room.

I bet her mom threw it away.

So back to the task at hand.

Let's get crafting.

"Craft"

That starts with the letter "C".

I learned that at story time.


Just look at her.

Isn't she the cutest junky old sewing box you've ever seen?

I put my jewelry in her first thing.

No I could not wait until the project was finished.

Yes I read the last page of a book first.

It's just who I am.

Second I dusted her off with a clorox wipe.

Cleaned her up and sanitized her all at the same time.

Two birds. One stone.

Then It was time to decide what I wanted to do with that dull empty space.

Don't know which dull empty space I am talking about?

Are you blind?

Oh no worries, I've kindly pointed it out with an arrow for you.

Your welcome.

I Know!!!

I will decoupage it!

So I decided to make the inside lid of my jewelry box a mini vision board.

Don't know what a vision board is?

Dang I guess I have to spell everything out for you huh?

Click here.

So I measured the area (width and height).

Then I found an old Doggie place mat of Bailey's.

I cut it to the appropriate size so it would fit right there in the nook.

Do not eyeball it.

Use the tape measure.

Then I used the place mat to back up a piece of orange polka-dot paper.

Oh ya I used a glue stick.

I cut the extra off with my x-acto knife.

And then I saved the scrap.

In a special box I have where all the scrap treasures go.

Decided it needed more depth then just the orange paper.

Slapped a scrap (yep, from the box. I knew it would come in handy) in the middle.

Again, I used the glue stick.

Turned out like this.

Cute huh?

Cute with a "C".

Thank heavens for story time.

Then I went through old magazines and cut out the goods.

The goods that will make all my 'dreams and desires' come true just by looking at them on my jewelry vision board.

I cut out words and pictures and you can pretty much cut anything with scissors.

So thats exactly what I did.

Now here is the trick.

Most people would then whip out their "Mod Podge."

But not me.

I have Mod podge and I use it when I deem appropriate.

Now this is not a plug for Martha Stewart.

I don't tend to worship her like some people I know.
(Jill Lloyd)

But the woman does have some freaking killer decoupage.

You can pretty much slap it on sloppy and crooked and careless and it dries clear and shiny and smooth.

So then I tried to be really organized and arrange my clippings.

That didn't work out so well.

So I just decided to be myself (cause that's what is really cool anyway) and decoupage them as I go.

Then you go upstairs have a snack and visit with your roomies while it dries.

Then you come back and it looks like this.......

and you think to yourself;

"holla, that is freaking cute."

It being a jewelry box vision board I decided to cut out cute and inspiring jewelery.

I wanted to look at it and think fun thoughts.

Like fun thoughts about getting dressed up and being present in the moment.

Thoughts to remind myself to be kind and to remember to love.

Then I took a moment to decide how I would attach it.

I mean I didn't want it to be permanently attached.

Fun thoughts are nice and all but what if I wanted to change it some day?

What if someday I wanted to think more serious thoughts?

So that's when I whipped out the velcro.

I attached the velcro to the inside lid and to the appropriate place on the back of my mini board.

Then I held the collage version of my 'desires and dreams' in the upright position and secured it to the velcro on the lid.

Then I took a step back to admire my project and you know something?

I immediately thought happy/fun thoughts.

hmmmm funny how that works.

You should make one and send me a pic.

I know I said I'd have this post up Tuesday and technically in Minnesota it's 45 minutes into Wednesday but......

I am from Arizona and it's only 10:46 pm on Tuesday night there.

So it still counts.

Boo.

Ya.

Oh ya I forgot to tell you....when all was said and done I don't think I really needed the place mat for backing.

You could just use a thick piece of cardstock.

Cardstock with a "C".

Martha's decoupage will thicken it up for you.

Thanks Martha.