Don't Hide Layout {My Mind's Eye}

  As I mentioned on Monday, last weekend my daughter & I had the house to ourselves & we did quite a bit of crafting. This is one of the layouts I was able to complete. 

  I used mostly My Mind's Eye products from the Stella & Rose line.

You may be interested to know that the photo I used for this layout was from a trip to the farmer's market last fall.

To add a bit of extra bling to the page, I layered the crystal on top of the chipboard button on top of the letter "o" in "don't". It helps create a visual triangle. Not sure what I mean? Check out the whole layout above. See the 3 places I used crystals in the layout? They form a visual triangle which is pleasing to the eye.

This "So Happy" sticker is pre-made so all the work is done for you! Just peel & stick!

Complete product list for this layout: 

(Click on thumbnails to see sources)

InLinkz.com

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Have a great weekend!

An Old Friend Gets A Makeover

  

  Years ago, when my grandpa was moving into an assisted living home, he had an auction to sell off his & my granny's estate. We, as a family spent the day at the auction, helping out. My parent's told my brother & I to let them know if there was anything of our grandparent's that we really wanted. As a teenager, I didn't always speak up & let my thoughts be known. (In fact, I'm still learning to speak my mind.) Anyway, that whole day I had my eye on this mustard coloured stool. I loved the retro look. It reminded me of playing pool in my grandparent's basement because that's where it's home was. But... I didn't tell my parents. 

  Most of the day went by & finally this stool came up for bid. Because I hadn't said anything to my parents about my desire to have it, someone else bought it. I was kinda bummed & finally mentioned it to my parents that I really wished I could have had that stool. 

  My parents were so nice about it & didn't give me a hard time. They went to the people who had just bought it & explained that that stool was the one thing that this man's grand daughter really wanted. The people were very understanding & accepted what they had paid for it in return. 

  I got grandpa's stool after all! And learned a lesson in speaking up...

  After years of use & after our two kids came along, the stool had seen better days. But alas, the stool holds a lot of  sentimental value for me. I was not willing to let it go. (Which is saying a lot for me. I rarely have a hard time getting rid of things.)

 Finally, last month my mom (who happens to be an interior decorator - I know: Score! Love you mom!) & I took the stool & went in search of an upholstery shop. We found a great place that specializes in boat upholstery & therefore had a ton of vinyl to choose from. 

  I chose a dark grey with a bit of veining to make it look more like leather. I took the legs off before hand & spray painted them a glossy black.

  

My old friend looks new again & we are enjoying the new look so much!! I wish I could say I upholstered it myself, but since I've never upholstered in my life, I wasn't willing to practice on such a special piece. 

I left it to the professionals. 

I love it!!

Enjoy your day!

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This project was featured on:

DIY Map Gift Bag

  It's not always easy wrapping a grad gift or a dad gift. Masculine wrappings often leave much to be desired. Usually it comes down to a gift bag festooned with fishing tackle or striped wrapping paper. The options are normally pretty limited. 

  Until now. 

  Have I got a solution for you! Enter your new best friend... old maps.

  You can simply wrap a box with a map which would be perfectly acceptable, or you can kick it up a notch by creating your very own customized gift bag.

  All you need is:

• a blank bag
• a map
• a strip of cardstock in a complimentary colour
• 2 brads to fasten the pinwheel centres 
• glue

I used this template for the pinwheels.

Cut on the lines. Punch holes on the dots. Fold the dots to the middle & fasten with a brad.

Source

  How great are these pinwheels? They add a little fun touch to what could be a stuffy-looking gift.

They may not, however, be for everyone. Totally cool. Just leave them off & do the strips of map paper on the sides of the bag. 

Awesomeness.

My work here is done. ;)

~~~~~

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Enjoy your day!

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This project was featured on:

{Very Easy!} Mix-It-Up Ice Cream Cake

  

Having to turn on the oven during a hot, summer day is a thing of torture, don't you think? Having a few no-bake desserts in one's collection is certainly a necessity.

  I came across this recipe from Kraft last week, & thought how easy it would be to mix it up & make almost any combination of cookie, ice cream, & candy.

  While my daughter & I were sampling this cake this weekend, we were thinking about some different combinations a person could use. Here's what I used to make it & some of our other imaginations:

• Oreo cookies, chocolate mint swirl ice cream, & grated chocolate
• Chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, & chocolate chips
• Peanut butter cookies, peanut butter cup ice cream, & chopped peanut butter cups or chopped peanuts
• Vanilla Oreo cookies, Strawberry ice cream, & sliced strawberries
• Oatmeal cookies, maple walnut ice cream, & chopped walnuts

It would be easy to customize this recipe to any taste!

Mix-It-Up Ice Cream Cake  {Print recipe}
makes 16 servings

1 bag cookies - Oreos, chocolate chip, vanilla Oreos, Fudge-Os, peanut butter, etc.
1 tub ice cream, softened - Pick your favourite
(*Note* Since you need to soften your ice cream, choose a flavour that looks good melted. For instance, rainbow ice cream turns grey-ish when melted, so it likely wouldn't work for this recipe.)
3 cups thawed frozen whipped topping, such as Cool Whip
Cookies, candy, or grated chocolate for the top

Line 13x9 inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides.

Crush 20 cookies; sprinkle crumbs onto bottom of prepared pan.

Spread ice cream evenly over crumbs in pan; top with whipped topping & sprinkle with candy or grated chocolate.

Freeze 3 hours or until set. When ready to serve, let cake stand at room temperature for a few minutes to soften. Lift dessert from pan with foil handles; cut into 16 squares. Top each piece with a cookie (or half of one).

~~~~~

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower, 

subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), or follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. 

And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)

Stay cool & enjoy your day!

I link up to these great parties

This recipe was featured on:

Felt Tree Cards

    This weekend, my husband & son went on a family canoeing adventure. While they were away, my daughter & I holed up in my craft room & created to our heart's content. I completed 5 card designs, 3 craft projects, 4 gift wrap ideas, & 1 scrapbook layout! I'm so excited to have so much to share with you in the next few weeks before our summer vacation. 

  This is one of the card designs created this weekend...

  I'm not sure exactly when my love for cute little trees started. Several years ago when the trend first started, I guess. That these trees are made of felt makes them even cuter to me!

Products used:

(Click on thumbnails to see sources)

InLinkz.com

Enjoy your day!