Be My Valentine!

Valentines Day is coming, and you know what that means!  The search for the perfect card that shows your love, devotion, and admiration!  It's a lot of pressure, I know.  So, you're at the store and you've  opened and read every card, and of course nothing! These cards have no emotion, no character, ugh! Well now what do you do?  I say go to an antiques store, and look for antique Valentines Day cards.  Now these cards have substance, they have adorable graphics, the sweetest poems, and charm.

Also, while you are there, look for antique sheet music.  Find song books that have valentine related words in the song titles.  Words like, love, heart, and romance.  Exciting isn't it?  A truly unique token of your affection will be given to your sweetheart.

The next step is to make the envelope out of the music sheets.  Go online and print out an envelope template.  I found mine at Chia's Rubber Stamp Art.  Look for a template that will fit your size card.

Cut out the template and lay it over the part of the sheet music that you want shown on your card.

Cut along the template, fold in one flap at a time, while securing with double sided tape or glue.

Slide your sweetheart's card inside, seal with a kiss, and your are ready for Valentine's Day!

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Make a Cutting Board from Downed Trees

I have wanted to make these cutting boards for the longest time, so needless to say I was very excited to start this project.  But on the other hand it brings me sadness because these pieces of walnut tree have come from my brother's trees that he cut down long ago at his home. My brother and sister-in-law will be moving out of state next month.  I have seen huge piles of wood on my brother's land for quit sometime but I always thought - next time I'll have him cut me some pieces, so no hurry.  Well, now it was now or never! My brother was kind enough to cut me some pieces and I will treasure the cutting boards that I make from them and think of him every time that I use them.

Okay, enough of being a downer!  I want this to be a happy post because this is my 100th blog post on myveganapron!  Time to celebrate!  So let's celebrate by making an item that everyone uses and would love to receive as a gift.  

Wouldn't cutting your veggies this Thanksgiving on a cutting board you made yourself impress your family and friends? Or, serve your guests vegan cheeses, crackers, and fruit on these lovely boards.

Not only can you use these for cutting boards but also for trivets, chargers, or plates.

I conditioned my pieces with organic walnut oil. Organic almond oil works too!

This project is a great way to recycle fallen trees.

Cut each disc at least 3 inches thick. 

You can leave the bark on or remove it.  My pieces are really dry so some of the bark has fallen off.  I think it adds character.  If you are using wood from a recent fallen tree, the bark will have a better chance of staying on, but let it dry out for at least a month before making into a cutting board.

You can sand the discs by hand with sand paper, a hand sander, or - as I used - an air compressor with a sander attatchment.

My brother showed me how to use the sander on my first piece, then I took over from there.

Sand smooth both the top and bottom. if the bark has fallen off you can smooth the sides also.

Clean the discs well after sanding using blasts of air or a tac cloth.

Using a soft cloth, apply oil on the top, bottom and sides of the discs.  

Apply several coats of oil. You may have to recondition the wood with more oil over a period of time.

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iPad Easel

Pretty neat, huh?  I saw a similar project in a magazine earlier this year. I can't remember which magazine, but when I saw it I knew I had to make one.

I still use my many cookbooks and I have a book holder for them in the kitchen.  But I also use my iPad and I like having my iPad standing up rather than laying flat.

This holder can also be used anywhere in your home.  It's very convienent when I am sewing or crafting too.  All you need is a level surface and you are good to go.

I painted mine; you can also distress the edges for a shabby chic look.

For this project you will need glue.  I use Weldbond. It's from a company in Canada, and they don't test on animals.

Materials:

1 cutting board (mine is a wood 8"x 6" from IKEA)

Spare wood

Glue

Paint (optional)

Cut a piece of wood for the stand into a 30-60-90 degree triangle. The 60 side goes on the bottom, giving your iPad a 120 degree tilt.  Cut a piece of 1/4 round trim the width of the cutting board and glue it to the bottom of the board for the lip.  Paint the cutting board, the front lip, and the back stand.

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