Inspiration Board

I've carried around a large, cumbersome binder for a long time now, stuffing it full of inspiration.  As important as it is to me (years of design ideas, favorite quotes, bits of fabric and trim, magazine tear sheets, notes, paint chips, etc.), I don't pull it down off my bookshelf every day so I don't see my inspiration as often as I'd like.  Being such a "visual" person, I've really wanted an "inspiration board," something that I will see every day.  So, several months ago while antiquing in Mt. Dora (http://www.renningers.com/dora/dorahome.htm) I came across an awesome, yet gigantic (over 4' tall), picture frame. It was plastic, an ugly gold color and had nothing inside it, not even a backer board. But it was only $12 and I had. to.have.it! I lugged it home and set to work "pretty-ing it up" a bit:

1. Using a pencil to trace the shape of the frame, my husband cut a piece of partical board with a band saw and scissors to cut a piece of cork sheeting

2. Then we spray glued the cork to the board
3. Next we placed the board/cork into the frame and secured it with screws
4. Finally, I painted it

Ta-dah! My new inspiration board:For about $25 and a little effort, we repurposed an ugly, old frame into art.  (Sure beats the price of similar items retailers are hawking now -- Ballard Designs sells them for as much as $499!).  I'm finding this board is a great way to keep my inspiration in plain sight, a practical spot for me to place things that spark my imagination.  I also like that it's a nice alternative to the typical square or rectangular shape; a bit whimsical, dramatic and my favorite shade of blue.

It's hanging in my office and I'll blog about that sometime soon -- well, as soon as I get around to cleaning it because it's a disasterous mess right now!
Inspiration board crafting can be as simple as purchasing a cork board from your local hardware store and tacking up your ideas, or it can be as uninhibited as covering an entire wall or door with your bits of inspiration.  They can be thematic, or like mine, ecclectic.  Have you crafted an inspiration board? I'd love to see it and/or hear how you did it; please leave a comment and you'll automatically be entered to win this month's fun, free blog giveaway --yay!