Quilted Bags

I made several bags for last week's craft fair.   I made two of the teal and brown bags.  The first one sold right away and I panicked.  I loved the fabrics.  I immediately shoved the other bag under the table for me.  LOL  Yeah, I'm never going to make a lot from craft fairs if I keep shoving everything I make for them  out of sight and taking them back home. 

Oh well--I {heart} my bag! 

AND I have enough fabric to make a matching checkbook cover.  :)

I made a bunch of black and orange bags for the craft fair. I know black and orange what a color combination.  They are great for Halloween and if you happen to be in a school district that has these as school colors. 

  I have some leftover. So if you are interested in one let me know.  It would be $4.95 to ship in the US.

Small -$8.00 Reversible

Medium- $14 Reversible/Removable Bottom

Large-$18 Reversible/Removable Bottom

Dani's Graduation Invites

The last day of 2010. Where did it go?  This year was supposed to pass slowly, but somehow has gone quicker than any other year I can remember.

Dani is a high school senior this year and her mom definitely isn't ready for her to graduate and leave home. I know that I spend a lot of time talking about Evan and Riley Kate on my blog. They are more social where Dani is very independent.  This year she's taking a couple independent classes on top of her regular high school class load. That means hours of studying every night, but she is doing very well in her studies.  I'm pretty sure that she will be her class valedictorian or salutatorian.  She has worked hard.  On top of studies, she works a part-time job on Saturdays and has chores here at home.  She has grown up to be such an amazing young lady.  She really makes her mom proud.  

She has been accepted into the college of her choice and has known since she was just little that she wanted to be a veterinarian.  That's 8 years of college!  Maybe I can get her to agree to commute and live at home. (Plus I really don't want to take care of all her critters!)

I started her graduation invites today.  It made this mom teary--okay maybe I cried just a little.  I can see graduation preparations  will be MUCH rougher on the mom than her. 

School Colors--Black, Orange and White

Card Recipe:

Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, Basic Black

DSP: Neutrals Stack

Accessories: Paper Cutter, Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, Timeless Type Junior Alphabet, Big Shot, Round Tab Punch, MDS (insert)

Boy, Oh Boy...Train Bags

Remember my little train card from yesterday? Well here's my inspiration for my train.... I found this cute material at my local Walmart store. We are so lucky to have fabric--they fought hard to keep their craft section. Most Walmarts no longer carry fabric--for me that means at least an hour drive to JoAnn Fabrics or Hobby Lobby.

I finished my first two train bags. I made them exactly the same since the new babies are going to live so far apart it shouldn't be an issue.

This is the outside of the bag. It washed up beautifully. The scallops frayed perfectly! :)On the inside of the bag instead of using the train fabric, I used a blue/white gingham for a different look. Now it's like have two bags in one!

I had a few extra squares sitting on the table and I had an AH-HA moment. Those moments don't come very often, so I am excited when they do occur.

My thought....are you ready?..... CHANGING PAD! I know how much I dislike having babies bare button touch public changing stations or if I'm changing baby on someone's carpet to have a little faucet turn on in the middle of the diaper change and get their carpet/bed wet.

It's pretty simple just 9 squares.

Thanksgiving Table Runner

The Royal Blog Tour has officially ended. I hope you all took some time out over the weekend to jump on the tour and visit all the amazing castles. The Princesses outdid themselves this tour. There showed off some beautiful projects. :)

Over the weekend, I took the time to make my first quilted table runner. I didn't have a pattern so I just sort of winged it. I found this material at Walmart and decided that it was definitely a Thanksgiving table runner. The plain colors are really pretty--cajun craze and more mustard. Now do I keep it or give it as a gift? hmmmm....

Here's the front of the runner with all of the rag edges:

The back with the traditional quilted look:I really like this fabric. I can't believe I found it on the bottom shelf at Walmart!

The Color Purple

I'm sorry...these are not great pictures. This bag is TRUE Crayola Crayon Purple. My camera does not like the color purple. I tried to take pictures inside, outside, with flash, without flash, by a window, near a door, no lights on, all lights on... there was just no good place. :(
Maybe that is one reason I rarely use purple for card making--or maybe it's because purple is not one of my favorite colors. Perhaps you can tell that I like pink. lol

Anyway, this bag is for Kari, she is turning 13 years old this week and purple IS her favorite color.

This bag is 3 squares by 3 squares on the front and then it is 3 squares x 2 squares on the sides and bottom. It is a great size for sleepovers, Phy. Ed. or TRICK OR TREATING. Awhile back I made a bag for another one of Riley Kate's friend, Chelsea. She used her bag to carry her Halloween Loot. :)
Here's a close up of the fabric I used.
Riley Kate's bag has been a hit with all of her friends. She has polled every girl in her 7th grade class on what their favorie color is so I see LOTS of bag making during this school year.

Bag Supplies:

Cotton Batting, Fabric, Thread, pins, Big Shot, Scallop Square Die, Scissors and Chipboard (for making a sturdy bottom)

Evan's 2nd Birthday Favor

Evan celebrated his birthday the end of October, but because I was busy with the Stamp a Stack and the upcoming Royal Blog Tour I have not had time to even think about Evan's birthday. (I'm glad he's little and doesn't know!) Anyway, we decided to have a little party on November 13th.

Evan loves Sesame Street. So I decided that the party favors would be Cookie Monster and Elmo. Cookie Monster will of course have cookies. Elmo will have Goldfish crackers. I will share a Elmo bag after I go to town and buy some Goldfish. Evan loves to watch Elmo's World w/ Elmo and Dorothy and even though he can't eat Goldfish, I thought it would be cute for those who can. :)

For those of you that would like to make Cookie Monster, Pacific Point works great! I was stressing about using my Brilliant Blue up. YES, I ordered some to keep on hand after it retired, but Pacific Point is actually perfect.

Card Recipe:
Pacific Point, Whisper White and Basic Black Cardstock
Accessories: Circle Scissor Plus and Glass Mat, 1 3/4" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Die, Big Shot, Chocolate Chip ink, Scallop Circle Punch and a pencil eraser.

The Paperclip Solution

The problem.... 300+ snowflakes!

What they look like now....
What they need to look like....

Ah HA!

The Paperclip Solution....

On Saturday, I have a Stamp a Stack scheduled with 30 ladies attending and I have been a little stressed. I cut out over 300 snowflakes using the Northern Frost Decorative Strip in the Holiday Mini Catalog. They went through like butter; however, all the little interior pieces didn't fall away. So I have been trying to decide what would be the best tool for the job. Well first it was a paper piercer or a stylus, but I only have one of each and I would like the ladies not to be held up waiting for a turn. I thought and thought....a pencil-no....a pen-no....fingernail-no...a fork-no. (this is only a few of the things that went through my head in the last few days...lol) Anyway, I was sitting here at my computer desk when PAPERCLIP just popped in my head. What a cheap, easy tool to help these ladies get their cards assembled quicker. It's the PaperClip Solution. Perhaps a little SU! ribbon tied around the end will dress them up a bit and make them look more 'official'.

LOL

An October Birthday

Someone very special to me is having an October birthday. My mother-in-law and I decided that that special someone needed a black and white rag bag. We went and picked out the material together. I picked the polka dots--I love dots! :) Then we spent an afternoon together and finished it up. I'm very partial to the 'clean side' so that ragged side is turned in for the picture. :) It's my blog..lol...I can do that!

I will let you know later in the month if she likes it! ;)

Chelsea's Blue Daisy Rag Bag

I promised Riley Kate that I would make her best friend, Chelsea a rag bag for her birthday. I agreed to this months ago, well last night Riley Kate notified me that the time had come for me to keep that promise. :) So she rummaged through the material that I have had in a tote in the closet for YEARS.
Here's what she decided on. She found some navy solid material and some material that I had bought to make Dani a dress when she was just little. (Dani will be 18 years old next month) Needless to say, I told Riley Kate she could probably choose that material. LOL


Here's the traditional side of the bag. I think this is my favorite side. I like the clean look.


Here's the 'ragged' side of the bag. Riley Kate loves the frayed look.

Here's a close up of the material w/ the cute little daisy flowers.

It would have made a cute dress, huh?! :)

In every bag, I made a removeable "faux" bottom. I use a piece of chipboard and make a 'pillowcase' to cover it. I do this to help the bag keep it's form and not collapse when you put anything in it. I also do it so that if you spill anything in the bottom of the bag, it's easy to pull the bottom out and wash it and replace the chipboard.

Now the bag is ready to go.... I attached the birthday tag to the strap. :)

I think she's going to love it!

The Finished Quilt

Okay, I love my online stampin' and I guess quiltin' friends. So many people came to me with suggestions on how to bind this quilt. Thank you so much, Ladies! You are truly the best and saved me from spending a day Googling and panicking. :)

I received a couple emails that said just what I wanted to hear....NO BINDING! These ladies knew their rag quilts and said that most have a straight stitch seam around the outside of the quilt and then the edges are just frayed like the rest of the squares. I love it---so much easier than actually learning to bind it!

The edge of the quilt. I will probably have to wash it a couple times to get the desired affect.
I had no idea how many squares go into such a little quilt. I don't think I'm ready to tackle a Queen size for my bed yet! I think I'm more of a throw pillow kind of person. LOL

Gotta love the crazy pink camo squares. (Personally I love the gingham!)


Here it is ready to go to Kaitlyn. I hope this little one enjoys her pink camo quilt. ♥

Camo Quilt-A Work in Progress

A while back, I made a pink camo diaper bag for a friend's sister-in-law. This same friend asked if I would make a matching baby quilt. I don't sew. I have made a few quilted bags using our Scallop Square Die and the Big Shot, but sew a quilt....um no!

Well I decided to be brave. The worse thing that would happen is that I would be buying the material that my friend supplied from her and apologizing for my lack of sewing ability.
Last night, I finished sewing squares together (FINALLY). Omgosh, there's a lot of little squares in a quilt.

Here's the front of the quilt w/ the 'rag look':


Here's the back of the quilt (traditional look): What do you think?

Today, I will be using You Tube to find good instructions (and easy I hope) on how to bind a quilt.

Wish me luck!

Cupcake Tag

Krista has one of the neatest sketches on her challenge blog this week. I was so excited about giving this sketch a try. Other than Elmo and Cookie Monster, I don't think I have ever made a round card! :)

If you would like to play along w/ this sketch, click here.

I have had the cute little cupcake die for my Big Shot for a long time and never used it for a cupcake. Now there is an adorable heart and flower that comes w/ the cupcake that I have used when making little girl cards. BUT today, I made the cupcake! I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! It is so easy to run through the Big Shot and voila instant goodie. :)

I decided that it is time to start thinking about all those friends of Riley Kate's that are having birthdays in the next month. Rather than a card, I made a cupcake gift tag.



Here it is opened up. We can clip it right to the gift bag.

Tag Recipe:

Stamp Sets: Party Hearty, All Holidays

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Poppy Parade, Whisper White, So Saffron, Blushing Bride

DSP: Pawsitively Prints II

Ink: Poppy Parade, Crumb Cake

Accessories: Circle Scissors Plus, Glass Mat, Hole Punch, Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch, sponge, Big Shot, Big Bold Cupcake Sizzlits, So Saffron 5/8" grosgrain (retired), O-ring

Friends Never Fade

Hmmm.....where did that come from?

Okay, I will be honest w/ you. I don't know how I got this set. I don't remember ordering it. LOL I have ordering black-outs. I really must need a 12 step program. Anyway, there it was sitting on my shelf looking all lonely and forgotten. That happens when you don't remember getting it in the first place, right?! :)This week's challenge over at Krista's Cards & Things called for Daffodil Delight. Well I have a little cardstock, but I haven't purchased a lot of the new paper yet. I rummaged through my stash and found that I have the Greenhouse Gala DSP to match the Friends Never Fade set. (At least, I was coordinating during my ordering black-out. Yes, right now I'm both shaking my head and smiling at myself and my addiction!)

Here's Krista's Color Challenge this week:

I had a couple Crumb Cake scallop square bases cut from my tutorial I made last week and decided to build from there. You can't go wrong w/ Crumb Cake in my humble opinion. :)

Or for that matter taffeta ribbon, it makes perfect little knot bows which are my speciality. Kraft is retired, but there's about a dozen other colors on page 191 of the Idea Book & Catalog. Seriously good stuff! I colored the flower with SU! Stampin' Write Markers directly onto the stamp. I love doing that! It's so fast and easy!

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Friends Never Fade

Cardstock: Whisper White, Rose Red, Crumb Cake

DSP: Old Olive (retired), GreenHouse Gala (matches the Friends Never Fade stamp set)

Stampin' Write Markers: Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Rose Red

Accessories: NON SU! circle and scallop punch, Daffodil Delight brads (brights assortment), Kraft taffeta ribbon (retired), Big Shot, Scallop Square Punch

Have a happy stampin' day!

Scallop Card Base Tutorial

I have had a couple Stampers ask me how I make the scallop base that I use for some of my cards. I thought I would give you a quick step-by-step today.


This is my scallop base. I love the way it dresses up the card. :)


Here's what you will need: Your Big Shot, standard cutting plates (2), Scallop Square Die, cardstock and bone folder.

Step 1: Cut your 8 1/2" x 11 cardstock in half horizontally so that it measures 5 1/2" x 8 1/2".

Fold in half using your bone folder to make a standard 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" (A2) base.

***This is what I do. You could make it a little less wide, but I would have a little extra than not enough. ***

Step 2: Position the fold of the card UNDER the scallops so that it doesn't cut into the fold.

Step 3: Sandwich the Scallop die and cardstock between your standard cutting plates.

Step 4: Crank it through your Big Shot.

Step 6: This is my favorite step....make a scallop base card! :)

That's it! Easy peasy....

Have fun making your cards! ♥