Placemats to Purse

Happy Monday!  I have a really fun project to show you today.

Placemat purse

A repurposed placemat purse.

I bought these placemats at Pier 1 last fall to repurpose into a purse, and after sitting on my craft room shelf for most of a year, they were finally transformed.  Aren't the colors great for fall?  The strap and lining fabric was a remnant of home decor fabric I got on clearance for just a few dollars, and I think it compliments all the colors in the placemats nicely.  I was going to make a tutorial, but got ahead of myself and didn't take that many pictures.

Oops.

I sewed the ends of the placemats together so the fringe would hang down from the bottom of the purse.

Cell phone pocket

One of the sides has a pocket for my cell phone.  There is elastic at the top so my phone won't slip out on its own.

I made a pocket on the front of the purse body under the flap.  This is where I keep the all the necessities (like Joann and Hobby Lobby coupons), and my home made lip balm.  Easy access, baby!

Zip pocket

The inside has a zip pocket on one side...

and segmented pockets on the other.  I made two skinny pockets for a pen and pencil, a larger middle pocket, and a pocket to put my reading glasses in.  (Not that I need them or anything.)

To give the purse shape and to keep it from looking slouchy, I put a piece of Timtex in the bottom and tacked it down in a few places.  It works great.

The only thing I wish I would have included was a ring to clip my keys to.  I'm still trying to figure out how I can add one without tearing one of the seams apart.

This turned out great for my first attempt at a purse.  I am really loving it, even though it is a little bit on the large side.  I don't carry a lot of 'stuff' in my purse, but this one is big enough to hold my camera too, and that is a plus.

It's even big enough to hold a kitty!  Hi Moonshine!

I made this up as I went along, but if you have questions about measurements or anything, just let me know.

K

Craft Show

For the last seven years, I have sold marble tile coasters at craft shows. They have been fun to make and sell, but I wanted a change.  So I started making doll furniture to sell.  I get to use power tools and sew.  What could be better than that?

My biggest craft show of the year was today, and this year I am so relieved it is over.  This particular show is always on the first Saturday in October,  and it is outside in a big park.  Up until today, the weather has always been unbelievably warm on that day.  Perfect fall weather every year, and some years it has been down right hot.

But today was different.

Oh, yes.  It was much different.

It was wet.

It was freezing.

And it drizzled and spit snow all.  day.  long.

I'm not sure which was worse; following the forecasts all week knowing the weather was going to be miserable, or actually being miserable.  It would have been much worse had my hubby not run out last night at the eleventh hour and bought a portable propane heater for me to use.  He can be so sweet sometimes.

Thank goodness the die hard customers showed up and the day wasn't a total loss.  They were the real troopers.

So do you want to see what I sell instead of hearing my sob story about how cold and miserable my day was?

Here you go...

Bunk beds for American Girl type dolls

Bunk beds.

Farmhouse beds for American Girl type dolls

Farmhouse beds starring McKenna.

Doll Picnic Tables

Picnic tables starring the Raggedy Ann Doll my aunt made for me when I was a youngster.

Doll High Chair

High chairs starring my Cabbage Patch Doll circa 1984.  (Don't tell anyone in was in college when I bought four (yes, four) Cabbage Patch Dolls.  I had to have one of each - a normal baby girl, a preemie boy, and twins.  Yes, my completion tendencies go way back!)

American Girl Doll Bunk Bed

Isn't this fabric the cutest?  It is my new favorite, and looks awesome with the green bed.

I only have one more show this year, and have to finish up the orders I have been getting.  Then I won't feel so guilty when I end up spending too much time on the computer or sewing the purse that has been half done for months.  I won't know what to do with myself!

Have you ever been a vendor at craft shows?  What do you sell?

K

One More

This is my second post for today.  I'm on a roll.

Ok.  I just couldn't help myself.  After I posted my ombre chevron cards, I had another idea for another color combination.

Blues = ocean waves + fish.

Tell me this isn't the cutest!

With some clever masking and omitting, I was able to stamp my sentiment from two different stamps.  The largest fish has glitter pen on its spots to fancy it up a bit.  And in retrospect, I would leave off the little splashes since I think they distract from the fish, but I had already done the card over once, and didn't want to do it over again.  I have lots of things to do today!

Supplies used:
Stamps - Stampendous Summer Scene, SU! Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper - PTI white and light blue, SU! Tempting Turquoise, Marina Mist, Pacific Point
Ink - Pacific Point, Tempting Turquoise, Marina Mist, Baja Breeze
Accessories - chevron punch, SAMJ, markers, Spica glittler pen

I'm sure I'm not the first one to discover ombre chevrons, but I am loving them!  What is your latest love in the paper crafting world?

K

Chevron + Ombre = L O V E

I have had a chevron punch for quite some time, but since stamping got put on the back burner for a while, I never quite figured out how I wanted to use it.  Instead of playing with it, I let it sit on its little perch looking cute in my craft room.

Then I had a brainstorm.

Ombre is in.

Chevron is on its way out.

Why not combine them for a timeless look?

So I rummaged through my drawers of card stock searching for a few ombre combinations, and these cards are what I came up with.

All the fall colors have inspired me lately.  They are so warm and comforting to me.

Once again, I thumped the leaves for a multi-colored autumn leaf look.

I loved my card so much, I used my other ombre combination to make a similar card.

I love it even more!

Get it?  Love grows.  I couldn't resist.

The hearts are just miscellaneous single stamps, "love" is from a small alphabet stamp set, and "grows" is hand written.

I really love how the ombre chevrons ground the trees without being too overpowering.

Supplies used:
Stamps - PTI Falling Leaves, misc heart stamps, mini alphabet stamp
Paper - PTI
Ink - Choc Chip, So saffron, More Mustard, Tangerine Tango/Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, Melon Mambo, Real Red
Accessories - chevron punch, markers for thumping

Have you ever used ombre and chevrons together?  I would love to see what you come up with.

K