Lined Tote Bag - Fundraiser

We have a family event coming up where we get together over a weekend.  These relatives are on my Mom's side of the family.  Aunts, uncles, cousins will be showing up to visit, share, eat and generally have a good time.

We always have a table of handmade items, art, or otherwise crafted items which are auctioned to raise funds for the next event.

With much of my supplies packed I decided to make a lined bag with a liner which could be used to carry knitting, crochet or other manner of crafting projects.

I started with a piece of fabric which was meant to be added to some denim but when I found a pink zipper in my stash it became much brighter a project.

I found the white wide grosgrain ribbon for the handles, the white microfiber fabric for the lining, so all I needed was some accent fabric for the pockets.

Off to the second hand store.  This was the only pillowcase in the right shade of pink so it came home with me.  

I loosely followed this Tutorial on Instructables to make the bag.  It is a gusseted bag with pockets.  I chose to line it with the leftover microfiber fabric from making my bespoke everyday bag.  I do not like microfiber sheets for the bed but some of them are extremely good quality and make superb fabric for sewing projects.

I added a zipper with the same method as my bespoke bag. 

How to Add a Recessed Zipper to Any Tote Bag video.  I used the microfiber because it matched the liner and it made the zipper very visible.  I'm not sure it was the best choice because of the softness of the fabric.  I chose a fancy stitch to attached it to the top of the bag.  I went right around the top of the bag to have it nice from the outside.

The fabric had a lady bug graphic on it and the other half was solid pink.  I chose to trace the graphic onto the pink side and stitched it with white thread.  I added small black buttons to the antennae and the spots.  For the other side I left the lady bug as it was designed.

I did make the pockets double as it was 50% polyester and 50% cotton and was a bit thin.  I cut two and sewed all the way around and turn the patch pocket inside out and ironed flat.

I chose to sew the pockets on top of the handles instead of behind as in the tutorial so I would not lose any of the ladybug. The corners are reinforced.   The pockets are a good size at over 8 inches square.  Will hold patterns, books, or any other flat object associated with the craft being carried.

The gusset is 5.5 inches wide.

The bag will be laundered to remove the white lines on the pink fabric.  

The repetition of the design gives the presentation of the bag a cohesive look.

The buttons were added to the pocket before it was sewn onto the bag.  I used black thread to not distract.

I added a ring on a tab to the front to allow one to secure keys which could then be flipped to the inside of the bag.  It may be any other type of tool which relates to the craft which one one wants to keep handy.

I used a black button just like the ones on the lady bug to keep things looking coordinated.

The white microfiber is really nice and heavy and worked really well as the liner. It will wash like a dream I am sure.  Being white helps one to find things in the bag.  It finishes off the bag very nicely.

The tabs on the zipper make it easy to open and close. 

The fact that the zipper does not seal the bag closed allows for perhaps knitting needles to stick out if necessary

Most people can always use an extra bag.  With the ban on single use plastics in our near future we need to start packing bags in the car for our shopping.   This one will do nicely.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

It has to mid June because the Alberta Wild Rose is in full bloom.

They are so nice this year.  The perfect combination of sun and rain I guess.

They range from light pink to deep pink like this one!

Insects visit them regularly which will produce rose hip berries in the fall.

They are always in bloom at my birthday and I was able to spend the day with my sister which was wonderful.  My brother-in-law made a fire so I could have fire roasted hot dogs.

Of course, there was ice cream cake, my favorite birthday cake. 

In the Heart of the Garden by Helene Wiggin is a book a finished recently.  It chronicles the life of a garden established in 912AD by Fritha and still cared for by Iris in 1998.  Iris is elderly and she is thinking of moving and leaving her cherished garden.  She walks through it every evening,  touching its special places and plants as she strolls.

Iris Bagshott strolls down the paths of her ancient garden, close to Lichfield in the heart of England, wondering if it is time to sell her house and land for development.

She is unaware that around every corner myriad family secrets from the past unfold.

From a Saxon clearing to a monastery, Tudor dwelling to the present day, this sacred plot has nurtured her ancestors. Generations of Bagshott women have found refuge and solace tending it through years of plague, civil war and beyond.  This is their story

I found the early years of the garden hard, life was hard especially for the women.  I enjoyed the recent history a lot more.

I found some healthy sunflower seeds.  They are very low in sodium which is why I stopped eating the regular ones.  

I find I eat less when I start with them in the shell.

They are available at several stores in my area.

They make them in a variety of flavors but the original plain ones are fine with me.

I have found this a nice healthy snack.

I took this photo this morning on my walk.  

The piece of grass had collected fuzz and it looked cool.  I forgot my hat so seeing the screen was hard.  

I'm glad the shot worked out.

Look at that beautiful Alberta blue sky.

We just had a big rain shower as I am writing this on the longest day of the year but this morning was wonderful.

A good variety of grass in this shot.

The Ocean Between Us by Susan Wiggs.  Another strong female character in the character of Grace Bennett. A naval officer's wife with regular moves, 3 children, putting supporting her husband ahead of her dreams of a business and a place to call her own where she make plans knowing she will be there for years not just 1-3.

Wives of naval officers posted to an aircraft carrier are granted power of attorney so they can handle every situation while their husbands are gone for 6-12 months at a time.  Grace buys the house of her dreams, moves her family and sets up her relocation business which she developed on her many moves over the last 20 years.

With several secrets coming out of the woodwork and a sudden crisis which is a wife's nightmare the family needs to communicate, come to terms with the crisis, listen to each other, and love  most of all.

All things come down to family comes first.

I washed the afghan from my bed recently, which was really needed.

For now, it lives on the couch instead of the bed so the bedroom has a cohesive looks of blues and greys.

It was a gorgeous day so instead of putting in the dryer I just hung it on the balcony rail for several hours.

It was dry and smells wonderful.

I'm not sure what the neighbors thought but I think it was worth doing.

I have been enjoying this old series which I found on the Roku Channel.

Based in a fictional county in England, the seasoned detective and the rookie investigate murders in the area.

British TV is so much less sensational than American TV.  I don't believe I have seen them draw a gun or shoot any one.  Lots of talking and listening.  Questions and more questions to get to the bottom of the situation.

There are 11 seasons so I likely will not get through all the shows before it is replaced by something else.

Loving it for now!

Watercolor Cards - All Occasion

I needed a  few cards for upcoming birthdays so I decided to follow the trend of my Christmas cards and make them with watercolor.

I searched the internet for simple floral images - bouquets so that I could see how the stems interacted, etc.

I trimmed my 140lb water color paper to 3.5 x 3.5 inch squares.  Loosely following the compositions I found on line I drew flowers with a pencil.  Once I was happy with it I traced the pencil lines with black permanent marker again making adjustments if needed.

Once the ink was allowed to dry a bit I erased the pencil lines and was left with the black lines.  I used my Stampin Up Watercolor Wonder Crayons to match my card bases.

I chose flowers which were non specific so I could paint them any color, rather than recognizing the flower and saying that must be pink or whatever.  I also added some spatter of each color to tone down the white of the paper.

For the first card the flowers are a pale version of Rich Razzleberry and Garden Green for the leaves on a Pixie Pink card base.

Card number 2 is Elegant Eggplant card base with Old Olive for the stems.

Card number 3 is Marina Mist card base with Always Artichoke leaves and foliage.

I chose Mellow Moss grosgrain ribbon wrapped around the front of the card with the ends taped under the watercolor accent.

The floral watercolor is adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape. 

I decided to go with no greeting so I can use it for any occasion. 

Quarter sheet insert on the inside with A2 white envelope and 3 more cards ready to give.  One for my aunt, one for my sister and one for Mom.  I still have a couple of sisters who have birthdays this summer.  Another session to follow soon.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I finally found White Pelicans at Beaumaris Lake this week.  I had not seen them last time I was there and was hoping they would return.  No Cormorants so far.

The walk around the lake was beautiful.  Not too hot, sometimes a bit too much wind, and lots of other birds.  

I was there later than usual so the amount of people was higher which makes things a little tricky.  The rehabilitation certainly has added extra wide places and look outs so that helps a lot.  It is so beautiful

The walk is 1.6 miles which is really nice.  With the camera I really forget how long it takes to get around.  It is at least an hour I think.

I finished The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman this week.  

I really enjoyed this book.  It has some basis on historical events. Masada is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau, akin to a mesa. 

Herod the Great built two palaces for himself on the mountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE.

According to Josephus, the siege of Masada by Roman troops from 73 to 74 CE, at the end of the First Jewish–Roman War, ended in the mass suicide of the 960 Sicarii rebels who were hiding there. However, the archaeological evidence relevant to a mass suicide event is ambiguous at best and rejected entirely by some scholars.

This book takes place during this event where displaced people made their way to the mountain top for safety. Four women are the main characters of the story - Yael, Revka, Aziza, and Shirah. The lives of these four complex and fiercely independent women intersect in the desperate days of the siege. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secrets—about who they are, where they come from, who fathered them, and whom they love.

Again, I have to say I am attracted to strong female main characters.  I have included above the book cover from the novel on the left and the one from the book I read which is from the CBS mini series.  I recognized the actress in the blue shawl - Cote de Pablo.  I will have to check out whether it was ever put out of DVD.  It would be interesting to see it.  I would recommend this book.

My allergies have been really bad this year.  I think the dry spring did not bring rains to clear out the dust and pollens.

I generally only have my eyes affected and my optometrist has recommended switching to eye drops instead of using a systemic antihistamine.  While visiting with family for Dad's funeral in May we went for a couple long walks in farm fields which really made my allergies really flare up.  My sister shared the drops she uses and so when I got back to the city and invested in a bottle.  They worked pretty well here in the city.

We have had rain which improved things for me quite a bit.   I can finally say this week by Thursday I no longer needed meds to manage them. That should be it till next May.

The are not predicting the temperatures we had last summer but the fan has been running in the nights for about 10 days already.

I have started setting up the fan this way.  It is perpendicular to the floor so I don't have it hitting me directly but it moves the air around the room.  This is quite effective.

It is quieter for sleeping as well.

I tried this new pizza from Dr. Oetker this week.  I had seen the ads on TV and it was on sale so I decided to try it.

Dr. Oetker is my go to brand for pizza.  I normally buy the Ristorante ones - normally the Funghi but have tried several flavors.

This new was good!  As you can see from my photo it looks as good as the box suggests.  This one was full of veggies which was great. 

Every once in a while we have to stretch ourselves outside our comfort zones and try new things.  It may just be a good thing and expand our world a little.  I need it after being so isolated.

I really enjoyed it and would recommend it.

I had my first visit to the St. Albert Botanic Park this week. 

There were a few flowers blooms but it is just the very beginning. I got a Bearded Iris, a Globeflower, the white Anemones, a Rose and Bergenia.

The dahlias were not ready at all, there were just a couple of roses so plenty more to come. 

I will make several more trips this summer.

Card Kit Order - Single Simple Layout

I got a call from a friend this week asking if I was still making cards and kits.  Of course, COVID has put a hold on Card Club for the last 2 years.  Beside that, I got rid of lots of supplies when I de-cluttered for moving.  Many of my card making tools are in storage.  Despite that, I said yes.  I am needing a distraction.  She was looking for 20 kits as one of several activities for some down time for women attending camp this summer.  The kits needed to be simple and need few tools to assemble. These need glue, scotch tape and scissors. My Stampin Up card stock cupboard is full so that was good.  I had basic punches, ribbon, brads, and decorative paper.

I decided that all the greetings would be the SU Modern Label punch with a Word Window punchies of color printed greetings on white card stock.  I printed some Early Espresso, Black, and Night of Navy.

I decided that I would make the kits flexible so they could be orientated in tall (portrait) or wide (landscape). These 2 samples, instruction sheet, and extra greetings are being delivered in the bag. I have varied the decorative paper and coordinated the card base colors, the ribbon, and accents.  All the cards will be different.

In this sample the card base is Real Red, the grosgrain ribbon is Real Red. 

The designer paper is Twitterpated.

The scallop circle and Modern Label punchies are Basic Gray. 

The circle punchie is Whisper White.  

I added a red foil star to the accent adhered with a Zot.  It is adhered to the card front with a medium Zot.  

The greeting is adhered with 3D foam tape.

The card is an A2 card which measures 4.25 x 5.5 inches. 

On this sample the decorative paper is kraft with gold foil polka dots.  

The card base is Soft Suede as well as the grosgrain ribbon, the scallop circle punchie and the Modern Label punchie.  

The white greeting is a Word Window punchie.  

The star on the scallop circle is a gold sequin.

The card has a white bond paper insert and a white A2 envelope.

Digital Cards - Daisy

I worked on a digital card today.  

I worked with a bubble background I create a few years ago featuring warm green colors and warm blue colors. 

I added a daisy digital image I create a long time ago.  It is a vector image so it can be sized and colored easily.

I added some circles with different l percentages of transparency to allow me to add a greeting to the card. It works well with the bubble concept in the background.  I added 5 circles of varying sizes.

I placed the one I wanted to feature a greeting in the center of the card top to bottom and aligned to the left.

I added a black greeting with a shadow to add dimension.

I sized the image to work well with A2 (4.25x5.5 inch) cards.

This can be printed quickly on white card stock and mailed in short order.

I think I will develop a few more of these.

This went out as a thank you for the lovely bouquet of flowers I received.

Christmas Card Challenge - Watercolor

Worked on Christmas cards again.   

Using 140lb rough watercolor paper trimmed to approximately 4.00 x 5.25 inches.

I wet the triangle and just dropped color inside and let it blend together.  Added a trunk and let dry.

The red dots were added after the tree was dry.

I used a Micron Fine Permanent black marker to add the lines, the star and outlines around the dots.  Spattered the background by covering the tree with scrap paper.   This was mounted onto dark green card base with a seasonal insert.

The colors are different on this one and I chose another pattern for my lines.  This are quite not traditional colors and I am okay with that.

Stars replaced the cots.

This one was mounted on a medium olive green card base with a seasonal insert and white envelopes.

A few more cards for the box! 

Exchange Cards - June

This months exchange card feature gold non shed glitter paper and plastic daisy accents.

I chose a Real Red card base and mounted black and white designer paper to the front. I placed a black daisy plastic flower onto a gold glitter scallop circle held together with a red mini brad and attached it to the designer paper. 

I ran a length of black thread from the flower to the edge of the designer paper and taped it to the back.  I adhered this layer to the card front.   

I added a narrow strip of gold glitter paper towards the top of the card.  I mounted a Stampin Up Modern Label Punchie greeting on the left hand side over the gold strip.

For this card I swapped the colors of the plastic daisy flower to red with a black mini brad.  

I changed the orientation to portrait (tall).

The strip of gold glitter paper is wider and adhered across the bottom of the card.

I wrapped the black thread over the glitter strip.

I created the greeting with a 2 inch oval punchie layered with a solid red one which was cut in half and offset on the right and left sides.

The greetings are adhered with 3D foam tape.

I added a white insert and envelope.