Scraplog

Striped Purse

This past Saturday I was feeling crafty. There were plenty of things I should have been doing but I didn’t feel like doing any of them. So, instead, I made a purse. It’s always good to make a new purse every once in a while :)

It all started because I got a yard of black and white striped fabric from Walmart for $1.50. You just can’t beat that! As I was dreaming about what I would create with it a purse came to mind and that settled it. I had to have a new striped purse.

Originally, I was just going to wing it and make it up as I went. I knew what shape I wanted and I knew I wanted a little pleat in the middle. But then I remembered that I saw this tutorial from Smile & Wave. It was almost exactly what I was looking for so I used it as a base and just tweaked it here and there. Here is my finished purse:

If you want to make one just like mine, the changes I made are simple. I added an extra pleat in the front middle and back middle (just like the side pleats), along with a button. Because I wanted extra pleats, I also cut out the shape a bit wider to begin with since I knew it would shrink as pleats were added. I also made just one strap instead of two and secured it on the sides. For the side with the knot, I just let the strap hang down a bit farther, sewed it in place and then tied a knot. That way the stitching didn’t show, just the knot does. I know that I’m not very good at explaining instructions (which is why I don’t write tutorials!) so if you have any other questions, let me know in the comments and I will do my best to respond in a way that makes sense!

Here are some more detail shots:

I love the added button :)

And the knot is my favorite!

This bag makes me think of summer, what about you? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anxious for summer, but it does make me think of it based on the color scheme and lightness of it. Even though it looks like it belongs in warmer weather, I’m going to use it now :)

This is a super easy tutorial and I think it took me about 2 hours to make. It’s very roomy and could be used for all sorts of things, even just a summer going-to-the-beach kind of bag. Enjoy making one of your own!!

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Amazing Blogs

Everyday I have a few different blogs that I like to read and I check them via Google Reader. There are so many blogs out there that I can’t keep up with all of them and rather than try to, I just stick to my favorites. That way, I’m not spending hours everyday blog surfing. Otherwise what ends up happening is I spend so much time looking at so many amazing things that I don’t have time to make anything! Which is sort of the reason I like to look at blogs in the first place, for inspiration.

With that said, I often come across blogs that are fabulous and for some reason, this week I especially found a bunch that I like. So, I thought I would share some of them with you. You may have already stumbled across these but I hadn’t until recently.

Sweet Paul – seriously amazing. He is a food and prop stylist and you have probably seen things he creates in magazines. As I’ve been browsing, I’ve noticed several projects I’ve seen here and there. Plus, all the pictures are gorgeous!

Between the lines – beautiful pictures and fun crafts. I have really enjoyed exploring this blog.

Blue Moss – This blog explores fashion and the home. I like when there is a little bit of both mixed in :)

Apartment #34 – Really pretty pictures and again, a mix of fashion and home. Fun, fun, fun!

And because blog posts are more fun with pictures, here is a picture that Heather took of Jason and I a couple of weeks ago that will be appearing in my doily mini book:

I love him so much, I am a very blessed girl :)

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Noah Turns 2

As I said in my last post, I now have a brand new niece! But before she was born, her older brother, Noah, turned two. For all of my nephews and (now) nieces I send them a scrapbook page for their birthday. Then, when they are 18, they will have a completed album from their adoring aunt. Here is Noah’s page:

Seeing these pictures makes me miss them all so much! Oregon feels very far away from Tennessee at times :)

I am now working on a scrapbook using the new doily mini book kit. I’m hoping to have pictures of my completed book soon :)

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Baby Onesies

On Tuesday, my brother, Josh, and his wife, Jodi, welcomed a baby girl into their family! They have four boys so imagine how excited they are to have a girl added to the mix :) They live in Oregon so I’m not sure when I will get to see little Miss Liliana but I hope it will be soon!

Here is the gift I sent for my new niece:

I’ve seen these onesies around and I thought I would try my hand at them. They took a bit of time but mostly because I wasn’t used to working with something so small!

And the second onesie:

I think they turned out cute and they were fun to make. The L onesie was pretty quick but the scalloped one took a bit more time. After making these I would like to try something with ruffles next. Girl things are so much more fun to make than boy things!

Congratulations Josh, Jodi and family! I hope it won’t be too long before I see you all!

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Freebie: Valentine's Label

With Valentine’s Day coming, I had a new freebie in mind for you all and today I completed it! It’s a label that is best printed on sticker paper so you can stick it to the outside of an envelope. It is meant to be folded around the envelope so the name or address of the recipient is on the front and the sender’s info is on the back. Does that make sense? Maybe I will have to take a picture of one in real life. But for now, here is what the label looks like:

To download a pdf version of this, go to the freebies section here.

Enjoy!

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