Stamping - Use what you can find!

I love background stamps. Especially the ones using dots. But most of the time I think them way too expensive. Hey, we are talking about some rubber and dots! 

I just used some foamed rubber stickers (I got a big package in an euro store but you can get cheap foamed rubber stamps nearly everywhere!). I glued them on some wood (0,5 cm between every dot, I drew the lines with a ruler on the wood before).

I also made some tiny stamp...

Or you would rather like some distressed dots as background? Use some bubble plastic!

See the effect?

Love it!

Or cut some foamed rubber...

Use the foamed rubber stickers itself as stamps!

If you don't like there shape, just cut them in the desired shape (I also added an eye!)

Oh, and another hand carved stamps which I made after a paper cut out design...

(but to be honest, my knife was not sharp enough anymore)

As you see, I use just some wood leftovers to mount the stamp!

Bigger dots!

To clean them I use some baby oil wipes / towels.

And my stamp trials :)

"Just minutes stuff" - fabric bag pillow

Okay, I have to admit that I love colourful fabric bags. Although the cotton is not so heavy it is very stable.

I have bought severals and spend some minutes to make a first trial one. Although I have sewn a lot of pillows I think I also love to make them this fast way.

Cut of the the strap and turn the upper side (where the fabric lays doubly to give the straps there hold) to the inside. After that my bag was a square (38 x 38 cm... by the way... make your pillow case one or two cm smaller than the filling if you use ones and are not stuffing the pillow case itself ^^)

I wanted to use hook-and-loop tape (is this the right term?) but I didn't found it. Sighs... but during my search I had a look at my poppers and used them instead (with this strange tool).

Finished. Writing took longer ;)

PS: To take pics in the middle of the night may not be the best idea ^^

Just for the mobile...

...a bag.

You remember my friend with the affection for the colour pink and which get every year (since foru or five years) an advent calender from me, filled only with pink stuff?

We went shopping (like girls do from time to time) and we found her a new handbag. She had a lot of vouchers so it wouldn't cost to much in the end. She really was into the bag... her thought that she already would have enough bags could be "erased" (No, I don't know how she ever got THAT idea?!) ^^

Still there remained one problem: There was no pocket for her mobile inside! I totally understand this problem! I mean I even need a latch for my keys in my bags! Otherwise it would take me hours to search for them and the same goes with a mobile. So I made her an attachable mobile bag :)

And yes, there are a lot of things in my bag. And trust me, I need them!

.oO(Or save others with this stuff... happens all the time... the magic of handbags is to have everything inside... somewhere... really!)

The crow bag

This is a black cotton bag I made with my latest crow stencil. It was a present (what else ^^). I cut the crow silhouette out of freerer paper with a very sharp paper knife. I got two stencils, the crow itself and the outer part. I used both stencils. Just ironed the freezer paper on a piece of fabric (black dense high quality cotton) and then paint it over with fabric paint.

The pictures are not the best, I nearly forgot to take any at all! ^^

For the quote of Samuel Beckett I also used freezer paper.

The first time I heard this quote was on the conference "25th years of HIV". It was given after a lecture about the latest vaccine trial which didn't functions but gave a lot more insight to the virus and its interactions with the host cells. Therefore even being a failure at this point in the end it may be useful for the research of another vaccine or better medical treatments. Although the quote is not in it's meaning special for scientic reseach it suited at that point...

...and for myself it suits for a lot more in my life. In a good way, after all :)

And last but not least: I like the work of Samuel Beckett!

I hope you get the idea of the little colourful circles. I liked them! The bag parts were sewed together in the end. There are two layers on each side so this is an easy but very durable bag. Perfect for books! ^^

Cute little bones II - paper bag

Here is the next "cute little bones" project. It developed from itself as I got some small bottles (with alcohol, ai ^^) as a present. They were packed in this plastic bag (around DinA 5). I liked the bag and I wanted one out of paper. It had the perfect size for little presents...

You can see how it was made and how the secured the bag....

I just opened all the glue and all the tape so I got my stencil. Yes, it would also be easy to make one by yourself but this way you won't have to measure anything. I wouldn't buy a stencil for this but with a free one I love to use it ^^

^

I just cut out the paper and fold everythings...

...I folded the sides in the other direction because the will go inward in the finished bag. I also punched some holes in it for a ribbon (or whatever...).

For getting everything together I used two-sided adhesive tape. Easy to use and no mess at all! You can see in the picture below where I put the tape.

For the front I wanted to put another one of this tiny printed skeletal critters! (again from graphics fairy!) I glued some plastic on the front (some leftover from the packed bottles) and thought one of my little frames would be perfect to add...

..I just glued it on top.

I cut everything out. This time with a good scissor and NOT my paper knife! It would break (Yes, it did break, I tried... ^^) with plastic which is a little bit harder...!

And I glued everything on top on my little paper bag.

The oper paper bag....

The paper bag standing on one of my boards...

I love the little frame with the plastic! Just a miniature of a piture frame with glas. And yes, it has some reflections too!

PS: If someones wants the measurements, just ask and I'll take them for you :)



Glowing small octopus bag

Yesterday I was drinking coffee and chating with friends. During this time I kept my hands ocupied by sewing this little bag. It is really small, just big enough for my mobile, keys, ID card and some money. Perfect to go out dancing and it is so small it won't disturb too much!

Although it is so small it consist of four layers fabric on every side. Between two layers of black cotton is a quilt stuffing fabric and the inside bag is made out of violet silk. The strings are made out of braided jersey strands. The same I used for my jersey scarf "Lisboa II" and some of my warmers. Can't have enough of them! ^^ I even braid them into my own hair if I go out dancing.

And a keyholder! Absolutley neccessary! Belive me! Never ever again without on in my bags. :)

I wanted to have an octopus on it. White for the contrast in daylight as well as to stand out if there is an UV lamp at the dancing floor and also overlayed (you can see the greenish in the colour) with an night glowing colour. So after getting a little bit of light it will glow by it's own.

It's just so cool!

Need more of small glowing bags like this!

I think there are a lot of possibilities in this glowing colour. I will try out how good the colour will survive the washer (and at which temperatures) so maybe I could make some cloths with paintings like this. :)

Crafting session with Lachafa - felt bag

Before you ask, yes, I also made some things ^^ Okay, I have to admit that I have also done some basic work, like creating my material for new things. And I don't like to show unfinished projects, therefore this has to wait. But beside that I made a fast small bag. The sides were to dark brown felt with red applications. The grandmother bought them somewhere years ago and with the promise to make something out of it gave I got it. I really like it and the idea of a small bag came really fast into my mind. She also told me from which country this felt work is but... honestly... I totally forgot it... I will ask!

The inside is made out of cotton fabric. The same one which was used for the straps. It is to dark for a good foto but inside is a little pocket added for my hand and two other ones on the opposite for whatever ^^

And since I got my beloved Bree bag every bag which I make has to have a key holder attached to the bag! My bags have the tendency (no matter is small or big) to create black holes... and one of the favorite items to eat of a black hole are my keys! But this little string with a keyholder rescues my keys (and hence me!).

I used two colours of thread. The red one resembles the red of the felt work and the violett was a little contrast which goes good with it, I think.

And a long strap ^^