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Thursday, February 27, 2014

The Bag Lady

Hi there ePers!  Today I (Erin) am showing you my bag that I made for the eP Picks Challenge hosted by the always lovely Ms. Toni!

When I first learned about this challenge, I was racking my brain on what medium to use!  Paper? Seed sack?  Lace handkerchiefs?  Redecorate a gift bag?  Use a brown lunch bag?
I decided to use up some of my seed sacks that I bought from my cousin's yard sale last summer!  She wanted to get rid of them, and I knew that I could find something useful to do with them sometime!  Well, that time came now!

Seed sacks are kind of like the old laundry bags from college, but without a flat bottom.  If that makes any sense!  It's tough, hard, stiff canvas.















































Throughout this whole process, I did not measure.  I eyeballed all of the sides, and roughly eyeballed the handles.

I went through and cut the sides into actual panels, and prepped them all with gesso.  Once that was dry, it was ready to paint!  I used my Acrylic Glaze paints mainly because I wanted something vibrant and I wanted it to stand out.  I don't have too many other options in the paint department, so the Acrylics worked beautifully!  (I think so anyway!  ;D)

The first panel was my face.  Which, it's not MY face!  My 4 yr. old daughter and I had a discussion about this face!  She asked who it was a picture of and I responded no one.  She said, "No Mom, really, who is it?"  I replied again, now a bit agitated, "It's no one, ok?!"  She came back with, "Jeez Mom, you don't have to be mean about it!"  LOL!
So, the face just kind of drew itself.  I used black gesso and a paint brush.

To create the background, I just used different stencils and more Acrylic Paint colors and more gesso!

I pretty much did the same thing for all of the sides.

The difference for the back/front panel w/ the words 'My Craft Bag', are that those are sprays with different stencils and black gesso for the tiny circles stencil.

The difference for the rose panel is that I used white embossing paste, which I mixed a color into and using the edge/end of my palette knife, laid down the paste in the form of a rose.

I did have help on this, in the sewing it together portion!  I only sew on paper!  I NEVER sew fabric!  Hey, I'd actually have to measure something!  YIKES!

Anyway, I did the handles, and was successful at attaching 2 panels together, and then my sewing machine decided not to work right.  So, I handed my project over to my mother to sew the rest of it together.  I had strict instructions on how I wanted it done.  And she is such a darling and finished it for me so that I could post it here on my day!


I hope that you have been inspired by my bag and want to try out for our challenge!  This is a perfect opportunity to think outside the box!!!!

Erin

Links:
white & black gesso
white embossing paste
Antique Bronze Distress Paint
Faber-Castell Big Brush Pen (black and white)
Stencils: Mini Reverse Chicken Wire, Mini Tiny Circles, Distressed Honeycomb, Bubbly
Silks Acrylic Glazes Honey Amber, Pink Anthurium, Bolivian Blue, Love Struck, Olive Vine,
                                    Apricot Nectar

Dylusions: Pure Sunshine, Funky Fuschia, London Blue, Cut Grass, & Melted Chocolate

7 comments:

toni said...

Love your crafty bag! Love the face and all the text. Great work you've got it in the bag ! Xx

Mary-Ann Maldonado said...

Wow, have you been busy! I love them all:o)

Unknown said...

+this article is very helpful and effective.thanks to the writer.
http://www.trivalleyrecyclers.com/

Sue Lelli said...

LOVE LOVE LOVE your bags! The colors and stenciling and that Face are all so FAB, Erin! LOVE how you listed your craft supplies on your craft bag!

Micki said...

Wowsers, I am so impressed that you actually sewed the bag. AWESEOME! I love all the colors and the different things....the flowers and that face!!!!!!

Andiepants said...

Wow!!! And yay for mom to the rescue!! Lol

Tracy said...

CUUUUUTE Erin, it makes me smile, looove it!
Big hugs
Tracy
xoxox