SC Sunday Sketch...You Make Me Happy

I just recently started getting the card kit from Studio Calico and I am challenging myself to use the entire kits. No hoarding allowed. We'll see how that goes. LOL!

I also decided to check out the challenges for Studio Calico. I love sketch challenges, they are my all time favorites. Here is my first SC Sketch Challenge card. I pulled out some older Stampin Up background stamps that haven't been inked in years. I still love this stamp with all the wonderful words in fun fonts. I was going for a bold black and white design with just a hint of color. I stamped it on Whisper White with VersaFine black ink. I love VersaFine ink on clear stamps. I used the frame die from the Hello, Hello kit to cut out several layers of black card stock and layered them. Then I used the coordinating stamp for the top layer and glued that on top of the black layers. The ink color is Calypso Coral (SU!). The black striped ribbon is and teal twine is from the Penny Arcade kit. That striped ribbon is what gave me the idea to go with black and white. Love it! The little pennant die is from Penny Arcade as well as the cute little sentiment stamp. I also added a touch of lace from my stash. And I went with the sequin craze and pulled out a few teal sequins from my kids craft stash.

Hello...Studio Calico

I finally decided to dive in and subscribe to Studio Calico's Card Kit. I received June's kit in the mail yesterday. Just in time for my camping trip, yeah! So now I am sitting here in the woods and having fun creating with my kit and other fun stuff from my stash. Here is my first fairly CAS card.

I used some strips of the fun papers, stacking them at angles as I was inspired by a card made by Heidi over at RunningWithScissors that I had pinned on one of my Pinterest boards. I also used some of the pink floss with the pretty buttons in the kit. Love the flower embossed buttons. The chevron ribbon below the buttons is from a roll of ribbon I bought on clearance after Easter at Hobby Lobby. All this on a Whisper White card base that I stippled with Mustard Seed Distress Ink and then stamped the Hello sentiment from the kit with Versafine ink.

I am entering this over at Friday Mashup. I made a "hello" card. I don't have any sequins with me here at the campsite, so I had to sadly forgo those. Although they really would have been cute on this card.

Pretty Pleated Totes

I found an incredibly simple tutorial to make a Pleated Tote on The Long Thread website. I've actually had it sitting in my Evernote folder for quite a while and never got around to making it. So glad I finally made one last weekend. I was camping with my mom and I wanted something easy that didn't require pattern pieces and that I could use some fabric I bought at Joann's that had a larger design. I was so excited that I found this gorgeous purple, brown and turquoise floral print on clearance for $2.50 a yard. What a steal.

This bag is a nice size and so easy to make. I used some plain purple fabric for the interior and added a long simple pocket to one of the lining pieces.

I made a few adjustments based on my preferences for making bags. Instead of fusible fleece I used Drill Cloth, which is similar to Duck Canvas. I like the sturdiness it gives the bags I make yet allows them to be flexible and there is no fusing with an iron. I just sew the Drill Cloth as an extra layer with the lining. I used medium weight fusible interfacing for the outside bag pieces. I used fusible fleece for the handles. For the first bag I made I followed the measurements she used.

On my second bag I used double the width of fusible fleece for the handles to make it sturdier and I sewed several lines on the handle to also make it sturdier. I finished that one up today. I found this gorgeous grungy looking White and Black Paisley fabric at Hobby Lobby. I did the same as with the first bag, using white Duck Canvas cloth in place of the drill and added a pocket in side.

I think the next one I make will be smaller. The tutorial is a great guide to use for any size tote. You could make a small bag for a child or really large bag to tote around stuff on vacation.