Had a rough start on this one yesterday, and turning it right side out after forming it into a box was probably the hardest one I have done to date.  Sort of wanted to punch it.  :)  But that certainly wouldn't have gotten the job done.  So here is how it sits this morning with hopefully a better ending to it later today.  The difficult part is at least completed, and the fun and bling can begin!
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The front......... (laying on the ironing board)
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Threw a package in this pic so you could see the back has a HUGE outside pocket on it.
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Doesn't know how to stand up straight yet, but we'll get 'er trained by end of day.
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A really BAD picture of the black and gold brocade that will be the lining. Guess I got in a hurry with the camera.
Get a little creative today and think outside the box!
 
There are times when one must just stop and smell the roses.  Since all of my supplies have not yet arrived for one of my other ventures, I decided that a little fun with another restyle of a designer banner could get accomplished.  This LaFont banner started out being about 2-ft by 4-ft in size and is made of some type of nylon or polyester fabric.  The colors on the back are absolutely gorgeous.  With only one imperfection to the whole banner, it was easily hidden with a trendy patch and an Arc de Triomphe ironed on.  That added just a little more 'French'-ness to the bag.  When it was complete, I remembered all the fun flower clips and voila!  Guess I'm a sucker for those flowers, or could you tell.  :)  This bag could actually get used for a purse or handbag as it's not as wide as the others.  It does have 4 gold feet on the bottom (not in picture) and deep pockets on the front only.  You know, that old lipstick thing again.  
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Sister bags - Aren't they just CUTE? Smile for the camera ladies!
Thank you for taking time to look.  Every day is a new experience - LIVE OUT LOUD!  It's worth it.
 
This was the next banner that I had cut down, so it needed to be done first.  It morphed and morphed as I worked on it.  There was just too many cool things on the banner that just could NOT be cut off or discarded.  But it was way too deep, so that's why there is a pocket that circles all the way around the bottom.  You know, a quick place to stick your lipstick or something.  So here is my remake #2 - the OGI Bag.  
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There are 4 buttons - front and back and on both ends to keep that long old pocket in place.  And you may be asking why the pink flower hanging on the pocket?  Well, on the back of the bag is the model's bright pink lipsticked up lips.  It just screamed for a BOLD flower.

This is a one of a kind, there won't be another one like it on the face of the earth.

And thank you for checking it out!
 
Weekend Rundown:

Australian Order accepted and shipped:  Check
Michael Miller Pink French Postcard Portfolio:  Done and Listed
Michael Miller Blue French Postcard Portfolio:  Done (not listed)
Poky Little Puppy fabric art portfolios:  3 completed (none listed)

All that brings me to this!  I think I've overdone it a little as I'm sure this is NOT what my co-worker really wants.........
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All the humongous pieces and parts....
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This is the SECOND layer of pleated material getting added to the base.
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Interior bottom (3rd layer) put on. But there's one more interior piece that needs to get sewn to this one yet! HOLY THICK BATMAN!
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Before handles and ties get put on.
OK, so you can see that this thing is as big as my CHAIR! I do believe I've overdone it.  But this is going to be one awesome tote bag when it's completed.  There are at least fourteen zillion pockets and cubbyholes inside of it.  Once it's completed, there will be a silk hydrangea flower stuck into one of the seams (I purposely left a 'buttonhole' in one area).
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The view from my sewing area. Just thought I'd throw that in here.
Anyhow, back to the sewing room for me, now that the 24 layers of that bag are now securely put together.  I will have to think of a different type of hobo for my friend.  How could I have been so off on what she wanted?  Oh, well.  Back to the drawing board.  But that's sometimes the most fun - the planning part.

Now go get creative already!  :)
 
Dealt with an elephant of a headache yesterday, but when it finally eased up my brain went into overload.  The ideas, thoughts, projects, time elements..... everything decided to dump into my head all at once.  Hence, no sleep until 3 this morning when I finally fell asleep on the couch watching a Law & Order show.  Thankfully.  :)  I even made a cup of tea - didn't work.

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So this is the crocheted dishcloth that got started and finished after midnight.  This morning was when I realized what will happen to a trio of these that are now on the planning deck.  When you struggle to sleep, can't hear the radio program you have on because your dear one snores through every other sentence of the story (giggle) a gal just picks up what is closest to her and that was the cone of natural colored cotton and a hook.   And this was the result.

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I haven't posted any photos on here yet of the scarves that will be a year long project.  Here are four of them that have been crocheted so far.  Two are complete and the other two needs ends woven in still.  After doing fringe on the one, that was the deciding factor in picking other designs that have NO fringe.  Hated it!  :) 

If anyone else is interest in doing scarves for the Winter Special Olympics, just click on over there to see the official colors of Red Heart Yarn and four designs that can help get you started:  2 knit and 2 crochet.  I didn't pick any of them, but that's just me.  After my original purchase of 3 red/3blue skeins, it still looks like I haven't made a dent in the yarn yet.

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The large hobo bag is finally cut out.  Nothing like picking a project that has about $40 worth of material to it.  This will be one awesome bag when it's done.  Vogue is not something I use often, but this was THE bag I wanted to do and after reading the instructions over and over and yes, OVER again, it has finally stuck in my head what this design is all about and WOW!  It is very very cool.  This is a commissioned job, but if she isn't happy with it, I'm not sweating it at all just because it really is that neat a design.  Someone will want it - maybe me!?!?!  HA

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And last but definitely not least is the decorator fabric I found while shopping with my daughter and grandson the other day - and HALF OFF!  This popped up out of the corner of my eye and knew I had to have it to do something with.  The picture doesn't do the color justice at all as it's really a brownish olive color.  As one of the pillows on my couch (where I finally slept) need recovering pretty badly, this will be WAY cool to use for the living room.  If there's any left over it sure could get put into a lining of a makeup bag or ditty bag.  Didn't even think about it being hard to sew with all the pleats, but that's okay. 

So now that my brain in back to functioning after nearly a month being on some sort of creative hiatus, let the creative life get back to where it was before.  Maybe now it will even be better!  Who knows!

So get up, get out, get creative - happy Saturday!  And be watching for more posts as the weekend progresses.

 
Love it when good news comes in the mornings.  AnneMarie from the Netherlands has put my Wishbone Cable Handbag into one of her treasuries on Etsy today!  I adore free advertising.  So I visit her blog and she is quite the crafter!  Her blog today is call "Link Your Stuff" where you can put your own items into her blog post to show off.  Yes, more FREE advertising!  It's amazing how such an old art of using yarns has come back with such zest and creativity.  Check out her blog post and "LINK YOUR STUFF"!!

ANNEMARIE'S BREIBLOG to LINK YOUR STUFF

I linked the "Love Me or Leaf Me" bag.......
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I didn't NEED anything from Joann's, but when there's a sale AND a coupon involved you must force yourself to at least see what's there.  But I did end up with more bargains than I'd anticipated.  Could not resist these fleece pieces for baby blankets with crocheted edgings.  This bunch will make a total of eight blankies!
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I've been fleeced. :)
And while I was in the notions aisle, somehow I ended up wandering over into the purse makin's aisle - and every, yes EVERY handle was $4.00 no matter what the retail price was!  So here is the goodie bag full of handles......
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Getting a handle on things..... tee hee
And finally, the real reason for being in the ribbon and notions aisle was to see if there were pre-made flowers for my new black purse.  Of course I had a 40% off coupon for this baby and it topped it off perfectly!
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Complete! And it's all mine. :)
 
Needed a HUGE break from the normal stuff today, and out of the blue comes an idea.  A new purse.  YES!  That was the ticket!  I needed a new purse, it's the first day of spring, and it DIDN'T rain today like I'd thought!  Win, Win and WIN!  So I located some black fabric I'd been hoarding that was originally $19.99 a yard, but mind you I didn't pay that price.  My nose for deals was obviously working that day - in whatever year that was.  And I'm going to keep this purse for myself.  Yep, selfish, but I adore this fabric.  I forgot to take pics of the stages of construction, but at least I can share the finished (almost) product.  I just need a big BLACK flower to pin onto it and then it's complete.
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(Yes, those are Bill's shirts in the background, un-ironed. He'll live.)
You probably can't tell from the photos, but the black flowers are actually fuzzy!  Yeah, that's me and that texture thing rolling again.  But isn't it cute?  LOVE IT!