Being Productive

My friend Colleen is doing wonderful things with Charms.  She is using diecuts for patterns and I thought of another method.  I just love the mini DressForm die by Sizzix and thought of using that to make a mold of sorts - I 'm not very good at cutting clay though I do have the tools!  I figured I could place the mold on an embossing folder and press the clay into it.  Actually it worked pretty good.  Need to refine the process a bit. Love how the dress came out. It's more a pendant than a charm.  The drop pearls are from Vickie's and my treasure hunt at CJS in NYC.  Going back Tuesday for more!

I also got a wonderful free purse pattern from Craftsy.  I need a large purse to carry my iPad in and I have had this wonderful piece of purple drapery fabric hanging around for a year or so waiting to become a purse.  Here are pics of the finished bag.  I added pockets inside, a stiff base in the bottom, and pleats in the front and back.  It was a little too large but the pleats were just the trick.  The ornaments in the center front and back are again from our trip to NYC.  The buttons on the Straps were in a button tin gifted to me by Mrs. Youngman, my SIL's Mother.  They were very tarnished to the point I didn't know what color the metal was.  But a little patina and gilders paste and they are Perfect!  Now to go out and it give a test drive!