STAMPED WREATH CARDS

Not much to talk about today--just wanted to share photos of the wreath cards that I made recently.  My ink and cardstock colors (from Stampin' Up!) are:  Old Olive, Soft Suede, Gorgeous Grape, Highland Heather, Pear Pizzazz, and VersaMark (for the stamped sentiment, which is from the Heartfelt Wishes stamp set).

These little square cards were kept very simple so that the stamped wreath got all of the ahhhhh's.  I used Iridescent Ice embossing powder (retired product), which gave the sentiment a little sparkle.  

Of course, the envelopes needed to be pretty, too, so I stamped a bucket of flowers, some of which had spilled out.  

A few days later, when I was ready to mail a candy bag zipper pouch to my niece, I made this card for her.

The jewels are really pretty, and I wish they showed up better in the photo.  They're Stampin' Up!'s 2021-2023 In Color Jewels, and they come in a nice selection of colors.

ANOTHER CANDY BAG ZIPPER POUCH

My mother had saved a KitKat candy bag that my niece sent to her a while back and, after seeing my first candy bag zipper pouch, she thought I might like to turn this bag into a useable pouch.  How fun that this bag was a bit larger, but the conversion process was a bit tricky because the bag was made from paper.  Mostly, it turned out very well, with just a little tearing.  The biggest tear was in the bottom left corner, and the only remedy that I could think of was to sew a little tab there.  

I found what appeared to be the perfect fabric to use for the lining.  It looks really nice with the bag, huh?  Want to see the bag of the bag?

Once complete, I wrapped the pouch with glassine paper and made a wax seal closure over the twine bow.

The stamped rose didn't show up very well, so I colored the top of it with a gold Sharpie marker.

This little treat was all ready for the USPS to deliver to my niece in Michigan.  Being that the package was totally unexpected, she was surprised and delighted--and recognized that the bag was one (once filled with candy) that she'd sent to my mother.  Being able to surprise someone and make their day a little sweeter is one of the best things in life.  

UPCYCLED PROJECT: CANDY BAG ZIPPER POUCH

 

If you're visiting my blog to see a stamped project, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed.  Or . . . if you're someone who enjoys sewing as well as stamping, this post might inspire you to take the cover off of your sewing machine.  My mother told me recently about a Missouri Star Quilt Company video that she thought I might like, and she was right!  I can remember seeing similar projects years ago (long before I started sewing) that were made from cookie and chip bags, and I'm pretty sure I also saw something made from drink pouches.  They might not have been sewn, but they were a creative upcycled project.

For my zipper pouch, I followed MSQC's instructions (here's the video link) and cut apart the candy bag.  The one that I had purchased had a pleated bottom, but it was easy to cut that out.  Also, I didn't tear the top of the bag to remove the candy--I cut a slit in the bottom so the majority of the bag was left intact.  As you can see from the above photo, I used the front and back of the candy bag for my pouch.

Per the video instructions, I applied clear Heat-n-Bond Iron-On Vinyl to the bag, sandwiched each piece (front and back) with batting and lining fabric, and then machine-quilted.  The vinyl that I used was "Gloss" and, as you can see, it left the project quite . . . well . . . glossy.  

As someone who is new to sewing and hasn't been building a fabric "collection" for very long, I was thrilled to find that I had a perfect fabric for the lining.  Just look at how well the colors coordinate with the bag!  I even had the perfect pink zipper, but that wasn't too surprising because I have a drawer full of zippers--probably will never use them all, but I'm gonna try.

So what do you think about this cute zipper pouch?  Are you inspired to make one?