craftgasm

Our company is being absorbed by another, and all of the stuff with our logo on it is going to be tossed, so I was free to use what I liked in creating some Christmas presents this year.

Here is my boss's tote in its original form:


Originally uploaded by mel21clc


(After hearing we were all pretty much getting fired, we had a huge Hawaiian-themed "lei"-off party, where we borrowed liberally from the now-defunct company and decorated with all the goodies. I got this picture from that party, since I forgot to take one of it before I started cutting.)

...and here it is after meeting my sub-par sewing skills and my too-good-for-me Bernina!


Originally uploaded by mel21clc


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I'm pretty proud of this, but the vinyl was really difficult to work with, especially because this is the first major thing I have ever sewn besides a scarf. I don't recommend using this sort of material to make something with as many seams and folding as this seemed to need; something more flexible, like metal or diamonds, might be less frustrating. I'm planning on making more totes from all the banners I have now, but I'm going to make them simpler, pillow-case style bags instead and avoid all the crying.

X-posted to my journal and craftgrrl.



These were a gift for my sadly-now-former coworker Taha's girlfriend, Tanya. (Did you catch all that?) Tanya is fantastic. They recently moved to LA, so this turned into a belated-Christmas/going-away present for her. The cards are made from old maps of the area and showcase either a DC landmark or her neighborhood. I made the envelopes (below), too, which are from a less-flimsy map and include double-sided tape on the flap for when she wants to send it.



Next up are the notecards I made for Jessica (montanajlo ), my friend from college. She moved to Germany with her husband this summer. I found these maps of Germany at the recent Arlington book fair, so I immediately snatched them up for this project. (I also found an Australian tourist map in Japanese - hawesome.) I made four envelopes from old DC maps (below), and four from plain white cardstock (no pics). Again, I double-sided-taped the flaps.


cards.


envelopes.

Lastly for this entry, the cards I gifted to my friend Orlaina (dehydrated ).



These are made of old airline safety cards. They were a ridiculous amount of fun to make.




"In the event of an emergency, decide now which of your children you love more."


All together now!

I made envelopes in the same colors as the notecards. They are mix-n-match.

I made this for my friend for Christmas. True to form, I finished it about two weeks ago. That's just how I roll.

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I originally made these for their birthdays in July, 2005. Then I posted them in a custom friends-group so they wouldn't see them, as well as to a scrapbooking community. Now since they obviously already have them, I'm posting them here for my own inspiration and posterity.

I’ve lurked in this community for a while, but I never really had much to post because I didn’t have a digital camera or a scanner.

However, I had fallen in love with the idea of the paper bag scrapbooks and kept seeing really adorable ones this summer. So for the upcoming birthdays of my “little sisters” from college (I think it’s a women’s college thing), I decided this would be as good a time as any to get into trying them out. They’re going to be seniors at Salem and I wanted them to have at least one thing into which they could put their memories from what I hope to be as beautiful a year for them as it was for me.

They took me much longer than expected, but I finished them last night, and I wanted to share with you all whose layouts had helped inspire me. (And thanks to the roommate, whose digital camera I'm borrowing.)

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( Elizabeth’sCollapse )

Criticism is appreciated - it is my first like, out-and-out, full steam ahead scrapbook project, so I'm sure there is plenty of room for improvement. My next one might actually have to have pictures in it, and then what do I do?! ;)

Our t-shirts are awesome. Hawesome, if you will. :)



Wanna buy one? Shirts are now bargain-priced at $8 each, and all proceeds will be donated to the Alexandria Domestic Violence program. Drop me a line here, or e-mail craftgasm @ gmail . com. (Only, you know, without the spaces.)

I made these this evening to be sold at our performance of "The Vagina Monologues" in northern Virginia this weekend. This is my first attempt at making cards that aren't going directly to friends, so feedback is appreciated.


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x-posted to my journal and craftgrrl