My Favourite Price

My favourite price is quite likely the same as yours....yep, 'free'. There's nothing quite like getting something for nothing is there? So I was more than happy to take home one of these sturdy, 12x12 fitting, canvas bags left over from some promotion and which my manager was giving away at work last week.

Come to think of it though, when I say it was 'something for nothing' .... I was obliged to sit through two induction days at the time. So maybe I paid for it in vital minutes of my life which I'll never get back and brain cells which died off somewhere amid the myriad Power-Point presentations we were forced asked to sit through. ;)

Anyway.....

When I mentioned to Barbara [my friend / a colleague / wonderful person all round who probably won't be reading this but, on the off chance she's feeling especially brave with the internet today, I'll say 'Hello Barbara'!!] ....when I mentioned to her that I was going to customise my bag she asked if I'd do the same for her. [She even offered to pay - which I was never going to allow!!]

So here's what I've made for her:

The main floral fabric comes from the 'Gams and Garters' kit from Gauche Alchemy . Rather than simply stitch it directly to the canvas bag I decided to make it into a handy front pocket. I then decorated it with ribbons and fabric [which I received in my stash swap with Kirsty Neale, which I blogged here].

All of the buttons, beads and bits sewn across the top of the pocket came from the lovely Green mixed media colour kit from Gauche Alchemy's Artfire shop. Then I added this little Matroyshka doll button which is part of a new range of Quirky Embellishments from the Crafty Templates shop, because she matched my other colours and patterns.
I added a few final touches, such as a tab to attach a keyring etc from on the back and the ribbon on the handle:
I can't wait to give it to Barbara to see what she thinks of it. I'm secretly hoping that, as she moves around the campus, she gets stopped by hoards of bag-admirers asking where she got it from. Do you think it'd be pushing the bounds of our friendship too far if I made up some business cards for her to hand out ....just in case???;)

I'm now wondering what to do with my bag, I'm thinking 'paint' and 'text' but obviously you'll be the first to see it when I've decided.

Soon-ish.

Julie :)