• Art - Blog - Creativity

    AJJ: recycled bag

    July 23, 2025 - By 

    Today’s page for my Botanical theme over on Art Journal Journey was inspired by a paper shopping bag.

    A few years ago a teacher I worked with knew my love of collage. One day she brought me a stack of colorful and unique shopping bags she didn’t have the heart to throw out. She was a bit sheepish about giving them to me but I was thrilled!

    The background is one of those bags…slightly wonky and torn. I loved the cyanotype leaves and chartreuse “A” over the top. The words up the side made me think of a sunny morning when the dew glitters in the sunlight. The birds are singing and butterflies fluttering about.

    After selecting a strip of scrapbook paper that fit my color scheme, I once again I used some pieces from my Tim Holtz ephemera pack…can you tell I’m trying to use up some things from my stash? I layered these on top of a bit of mulberry paper as well as a scrap of handmade paper and a label.

    Simple collage that fits my Botanical theme.

     

  • Blog

    T Tuesday: follow your dreams edition

    June 15, 2020 - By 

    Welcome to another edition of T stands for Tuesday.

    I decided to make this a twofer post after realizing that I had added some coffee themed tissue paper to my A Stitch in Time themed page for Art Journal Journey.

    Art Journal Journey

    This page started out to be something completely different but as I continued adding paint and paper elements to the page it somehow evolved. I really need to take a cue from Eileen at The Artful Crafter and take photos along the way.

    The substrate was a page from a book…lots of interesting imagery that I thought was driving my direction. I guess I took a sharp right, maybe a left…who knows.

    I just kept playing until my page spoke to me…and it said “follow your dreams”

    I, of course, added fun and purposefully wonky stitching. I was turning the dial that controls the width of the zig-zag while sewing. It gave the stitching a really unique look.

    Won’t you join me for A Stitch in Time?!?

     This week is looking to be a hot one around here. I’m setting myself up with some indoor projects to work on.

    These books are for a big project I’ve had in mind for years. I’m finally going to tackle it. There I said it…now I have to do it.

    I also arranged and cleaned out my closet. I had several t-shirts that just had to go.

    I decided to tear them into t-shirt yarn. I’m thinking these will become a rag rug.

    So many possibilities…

    T stands for Tuesday
    What are you doing today?
  • Blog - Creativity - Tutorials

    A second look: recycled t-shirt bags

    April 2, 2020 - By 

    Since we have entered April, which happens to be Earth Month…or at very least the month that we honor Earth day…I thought it fitting to “recycle” one of my upcycling posts for Second on the 2nd.

    Take a look….

    2/22/2013 Recycled T-shirt Bags

    t-shirt

    First of all, I have to admit that this is not my original idea. I’ve seen many versions of this on Pinterest.    box pleat

    But after going through the kids clothes and coming up with 2+ garbage bags full to pass along to a friend, it inspired me to keep a couple school shirts for this project.

    This project couldn’t be an easier. I turned the shirt inside out then stitched the bottom closed.  Next was the box pleat to create a flat bottom. Basically you sew perpendicular to the bottom seam at each corner. You end up with a triangle of fabric that is not usable bag space. Gosh, I think I’m making that more complicated than it really is!! Here’s a link that shows the process if I just confused you.

    Anyway…then I turned the shirt back right side out and cut off the sleeves and made a scoop cut at the neckline. No pattern just start cutting. We all know what a plastic handle bag from the grocery or discount store looks like….that’s what you are going for in shape.

    All in all, not too shabby for a few minutes work. It saved a couple of shirts from the rag pile since  they’d likely never be worn again.

    Little J claimed the lime green one as soon as she returned home. It was her shirt to begin with so now it will continue to serve her in a different capacity.

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    Won’t you join me for

    Second on the 2nd