It was a busy Christmas season for my creative juices. My youngest grand-daughter wanted a purse. But finding an appropriate style for a 7 year old without all those "Dora" emblems or "Kitty" faces was impossible. So I decided to make her one.
I first watched a tutorial at http://www.lazygirldesigns.com , then made some editorial changes, and came up with this. Her favorite colors with a bit of 'little girl fantasy' will be just the ticket.
Well, that was fun, so I kept going.
Her older sister has a selection of purses, each of them from the typical haunts, but I bet her friends will be wanting a unique one like this for their collection. Just the thing for an early teen who carries only a few items to school.
Wow - after a few hours, I was really excited about digging through my stash to find coordinating fabrics for little girl purses.
A friend thought the concept was great for adults as well.
So as I work out some kinks and discover assembly techniques that work best for me.....stay tuned.
Here is the outcome of my purse adventure: The green/orange for a 9 year old; the small yellow has a velcro closure for her 3 year old sister; the purple stars for my 7 year old; and the more sophisticated Laura Burch fabric to my teen. Merry Christmas to my little princesses!!!
In between the stitch-witchery above, I was also doing zentangles. All four of our younger grandchildren received a matted and framed depiction of their name to hang on the wall.
As each zen was developing, the child's personality worked itself into the artwork - none of it planned in advance. These take hours to complete, and represent a lot of thoughtful contemplation of the child (maybe the best part!)
Left) A completed work - lots of movement in this particular piece.
Below) A detail of another piece, as it nears the end.
The start - and the finish, representing about 3-4 days of design and execution. What I find special about zens is the unique character of them. Even the most critical can find some nugget to enjoy about the doodle. This was a very satisfying season of giving! I hope I've inspired you to create unique, one-of-a-kind gifts for yours.
You have mastered the art of Zen, little Grasshopper -- your tangles are spectacular. And the purses say "fun, fun, fun" all over them. Great creative juices flowing here, my friend.
ReplyDeleteDiane
the kids here all have their tangles hanging as close to their beds as the walls allow!! also the 7 year old has not stopped filling, emptying, refilling her purse with whatever inspiration strikes. Such special gifts!!
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