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Wednesday, February 16, 2011

I'm an Artul Bag!

Click here for the challenge details!
Okay, a bit of a play on words .... I'm  not a bag, and some days I certainly don't feel artful.  But, I'm stepping out of my comfort zone of paper creations, and I joined the Artful Bag Year Long Challenge, at Frosted Petunias  ... (and what a totally awesome blog Anna has there ... you should go see!)

So the challenge this month was to work with an item that was NOT a bag, and repurpose it INTO a bag.

So I grabbed an idea I had and went of in search of the ingredients I would need to create it.... and consequently couldn't find what I wanted, so I will need to leave that for another month's challenge. Instead, while foraging through eclectica in an opshop, I found a silver ball thingy, which I can only describe as being a huge tea infuser for incredibly large tea leaves or it's a potpourri pomander to hang in your wardrobe, without a hanging string. Whate'er it is, another idea sprang forth, and so it became repurposed as an artful bag....

Forgive the ghastly photo, but being round and the size of a baseball, I couldn't photograph it flat!

Ingredients: A silver ball thingy; black rainbow fasceted beads; black rainbow seed beeds, black beads (seed, and tube); gunmetal grey beads (seed and tube); beading brooch base; silver grey glass pearls; black ribbon.

I first created the strap, by threading pearls, and attached it to the ball. I then threaded faceted rainbow beads following the cutout patterns on the ball. I strung rainbow seed beads to create a looped tassel (of sorts) and attached it to an existing metal loop at the bottom, then added a wee black bow. I had purchased a beaded flower to add above the 'clasp', but it was larger than I thought, and was too dificult to attach, so it was dropped into the 'nuther project box' after I recreated it in a smaller version.  And still had trouble fixing it! Argh!

So as a functional bag, as it's only the size of a baseball, it would hold a change purse and a lipstick, maybe a few tiny things.  It would swing well as it has a bit of weight in it, so just in case an unsavoury fellow approaches..... SAH-AH WING! Would leave a nasty bruise.  Failing that, it could hang in my wardrobe with potpourri or smelly stuff to keep away the beasties....

What a fun project this was.... thanks for peepin!

8 cared to share!:

Petunia said...

Hi Pauline! I think I might have a gold ball thingy similar to your silver ball thingy somewhere too! I love how you thought of using this for your bag. The tassel and beaded bow really give it an art deco feel, I can see a glamorous Hollywood starlet from that era hanging it on her arm. Fabulous work and I love that you also shared how you created it. Thank you for playing along. :)

Anna

Thespoena McLaughlin said...

oooo this is too cute! Kind of reminds me of the vintage metal mesh Whiting & Davis purse I found at a yard sale this past summer. Love it!

Thespa
Vintiquities Workshop

Angela said...

Very creative...your bag reminds me of a Victorian bag. I love it!
Take care,
Angela

Antonella said...

I love your bag and your story behind it!! I would be very frightened if i were an "unsavory type" lol... This looks like something out of an old movie.. great bag... I agree with you that this was a fun challenge, can't wait to see the challenge for next month.

Hugs, antonella :-)

Toni said...

Pauline, this is fantastic... i just love your sense of humor !!!! laughed the whole time reading your post... how ingenious of you to be able to see a bag in that ball !!!! Great job :) thanks you for the smiles

Linda said...

Oh how simply wondrous..amazing..I clap my hands for your bag. Very creative.

Rosemary said...

Your repurposed silver ball thingy had me at silver ball thingy - then I click over and WOWZA! It's beautiful and so elegant looking. Woe betide the unsavory lout who would even mess with you, the bag is gorgeous and potentially lethal (two things that one wouldn't normally think of but it works!)

Sandy Ang said...

I would never have thought of a tea strainer for a bag. You are a genius !