{scissor variations}

{no. 19} interlude

 

 

calling an assembly

 

   

{for this weekend}

 

...gathering + containing is always my favorite part

  

making my day

here

(scroll down to the last photo)

isn't she doing a great job?

 

 

a pop up shop!

Yes! 

The shop will be popping up right here:

 

I am excited to be participating in the upcoming Artist's Sale at the Arrata Opera Centre in Calgary, hosted by Box Social!

The venue is a beautiful brick church just off of 17th Avenue- a great setting to enjoy some wonderful gift shopping + perhaps lunch with a friend in the midst of holiday preparations.

There is an incredible group of artists participating who work in many mediums: ceramics, stitchables, glasswork, photography, + mixed media to name but a few.

 

What will Papier Valise be offering?

LOTS of one-of-a-kind-finds

-items suitable for framing, jewelry making, packaging + more

I have been going through the 'special, specials' that I have tucked away that are not offered on the website...and kept for such occasions:

vintage numbers + letters

incredible jewelry findings --assorted little bits

fantastic ephemera (vintage office, cheeky + silhouettes to name but a few)

I hope some of you will be able to stop by on December 19th or 20th + say hello!

Yay to artistic + inspired gift giving!

 

I'll share some sneak peeks next week if time permits....

{no.18} interlude

 

DIY: winter fun bunting {download}

 

 

 

Gather Together:

 

scissors

hole punch

2-3 yards ribbon

bunting images - click for download

additional 'dangly' embellishments if desired

print out the images from the bunting pdf onto a sheet of paper -8 1/2 x 11 inches in size 

(i used an arches text wove, cut down to fit into my printer, a cardstock weight would also be fine)

cut out

punch a hole in each top corner of your bunting 'flags'

   

thread your ribbon through the punched holes of your bunting flags + continue threading all of your flags until you have a nice 'swag' happening

add other decorative elements if desired during the threading stage

hang + enjoy!

variations:

oversize vintage coat buttons would look great stitched onto the bunting flags themselves or added to the ribbon

 a sprinkle of mica flakes would be a great addition to the 'snowball" theme of these bunting flags

mount your flags onto a larger piece of background paper with a pattern or contrasting color

i printed the flags out in black + white, when printing on a color printer the flags will have a lovely sepia tone to them

 

pdf winterfun bunting download Copyright J.Rusnak + Papier Valise.

Intended for personal use only

 

DIY: felt shingle tree

a quick project to use up those pretty fabric scraps

 

Gather Together:

styrofoam cone (the cone I used measured 2 7/8" x 5 7/8"; 73mmx149mm)

felt

marking pen

circular object for tracing around (mine was approx. 1 3/4" in diameter)

scissors

dressmakers' pins (mine were 65mm in length)

using your round object as a template, trace circles onto your felt

+ cut out

starting at the bottom begin pinning your felt circles around the perimeter of your styrofoam cone, overlapping slightly as you place a pin in the center of each successive circle.

begin the second row

centering your first felt circle slightly atop the previous row, and overlapping the edges slightly as before, work your way around the perimeter of the cone.

...continue to pin your way around the tree until it is completely covered in 'felt shingles'

 

variations:

these add a lot of texture to a mantle or shelf display especially when done in different fabrics

-try using velvet or patterned fabric scraps for your 'shingles'

styrofoam cones come in various heights, so you could easily shingle up a small, yet interesting forest

use more than one color scheme on your tree {red + turquoise; green + blue....}

you could add a small seed bead or a sequin to your pin before centering it on your felt circle for added texture

{i used 38 circles to cover this size tree, based on my template size}

DIY: gift tag perk-up

 

 

simple packaging tags with a wee handmade touch--

 

Gather Together:

tiny stamps

stazon ink

(this ink will stamp on ANY surface--metal, plastic, wood + it dries permanent, so no smudging)

various tags + labels

...a quick + easy transformation

 

I have been using these stamps by Nora Jane for a few 'seasons'

they are reasonably priced + the images stamp clean + crisp

 the tiny size of the stamps mean you can put a sweet touch on the tiniest of tags or labels

these particular designs fit in with a nature theme perfectly but are certainly not limited to holiday use

Her shop has a wide variety of stamps:

flora

fauna

sewing items such as thread spools, thimbles + scissors

birds

holiday specific items (not just Christmas)

{closer to gift giving time, i'll show some packages with their perky pinecone tags}

 

holiday crafting {revisited}

 

 

new crafting projects are on their way!

in the meantime i invite you to revisit these crafting ideas from last season:

pine cone garland

(original post Dec 1st/08)

sequin balls

(original post appeared Dec/08)

 

advent calendar

 (original post Dec 5/08)

 

+ my favorite

the tree runner

(original post  Dec 3/08)