Small and perfectly formed Tote Bags

 New Tote Bags added to stock 

Having decided what bags I am making for the craft fairs this year, I was kindly given a stack of fabrics from a Sample Book. I have seen Christine Home Affairs make this type of samples into bags, makeup bags, and box bags etc. It was lovely going through the pieces in order to match them up and consider projects. Having seen the fabrics, they were larger than I expected and I was able to match 8 sets of 2 to make Tote Bags. I added cotton weave handles and lining fabrics from my stash and then started my production line. 

The first ones off the line 

Whilst these bags are slightly smaller than my standard Tote Bags they were such lovely fabrics I was very happy with the finished items. Each of the bags has a different fabric on the back, in coordinating colours. 

This is my favourite, the back is a lighter teal with embroidered running stitch design in white embroidery thread, but all are lovely. . The dotty coloured spots are raised embroidery which adds a lovely dimension to the design, while the autumn colours on the leaves and hedgehog designs are vibrant. 

 

These fabrics often cost £35 - £50 a metre, so not only do the samples allow an opportunity to use luxury fabrics with an affordable price tag, it saves the sample fabrics ending up in landfill.  The added bonus being the money from the sale of these bags all goes to the local hospital. So a big thank you to my friend Lyn who gave me the fabrics.

I am really enjoying a year of a mixture of paper and fabric crafting, trying to use my stash. It is particularly pleasing when I see some craft stock and come up with a new design to utilise it. 

Back soon with more new ideas.

Dee

 

Easter Cards Done

 Easter Cards Done

Having mastered the placing of the acetate on these “Bridge cards” 

I made another 4 and completed my Easter cards. 

I only need a few to give out as they would be a large letter, so expensive to post.

These are quite dramatic and by using the pretty wooden tags to decorate the front the recipient has a little memory gift that they can enjoy every year.

Happy Crafting 

Dee

BACK TO PAPER CRAFTING

 SAM CALCOTTS LATEST DESIGN

If you have read any of my paper crafting posts, you will know I am an avid fan of Sam Calcott - Mixed up Crafts, on YouTube. So while relaxing the other evening I checked out her latest projects. 

I fell in love with this Panel Bridge Card and thought it was a lovely spring look (see link below)

https://youtu.be/O2cqwTTx9GY?si=maUU01t3RFAJn5qo

Here is my first try:

It is a little trickier than I thought to set the acetate in place so I had to try another to get it right. This time I decided to make it an Easter card, as it was perfect to hold a wooden Easter tag, which would give the recipient a card and a gift of the tag that can be used for your Easter decorations.

It just needs an Easter greeting. I cracked the acetate placement and now the bridge is lined up. 

If you fancy having a go check out Sam’s post. 

I will definitely be using this design again. I have a few ideas for mens cards, so I better hurry up and do one for my brother in laws birthday. 

Happy Crafting

Dee

New Style Tote bags

New Bag for 2026

As I said in a previous post, I want to jazz up the tote bags this year and add some new pieces. I started with 2 Tote bags using contrasting plain fabrics to make the design pop. 

I used some lovely embroidered fabric for the first one and took a little while to work out the make-up sequence, but it came together and gave me the layout for the rest of the seasons makes. It requires going through the stash of fabrics and coordinating the prints with a plain that work together. 

This has been made with a beautiful embroidered fabric and lined in matching red cotton, which has also been used for the top contrast. The handles are cotton weave as the embroidered fabric does not make good handles. This is the perfect size.

Next I made the contrast going the other way and although the colour coordination worked the size was not right. So now combining the two ideas I have the template for future totes for this year.

Not only have I changed the look and size I will also be adding an inside pocket. 

First bag redesigned and pattern made. 

Back soon with my craft bags.

Happy Crafting

Dee
 

 

PERFECT LITTLE GIFT FOR A RETIRED FRIEND

 No Changes yet

So despite my New Year challenge to downsize my craft items I am still making regular orders with Temu for some of my craft basics. One of the packs that arrived after my holiday had 20 recycled cotton plain Tote bags.

They were a good size and price so I thought they might be good to use for a challenge at the craft group I attend. Anyone who wanted to join the challenge would have a bag to decorate. We have previously painted similar bags so I hoped there would be some new ideas come forward. 

In the meantime it was a friends birthday and I had already bought a present but wanted something small to give on the day. As I woudl make the card as well I decided to do a matching set.

So taking an iron -on transfer from my stash (so at least one win) I first copied and shrank the transfer to make a card, and then made the bag.

Here is the card I made to match the bag . Sorry about the shadow in the photographs I was having trouble with my iPad and phone synching, but hopefully have it sorted now.

My friend was delighted with the bag and card and will happily use the bag to pop his bits and pieces in when he goes fishing.

I have made 2 more of the bags and they are on Ebay.

Back soon with more makes .

Dee

Can We Really Change

 Back from Holiday 
And Raring to Craft

Well it has been a long time since my last post.

January was busy, sorting out the cupboards and getting ready for a fabulous holiday to Bali, Singapore Thailand Vietnam and Hong Kong. 

I am back and ready to craft. I also am conscious that I need to clear the cupboards even more, and this was my plan for 2026.

My clothes were sorted last week and 10 tops were put on Ebay (3 of which have sold already) so a good start to the plan.

Next I looked at paper pads and found a 12 x 12 pad I thought could go, I checked out the price on Ebay and a similar style from the company was on for £6, so I decided not to sell it, and instead ending up buying the pad I had checked out as it was such a bargain. Not a good start to the plan, but in my defence I did sit down and blitz the 12 x 12 that I had intended to sell. 

I made several sets of notelets with a matching folder/carton, a couple of gift folders and a great scrapbook  with pull out pages and pockets 

Cards & Notlets

Using up Some basic card and envelope stock, including some craft card. I made some sets by adding pretty papers to the front of the cards including some craft card bases, I added no greetings so the cards can be used for general greetings or a greeting of their choice could be added. 

In a couple of the packs have notelets . These use one sided papers so they can be written in and I just added envelopes . I made them to fit a standard A6 envelope. 

The 2 Gift Envelope/folders. Use a full sheet of 12 x 12 and they were filled with 4 mini cards 3.5 x 3.5” with plan paper inserts for writing on. There were secret cards added to the slot on the side .

 The embellishment added to the top flap were fussy cut from the front of the pad. 

The Journal was made using 4 sheets cut to make the basic book and then pull out flaps added to a couple of pages. Oddments of card from the other projects made pockets and tags. 

All these will go to a friend who sells for Cancer research. 

Every page of the 12 x 12 pad have been used, and the only items not shown here, are 2 journal bases and a few odd pieces, so I am happy with the use of the paper pad. I am unhappy about the new pad that has arrived, which has some very pretty pages that will beckon to me to make something with them, and has done nothing to help me reduce my stash. Considering my plan was to destash: the year has not started well. But I have enjoyed crafting so a little win there. 

Happy Crafting

Denise

Craft Fayres 2025 and the future

 Looking forward to Crafting in 2026

Adding to my last post, here are some thoughts on my crafting for 2025, and looking forward to 2026.

Let me start by saying my sewing and card crafts are first and foremost a hobby. So although I read up on the do’s and don’ts of craft Fayres for layout and pricing, (see Made Urban for great advice if you are crafting to sell) it is often difficult to follow the good advice. I do not need to make a profit, and am not really looking to spend a lot on props for the table. I only do local church and village hall Fayres. This has an effect on the pricing of my items. 

My bags are from £4 to £10, so for example my Tote bags sell for £5 for the smaller Christmas totes and £6 for a larger tote. These are fully lined using a metre of fabric in total, as well as the handles. Compare these to Etsy at an average of £14 - £24 and I  realise my prices need to go up. Flat bags are simple and quick to make and I price these from £2.50 for purse size, £3.50 for std make-up bag, and £4 for larger ones. Again too cheap. 

My craft bags were the most expensive item I sold, until the napkin rings) at £9.50 with 4 pockets and lined these take over a metre in total of fabric to produce. 

Shopper bags are £6 and the Christmas shopper bags have a transfer patch on the front. Both are lined.

Over the past 3 years I have also made expanding bags, cross body bags, bottle bags, box bags, gift bag and drawstring bags. 

At Fayres I receive good comments on my bags although more interest is shown in the sewn gifts. Is this because they are cuter or more unusual?? Also bags are being sold everywhere and you can pick up pretty cheap bags in stores like B&M, as well as recycled plastic shopping bags in large sizes for £1.50 to £3.

So for 2026 I have decided to streamline the production and concentrate on 

Craft Bags - New Design 

Tote Bags - New Design

Flat bags - standardise the sizes and keep these at a great price

Cross Body - New Design

Drawstring gift and storage bags small stock and geared toward storage and craft bags.

So I have lots to think about and plan for next year. 

I would love to get other crafters reasons for making and/or selling their items and comments on my makes. If you would like to comment on my blog, please press the follow button at the top of the page, and let’s make a happy group of crafters on line that share ideas and their successes. 

Now for gifts and Cards

I started out doing craft Fayres selling my paper crafts. Cards, Boxes and gift bags as well as scrapbooks and memory albums. I also tried selling cards and scrapbooks on Ebay and Etsy, with a small amount of success. 

Isolation Journal posted Dec 2020

Folio Album posted Feb 2021

As you can see back in 2020 I was still concentrating on paper-crafts , it was not until my husband was diagnosed Oct 2021 I started sewing again. By 2023 cards and paper-crafts were getting difficult to sell as a lot of people had started crafting during lock-down and were making and selling cards, journals etc. It gave me an opportunity to try selling the bags instead, and it worked out well.

Then last year I started taking a few cards to the Fayres and they sold well, and this year I sold 19 Christmas cards at Fayres as well as 32 birthday cards and 5 commissioned cards (these are sold at a premium of £5 each). 

I will continue to make cards and those taken to the craft Fayres will be restricted to 3 styles so I can display and do point of sale info, as they are more unusual styles .

They will sit alongside the 3 gift items I will make. 

Cards I make for a Craft Fayre will be the more unusual styles so that people buying are getting something unique. I find they sell better and at a more realistic price. I sell my cards from £1.50 to £3.50 each.

Sometimes if I make a new design that is unique to me I will make them a limited edition of 12 and this helps lift the price to £3.50. I realise that if I was selling them in a gallery they would probably sell for £9.50 each but I do not live in an area where this sort of price structure would work. Commissioned cards I only make for friends as the time they take to make is not reflected in the price, they are usually elaborate multi-layered and have a lot of embellishment. They have included pop-up cards, 3 layered pop-open box cards, and open book cards 

These are a work of love not profit, and I enjoy making them as they stretch my imagination to come up with the designs to the recipients likes. 

So there you have it: what I have made in 2025 and what I am going to make in 2026 (always open to change and flexibility of course). 

Happy Crafting

Dee

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