I’m joining our host Kate for another monthly crafting challenge. Kate, who blogs at Tall Tales From Chiconia, encourages bloggers to dust off their scraps and turn them into something new.
My inspiration this month is a paper shopping bag. Pretty scrappy, eh? I fell in love with the artwork, which is different on all four sides of the bag.
The bag is originally from a trendy store called Anthropologie. It arrived filled with donations where I volunteer. I couldn’t bring myself to recycle it, so I brought it home for a crafting project.
The paper is a nice weight, with a different design on the front and back and two additional designs along the sides. I fell in love with the black and green cat pattern, but all four sides are interesting.
I made a notecard using my last scrap of black paper, a border die, and the cat side of the shopping bag. I would have done a few things differently, but part of the challenge of using scraps is that you have a limited supply of materials.
I used another section of the cat paper to make a gift tag for my son’s birthday. He loves Chipotle, so I bought him a gift card and wrapped it with a scrap of green paper. I added a fussy cut paper cat. We all love cats around here.
On the subject of cats, after completing the tag, I took a brief recess so that Tessa could finish her nap on the bag. She rules the roost around here. We adore her.
After Tessa’s catnap, my crafting resumed.
I had a lot of leftover cat paper, so I papered an ugly postcard and stamped “delight in life” in black ink for some interest.
I recovered my ever-changing bookmark tin for the Little Free Library and used some of the smaller patterned sections of the bag to make two-sided bookmarks.
The pattern on the opposing side of the bag didn’t interest me as much, so I used it to line the drawer in my laundry room. It’s been 17 years since I last relined it, so it was time for a refresh.
The sides of the bag are narrower, so I had less paper for crafting. I love the snails, so I fashioned a few bookmarks, then stamped them with black ink. I made more bookmarks using the purple pattern on the opposing side.
The final make from the shopping bag is another card. I used a daisy die to cut the purple paper into the lacy flower pattern you see below. The purple lost some of its vibrancy, so I wanted to punch up the color. I used daubers and assorted ink and placed color on a scrap of paper below the punched surface.
I assembled the pieces into this finished card:
Thanks once again for hosting, Kate.
Be sure to check out the blogs listed below for other scrap-happy posts.
Kate, our host, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynn, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Tracy, Jill,
Claire, Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Kerry, Claire, Jean, Jon, Hayley, Dawn,
Gwen, Bekki, Sue L, Sunny, Kjerstin,
Vera, Nanette, Ann, Dawn 2, Noreen,
Bear, Carol, Preeti and Edith
Gardening Nirvana 
Well, I’m amazed. Who would have thought you could do so much with one carrier bag?
I like the bookmark tin especially – and the temporary cat bed of course.
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ypu certainly made one bag go a long way ^^
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Really good work; the bookmark tin is a lovely idea. You may know that I leave bookmarks in my books to intrigue future readers. Quite a number contain Pauline’s.
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You win the prize this month for the greatest number of pretty and useful items made from one scrap!
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that’s a really impressive haul. Thank you
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Tessa has given your projects feline approval, that’s all that really matters, but I like them too, (and am amazed at the number, variety and ingeniousness of them all!)
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You made short work of using almost every inch of Tessa’s snooze spot. It’s like waving a flag, challenging the rest of us to step up our game. Heading in the sewing room now to see what I come up with using what I have.
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Marlene, you make me smile. You create amazing things in your sewing room, and I know you put many of your scraps to great use.
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Of course the cat rules! Notecard is a great idea–I’ve taken to writing real notes in place of F2F visits. Maybe I’ll keep up the habit when we return to “normal.”
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I love writing notes and sending snail-mail. It’s a wonderful way to connect with friends. The cats rule the roost around here. We love them to pieces.
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Holy cats, I am impressed! So much out of one bag. And I love, love, love Tessa’s face.
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Thank you, Laurie. Tessa has the sweetest face, so perfectly split down the middle. We were not planning on a kitten, but she stowed away in my husband’s car, requiring a mechanic to get her out. How could we say no to that? She turns four this month, so we have a four year old, a 12 year old and a 19 year old cat. We adore them one and all.
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What a sweet stowaway!
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Goodness me, so much from one lovely bag. Love everything.
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Aren’t you a dear. Thank you, Cathy!
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You have done some great things, using that paper bag and so nice of you to let the cat sleep on it as well!
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Thank you! Tessa rules the roost around here. Imagine me sitting there twiddling my thumbs till she got up from her nap. LOL
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Tessa is BEAUTIFUL! My Leahmae does the same thing with bags. She has a fondness for licking plastic, too. Sends shivers down my spine to think about it. I love how you’ve re-purposed this bag. So cool! Have a great week.
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Tessa has such unusual markings, doesn’t she? She was a stowaway in my husbands car as a wee kitten. We are so lucky to have her in our lives. I have a friend who’s cat liked to lick the surface of photographs. Cats sure do have their peculiarities, don’t they? I love them one and all. Thanks for your comments.
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Wow! What you did with that bag is just amazing! I am so impressed with your creativity and continue to be in awe of your little lending library! I have some paper crafting stuff… I need to channel you a little and up my game in my journaling book with some embellishment stuff.
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I love crafting with paper. It’s such an affordable hobby, especially when you use a bag rescued from recycling. I look forward to seeing what you might create. You are a woman of many talents.
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Anthropology has cool things, even their shopping bags. You made great use of it too! It was like a never ending source of creativity. The laundry room drawers are brilliant! Of course you had the best company for your creative day. Tessa (and all kitty’s it seems) can probably take a nap with ease but even better if it’s on something you are using right? I was admiring you LFL all over again. Goodness your artist friend is amazing! Even a kitty in the window. 😍🌸💛 xK
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Tessa seemed right at home on my crafting desk. It’s like she *knew* I needed that bag. LOL.
Donna spent hours on those miniatures for the latest LFL. She really enjoyed it. She started out working in miniature, even though she now does large murals and wall finishes. I’m going to go see if I can find a link to her Alice in Wonderland walls. xo
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That last card is wonderful Alys! 🤗 Well, it’s ALL wonderful actually! That paper bag was a terrific inspiration for you and those snails are so cute. The cat theme was simply made for you. Love the photos of Tessa delaying your crafting! 😁
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