Paper Bag Book

This can be filed under the most clever creations I've ever seen from my friends at Captured Moments in Rotterdam, NY.  This is a flip book for pictures, made out of two PAPER BAGS!!  Who comes up with something like this?  Tara and Tiffany are so creative.

The crazy thing is...this is so simple to make.  You start by stamping the edges of your paper bags.  Layer two bags on top of each other, facing opposite directions.  Fold them in half.  Punch three holes in the fold and tie them together with ribbon.

You'll want to cut blocks of designed paper for each page of the book.  Another thing I love about Tara and Tiffany is that they are not afraid to use bold patterns and mix them together.  Ink your edges.  You can place photos or notes on these pages.  The girls chose to use titles to inspire a theme for your pictures.

The bottom of your bag with half a fold.  You can use that for something fun and unique...a clever pocket.  If you prefer to cover it, simply glue the fold closed and adhere your patterned paper over the top of the fold.

The tops of the bags offer pockets for pull-out pictures.  Throw a block of patterned paper inside and attach some fiber to the edge to give your book some texture.  This makes the book interactive...some pages flip, others pull out.

Embellish your cover and enjoy.  I think I had more fun with this project than any of the other make-n-takes I've brought home.  Mostly, I was impressed by the originality of the idea.  You can find more work by Tara and Tiffany at www.capturedmomentstore.com

Wrapping for Him

Here's another observation I wanted to pass along.  Men will always ask a woman to wrap presents for them, if they can.  I visited a friend recently who needed several presents wrapped.  Naturally, he asked me to do it.  I'm used to that.  My father has asked me to wrap all of my mother's presents for years.  Fortunately, she keeps lots of embellishments in storage.  But my friend didn't have anything but wrapping paper.  No ribbon, no bows, no tags, just paper.

If I was going to do it, I wanted to do it right.  I wanted to at least tie all of the presents up into one big package and top it with a bow.  But, I literally had no supplies with me.  I wandered around his house, which has only the bare minimum of everything and anything, until I came across two of my own shopping bags.  One of them had a decorative piece of ribbon attached.  Score!!  Necessity is the mother of all invention.  I untied the rope handles of my bags, tied them together, and wrapped them around the gifts to create one big package.  Then, I made a little bow out of that piece of ribbon.  In the end, my package isn't half-bad...thanks to shopping bag scraps.  It is so basic, but I love it when I'm forced to figure out how to make something cute out of nothing.

Artist Spotlight AND Giveaway!!!: Abishai

Every sexy dancer needs a  sexy statement bag to put their dance shoes in!!
The woman behind these beautiful shoe bags is my new friend Fatima Bey from Schenectady, New York. Fatima spent 15 years in the retail management business, 10 of them in the bridal business. By dealing with nervous brides on a daily basis she's become accustomed to providing superior service with a smile! She's so sweet and I was more than happy to give her my money for my very own Joy shoe bag! Loves!!

Q: Fatima how did you go from brides to bags!? LOL!

A: After many years of the retail and bridal world, I wanted a change. I felt it was time to put action to my dreams. I have wanted to own my own business for a long time and I am a designer at heart. The Shoe Bag and Shoe Purse idea came about out of noticing a need. As a dancer, I noticed all of the plastic or gym bags men and women would bring their shoes in. People would get all dressed up, but walk in with a gym or grocery store bag in hand. So, I came up with a more attractive way to carry our shoes and what we need.

Q:You and I met at a Salsa Social. I have to confess, you had me at hello when I saw your bags! I had to make the Joy Bag mine! I thought it was the best idea because every dancer usually shows up with shoes in a recycled duffle bag or in nothing at all! Your bags are sexy and eye catching! Talk about the thought process in selecting colors and some of the features of your bags.

A: When I create a design, I ask myself 2 primary questions:

1) Does it look average? If so, I make some changes. I don't want them to look like they were purchased at a chain store in the mall. I make it a point to make my designs above avereage.

2) Does it make you go "Wow"? For me, it's not good enough just to be pretty or nice looking.  I want people to look at my bags and have just the reaction you did!

This second question also gives balance to the first. By asking both of these questions, I'm more likely to ensure that my designs are different, but not too different.

As far as features on the bags, I try to make them practical. For example: the pockets on the insides are large enough to fit a large cell phone. I have also talked with many people while out dancing to find out what is practical for them. That is why you see different features on some of the bags, such as wrist loops or shoulder straps.

Q: I admit, the only sewing lessons I've ever had were in elementary home economics! I love sewing, but don't know my potential. What are your top 3 sewing tips?

A: 1) Be accurate when cutting. Make sure the pattern is placed on or against the grain, depending on the project. Also, make sure the fabric is flat before pinning the pattern and cutting. Cutting incorrectly can sabotage a project before it really begins.

2) Get some knowledge about the fabric you are using before attempting to sew with it. Is it the right fabric for what you are attempting to make? This is especially true of special ocassion fabrics, for example. Certain fabrics can be ruined by using the wrong needle or tension setting. There is a wealth of information on the internet. Use it. Take the time to learn a little bit ahead of time and save yourself some of the frustration. Most people would benefit best from taking a class or two.

3) The biggest tip is to be patient with yourself. You are going to make mistakes and that can be frustrating, but the main thing is to learn from them and try again. Don't get discouraged because you're not a master seamstress or tailor over night. I've never met a master sewer that became excellent overnight. We all had to work at it.

Q: Your business name "Abishai" is unique, yet for some it may be familiar. For those who don't know... tell us how to say it, what does it mean and how you came up with it.

A: Ab-ish-shy

I wanted a name that meant something; a name that encompassed everything the business is about. So, I began searching through my Bible Dictionary. The more I learned about Abishai, the more I identified his character with that of my own and the business. Abishai was actually the nephew of the Biblical King David. He was a chief warrior and extremely loyal. He was also a strong leader. I would like Abishai to be a strong leader in the fashion industry. He was, by all accounts, above average. I want all Abishai products to be above average too.

Just as important as who he was is what the name means. His name means "Source of Wealth" or "Gift of God".

Q: A portion of every sale you make is given to a charity close to your heart. Can you tell us about that?

A: A portion of every sale goes to Warm Blankets Orphan Care International. This is an organization that rescues orphans around the world in several different ways. My particular interest within this organization is the prevention and rescue of young women and children from the sex slave industry. There is no subject that I am more passionate about. I have always loved children and have had a soft spot in my heart for young women. While I may not be able to save all of the children and young women of the world by myself, I can help those who are already doing it. I decided to give an exact percentage of every sale so that as the business grows, so will the funds to help these young women and children. I'd like people to know that when you buy from Abishai, you are helping young women and children all around the world!

Q: Where can people find your bags?

A: People can visit www.AbishaiStore.com, where they can purchase the Shoe Bags and see the other products that are available.  For those who would like to see where Abishai will be next and want to see the products in person, there is a link titled "Calendar" on the home page.

Thank you so much Abishai for being our first friend to spotlight!



GIVE AWAY CONTEST!!!!!

Would you like to win your choice of any one of these beautiful bags found on the Abishai website?

Contest Rules:
-Leave a comment telling us what you love about this post on our blog and/or facebook page.

-You must be a follower of our blog (to do that-look to the right column) or someone who "likes" our Facebook Page.

-You have double the chance to win if you do BOTH!

-you have 1 week to enter. Contest ends at noon on next Wednesday October 6th. Random winner will be announced October 7th. GOOD LUCK!!