Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Frosted Petunias Artful Bag Challenge: May

This is my first ever Keep It Simple bag for an Artful Bag Challenge.

That's not the challenge; the challenge is to create your own paper bag, purse, clutch. My personal challenge was to keep it simple.

Because lately my mojo has gone to hell. Everything I make takes forever, and that's after I finally manage to even come up with an idea to get me started (Blogger crashing, and then the power failing several times through this weekend).

Do you have this problem? Two months ago I thought my issue was only work stress and lack of time. Now I realize that my arts and crafts abilities ... are broken.

Feeling broken is making things worse, because that leaves me psychologically shoveling out ditches full of mud and excrement when I should be joyously dipping my fingertips into a stream of colors and textures and ideas.

Ouf. Did I lose you back there? Lost me too ... damn it ...

So, back to my personal Keep It Simple challenge for the Frosted Petunias Artful Bag Challenge. I started with a lovely piece of Die Cuts With a View stock from the Far East stack, used a cut from a Cricut cartridge for the bag base and added a closure by combining a gold button and Chinese coin.

The cherry blossom branch is stamped from a home-cut stamp and embossed with copper-colored powder.

The final, and best, elements here are the lovely blossom gems. These are attached with an i-Rock that my lovely friend Terry sent to me!

She's the unbelievably skilled artist and creator at Terry's; she's also a wonderfully kind and funny woman who you should take the time to visit (hint, hint).

OK, enough from me with the whining and pushing you around to other blogs; erm, except for this one last shove toward Frosted Petunias where you can check out all of this months' amazing Artful Bags!

12 comments:

  1. No no NO you cannot be broken and frankly this bag proves it. Fab little bag and your hand cut stamped branch brilliant. So remember next time you find yourself up to your chin in compost that compost is the fuel that grows beautiful things. XOXO Zoe

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  2. I LOVE this! You are not broken - just transitioning a bit. Yes, we all do this But you have come out of it fullspeed ahead! Lots of fab ideas here and the whole thing comes together beautifully. I sometimes think that some of my artwork is too 'simple' when I see some of the lovely embellished things others do; but I'm coming to grips with the fact that THIS IS WHO I AM AS AN ARTIST! I'm making things the way I want to. And foremost - LESS IS MORE many times! Chin up - and I can't wait to see what you do next.

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  3. You are too cute and so is your most lovely "rockin" bag! I know only too well what you mean about the enitre Mojo thing! Talk about slump city and I need to leave that town! So let's leave it together and get back on the saddle! Have a great day my friend!

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  4. Your bag is lovely - I love the sweet colors.
    Just because you muse might have been off playing in the fields, doesn't mean your broken. It's spring and sometimes muses just need to R&R.

    Hugs,
    Penny

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  5. Your bag is so sweet and loving the decorations. You my girl have to stop worrying and just enjoy on having a good time....get out all those fab colours you so enjoy and surround yourself with pleasure........ok, lecture over....lol Annette x

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  6. Your bag is elegant and stylish, stop fretting about the mojo, its definately still in there. Yvonne x

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  7. What a fantastic bag - you should not doubt yourself!!! Sometimes you just need to take a bit of a break, and now here you are posting this beautiful purse!
    Hugs, antonella :-)

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  8. We've all been there at one time or another. Don't worry, gf, it will return. Sometimes you need to just step back, take a breath, and let it go. Your bag is wonderful, and it really doesn't look like anything has left....

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  9. I love it..just the right additions with the closure and the flourish. great idea with the embossing i thought it was real hardware (flourish)
    Mojo..heck i lost mine more than once..don't despair my dear..it's just taking a rest for now..so like the other gals said..sit back, breath deep and go have a spinach salad .with chick-peas and almonds..lol..loves ya

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  10. Welcome back. I was so glad to see your post. So sad to hear that you are sad. Truly, I think your creations rank with the best and they have just the right amount of whimsy. I always look forward to seeing what you've made. My projects take forever, mostly because I have just started giving creativity a try. You all make it look so easy and I'm just fumbling around. You are an inspiration. I can't wait to see what happens when you feel your mojo and believe me, you will.

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  11. The bag is lovely, so I think that mojo came sneaking back when you weren't looking and after some R & R will makes its presence felt again.

    Marilyn

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