"Wrap it up" at Three Rivers Community College - Adventures in Lifelong Learning

Hello friends
Way back in mid-April, before a trip to Pinehurst and the start of golf season, I was the presenter of a program titled "Wrap it up" for about 25 enthusiastic "lifelong learners" at Three Rivers Community College in Norwich.

The intent was to show how to use recycled materials combined with items commonly found at home to create trendy and strikingly wrapped gifts. As a librarian friend once told me (her husband is a chef) "Presentation is everything."

Starting with these  . . . 

 . . . results in these. Can you pick out the Martha Stewart snack bag?

Upcycled gift bags - who would know these were free? (Van Heusen outlet)

A cheap-o bow from The Dollar Store with some added "stuff" graces an inside-out cereal box

From lunch bag to gift bag . . .

Merchant logos are hiding under these embellishments - who would know? 

Of course, some basic supplies are needed to transform the Aveda bag to a gift bag - scissors, tape, glue, a standard hand paper punch, ribbon, an interesting note card and tissue paper - many of these standard items can be found in most homes. Tags can be cut from index card weight paper.

So what do you think? Do these make the cut?  Inspired as you are now, go forth into the wrapping world and upcycle!

Cheers!

It's Golf season

Hello friends

I am on the golf course - the game is coming around (finally) after hand surgery three years ago. It has taken longer than I expected for everything to feel normal and my confidence to return. 

Playing around with Christmas things - and holiday Julie Nutting paper gals.

Here's several jointed gals in progress. They are not stamped but traced from a Julie Nutting stencil and hand-cut. Then the hair is colored with Prismacolor pencils and edges inked prior to wardrobe. They all need some glitz and trimmings as well as banners with holiday words similar to the "READ." Don't you just love the glasses on the reader gal?

Interestingly I've discovered that documenting the "making" process (for a blog) to be more time-consuming than the actual making.

I will be trying to post once a week during the summer. I'm out there (or in my creative space) doing and making rather than talking about doing and making. 

Kudos to all the bloggers out there who post frequently. It is a challenge! (But a good one.)

Cheers!