Melanie's Tote Tutorial!

Ready to make my bag, baby?? LINK this tutorial for an EXTRA entry in my blog candy, (because I worked really hard on this!) Just let me know by putting linking in the coment section on today's post, thanks! :) And if you make your own, please let me know, I'd love to see!

Here we go: First, you need a FABULOUS piece of DP, and a piece of coordinating CS! For a treat bag, use 4 1/4 X 12, for a card 4/14 X 8 1/2(standard A2 size) For a card, score at 6", for a treat bag, score at 5 1/2 " and 6 1/2". The rest of the tutorial will show making the treat bag(which is more difficult since you have the space in the middle (from the 2 scores)you can't just fold and cut through all 4 layers like you can with a card. (So basically all the steps have to be repeated after finishing one side.) You don't have to have a Scor-Pal for this project, but "you'll score like never before!" (It was just bliss being able to pop that scoring blade out of my cutter the day this beauty arrived, I am cutting my 12x12 now like nobody's business!)
Lay the DP on top of your CS,and put your circle Coluzzle template on top of that. The outside track will line up with both the left and right side. Slide the template down so the top of the 4th track in(outside the circle you are about to cut) meets the top edge (for the outside of the handle), and cut all the way around in the 5th track in(red) for the inside of the handle, through both layers. Take your snips and cut out the circles. Lay the sheets back down and cut JUST the top half of next track OUTSIDE your cut circle(4th one in, green).

Pull your DP off, place the template back down on JUST the DP this time lining up with what you just cut, and finish off the circle. Take your snips and cut this circle out (This all needed to be removed so your brown circle handle can show through)
Now snip off one corner of the CS at an angle to the edge of the handle. Take the scrap piece, flip, and lay it on the other side. Cut around this scrap to make the other side of the bag symmetrical.

Lay your DP on it and trim up to match.
To make the bottom of the bag, cut out a piece at a slant on the right side, flip and place on the left and cut. Now do ALL of these steps on the other side to make the back of the bag(see how it would have been easier to just fold in the middle and go through all the layers?!) The middle will now be extending out from either side. Cut the pieces off straight.
Adhere your DP to the CS and fold. If there are any places your two pieces of paper don't align exactly trim them up with your snips to make a clean edge.
You can attach the top with a brad, eyelet, magnet or velcro closure. Here I just tied the handles together with a piece of grosgrain. I used a little SU! metallic cord and a Gina K Dazzle & Bling tag around the handles, and will add a greeting later when I decide what I want to do with it! Slide in your treat bag, using a little tape to keep it in place.

This is as close as I will ever come to designing with "fabric"! Now that's a talent I'd like to have, anybody watching Project Runway?! Season finale Wed 9CST! Now THAT is a talent I wish I had, (it'll never happen, though, I hate to measure, and that is KIND OF important for sewing!) I just can't wrap my brain around how they can create an entire OUTFIT in the time I can make a card!! (but no matter)

I like to work without a pattern so I just "free cut" my edges, but I AM tracing the purse, though, and adding it to the forum so you can just print and cut if you don't have a Coluzzle or feel comfortable designing the shape, (but it's FUN, you can get really different looks by making a little more bottom heavy, etc. )

I am so freakin' tired, can you tell?? I'll probably be back to edit this if I read later with a clearer mind and find something's not making sense! (my son is home sick for the second time this week, first with a stomach virus, now with an ear infection-ughh!!) More later!!

TIP: When you're making a long tutorial with lots of pictures(like this!), put a punched circle with the number of your step in the corner(not seen here, I figured this out from experience today, grrr!), this makes it easier to upload and order the photos and for people to see the steps(yes, I'll be doing this NEXT time!)

PS Hey, did anybody check out Maria's interview? Sorry if I wasn't clear in my teaser and you thought it was only personal stuff about me* But there might be dirt on my new release, did you think of that? Go check to see if I spilled the beans!!

PPS The munchy for today is in the scissor post! Don't forget to comment for blog candy! candy deets BTW, I am laughing over how I (unintentionally!) confused some people regarding the "Carolyn" hint. It's not on her blog! It's not small flowers!!

* and if the personal stuff wasn't juicy enough for you, what would you like to know? Fire away, maybe I'll tell you! I reserve the right to say"No comment!" :)