Blooming Bag

How's it going everyone?

I hope you're having a marvelous week.

Yesterday, I played around with a placemat

and transformed it into an evening bag.

I got a kick out of that, so today I'm making

another one.

blah: a barely used placemat

Orient it vertically towards you.

Fold it in thirds and stitch the two edges

of the bottom fold.

I saw this Valentino clutch in the March 2011 issue

of the Oprah Magazine. Cute right?

I used it as my muse.

To my D-I-Y clutch, I attached some brooches that I

made out of bold-colored felt & covered buttons.

Then I added a felt sash, a plastic buckle & Velcro closure.

TADA! My bag is in full bloom!

From Dining Room to Dressing Room

As much as I like crafts and fashion, I love things

for the kitchen and dining room too.

Utensils, tumblers, plates, platters, napkins

and placemats always help to achieve a look

for daily meals or for entertaining.

Here's one of many placemats in my arsenal:

Not exactly blah. In fact, I found it so TADA!,

I decided to use it for something else.

I turned it into a clutch!

TADA!

Here's how I did it:

I folded the placemat into thirds.

I sewed the sides of the bottom fold with

sturdy thread or fisherman's twine.

On the top fold, I attached an accent (this is

really a buckle). You can pin on a brooch or sew on

a big button too. A small strip of Velco acts as a

closure mechanism.

I wonder if anyone will guess that this is placemat

when I wear it with my little black dress? *Wink*

Floral & Stripes

I'm glad you could come by today!

Ready for another recycling project?

blah: remnants from an old shirt, most of which

were used in this shoe bag.

TADA! A flirty necklace that combines

floral accents & stripes.

I fashioned petals and "yarn" out of the T-shirt.

Then I added a chain and gold buttons.

TADA! I'm ready to wear it with

a basic Tee & denim cut-offs.

Enjoy your day!

Summer Staples

I'm really enjoying the long sunny days,

the endless list of outdoor activities

and the carefree outfits that

only summer can bring.

This week on blah to TADA!, I'm pulling

out some stuff hiding in my closets and then

injecting them with a summer kind of vibe.

Let's start with sandals, shall we?

A pair of silver sandals is cute.

But you know how we can make them cuter?

With a few embellishments made out

of tulle, rhinestones & pearls.

All sewn together.

TADA! Pretty in pink.

A nice way to show off a new pedicure and

just the right companion for a summer dress.

Give an old pair of sandals a lift and do a

little blah to TADA! yourself.

Summerize!

I'm giving new life to old junk.

Here's a box for a pair of eyeglasses.

It's empty now.

Add a touch of summer with fuchsia felt cut-outs

attached with hot glue.

Now, everyone is ready for summer.

TADA!

Have a delicious weekend!

A Clear Case

I have this empty eye wear case:

I no longer use it, therefore it's a blah.

Let's give it a clean slate by getting rid of the label.

A cotton ball & nail polish remover

will get the job done.

Clean and clear.

Use it to corral loose items in your handbag

like pens, keys, mints, medicine, hair clips,

hand sanitizer, lipstick or band-aids.

Because it's transparent, you can easily find

what you're looking for even without

opening the case.

TADA!

Clip it On

It's all about odds and ends this week.

Today, I'm giving these plastic clips a

blah to TADA! make-over.

Originally, these kept a pair of socks together

when you bought them at the store.

I'll let them keep their job description.

But I want them to look more ravishing,

of course.

TADA!

By attaching tiny hearts {made of blah

scraps of felt} with hot glue, these clips

have a whole new look.

Use them to organize receipts.

Or hold business cards together!

All in the Wrist

Happy Tuesday Lovelies!

Yesterday, we turned this empty watch box

into a cute mini storage solution.

Well, I didn't show you the inside:

This is what held the watch securely inside the box

before I removed it. You didn't think I'd throw that

away, did you?

I saw some potential in this blah "C" made out of metal and

velvet. I like that it's super bendable so I adjusted the shape.

I made it into a beaded cuff! Wanna see?

I attached a string of clear sequins using hot glue.

I love how it complements my J. Crew bracelets!

TADA!

Odds and Ends

Hey Everyone! So happy you could visit me today.

If you rummage through your house, I bet

you'll find a lot of stuff that you no longer use.

I'll show you some of my "stuff."

No. 1: An empty watch box

No. 2: Eyeglasses case

No. 3: Plastic clips

No. 4: Eye wear container

"Off to the recycling bin" would be your first instinct.

"Blah to TADA! time!" would be mine.

Let's begin with this one:

I've since transferred the leather-strap watch in a special

watch case, leaving me with this empty, blah box.

I think it will make a TADA! container if spruced up.

Digging through my sewing kit, I found these

black buttons. It's a collection of extra buttons

that come with brand new shirts or jackets.

No buttons have come off those shirts so I

think I'm free to use these buttons

however I please.

I used a glue gun to attach the buttons on the box.

TADA! It's a new home for jewelry or office supplies

that I can proudly display on my dresser or desk.

Balloons!

I've confessed to you my love for greeting cards

and paper goods.

So when I see something cute:

I have the urge to make them cuter!

Armed with a pair of scissors, a glue gun, left-over felt and

a party-spirit, here's what I made:

Two balloons...

And more balloons!

TADA! Who wouldn't love these happy, cheery cards fit

for a birthday, a promotion or any happy occasion.

Have a weekend filled with laughter!

Positive Storm

I found a bunch of these blank cards:

And they meant it when it said "blank" on the package.

Even the cover had no images or words.

If you're an artist, you can sketch or paint

something pretty. If you take good photos,

a lovely snapshot will do the trick.

I'm a recycler. Call me recy-CLAIRE.

And I've a few pieces of felt:

So blah.

Create magic with scissors & hot glue

and TADA! -- a cute greeting card!

It says, "To a shower of blessings" and

that's what I wish you today, whether it's

rainy or sunny in your neck of the woods.