A Lot Like Liberty of London

I have accumulated a stack of brown paper bags from shopping and food take-out. As long as they are clean, I flatten them and keep them in case I need to wrap gifts. I like to dress up the bags in my own blah to TADA! magic using markers or paint.

   Today, I'm using the floral prints that Liberty of London is famous for as a design peg.

I recreate the design by sketching.

Then I add some color.

I'm sticking to pinks...

...and white.

And a little bit of green.

You'll notice that I staggered the position
of the flowers instead of keeping them
close together.

A hand-painted bag to wrap a present
for a perfect friend...TADA!

Pointy-lism

Over the summer, I was able to visit a few museums. I discovered new techniques that I might be able to apply to future blah to TADA! projects. One technique that I became fascinated with was this painting by Korean artist, Lee Gilwoo, which was on exhibit in the Saatchi Gallery in London. 

Here's a sample of one of his paintings. It's a portrait made of dots, achieved by burning Hanji {a kind of Korean Paper} with the use of incense and a soldering iron. I love that the result has so much depth and texture.

I won't be burning anything for art's sake. Instead, I thought of a DIY printing technique so I can turn a blah paper bag into something TADA!

Here's what we'll need: a brown paper bag, 

a rubber band and a set of markers.

Secure the markers into a bundle using the rubber band.

Uncap the markers one by one and level off

the bottoms {by tapping them on a surface} 

so all the tips are aligned.

Press this down onto the paper bag.

Do this all over the bag, on all the sides, if you want.

Overlap the pattern or keep them far apart.

It beats filling the whole blank space 

individually with a single marker.

A confetti-like design...

...blah to TADA!

Paper Bag Projects

Happy Monday! Now that we're gearing up for the holidays, I'm thinking about gift wrapping. Paper bags are a quick go-to solution for me, especially when travelling. When packing, I cushion the gift {ex. hostess present} in a few layers of clothing in my suitcase, and I can easily include a paper bag {with tissue enclosure and greeting card} folded flat.

I usually have a stack of brown paper bags in a closet somewhere, waiting for their turn for a blah to TADA! make-over. Now, their moment has arrived. This week, it's all about paper bag projects on my blog.

I'm using Cath Kidston's polka-dot collection as the design element. 

 I draw random circles on the paper bag with the aid 

of a coin and pencil.

I fill in the circles with watercolor.  

I let the paint dry and do the same on the 

other side. 

TADA! A simple solution to an otherwise 

blah paper bag. 

The fun of this is that you can experiment 

with different colors and circle sizes. 

Have a lovely day!

Made in America

I hope you are enjoying the trip to Boston with me. 

Another thing I love about the city are the 

views of the water:

The lake at the Public Garden

Another side of the lake, this time with a pretty footbridge

Sunset at the River Charles

Apart from exploring the sights, I'm also discovering the creative side of Boston. We've visited some artists and a few entrepreneurs. Today, we're still at the SoWA Open Market that takes place annually, from May to October.

One of the highlights of the market are the food trucks, basically fast food on wheels. Due to the amount of participating food trucks, a designated "Food Truck Court" {Trolley Building at 540 Harrison Avenue} has been established.

Here are some of the trucks beginning to set-up.

Just next door to the food truck court is an enormous warehouse that was transformed into a pop-up market/trade show that Sunday. Such sweet serendipity!

It was called "American Field" and the theme was "Made in America". 

When I hear the term, "Made in America", I know it's of good quality, in both materials and  craftsmanship. These days, however, the frequency of "Made in America" is muddled with outsourced manufacturing to keep costs low. When you're at a department store, how often do you still see the label, "Made in the USA"?

One of the keys to a strong economy and a spike in employment lies in small businesses, that's why it's important that we support them. The goal of "American Field" is to raise awareness for these quality American brands, and to inform consumers so that they can make educated decisions about how to spend their money.

While most of the shops and merchandise were for gentlemen, that didn't stop me from taking a look:

Ball and Buck is a lifestyle brand selling clothing, shoes,
accessories. They're made in Boston, Massachusetts.

 They also have a Ball and Buck barbershop.

Shwood make gorgeous sunnies with natural wood frames.
They're made in Portland, Oregon.

Almanac Industries is a bookbinding and letterpress
studio. They're based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Stormy Kromer makes headgear and outerwear for
men, women and children. These are handcrafted
in Ironwood, Michigan.

Hellbrand Leatherworks create these buttery bags,
wash bags, wallets and watch straps. The company
was established in Central Florida. 

Ursa Major is a line of skincare products for men.
They're made in Stowe, Vermont.

Hudson Sutler makes duffel and outdoor bags.
They are based at the foot of the Hudson River. 

Frost River creates these sturdy bags for work and
recreation. They're made in Duluth, Minnesota. 

Bailey Hat Company handcrafts hats that
have Western and Hollywood-inspired
designs. It was founded in Los Angeles,
California.

I have a soft spot for Project Repat. Their business is
to turn old t-shirts into blankets {blah to TADA!}.
This is especially cool for those who are sentimental
and want to save their old t-shirts, turn them into 
something new, but are not crafty or sewing-savvy.
They'll put the blanket together, just mail them
your t-shirts! They also make scarves and tote bags.

Here is one of the t-shirt blankets modeled 
by the Project Repat founder.

How wonderful that in this day and age, "Made in America" still equates to beautifully-designed, quality-made products! 

Have a relaxing weekend!

  

The SoWA Vintage Market

I took a trip to Boston a few weeks ago and I'm sharing with you a few of my finds. Yesterday, I told you about the SoWA Open Market. 

Aside from a Farmer's Market and Craft Market, you'll also find a Vintage Market. Unlike the Farmer's and Open Markets that are only in business from May to October, the Vintage Market is open year round. 

It's held indoors allowing sellers, buyers and merchandise to be safe from weather changes. It's open from 10 am to 4 pm...take your time and get ready to hunt for treasure!

Here are some of the lovely things I saw:

Shabby meets industrial chic! If I had a
craft room, I would use this to store
my tools and supplies.

I wonder how many Grandmas' sewing
kits were raided to come up with this
collection. Oh, the stories they
would tell!

Floral dishes and intricate jewelry

Vintage fashion -- I'm fancying the bags!

Pins and brooches

Letters and numerals that I want to turn
from blah to TADA!

Postcards from all over the world

This makes me nostalgic. "Annie" was one of the
first movies I saw {and thoroughly enjoyed}.

I want to own one of these and really use it for travel.
Then I can use it for storage and as a decorative piece
in my living room.

I love this desk and the footstool {it needs some
new upholstery, though}.

This was one of my favorite booths, Recycled SilverWear by
John Atkinson {he doesn't have a website}. He fashions
rings, bangles and earrings out of vintage silver cutlery
like spoons and forks. For a closer look at his
creations, you may go here and here.
They're beautifully made...blah to TADA! indeed.

Thank you for indulging in my fascination with markets!