Day 17 - Presentation is Everything, or Monogrammed Note Cards Part 3

Paper Mache gift bag

So,  now I have the pretty monogrammed cards, how do I wrap them?  Well, I could have  just wrapped in tissue paper and tie a beautiful bow around it.  Hmmm…. Nope.  I wanted to do something special.  Let's look around the old craft room and see what I can use.  Wrap a shoe box?  Nope.  Put in a pretty plain bag and decorate the bag? Nope.  I wanted something that they can display and keep.  Eureka!  I have a box of paper mache boxes and bags with handles.  First box with lid, too small.  Flower shaped box with lid, too big.  "Bag" with handles, just right.

What am I going to do with the bag?  I wanted to keep with the color palette of the cards to tie everything together.  Time to go and raid husband's painting supplies.  I see a bottle of light blue and metallic gold "pearlescent" acrylic paints.  Perfect!!  I put a light base coat of blue.  Let that dry and came back with sponging gold.  Then I took the sponge and blended the gold.  Oh, it looked antique! 

My mind is racing at this point.  The two people I made these for are very classical and elegant.  I need flowers, pearls, ribbon…. Off to my scraproom!  Ribbon… ribbon…. Oh I have some sheer gold with a gold outline and some light blue with some sheer in it too.  Perfect.  Flowers…. flowers…. Oh, I just got a pif from Pat with some beautiful flowers in shades of blue, ivory and glittery gold and blues.  Perfect!  Pearls…bling….  Open my CTMH drawers…. Antique rhinestone brads and a pack of bling assortment.  Back to the living room floor on my drop plastic (not to ruin the carpet with paint.)  I was so giddy!   It's a rare moment when things just click!

I wrapped the gold ribbon first.  Used glue dots to adhere the ribbon to the bag.  I put it near the bottom of the bag.  It was wrapped along the entire bag.  Next, I wrapped the blue ribbon, leaving a small space between the blue ribbon and the gold ribbon.  Then I wrapped the gold ribbon again, leaving a small space between the blue ribbon the gold ribbon.  So, it was gold ribbon, space, blue ribbon, space and gold ribbon.

Grab the flowers and put thick glue dots on the back and place them on the bag.  Get the bling assortment out (CTMH).  It has faceted rhinestone buttons in two sizes and some embellished stick pins.  Put a glue dot on the bigger buttons and put in the center of the flowers.  Hmmm…. didn't look right.  Idea!  I'll alternate the antique rhinestone brad and the bigger button.  Step back… loooooooking good!  I get the stick pins and put it on every alternating flower.  Needs filler.  Grab the CTMH adhesive-backed pearls.  Scattered those.   Alright… get the little rhinestone buttons and scatter those.  Getting close.  Get the small rhinestone brads and put a glue dot on the back and scatter those around.  At this point, my brain is just going a mile a minute and just filling away.  STOP…. My brain said, "STOP Melissa.  You have a tendency to go overboard with the bling."  Stepped back….  butterflies.  I punched some butterflies from some of the glitter paper that was used on the monogram cards to send as RAKS.  Get some foam dots and put on the butterflies.   Beautiful!  Done!!!  I was so excited.

I brought it into the scraproom and sat down at my table with it.  I'm in love!  I happen to turn around the put something on my shelf and I see Stickles.  Crap!  I get the light blue color and put some dots here and there.  Ok, really, I need to stop.  I did.  That's where it sits.    The picture I took was before I added the little blue glitter dots. 

I had everything on hand to make this bag.  I bought the bag some time ago for 50% off.   Now, I have to make one for the other gift.  I have enough materials, just need another bag.  Here I come HL with my 40% off coupon. 

Thanks for letting me share.  I enjoyed making this.

Mel