My New Tote Bag

Santa Clara Scrapbook Expo is in a couple weeks!  I'm getting excited mostly because it's so much fun spending time there with my besties shopping, laughing, scrapbooking, laughing, people watching, laughing some more, and enjoying a beverage (or two or three).  The key word is definitely laughing!

Speaking of shopping, I came across this project tote bag in the Art section at Hobby Lobby the other day.  The color caught my eye so I checked it out, wanted it, then decided that the last thing I needed was another tote bag and hung it back up on the display hook.  I then continued browsing through the rest of the store and twice went back to look at the tote.  It was only $9.99 and I had my trusty 40% off coupon, it was made of sturdy plastic and large enough to hold 12x12 papers, had a couple of pockets inside, and so I decided "what the heck".  It was a good deal price-wise and, next thing I knew, the tote was mine.

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After looking at this tote at home for a couple days, I thought maybe I should do something to it to make it more "pretty" and more "me".  Hmmm....what to do, what to do???  While thinking about it, I looked up in my office and there was my inspiration ... the vinyl wording on one of my office walls and Voila! ... My Scrapbook Garden.  Of course!  This should obviously be included somehow on my new tote bag!

I wanted something a little humorous on it and here is my finished product.  I think it turned out pretty cool and it will definitely be something no one else has LOL!

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My Sizzix Eclips does such a beautiful job cutting vinyl, especially on the really, really small lines of the fancy font I used (Aquarelle).  I used Arial Black for the bolder font. I'm not going to lie - transferring the vinyl onto the tote bag was a little tricky due to all the little swirls and skinny lines in the Aquarelle font, but it was worth all the time and patience it took.  I'm really happy with the end result!

So now when I'm at Expo in a couple weeks, I'll be sporting my very own personalized tote bag containing all the stuff I'll most likely be buying that I totally don't need and will be adding to my "stash" in my scrap room.  But it will all be safe and sound in this sturdy tote and there will definitely be no mistaking whose bag it is!

Until next time, Happy Scrapping!