iLoveToCreate Lulu's Folly Mixed Media Purse

“A well dressed woman, even though her purse is painfully empty, can conquer the world.” Louise Brooks

iLoveToCreate Lulu’s Folly Mixed Media Purse
Copyright 2010 Margot Potter
Teen Crafts
“Mom crafted, kid approved.”

I scored a few paper purses at Old Navy on clearance last Christmas. I’ve slowly been making mixed media designs with them. This can be done on any paper or wood purse blank, they have tons of choices at your local big box craft chains. These kinds of designs for me have two purposes. Firstly they tell a story about a ‘woman of substance’ from history about whom I think it’s important young women know. These women paved the way for us and they’re fascinating creatures. This purse features silent film actress Louise Brooks. I have always adored her. She is credited with being the woman who made the bob haircut popular, which back in the 1920s was a huge thing. Bobbing your hair, rolling down your stockings and rouging your knees, applying bee stung lips...these were the rebellious acts of daring young women back in their day. These were women who dared to be different and who planted the seeds of independence we are reaping today. The second purpose of these designs is exploring the fun of playing with layers of colors, inks, images and dimensional elements to make wearable art. Purses are one of my guilty pleasures as a designer because they're the sort of fashion item that can be a bit more whimsical and fun.

Teens can choose any images they like and layer colors and elements to suit their individual style. Dab, layer, drizzle, splatter, stamp and have fun with this! I love inspiring people to make things their own and explore their unique creative eye. Don’t worry about coloring in the lines and following design rules, sometimes chaos can yield surprisingly pleasing results.

Materials
Purse Blank
Image of Louise Brooks or woman you admire sized to fit center of purse (remember that if you copy and use a copyright protected image you can ONLY use that for personal use and can not resell it.)
New or Vintage Scrabble Tiles to spell Lulu or other word
Transparency of butterfly from Art Chix Studios
Colored discs from Outside the Margins (one green, one blue and one pink)
4 crow dice from The Game Store
Optical vintage acrylic cabachons
Pink sparkly rick rack or ribbon trim to frame image
Archival ink jet black and crimson
Tulip Slick Paint Poppin’ Purple and Yellow
Tulip Pearl Paint Clover Green and Glacier Blue
Tulip Metallic Paint White and Silver
Crafty Chica Glitter Silver
Tulip Glitter in Diamond
Liquid Fusion Glue
Collage Pauge Matte
Aleene’s Platinum Bond 7800 Adhesive
20 Tulip Glam it Up Crystals 3mm
Flourish stamps (Lots of great ones from Inkadinkado)


Tools
Tulip Glam it Up Heat Setting Tool
Sea Sponge
Foam Brush

1. Adhere central image to purse with Collage Pauge matte. Allow to dry.

2. Begin by applying a layer of Tulip Metallics in white and silver using a sea sponge around image to edges of purse. Allow to dry.

3. Use archival inks in black and red to stamp flourishes across edges of purse and around image. Allow to dry.

4. Adhere butterfly to bottom right corner of image with Collage Pauge. (Don't paint any medium on top of transparency.) Allow to dry.

5. Use a foam brush to apply various layers of Tulip Pearl in Clover Green and Glacier Blue and Tulip Slick in Poppin’ Purple and Yellow and a thin coating of Tulip Glitter in Diamond. Allow to dry.

6. Run a thin bead of Liquid Fusion around edge of image and adhere rick rack trim. Adhere colored dics and add optical or glass cabachons. Allow to dry.

7. Glue scrabble tiles to left side of image and allow to dry.

8. Use Glam it Up wand to adhere crystals to tiles.

9. Run a thin bead of Liquid Fusion around edges of purse and butterfly and sprinkle with silver glitter. Shake off excess and allow to dry. Add small sections of Tulip diamond glitter to left side of image using same process. Allow to dry.

10. Glue four dice feet to bottom of purse using 7800 Adhesive and allow to dry.