A back to school giveaway of my own!

Well, that Jodi from che and fidel sure had a good idea with her back to school give away - she's right! The re-sew-cool bag-tags are the perfect accessory for the school backpack.

So the outlaws are having our very own.... 

      BACK TO SCHOOL GIVEAWAY!

Here is how to win one of our bag-tag craft kits. First: choose your favourite design.  It's not easy is it? 

1. apple    2. peacock    3.donkey   
4. owl      5. mr. fox    6. lovebird
7. echidna  8. fruit tree 9.toadstool

Next: Leave a comment below OR a comment on our facebook page telling us which bag-tag kit you would like!

Remember - all our kits are made from 99% recycled materials.
 
The give away ends on Monday the 28th! 

che and fidel giveaway!

Jodi from "che and fidel" blog contacted us about our bag-tags - perfect for her back to school giveaway...and we said "Yay!" (Because we love a bit of attention). Our little re-sew-cool owl bag-tag kit is happily perched alongside a terrific collection of back to school stuff!

Check out the giveaway on the che and fidel blog!

peacock re-sew-cool kit

NEW BAG-TAG KIT COMING SOON!

Recycled felt peacock with tail on display.

This peacock has been dragged out the the old ideas pile and brushed off and freshened up and is making it's way into kit form. The drawings are almost done - all re-sew-cool kits come with fully illustrated instructions. I quite like the googly eye and wibbly wobbly ric rac legs! Gives him character.

I felt horny...

 Hmm...I really didn't think this series of  blog titles through, did I? I felt brassy?

The recycled-jumper-felt french horn was quite tricky to make. I'm sure the french horn is quite tricky to play too.

The trumpet was a little easier.

I played the trumpet in my high school band (very badly). When I left the school I nicked an old battered one from the music room cupboard. It still hangs on my wall - because even though my trumpet playing was unsuccessful, I've always remained fond of the instrument.

posted by Julianne Sister outlaw

I felt Classical

One of my daughters toyed with learning the violin in her primary school years - I say "toyed" because she NEVER practised! 

  

 And if there is one instrument that you have to practise, it's the violin. The paradox being that it is hard to practise because it sounds really awful when you start - but forever remains awful if you don't start! My Hazel never quite got the paradox. 

However, other Sister Outlaw children do play violin, and they even practise! Yay for Remy and Dan! Remy is studying hard for her theory exam which is coming up. This violin is for her. Hopefully it will be a good luck charm!

I used little beads for the fine tuners and scrolled the end of the neck. Need to find some smaller shank buttons for the pegs - the two big ones I put on look a bit funny!!

posted by Julianne Sister outlaw

Do you know what a puggle is?

echidna bag-tag in brown tones

echidna bag-tag in red pink and purple - this one has a jaunty air with it's up turned nose!

echidna bag tag

For ages, I have wanted to create a range of re-sew-cool bag-tag kits depicting Australian animal and birds. What put me off? Have you been down Swanston Street and ever looked in those souvenir shops? Nothing says “tacky” like an Australiana animal object dangling from a key chain!!!!

I discovered this when my eldest daughter went to America on exchange and we wanted her take gifts for her family. Fortunately a sister of mine was living in Cooktown and the family were rescued from getting Australian flag thongs and instead got some indigenous paintings. Phew!

My second eldest daughter then followed suit and ventured to France. This time, we wisely visited the museum shop - and she was going to France so we sent food stuff too. I also made Hazel some Australiana Mary Jane slippers.

All along I kept thinking what a good idea some Australian themed re-sew-cool kits would be: 

1. for the person going overseas to make and hang from their bag

2. for the traveller to make in some down time or for a rainy crafternoon (perfect because the kit has everything you need in it!) 

3.as a gift to crafty overseas friends.

Well, as inspired by my recent visit to the Melbourne Museum, I’ve FINALLY got started. And first up, one of my favourite animals, the echidna. I have very fond memories of finding one on our front lawn in Beechworth and Mum gently gathering it up in her hands and putting it in a box. We returned it to the bush the next day but had a wonderful time touching the spines and watching it waddle about. We often saw echidnas in our childhood bush ramblings.  To complete the nostalgia I feel for my childhood echidna-spotting-adventures I have used Albert Namatjira paintings as backgrounds here. I had a 1950’s mum and our house had the ubiquitous Albert Namatjira water colour prints which I spent my childhood gazing at.

Echidna Facts

• Echidna’s scientific name is Tachyglossus aculeatus (spiny fast-tongue or Spiny anteater).
• Echidna's lifespan is over 45 years
• Echidnas grow up to 50cm (20") in length
• Each of the echidna’s spines is formed from a single hair
• An echidna can lift objects twice its weight
• Echidnas drink water and can swim
• Like the male Platypus, the male echidna has spurs, but has no venom glands attached to them
• Echidna is slightly less intelligent than a cat(???)
• A baby echidna is called a puggle

Just finishing the instructional drawings for the echidna kit today and should be packing them soon!

posted by Julianne sister outlaw

sugar skulls

Julianne has been cooking a new kit design for months, Leanne has been packing it like a maniac, and Lynne has just got around to listing it.  

S U G A R  S K U L L S !

Julianne really enjoyed experimenting with the design, and realized that there are endless possibilities for decorating these two-sided bag-tags.

We reckon the diverse range of expressions Julianne achieved in some of the samples displayed here show just how fun it is to make up this kit. Each sugar skull will have a unique appearance, depending on what you find in your particular kit, and how you choose to employ the materials.

For example. . .

embroider a third-eye flower centrally on the forehead, using daisy stitch with the yarn supplied in the kit

use crochet doily circles as eyes

use contrasting felt circles underneath the eyes, and buttons on top

embroider radiating motifs on the forehead using backstitch

go floral for the eyes and save the buttons to decorate the third-eye area

go tehuana and add a head dress from your own stash of lace

Available from our online shop, and from our little international stall on big cartel. We hope to add other stockists shortly. Let us know if you're interested.