Purses galore, and Christmas scene with a difference

Christmas gifts I have made this week


2 purses using frames I purchased from Fee.  I used Fee’s tutorial but altered it just a little.
My daughter asked me to make these next items.



I made the heart shaped pouch using this tutorial by Erin Erickson.  I made 2 of these but one has been given away already.
For the zippered pouches, I was searching for a tutorial that showed how to make them without raw seams showing on the inside.  I am sure there will be tutorials showing how to do this, but not one I could find .  So I used this tutorial for the strippy look, put the zipper part way down the front instead of at the top, boxed the bottom corners, and then worked out how to hide the seams. It took a bit of experimentation but it worked in the end. If I had left the zipper at the top it would have been easy enough, it was having the zippers down a bit that made it more difficult. After Christmas I am going to make another and write a tutorial of how I did it so it is available for if I want to make more in future.
 

Finally I made a “Dear Diary”, a JoyPatch pattern.  She is giving this one to her friend who loves music, and is heading off to Bible College next year. 
When visiting South Bank (Brisbane) last week we checked out the Sand Sculpture, “Holly Jolly Sandcastle”.  It was a work in progress, but what had been done is absolutely amazing.

I wonder if I can go back and see the finished sculpture?