The backstory:
Last year I challenged myself to design & create 1 bag per month for a year & a half. I’m calling it the #18BagsProject & have been documenting the journey (diligently) via Instagram (& not so diligently on this here blog).
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This month I struggled.
I’ve now acquired 3 deflated swimming pools that I’ve become obsessed with re-purposing & at the rate I’m turning them into tiny tassel earrings they’ll still be here for awhile…
Last month I took on the challenge of turning a pool into a bag & it came with a steep learning curve + a ton of rejects. But I stuck through it and ended up with a glorified tote featuring a glorified strap system (YAY INNOVATION!).
This time around I figured I’d figured out all the kinks & could dive right in to something simple: a clutch.
That was easier said than done. Working with a clear material means you can see what’s going on behind the seams + it’s a smaller surface area to work with. I gave it a good attempt (at least 8 times) trying new construction methods, new shapes, new zippers to no avail. Each time I thought I had it figured out I came across a new road block.
Somewhere along the way while trying to give the boring, clear material some pattern & appeal, I bonded some scraps onto a piece of plastic & used that material for the bag (perhaps the inspiration came from scrolling through Instagram & finding that someone makes a freaking terrazzo pool). Although this version ended up looking like a fancy bank bag, I realized the same method could be used for another accessory: EARRINGS.
I tried to give the bag another shot but my excitement for the earrings was FAR TOO BIG. That being said, bag 16 of 18 does not yet exist & may never exist. I started this silly project to get excited about creating, keep myself accountable & to just plain experiment. So… mission accomplished? In a creative & unexpected way this month. So double mission accomplished???
