A special heart and paper bags

Today's ATC has just been received by my swap partner in holland, so I can show you it now.

The background was simply felt with crumpled organza held by beads.  The heart was free machine embroidery on water soluble stabiliser, which was washed away after.  I used rayon and metallic threads.  The heart is double sided and was inspired by a Design Matters TV episode, although the design was my own.  I attatched a ring finding to the top and tied a ribbon on.
The reason I did this was...

Then the heart can be removed from the hook I sewed in and worn as a pendant or brooch or simply as a dangly.  I hope my partner enjoys it.

Also, Thought I'd show you a little book I am in the process of constructing.
I used paper bags to construct this book.

Nothing fancy, just thin el cheapo bags I had for putting people's purchases in when I did markets.
I can't say whose youtube video actually inspired this book, because I watched quite a few of them.  Just type in 'paper bag book' and you'll see what I mean, there are tons- and in any case, I bound it my own way in the end.

I have the top of the bag on the left and have folded it to the right over my ruler.  I used the ruler over the bottom of the bag to make sure they were all folded the same.

 I did this, on about six bags.  You could use more, it's up to you - and to the thickness of your bags.

On my ironing board, I placed two folded pages about 1/8 inch apart (the one on the left is going to be the first page, so the folded bottom is underneath and will be on the outside of the book)

Instead of paper tip-ins and glue, I decided to use strips of fusible interfacing, which I ironed on.  I think this will give a much more flexible and durable binding.
After fusing, I turned the right page onto the left (as if I was reading) and added another page on the right spaced at 1/8 inch as before and then fused that.  I kept going until I had all the pages fused together.

When all the pages are bound, they will look like this.  There will be a bag bottom, or narrow flap on both the front and back of the book.

The nexy thing I did was to glue the covers on.  I cut two pieces of scrap card, which as you can see are about 1/4 inch larger on the top, bottom and non spine side, and glued them down.

Of course and empty book is a bit boring, so here is my first two page spread background, which was collaged from printouts of vintage (copyright free) text.  Most of these I got from the Graphics Fairy.

As you might have noticed, this is a book with a difference, as it will have pockets where the tops of the paper bags are and narrow, tab like pages where the bottoms of the bags are and you can arrange these ant way you like, with the exception of the first and last (which must have the bottoms of the bags to the outside of the book to take the covers.

Obviously, I still have a long way to go with this book, and I will keep you updated as I progress.
Oh, I forgot, I did a light wash with strong tea over the collaged page to knock back the whiteness of some of  the printed pages.

Doesn't matter what you create - just create it.