Teacher Appreciation

Sorry I have been absent for a few days. My kids started school this week and I was super busy getting them ready. There was school supply shopping, hair cuts, new clothes... new shoes... new EVERYTHING! My kids got bigger and taller! Why in the world do they have to grow so fast? LOL In addition to just "going back to school", we had to deal with starting NEW schools since we moved after the end of the last school year. There are new rules, new start times, new procedures and well... new EVERYTHING. A part of me feels guilty that they have to start over, but part of me is happy and excited for all the things to come in their new schools. :)

My son started 8th grade in middle school. EEEK! Can you believe I am the mother of a teen? EEEK again! My girls are both in elementary school still (3rd and 5th grade). I am grateful for all their teachers as they have been VERY accommodating and helpful to me and my children this first week of school. To show my appreciation for their help in our new surroundings I wanted to make a little gift for each of the elementary school teachers.

This little bag took me forever to nail down. I started with a pattern similar to the Halloween bag I made HERE. I wanted to make it without having to trace and cut from a pattern. As a general rule I avoid cutting lines with scissors when at all possible. I like things clean and precise and cutting with scissors is just against my better judgment. The pattern is original. It can be modified to fit lots of different things. For this bag, I sized it to fit a Michaels $ stamp. It is one that the teachers can stamp on the kid's papers. The finished size is about 2.5 X 3 1/2. I hope the teachers like it. :)

Stamps: Kim Hughes school set, SU linen

Ink: Versamark, cocoa classic and craft, choc craft

Paper: cocoa, choc chip

Accessories: Janome sewing machine and thick brown thread, label punch, circle punch, word window punch, lg oval punch, PTI ribbon, twine, SU twill tape, Basic Grey magnet for closure on twill tape, black dimensional booster, red line tape, sponge