Operation Handbag

[EmotionalBaggage]

One of my favorite games as a kid...Operation! Not to mention funky pieces and way too much fun to work with!

The purse is folded out of the lid, and covered with a clear contact paper to protect it from the elements. I lined it with an old skirt. And the handles are an embroidery hoop broken in half and covered with the word Operation which I patiently peeled from the sides of the lid. They're held on with pieces of wire from the tweezers; and you can see them hanging from the handle sortof like a little purse charm!

Enjoy guys! This was so much fun to make!

 

[redfuzzy]

Brilliant!!! I love it!

[nero_fiore]

Great job! I'd totally rock that handbag!!!

[tattooedcrafter]

this is adorable!!!

[Homerof2]

I loved that game as a kid and really enjoyed watching my kids play it when they were younger.  Great job on the bag, it brings back so many good memories 

[outofthequestion]

oh my... I want one!! Great Job!

[OctopusGirl]

What an amazing bag! You're so creative!

[KittyCreates]

Very cool and retro!

[A2K]

This is ultra-primo creativity!  What a great way to continue to play with toys!

[jace_miller]

What an awesome purse.  You did a great job on everything. 

[Mave]

great!  love the 'charm'!

[isolda]

that is way too friggin cute!!

good job.

now gimme gimme gimme. :p

[EmotionalBaggage]

AWW Thanks guys!! It's fully functional even. I made another one out of Clue too using the weapons, but only entry allowed. It's addictive.

[Alli_Lucy]

That is really cute!  I used to love Operation.

[childs play]

Awesome! I recently found two empty Memory boxes, I have to try this. What a good idea!

[bubblies11]

That is so cool!  I would wear it all the time!  This Rocks

[brookeincraftland]

I am in love with it.I am really into purses lately, well making them and stuff. I saw this and thought and said kind of jokingly to my husband I am gonna make a purse. That is about as far as I went, I am sooooooooo glad you did it so fun and you did a really good job making it. Can I steal it from you? Beacuse I would so carry that, I am inspired to try one myself!!!!! Take care

brooke

[EmotionalBaggage]

Brooke - I'd LOVE to see your rendition of the bag! Thanks for the compliments. 

[ladyvincenza]

I love it. All I gotta say is look at my halloween costume from last year (should be on my page here).

[ragstorichesart]

Great bag! I'm trying to make something similar for my sister for Christmas (she's a nurse practitioner, so this will be perfect!). Can you tell me, though, how you got the lining in there? Did you sew it in? And if so, how the heck did you sew through the cardboard box?

Thanks for any help!

[EmotionalBaggage]

Actually, I cut the lining from the pattern I cut out of the lid before I folded it up. Then sewed the lining, and put it in with hot glue. Which worked perfectly! If you wanted you could put holes through the cardboard and sew it on with a whip stitch around the top. Or add some grommets to keep them together. 

[ragstorichesart]

Ah, you're the *best*! Thanks so much. I'm gonna use grommets/huge eyelets for the handles, so maybe I'll just do it that way. I didn't even think of that. Now, the next big challenge: Contact paper. Ugh!

[EmotionalBaggage]

Check Ebay! I got a massive roll for pretty cheap. 

[ragstorichesart]

Great. Now, another quick question, if you don't mind sharing:

Did you tape the edges together before you contact-papered it? Or does the contact paper alone work to hold the edges together?

I have the pattern cut from the lid now. But I'm nervous about the next part -- I've never been too good at contact paper, I'm afraid to say. And I'm so scared I'm gonna screw it up. And I ain't tryin' to go out lookin' for another Operation game. My sister's worth some trouble, but not that much. 

Anyway, I don't know if I should contact it first, then somehow put it together, or tape it together then contact paper it. Does my confusion make sense?

If you can help me on the order of what to do next, I'll adore you forever.

AND, I'll be done with it within the next coupla days. As soon as I'm finished, I'll post my finished product ... giving *you* all the glory -- very much deservedly, by the way.

[EmotionalBaggage]

No problem, you make perfect sense to me.

I contact papered first, then left extra at the seams to fold over. Much to my dismay this wasn't the most stable way to hold it together (especially if it was going to be used for real), so after I got it together I hot glued along the seams on the inside where you can't see it. So it's got double duty seam stability. 

I hope that helps and isn't too confusing. I'd love to see pictures when you're done! 

[ragstorichesart]

Okay, so you are now officially the coolest Craftster I know. I tried to be original with this -- started off trying to encase the cut-up game box in clear vinyl, then sew that together. But the sewing looked so shoddy. It was awful. I ripped it apart, totally frustrated from spending a whole day trying to sew that stuff. 

So, I decided, why "fix" a pattern that isn't "broken"?!?

So I'm a total copycat. What's that they say?: Mockery is the best form of flattery. 

Thanks so much for your help. My sister'll wanna kiss ya for it! 

Here it is, in all its glory: Thanks, again, ever so much, for your idea and your help.

(P.S. The charms were my first attempt at resin, too. There are all these teenie-weenie air bubbles in them.  Oh well. I'll figure all that out later. It'll be good enough for my sister.  )

[EmotionalBaggage]

Totally awesome! I love the charms in resin!! Good job!

Ya know, when working with resin if you see bubbles form you can get rid of them by breathing hot air on the resin. The Co2 will bring them to the surface where if they don't pop you can pop them with a needle.

Don't forget to vote! 

[ragstorichesart]

I *totally* tried the breathing thing. It got rid of the bigger bubbles, but not the tiny ones, apparently. I only saw those once the resin dried.   

I used leftover resin from sealing some plaques that I made, so I didn't measure it exactly right. Maybe that was the problem. Hmmmm. You can bet I'll be trying it again!

You're the best.

[KarenLouiseM]

Oooh thanks!!!!

I make purses out of game boxes (like the record album purses).  (Unfortunately I forgot to take a pic of the one I did of the Operation game - rats.)

I love your game pieces in resin - they look great.  Did you use a form?  I love the shape.  I have been wanting to add the pieces as charms in some way - this will be perfect!

I also just did my first resin project as well.  Here's a tip, when you bend over to breathe on the resin, don't bend over so far that you touch your project with your head.  I was in the shower for a VERY long time figuring out how to get that stuff out of my hair!  (oil, scrubbrush, shampoo, repeat).

[RubyTuesday]

Great bags

..those little charms are such a clever idea, wonderful finishing touch! 

[ragstorichesart]

  Resin in the hair?!? Oh nooo! That sucks!

For the resin charms, I used the little white, plastic paint-pallet things you can get for really cheap at WalMart or Michael's. The pallets have wells that are perfect for pouring resin charms!

Hope that helps.

[WRAP]

The tweezers as a charm is just too much. I love it.
WRAP

[EmotionalBaggage]

Thanks! I had to do something with them. 

[Amelianutting]

I love this! Where can I purchase one haha