Bag It Up

So I finally made my purchase for my new winter bag. I actually went with one that was not part of my post yesterday. I ended up with the Skull Tote in Damask and Paisley by Moka Designs . I really love the rich red and browns and there are a total of 8 pockets and tons of room inside which is what sold me.

I'm sure I will be buying from the sellers in my post from yesterday in the future as I am such a purse slut. I am always shopping around and rarely go back to the same seller twice. Mike says I have a serious bag problem. When I told him I was shopping for my winter bag he asked if that meant I was going to get rid of some of my previous ones. He said "why don't you pass some of your other handmade bags on so that someone else can enjoy them?"

This really got me thinking and I have a giveaway planned that I will be announcing later this week. If you like handmade goodies you should definitely stay tuned for this one.

My new Favorite bags

I am a bit of a bag whore. I was recently talking to the woman that I bought this amazing 1940's hand tooled leather bag from at a consignment shop near my work. She asked me if I collected bags and I told her that my husband probably would say I do. It isn't intentional but I just love purses of all kinds. I have several hiding places where I stash my out of circulation bags. Some friends were over to play games with Mike when I was out of town once and one of them was looking for a board game and had an avalanche of purses come down on her.

I took the picture in my craft room with my Nana's handmade knitting bag that I have displayed on the wall. It was actually made by my great grandmother around 100 years ago.



A blog I frequent, Audrey's Country Crafts, recently had a fun bag swap. I sent a bag that I had bought on Etsy that I really loved but I thought would be perfect for my recipient along with a headband and wristcuff to match. I'm pretty sure that Dragon's Den reads my blog so if you see this I promise it will be there soon!

Today I got in the mail the absolutely stunning bag at the top of the page from Hip Chic Designs along with a matching key fob. I had told her my favorite colors are purple and orange and she combined them in the most gorgeous way I've ever seen. The details on this bag are really what impresses me. She even embroidered my initials on it and chose the perfect button to compliment the patterns. If you are in the market for a new spring bag I totally recommend checking out her new Etsy shop. This Colorful Flowers bag would be perfect to brighten things up!

The prints in the picture are by one of my favorite Etsy artists Allison Strine, who I blogged about here. Her pictures smile down on me every day and give me encouragement.

StL Handmade

I'm really happy for my sister in law of Gray Eyed Scorpio on Etsy, for the great feature on StL Handmade. She is married to my husband's twin and actually introduced me to my husband. Her blog is called Fabric Addict. She sells everything from fabric headbands, purses, key fobs and her newest creations are her upcycled appliqued jackets and shirts. She is reclaiming thrift store items and giving them a new life with her designs. You can find lots of different sizes and patterns in her etsy shop now and she's adding more and more all the time.

St Louis Handmade is a fairly new website devoted to getting the word out about handmade in this area. They do features of local artisans every week. It is a very professional and well designed site that has tons of useful information for St. Louis folks. I will probably try to get a feature set up for early next fall at the start of my season. I want to work on my pictures to make sure I get the most out of the exposure.

Debi and I have different approaches to crafting and life in general but I think this interview really captured her well. She is super organized and practical. I'm pretty chaotic and whatever the opposite of practical is! Here are some of her answers that express her creative approach:

How would you describe your art or your style?
I’m a practical person, and I think that people can better justify spending their money on arts that are practical. My work reflects that perspective. I sew everything from headbands, bags, and purses to clothing embellishments. “Practical” does not have to mean “bland”.

What is your artistic background?

Although my parents taught me sewing and building skills, my artistic side emerged first in writing. The imaginative aspects of writing translate well to tangible arts…and it’s much quicker and easier to share and sell sewing projects than to publish writing!

.What inspires you?

If I’m looking for a spark, I’ll browse photos on Flickr. It’s remarkable to see the range of possibilities that stem from one similar idea. Looking at art quilts, for example, motivates me to try more complicated or risky ideas.

.When do you feel your most creative?

Paradoxically, I have the most ideas when I have the least time to create!

.How does creating make you feel?
Creating makes me feel simultaneously calm and revved up.

What is your studio or work space like?

My husband calls our basement “Debi’s World” because it’s where I spend so much time. My space is not remotely fancy, but I’ve got ample tables, shelving, and storage, as well as my music library, fitness equipment, and photography area. There are some pictures of it on my Flickr account.

.When you aren’t creating, how do you like to spend your time?
I enjoy yard work, home improvement projects, cooking, thrift shopping, and reading. I also try to spend as much time as possible out of doors–especially hiking, running, and cycling.