Mutual Appreciation

How could I get customer appreciation photos and not let you all know how much I appreciate you?  Well, I can’t. You all have been fabulous to me over the last eight years, and have made it possible for me to continue doing what I’m doing – making lots of fun things out of leather. I’m so grateful, every day, when I get to get up and go to work for myself, making thing for you!

Anyway, this week I received two customer photos of their Moxie and Oliver wares at work.  The first is the Hive Mandolin Strap (fixed length) shown with a customer’s lovely new mandolin:

Doesn’t it look perfect?  I love the warmth of the mandolin with the strap.  Thanks for sending it along, Carole!

The second set of photos comes from my old neighbor, Alice, from Bohemian Hellhole (quite a wonderful blog if you have the chance to read it).  This is a set of four cabinet pulls I made for her new home.  They’re in the Blaise pattern, and will soon be available through my website!

I love this last photo.  It’s so serene and the pulls look amazing! I’m about to start ripping apart my house to figure out what I can put them on.

xo

c

My Favorite Bag (i.e., why I am a leatherworker)

When I was in high school and college my favorite bags were vintage airline “stewardess” bags.  I’d buy them, love them, and use them up in a matter of months.  They ripped, and usually zippers or other hardware came off.  Mostly when this happens to a non-leather bag, it’s not repairable.  I tried to meticulously hand-stitch the zipper on this one back on, but it wasn’t in the cards.  The stitching just came out elsewhere.  So, I gave up.  I put it in the closet, unable to part with it, and figured eventually I’d repair it or make my own.

A few weeks ago, I made my own.  I’m testing out the prototype and making a few changes to it because I want my customers to have the most durable, beautiful, leather goods available.  So far, I’m loving the prototype.  Here’s a glimpse -

It’s really structured to start out (and it’s something like 5 “ deep – it’s crazy big) but the top does collapse down because it is carried under your arm.  I usually leave the zipper open and treat it like a tote, but then if I need to be sure everything stays secure, I can zip it up.  My plan is to use it as a diaper bag/purse, but if you’re not in need of diapers, it can fit a portfolio, ipad, day planner, camera (my digital SLR fits in the case, in the bag), water bottle (standing up), as well as all your daily essentials.

My husband even brought the bag to me the other day with our cat, Stella, in it.  Granted, she’s the smaller of the two, but he also hadn’t taken any of my other stuff out!

Look for this to hit the website next week.  It will come out initially in two patterns, and custom orders are always available.

xo

c

Breaking from the making

Away for the weekend, the studio is closed, the baby is sleeping, so I'm shopping online and thinking these:

(the Clarks Plush Bea in Gray Green) would look fabulous with this:

(the Rebecca Lace Cuff) for a last tribute to summer.  Leather breathes so it works year-round, though a solid leather shoe or leather cuff seems a little heavy for the warmer seasons, at least to me. The subtle cut-outs in both these pieces give them a lightness that is ideal for the bridge seasons - spring and fall - and the non-white neutrals help you not tempt fate with the fashion gods by wearing white after Labor Day!

I am obsessing over these shoes because I have the Clarks Plush Madras from last season (four pairs in three different colors - two of the black since I was convinced I'd wear one pair out by using them every day, but not yet!) and they're amazing.  They stretched out pretty quickly and are now like wearing a tight, sturdy, glove of a shoe. I can walk in them all day and not get a blister or sore feet.  But, as of February, I have my sweet little Celtic tiger tattoo on my foot, and want to show it off.  So I'm looking for the perfect summer tattoo shoe.  Any suggestions?

xo

c