New Fabrics, Bees, Fans, and Leaves

Three new prints for your consideration! All would be great for a wide variety of my products, from the small to the large.

Falcon Mini Messenger Bag with bunnies, sold before I could debut it for you here!

I bought a batch of fabric directly from a Japanese company last year. One of the prints was this incredible bunny print. The motif turned out to be larger that I expected, although an exquisite fabric. So it became another print that I set aside to work with "later". A few week's ago I decided it would become a beautiful Falcon Mini Messenger. Along with the Echino birds on blue I set it in motion. Last week I found time to finish them both. I listed the Echino and planned to do the same with this bag.
Well on the weekend a customer, who bought this bunnies in moonlight Kipster bag last week, contacted me and wondered if she could get a Falcon in the bunnies in moonlight. (Incidentally both fabrics came from that same company in Japan.)



Oh sorry, not enough left I said, however, look at this bag, hot off the needle. The rest is history, she loved it (As do I) and it is on it's way to her right now. What a beautiful set these will make. Not perfectly matched but certainly kindred spirits.
6/29/09

Echino Birds on Blue Falcon Mini Messenger Bag

This one of a kind bag is totally amazing. (If I say so myself!) The Echino fabrics by Japanese designer Etsuko Furuya are unique and provide some great motifs to feature on my bags.
This Falcon Mini Messenger has been in the works for a couple of weeks. It's the same size as the Zeldina but has many more places to put things of importance. The back zippered pocket and two open side pockets help you to organize.
You can find it in my shop by clicking here:
6/26/09

Vida de los Muertos, Day of the Dead Tootsie Zippered Purse

I designed the Tootsie due to requests for a zipper closure in the Tallullah. It's the same bag with a few small changes made to allow me to put a zipper across the top. I've offered it for a while, but, this is the first opportunity I've had to make a bag for the shop.

As regular readers have heard before, this is another fabric I loved and couldn't wait to use. I started it when I made the Geisha Britta Shoppers, I blogged about, a few weeks ago. I had most of the work done but got held up with the trim selection.

I had this option, plus a few others. At the time they all seemed possible so I set the whole project aside. It kept calling me so, yesterday, I pulled it out again. It was funny, the trim that I used was so far and away the best choice I don't know why I even considered anything else. At the time the other options looked good , but with the passage of a few weeks the leaves, paired with the new, but vintage, gimp seemed custom made for the fabric.

I love the overall feel of the bag, lots of motion, and the colors are unusual. This print comes in other colorways but the vibrant softness ( can I even put those words together?) of this one, caught my eye. This is a one of a kind bag you can find in my shop by clicking here

My Peace Sign Messenger is featured on Etsy Item of the Day

I'm pleased to report Jackie, at Etsy Item of the Day, selected my Peace Sign Messenger Bag to feature on her blog today. Click here to read what she she says about it.

Many thanks Jackie!

A custom order Morphin Zeldina Flaps, Colorful, Baseball, and Aloha Pinup Girls

One of my regular customers sent me three fabrics to turn into flaps for her Morphin Zeldina.
The pin ups and the baseball print were a little tricky since they are quite large. We worked together, via e-mail, to try different layouts. She decided these were the best. They turned out great. There is more of the purple and green leaves, and the Baseball print if you would like to use them for your custom project.

She also had some kind words to say about my work.

"My friend Katie (who has one of your bags) and I were at an arts and crafts event in Indianapolis last weekend. We saw several vendors with all kinds of bags - some using the same fabrics as you. But we agreed that nothing we looked at came close to your quality. Extra kudos for your customer service! I think we've gone back and forth on just three Zeldina flaps as much as we did on my big custom bag. You are a gem, Karen!

Becky"

Thanks Becky, you rock!

Peonies, Glorious Peonies

I walked around the garden yesterday and thought it was time to bring some flowers inside. The peonies are huge this year, probably all that rain. Plus the aroma is out of this world. I did two arrangements and have them in different rooms so the smell permeates the house. Wonderful!
The French roses on the arch are in full bloom, too, and worth a good sniff when passing by.
I love flowers!

A gorgeous, mostly birds, set of removable flaps for the Morphin Zeldina Mini Messenger Bag

This set was so much fun to work on. The customer chose mostly birds for her first set of flaps. But she also added the last piece of one of my favorite fabrics, the Echino tiger. They each create a totally different look for the bag.
Want your own version? Check out the Morphin Bodies in my shop, the flaps, and the fabric selection and let's get creative!

Incredible Asian Koi Matched Set of Bags

This customer found pictures of my Koi on Purple Britta Tote on the internet and tracked me down.
I didn't have much of the purple left, but I still had an untouched piece of the same print in black.
The order became one of the most beautiful sets I have ever done. Breathtaking! You can never go wrong with a Kona Bay print!
We started with a Panther Deluxe, added the Laptop insert, but made in purple, for a flash of color, a matching Tallullah purse and a Sweet Pea Mini Wallet.

The most gratifying part of the order came, however, when I received the following e-mail...

"Hi there!

They have arrived!!! I just opened the box 5 minutes ago!!

I must say, they are absolutely gorgeous. And so roomy! Perfect sizes, perfect cuts, perfect placement, right down to the flower on the inner flap of the panther deluxe and the way you wrapped the fabric a little around the purse so the image continued right to the end of koi's tail. Beautiful! And in great time for my trip!

This has not only been the best online shopping experience I've had, it was the best service I've received anywhere. Including in person. I'd never before met someone who seemed to care more about a client and fulfilling the shared vision between them. Your customer service is impeccable and your products are outstanding in both design and quality. I couldn't have asked for more.

Thank you for creating for me the most unique and stunning bags I have ever owned or, indeed, seen. I cannot wait to tell my friends and family about Zoe's Bag Boutique - about the service, promptness, and attention to detail you have shown. I won't need to tell them about the quality or the craftsmanship, however. In that, the bags speak for themselves.

Thank you so much for making this experience such an enjoyable one. It has been a pleasure, as always, working with you. I hope one day to speak with you again and I'll be keeping my eye out for articles about you. I'm sure this won't be the last!

Thanks, wholeheartedly,

Jenny D"
6/9/09

Star Trek Meerkats. I am not kidding!

If you are a fan of Star Trek you might get a kick out of these little guys. I'm not a Trekkie but a fan of Heather of Nifty Knits in Kent, England. She came up with an amazingly unique and creative idea. Star Trek Meerkats.
The picture tells all. How cute are these?

You can find them in her shop by clicking here

Custom Order Morphin Panther Deluxe

Here's a couple of wonderful Morphin flaps for a custom order Panther Deluxe. We added an exterior zippered pocket to the back. The fabric with the cranes and waterfalls (another gorgeous print from Kona Bay) was a little too short to fit on the flap. No problem, I have devised a method that allows me to add an "extender" to the top. A piece of the same black used for the bodies, added to the top edge, provides the length needed, and adds a nice finished touch to the look.
The Tatsu Dragon always works wonders on any bag.

What did the customer say?

"Hi again, Karen!

My bag arrived promptly today, to my amazement (and excitement!). It looks great! It's even bigger than I thought it was. I was a bit worried about whether or not I would have room for my laptop, but I can see now I had nothing to worry about. It's going to fit just fine. It's also going to be a great bag for carrying my sketching and painting supplies.

The flaps look beautiful! My mom fell in love with the Cranes and Waterfalls flap right away. She even thought the black part at the top did indeed look like it was part of the fabric (as you suggested).

Thanks so much for everything! I love my bag!

Bonnie"

Amy Butler's Lacework in Olive Zelda Deluxe Messenger Bag and Matching Sweet Pea Mini Wallet

I thought this would make a lovely matched set. I know some of my customers like matchy matchy and some stay far away! But this turned out just as I had hoped. Nice bold graphics but quiet color scheme. Very classy. A great gift for a new mom perhaps?
It can be found in my shop right here

6/9/09

Three new Prints - Amy Butler and Michael Miller

Kashmir in Brown-Butler



Carnival -Miller




Kashmir in Olive - Butler



I picked up these prints recently. They are fat quarters so enough for an entire Zelda Deluxe and a Sweet Pea Mini Wallet, or an assortment of other items, including one flap for a Zeldina or one for a Zelda.
Two designed by the popular Amy Butler and one from the Michael Miller fabric company,
If they catch your eye me let me know. They are very strong graphics!

One of my hats at the Kentucky Derby

I mentioned, in previous posts that a couple of my hats, sold at Goldie's here in Lafayette Colorado, were on their way to the Kentucky Derby.
Well the owner of one of the hats, was kind enough to share a photograph taken at the Derby!
How cool is this?
Many thanks to this lovely lady!