b.bags

Oh Happy Day!

2011-04-22T14:10:00.005-05:00

Although I have been MIA from b.bags practically this whole 2011 year (sad face), my heart still goes on for the green scene. Especially on Earth Day!!! What earth friendly goals have you accomplished this year? Are you feeling a bit greener lately?

I am feeling Mother Earth shine her bright energy on b.bags and want to give some love back to my fans. So I am doing a coupon promotion for the rest of April for 20% off your entire Etsy order. Enter coupon code "ilovegreen" upon checkout at www.bbags22.etsy.com and receive 20% off your order. This includes gift certificates for custom orders! Don't be shy to boss me around and let me know what style of b.bag you have been so desiring! Sometimes I need bossing!

Happy Earth Day!

Hooray For Eco Conscious HP!

2011-02-14T00:22:00.002-06:00

I bought a new printer today and was pleasantly surprised by HP's lean towards the "green". (Like my rhyming?) I bought the HP Deskjet 3050 All-In-One printer and was so pleased to read that the printer is composed of 35% recycled plastic. But I was most happy when I opened the box and noticed that the packaging of the printer was made from nearly 100% recyclable materials!! The pinter itself was wrapped in a reusable bag instead of plastic packaging. How awesome is that! Definitely a company I am willing to support with those movements. :)

Here are more in depth details of the "green" facts of this printer:

Reduce energy consumption and conserve resources.

•	Save energy, using an all-in-one that is ENERGY STAR® qualified.

•	Take advantage of intuitive design—this HP Deskjet all-in-one is composed of 35 percent recycled plastics.

•	Easily recycle HP Deskjet packaging—this product is shipped in 99 percent recyclable or reusable packaging.[6]

•	Get free, easy recycling—cartridges returned through HP Planet Partners[7] are recycled responsibly.

Eco Highlights

•	Designed with the environment in mind—created from 35% recycled plastic.

•	Recycle or reuse 99% of this packaging—including a reusable bag.[eco01]

•	Low energy: Sleep mode is comparable with powering a clock radio.

[eco01]Some small pieces of tape are not recyclable.

ENERGY STAR® Qualified

Please recycle your computing hardware and printing supplies. Find out how at our website.

•	http://www.hp.com/go/ecosolutions

AlternaCraft: Valentine's Weekend Show

2011-01-30T22:10:00.002-06:00

Join us! Feb 12th, 12-6pm @ Boheme Cafe- Fairview & Taft, Houston

I'm Back (Sort of), and SALE!!!

2011-01-23T23:05:00.007-06:00

Hey all,

How were your holidays? Mine were pretty awesome. I took some trips all the way to the Northern part of the country and back, TWICE! Over Christmas we packed up our gifts and the dog and took a road trip from Houston to Minnesota.

crrrrappy roads!

And then we were home for a week to recoup and wash some clothes only to put them back in the suitcase and fly to Seattle and take a ski trip to Whistler, BC Canada!

yay to Olympics!

I've now been home a week since this trip and have been terribly sick from the flu that I picked up in Canada. :( I finally went into the dr today and found out that I have pneumonia! So lets just say that January has been EVENTFUL! Both good and bad.

Too bad I haven't gotten any new b.bags stuff done, besides the lovely tax reporting. I guess that is important too though.

S*A*L*E*!!!!!!

For all of you readers out there (if there is any... ha!) wanted to let you know I am having a sale in my etsy shop!! yay! Just enter coupon code BBAGFANATIC50 to receive 20% off your entire order. Woo hoo for sales!

Ever Wonder, "Why b.bags?".

2010-11-27T18:49:00.005-06:00

When I am out at art shows I get the question "why did you name it b.bags?" quite a lot. So here is the answer to your question if you were also just dying to know! :)

The letter B seems to be the letter of my life recently. I became married and received a last name that starts with B, I inherited a dog who's name starts with B, and my first bag design was the Bangle Bracelet Bag. It was just a simple choice for a bag business name! Now I like to name my bags starting with the letter B which is a ton of fun too.

Not too exciting right?? :)

What Makes a b.bag Different? I'll show you!

2010-10-29T00:28:00.011-05:00

So today I was coming up with a new design (I think I am going to call the Badass Briefcase, or maybe the B.A.M.F. Briefcase wanting it to appeal to men!) and I thought about taking pictures along the way to show b.bags fans what goes into a newly designed, handmade, upcycled handbag. Mind you, I am not a photographer and my pictures are not amazing in any way, but I just wanted to share with you the behind the scenes of b.bags!

And so we begin:

Here I am in my office researching a new design for the briefcase. I labeled the pic, like a nerd. My dog Bud loves hanging out with me during the day (see dog foot in picture) and would really annoy me less if he had a doggy door to let himself out! Ahem, are you listening Eric? ;)

Yes, that is an ENTIRE wall of fabric behind me. It is ridiculous. I still don't think I have enough!

There was a lot of math, dimensions, and calculations in designing this briefcase! Thankfully I got it all right and the way I wanted it the first time around! Usually I have a lengthy trial and error period that has a lot of errors in it...

Time to tear up that suit coat. I always save the buttons!

The front pocket of the suit coat, perfect for cell phone and keys.

Every single piece that I use in my bags are stabilized with an iron on interfacing (or backing) to give it more durability and strength. The stabilizer has a glue on it which melts to the fabric when it gets hot from contact with the iron. Since I am using mainly clothing and material that is not made for making handbags, opposed to a canvas or leather, I need to work extra hard and make extra effort to make sure that the fabric is stable and will not stretch, warp or tear. This process can be quite tedious, but it is all worth it in the end!

More stabilizing of pieces! Trust me, it's never ending around these parts.

What most people don't know is that only about 25% of my time is actually spent on the sewing machine! Most of my time involved in making a bag is cutting, ironing, interfacing and pinning.

Time to sew on the zipper

Pinning the outsides together is the best part because you almost get to see what the outside will look like! But then I forget that I have to do the whole liner thing too... haha

Oooh, lookin' good! Now to base stitch the straps on. I probably quadruple stitch every strap on.

Aaaand now for the liner. I added felt to this liner to give the bag some padding and body.

And TADA! That's a B.A.M.F. Briefcase if you ask me!

Two tote straps, one long adjustable strap, on slip pocket on the outside, one zipper pocket on the back, two slip pockets on the inside, magnetic snap to close the bag.

I hope you liked the little taste into the design and creation of this bag! All in all this bag took me about 4-5 hours to make today. I am hoping I become faster once this becomes a regular! Let me know if you like this design!!

- Lora

b.bags COUPON GIVEAWAY!

2010-10-24T23:25:00.010-05:00

As promised to all you loyal, trendy, earth loving people I have decided to do another giveaway to celebrate a few monumental happenings with b.bags. Many/all are past due but here is a list of a few that I am happy about:

1. Being a T.V. guest on the Good Day Houston Show with Deborah Duncan

2. Reaching 100 sales on Etsy

3. Having my first bag featured on Etsy's front page

4. Having my bags in some beautiful weddings this summer

So, this giveaway I am going to do it up simple and giveaway a coupon to my store for $20. This coupon can be used towards any merchandise in my etsy store (or in person if you see me that often. Lucky you!!!! jk). This is great for the upcoming holidays!! Also keep in mind that b.bags gift certificates are available for purchase this holiday season if you are looking for something special and unique for a gift for someone.

Here are some example of awesome b.bag items that the coupon may go towards:

The ever popular Bangle Bag

The carry all Brooklyn Bag

The beautiful Barrel Bag

or the elegant Bellini Bag

RULES TO ENTER:

Leave a comment by Friday, October 29th to enter the coupon giveaway.
If you don't have a blog account just leave a comment as anonymous and then be sure to leave your name and email address (or another way to contact you) if you are the lucky winner!

Want better odds at winning? Here are more ways you can enter to win the giveaway:

Facebook (on your own page please!) about the giveaway
"like" b.bags on Facebook
Tweet about the giveaway
Follow me on Twitter

Be sure to leave a comment about each of these extra things!

THANKS TO ALL AND GOOD LUCK!! :)

I'm just not a blogger...

2010-10-23T21:17:00.001-05:00

I'll say it again, I can't blog for the life of me!

Beyond Her...

2010-10-14T13:13:00.004-05:00

Check out my friend and co-artist, Paule's, excellent blog titled "It's Beyond Her: A Simple View of a Complicated World". Paule is a fantastic artist and screen-printer bringing nature to life in her detailed prints, in which you can find on practically any product (tea towels, mugs, visors, t-shirts, calendars, tote bags, journals, etc.). Paule is also a brilliant writer making her blog a joy to read.

Recently, Paule and I collaborated and I made a tote bag for her using her screened linen fabric. Here is a picture of the finished product.

A Few More Shows Added...

2010-10-14T12:58:00.002-05:00

Hey Folks,

Just wanted to let you know that I have added a few more shows to the list for the next couple of weeks/months:

2010 Shopping on the Plaza (in my hood!)

WHEN: Friday, October 22, 2010
Doors open and shopping happens between 4:00pm – 8:30pm
WHERE: Durham Elementary
4803 Brinkman St Houston, TX 77018-2021

Etsy Houston Holiday Market

WHEN: Friday, December 3, 2010 (time TBD)

WHERE: Sew Crafty Store on 19th Street in the Heights, Houston

Upcoming Shows for the Fall and Holidays

2010-09-18T15:58:00.006-05:00

Hey fans! I have started planning my upcoming shows for the Fall and Holidays now that it is starting to cool down here in Houston and the Holiday months are just around the corner (crazy, right?!)

First Saturday Art Market: November 6th & December 4th

Winter Holiday Arts Market- Super fun event in Winter Street Studios put on by Spacetaker! Don't miss this one!

Every year, Spacetaker hosts the Winter Holiday Arts Market – one part curated festival, one part holiday party, and all kinds of fun. Houston artists come together at this alternative winter wonderland of paintings, jewelry, clothing and more. Shoppers enjoy food and entertainment, and Houston artists tap into the holiday revenue stream. WHAM has become not just a market, but a celebration!

Friday, November 19th: Exclusive Preview Party, 6 - 10 p.m. Purchase Tickets Here

Saturday, November 20th: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. - Free admission

Sunday, November 21st: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Free admission

Winter Street Studios (2101 Winter Street, Houston TX 77007)

This is it for now, but I will keep you posted if more pop up! :)

Phew! Being a guest star on a T.V. show is exhilarating!

2010-08-25T15:17:00.005-05:00

So I made it to the show on time this morning (7am), even after I went to bed at 2:30am last night. I think I need a nap! :)

Here is the segment I was in from the T.V. station's website. I am not sure how long it will be available though. I go on at about minute 7:53 after fellow etsy Houston crafter, Roxy.

Here is a pic of me and Debra Duncan, the host of the show! I was so humbled and shy next to her. She is just so pretty and sweet! :)

Goooooood Morning Houston!

2010-08-25T00:34:00.003-05:00

Super fantastic fragalistic news! I am going to be on the boob tube! Yay! I will be on Great Day Houston, along with other Houston Etsy crafters, showing off b.bags' goods to the masses! I am so excited and honored to be a part of this wonderful experience.

Insanely my biggest challenge the past few days for this event has been, "What on earth should I wear?!?". I must be a woman, right. But here's my beef... You would think that since I create fashion accessories and work with color and fabric all day that it would come natural to dress myself super fashionably and trendy and what not. NOT TRUE!! I am a thrifter, a dumpster diver, a frugal fashion-ista. I try to squeeze myself into things that sort of fit and look almost good because it is $2.00! So for this occasion, I am struggling to find anything in my closet remotely close to T.V. acceptable.

It is 2am and I need to be at the station at 7am and I still haven't decided on my outfit. Geesh. How about I focus some time on the actual reason I was chosen to be on the show in the first place!

b.bags! YAY!!!!

A Few More Bridesmaid Bags

2010-08-02T23:09:00.004-05:00

Here is another set of bridesmaid bags I made for a wedding this past weekend. Wanted to share with ya'll! The bride had 5 bridesmaids in her wedding party and I threw in a 6th bag for FREE! This is a special I am running for all bridal/wedding orders. Email me for details if you are interested. bbagsdesigns{at}gmail{dot}com

These Betsly Bags were made from a grass green Crate and Barrel table cloth and an ivory bed sheet. They are 14" wide x 8" tall.

Bridesmaid's Gifts

2010-07-10T01:18:00.005-05:00

Hey ya'll! Wedding season is upon us and I have gotten a few special wedding orders and have been working on some bridesmaid's gifts lately. Here is a set for a friend of mine whose bridesmaid dresses and wedding colors are black with gold and ivory accents. These Bellini Clutches are made from a black table cloth, ivory bed linens for the liner, gold silk pillowcase, and ivory dress shirt scraps for the rosettes. What do you think?

*** FYI, I do have a special for wedding orders; The bride's bag is FREE with a bridal order of 3 or more bags! How great is that!

b.bags Write Up on ABC's and Garden Peas

2010-07-09T16:27:00.002-05:00

b.bags recently received a lovely and sweet little shout out on the blog ABC's and Garden Peas written by Wendy Cray. Check out what Wendy has to say here.

Toms Shoes- A great company

2010-06-19T23:38:00.007-05:00

Totally admire this guy and his successful business. I wish I had his ambition and entrepreneurial skills (not to mention his great looks!)!

The Way I Work: Blake Mycoskie of Toms Shoes

Blake Mycoskie, founder of Toms Shoes, built a lifestyle business based on social entrepreneurship.

As Told to Tamara Schweitzer | Jun 1, 2010

Blake Mycoskie doesn't like to sit still. A serial entrepreneur, Mycoskie got the idea for his latest company, Toms Shoes, while on vacation in Argentina. After spending time in several villages in which children didn't own shoes, he created a company -- originally dubbed Shoes for Tomorrow -- in which helping those kids, and others like them, is part of the business plan. For every pair of shoes Toms sells, it donates a new pair to a child in a developing country. In the four years since its founding, the Los Angeles-based company, which has 72 employees, has given away 600,000 pairs of shoes. The company's canvas slip-on shoes -- the same type it often donates -- now sell for $45 to $85 a pair in upscale retailers such as Nordstrom and Bergdorf Goodman.

The more Toms grows, the less time Mycoskie seems to spend in the office. He delegates the day-to-day operation of the company to his management team. That frees him up to spend much of his time traveling -- spreading the Toms gospel, delivering shoes to children in Africa and South America, and taking fairly lengthy vacations. When he is not on the road, Mycoskie, 33, reconnects with employees in quick, focused meetings and in relaxed afternoons on his sailboat.

Read more of this article here

Check out Toms website here

Summer Sale- 15% off entire order!

2010-06-18T14:02:00.003-05:00

b.bags is having a sale for it's lovely fans! Take 15% off your online purchases! Hurry though, offer ends next Wednesday, June 23rd! Start shopping at www.bbags22.etsy.com

Hey, do you want more complete and daily updates about b.bags? Become a facebook fan at www.facebook.com/bbagsdesigns

Great Father's Day Gift For That Trendy Father!

2010-06-11T00:43:00.008-05:00

Wallets in the shop! www.bbags22.etsy.com

I've posted a lot of newly made billfold wallets in the etsy shop lately just in time for Father's Day! These are such great gifts for that hip, trendy, eco-conscious dad that you may know. Or if you don't know a dad like that, it's just a great unique gift that is different than the average tie or set of golf balls and will get people talking! ;)

I made one for my husband about 6 months ago for his birthday and he just loves it! It is incredibly durable since it is reinforced with thick interfacing for stability, and the elastic strap is so handy so that everything keeps perfectly folded and tucked inside. He gets compliments on it all the time, and then of course he has to brag about how his wife made it for him and give them the b.bags spiel! hehe

Like all b.bags, these wallets are easy to clean. Just soak it in some soapy water, spot treat any stains, and lie flat to dry! Fresh and new!

Here's Eric's wallet, doing it's job:

Renegade Craft Fair in Austin!

2010-05-21T15:54:00.008-05:00

So I finally got my pictures from this past weekend's Renegade Craft Fair downloaded on my computer. I was so hesitant to download them and look at them because I was so frustrated with how my camera was working that weekend. All my pictures turned out either fuzzy or really dark and shadowy. :( I even stopped in a camera shop to browse the digital slr cameras (and drool over them since I don't have any money for one right now) and the guy working the shop straight up told me that it wasn't my camera's fault, it was "the operators" fault. Ouch! Ok, so I am not a stellar photographer! Got it, point taken, noted.

Here's what I got:

Pure hotness havin' the good time up in here!

Check out the new table display!

Eric made me these beautiful bag racks!! Thanks honey!

Overall it was a really fun show and I met a lot of great artists! I love Austin and can't wait to do more over there in the future!

Enter to Win a Bangle Bag!

2010-04-29T22:13:00.009-05:00

Hey Guys, there is a giveaway of a lovely grey, chartreuse green and teal bangle bag going on at an awesome blog called Sweet Greens. Giveaway ends May 12th 12am EST. Be sure to head on over and get your comments down on the blog entry!

New Ideas, Designs... It must be springtime!

2010-04-24T14:23:00.004-05:00

Hey guys!

So I have to introduce you to the new larger envelope clutch design called the Betsy. This one is a large rectangle shape, about 13-14 inches long by 7 inches tall. I have been making them with flower appliquéd, pleated ruffled appliqué, and vertical contrasting tabs with a magnetic snap on the end to keep everything closed tight.

My newest (I guess you could say fiber arts design...?), which I am so happy to introduce, is a new type of ruffle. I decided, instead of cutting the fabric perfectly to the pattern shape and scrapping the rest of the fabric, to leave the fabric oversized a bit and ruffle everything up to make it the pattern size. I then do a top stitch to hold everything in place, and of course I've got to add a rad vintage button too!

It all ends up looking a bit like this....

I think I am officially deemed a ruffle obsesser. I struggle making a bag without a ruffle of some sort! ;)

Renegade!!!

2010-04-13T00:51:00.003-05:00

The big show is coming up soon, May 15th-16th, and I am not even close to ready! You can tell I am getting nervous and stressed because I have a major pain in the right side of my neck where I hold all of my tension and I had a dream last night that I had a child named Renegade and she was a mean, nasty, disaster child! Oh no!

Eco-Friendly Packaging

2010-04-10T19:11:00.004-05:00

I have recently been thinking about offering eco-friendly packaging for those who purchase my bags (both online and at shows), so lately I have been researching eco-friendly packaging options. I came across this article while searching online for some cool packaging ideas and thought these companies did a fantastic job with their artwork and designs. I am a lover of simple, sleek, modern design, especially if you add an eco-friendly twist! I think my favorite concept is the boxed water!

New Happenings...

2010-04-06T17:08:00.008-05:00

Hey Hey!

How have you been? Did you have a good Easter weekend?

I had a big Earth Day Festival sale at Discovery Green Park in downtown Houston on Saturday. The turn out was really slow in the morning from about 9am-1pm, and I got so nervous that I was going to go home with only three sales, but then things turned around in the afternoon and bags were flying out of the tent left and right! Thanks for everyone who came out and supported me! You guys are so fantastic and I can't thank you enough for your support!!! :)

Saturday was my first time trying out my new credit card merchant account service, Propay, and it was so great! It really helps to be able to process credit cards for people, I think it gives customers a peace of mind knowing that they don't have to scrounge for cash or find a cash machine. I think about 90% of my sales were purchased through credit cards. The only thing is that I don't have enough money to purchase a wireless card processor so I have to do everything manually and write everything down. I don't really mind, it just takes a bit longer and feels very cave-man-like of me. People seemed not to mind though, so all is good. I just purchased a knuckle buster card imprinter from ebay so that will help speed things up!

New Design for Envelope Clutch

So, I have been doing some toiling with some of my designs lately and have changed my envelope clutch up a little. Not drastic or anything, I have just added a wristlet strap onto the design. This actually works out really well with the bag and looks really clean and cute! I've always been nervous about doing this on this style of bag because the top is not secure with a zipper, but it turns out that the flap does a good job of holding everything tight inside. I tested the bag with many different types of stuff in the pockets and in the bag to see if anything would fall out during typical use and nothing did, not even change in the pockets!

Shoulder Satchel

Also, I have started to design a new shoulder satchel. These are about 12" high by 11" wide with a couple of little pockets inside and a messenger flap with magnetic snap to keep everything closed up. The flaps are made from scrapped up pieces of pants that were left over from other projects (cool way to reuse these scraps, huh?!). Here are a couple that I made last week. The first one already sold, but the second one is still available as of today! What do you think?

I'm Feeling Haute Haute Haute!!

2010-03-18T18:00:00.004-05:00

Hey folks!

So yesterday I received a lovely magazine shaped package in the mail. At first I thought it was junk mail and was about to recycle it, but then I noticed the return address was from Stampington & Company, the publishers of a magazine that I am going to be featured in. I let out a scream and tore open the package to see that it was the finished copy of the magazine Haute Handbags that I was asked to be featured in!

I quickly fanned through the magazine, not even noticing or really caring about any of the other featured designers printed on the thick magazine paper, to come to my article on page 38! Oh it looked so beautiful on that thick, professional, glossy, designer magazine paper! There is nothing more satisfying than seeing your own design, your own hand crafted product, published on the pages of an international magazine! The photograph they took was stunning and really made the bag look robust, bold and professional, yet organic and natural. I am so in awe right now!

Thank you, Stampington & Company (and Beth, the woman who chose my bag) for making this possible for me!!

For a paper view of the article, and to read the article, head to your local Barnes and Nobel or Borders book store and pick up the magazine Haute Handbags.

(image courtesy and property of Stampington & Company)

Facebook, My Field Of Bluebonnets...

2010-03-12T14:07:00.006-06:00

Hey Ya'll!

Don't forget that bbags is on facebook! I do most of my daily postings on facebook since I am a horrible blogger. I come from the era of Facebook and have recently realized how horrible I am at blogging and Twittering! Ahhh!! I swear I am not this technologically illiterate! I've just become so acclimated to one online social networking medium lately that is has been hard to transition. Maybe someday I will become better, but for now Facebook is my social networking field of bluebonnets.

http://www.facebook.com/bbagsdesigns

http://www.bbags22.etsy.com

Bridal Gift Ideas!

2010-03-12T00:43:00.005-06:00

So I came across a really cool thought on my way to a volleyball game today. A friend of mine is getting married this summer and she has requested some custom made b.bags for her bridesmaids. She wants them in the same colors as her wedding colors: Gold, Black, Ivory. I am so excited to make these for her and think they are such a fabulous idea for a wedding gift for bridesmaids!

I thought of something else that could make these bags a little more personal and still in the realms of eco friendly. Taking scraps or trimmings from a bridesmaid dress, when/if your bridesmaids have their dresses altered, and send me these scraps and I can use them as applique so that the colors are an exact match! I could even make a bride's clutch from trimmings from the bride's dress... hmm the brain is a tickin' away! I love repurposing!

Check out b.bags' etsy shop for available bags or b.bags' picasa web album for ideas on bridal bags!

www.bbags22.etsy.com

http://picasaweb.google.com/bbagsdesigns

We finally went on a vacation! Big Bend it was!

2010-03-11T16:37:00.008-06:00

After 10 months, Eric and I finally took a vacation since moving to Texas. We chose Big Bend National Park which is in the South West part of Texas along the Mexican border.

This is the furthest South West that either of us have ever been! Needless to say, we were overwhelmed with the beauty of the desert! More pics here.

So tranquil and beautiful!

It reminded us of a Western movie, or in my case, the Three Amigos movie. I loved that movie as a kid, and had a GIANT crush on Chevy Chase's character, "Dusty". Oh my love... he looks a bit older now on the show Community!

On the trip I kept singing the song that the Three Amigos sang when they were in the desert, "Blue Shadows ". This video sums up our trip. :) So peaceful! But with no singing horses or talking turtles, although that would have topped the cake!

Bangles; Lots of Shows; A Little Help!

2010-02-16T00:13:00.009-06:00

Hello hello!

So my giant shipment of 600 bangle bracelets arrived a while ago, yay!! Lets just say they take up quite a bit of space in my sewing room, but I don't care, I am just so happy to have these beautiful babies! Finally I don't have to scrounge around for reasonably priced and fashionable second hand bangle bracelets that are neutral in color enough to be paired with any color of fabric. That was starting to get difficult now that I am making so many bags!

Speaking of making so many bags, I somehow ended up overbooking myself a little these few weeks and am ending up with 4 shows in two weeks! WHOA! One is a monthly online street market curated by Poppytalk to showcase, buy and sell handmade goods of emerging design talent from around the world. This will be my first time ever participating in an online marketing site! I'm pretty excited to see how it turns out!

My next local show will be with Vox Culture in Houston on Friday, February 19th. I am super excited for this show since a portion of the profits will be donated to Haiti reconstruction efforts.

All of these markets/shows are a really good thing because I can maybe make some money and get the b.bags word out there, but it's ending up to be 12-15 hour work days plus working on the weekends. I've never worked harder for a job (and have never made this less of money for the amount of work!), but it's just so rewarding and fun to own your own business and see it grow! I just keep learning more and more about business and it gets me even more motivated and excited to see a future with b.bags.

Things have just been getting so busy and crazy for the business lately that I finally mustered up the bravery to hire an official contractor to help cut and do some light sewing. I literally have not been able to keep up with demand lately and never feel like I am at my full capacity production wise. Because of this it's been hard to fill my show booths up with enough inventory or keep up with my etsy site because I am always a step behind in production! So I am so hopeful that with my helper I can now have a booming etsy shop and plump show booths!!! :)

Eco Friendly Fashion.com Review and Interview

2010-01-24T23:35:00.003-06:00

So I'm in a bit of a sad mood tonight since my MN Vikings lost to get into the Super Bowl. Even though Eric and I are not really big football fans and you'll never ever find us in sports jerseys or talking about fantasy football leagues, we've really gotten excited about the MN Vikings this season. I think there are two reasons behind this:

1. We stole our arch rival team's all-star quarterback, Brett Favre, and were able to quiet Packers fans for a millisecond and do something good with our football team.

2. Since moving across the country, it feels really nostalgic and comforting to cheer on my home state football team. Sigh...

Man! I was really hoping that they would win so that I could see Brett Favre take the Vikings to a Super Bowl! Oh well, they came pretty darn close! I just hope Brett comes back to do it again! Ok, enough with the sports. Geesh!

So, I wanted to tell you all that I am being featured on an awesome website called Eco Friendly Fashion.com! The website gives out great tips on how to live a greener, more eco-friendly lifestyle without giving up your favorite fashion trends. Check out the fantastic review and interview Dani, the editor of the website, posted here!

Regretsy- My new favorite website, and what Etsy has stooped to lately

2010-01-08T14:54:00.003-06:00

So I just stumbled across the website Regretsy last night, and it has totally sealed the deal with what I have been thinking about Etsy lately.

First of all, if you aren't familiar with Regretsy, it is a website of horrible Etsy postings. Basically a "what were you thinking when you decided to try to make money off of that" website that pokes fun of these Etsy sellers that are ruining the beauty and whole concept of Etsy for the rest of us who are making good art and trying to make a living (or at least get noticed) off of it.

Here are some of my favorite examples:

Oh come on! How is this a scarf? I know we’re all pretending that anything can be anything in craftyland, but how far are we going to take this? Hey I have an idea, why don’t we just start selling hems? You can tape them to your ankles and call them “Pannots”.

Hail Barbie,

Full of Win,
The Lord is awesome!
Blessed art thou among 11″ fashion dolls,
and blessed is thy Porsche
which is sold separately.
Malibu Barbie,
Sister of Skipper,
play with us now,
and at the hour of 3:00,
when we get home from school.

ZOMG.

Happy New Year! New Items in the Shop!

2010-01-07T15:33:00.011-06:00

Hey folks!

I hope you all had some happy holidays. I had a great time off! My family came to town from Minnesota and we put the Christmas tree outside and opened gifts on a beautiful sunny day.

I wrapped my gifts in fabric this year since I have an abundance of it!

We also had a fun trip to the beach and my nephew got to get his toes wet in the ocean waves.

What's new with b.bags?

Well, lately I am working on getting some production going after the holiday craze wiped me out of pretty much all of my inventory. I've got a lot of new bangle bags sewn with the new beautiful chunky black vintage bracelets, and have been posting them in the shop on etsy. I am in the process of buying more of these beautiful bracelets from the seller, just because I think they are so beautiful and I don't want to regret not buying more of them if/when I run out!

Another goal I would like to work on in January is focusing some attention on getting some advertisement out on the world wide web of craft-stravagansa-polooza. How to go about this? I'm still figuring that out.... oh, that and taxes. That'll be fun! :)

SCORE!!!!

2009-12-15T00:02:00.010-06:00

Dudettes! I just scored the most amazing steal ever! I snagged a giant mother load of chunky vintage iridescent black bangle bracelets off ebay. They are gorgeous!!!

When I first opened the box a puff of vintagy attic/storage dust and cigar smoky smell flew out of the box at me and made me gag. I thought, "oh crap, what did I buy now!". But then I just gasped at the beauty I saw! 50 beautiful chunky bangle bracelets staring at me in the face, waiting to be loved and reused. They were all dusty and dirty and needed a good bath, but after the scrubbing they were so sparkley and smooth! The best vintage bangles I have ever seen!

before the bath. they smelled horrible and had a dulling layer of dust on them! eeeew

the grey ones after the bath. shiny and squeaky clean!

the black ones after the bath. i didn't want to use a flash because then the color didn't look right, but then the pic turned out fuzzy. i can never win!! grrr

There was a mix up with the seller and shipping and, when I should have received them almost a month ago, I just received them today. He was so sorry about everything he threw in an extra set of 10 iridescent grey bangles too. Double score! Although it would have been so nice to have these for WHAM and the Heights show... :(

Here is the first creation with the new bangle. I love it so much I almost want to keep it myself!! But it is for sale on my etsy shop, no worries!

and of course i have to model it for you all!

Good weekend for sho!

2009-12-14T00:34:00.007-06:00

Hey folks,

How was your weekend? I finally had a semi relaxing weekend and got to spend some quality time with the hubby. I haven't been able to do a lot of this lately since I have been so busy with so many craft shows, but that's the life of a crafter!

Friday night we decided to take off on a bike ride to some of our favorite bars/restaurants in town. We first hit up the Petrol Station which is near our neighborhood in Garden Oaks off of Golf. The Petrol Station used to be a few different things until this guy named Ben decided to change it into a coffee house/exotic beer joint. We absolutely love the ever changing beer they have on tap and also their food is incredible! I would say their burgers are the best we've ever had, and the soup always seems to blow me away!

Next we biked down to our favorite dive bar in the Heights neighborhood called Big Star Bar. This bar totally gives us a Minneapolis vibe, and we love it for that! Also, the drinks are dirt cheap and you can't go wrong with that!

Saturday there was an event going on called Lights in the Heights. Basically it was a huge holiday block party in the Heights neighborhood in Houston. Eric and I went with Nate, a friend I met at the Discovery Green Market I do every Sunday (Nate makes art out of recycled materials also! Check out some of his work on his facebook page.) It was great to finally get out, see some music, and have some fun in Houston!

Sunday I set up shop at the Discovery Green Market in downtown Houston that I have been doing the last few weeks. Finally we had decent weather for the market! The last few weeks it has been cold and rainy, which does not make for good sales. :(

They are setting up a giant helium balloon in the park and will be giving balloon rides next week. I snapped some pictures of the test runs of the balloon. Apparently, it goes up 350 feet or 35 stories! I'm not sure my terror of heights part of me can handle that!

There was a photographer attached to the side of the balloon snapping pictures of the people in the balloon. How wicked is that!!

If you are local, come on out to next weekend's market down at Discovery Green from 12-4! I promise to have a lot of great new goodies! Like these new designed envelope clutches with a removable strap......

New stuff in the shop, FINALLY!

2009-12-08T14:56:00.006-06:00

Hey friends, fans, family, whoever you may be!

I am finally going to get some new stuff posted in my etsy shop! I have been so bogged down the month of November with craft shows that I haven't had time to update my website, or every time I post something online it sells at a show. That's annoying, yet super awesome at the same time! I just found out that I was one of the top 3 sellers at the WHAM show I did a couple of weekends ago (out of 40? or so artists!!). I was pretty proud of myself. ;p Thanks so much Houston fans for enjoying my work! You guys have been so incredible and supportive of my small little business and what I am trying to do with this little bag making idea here. A salute to you from b.bags!

Here's a preview of the new things to come in the little shop soon:

Small Sling Messenger

This is a new sling bag design that I am trying out, and I LOVE it! I use two different rectangles of fabric and cut them in 1/3rds and sew them together on the opposite sides for contrast. I then put a piped slip pocked that stretches the length of the bag across the front of the bag. The inside lining is made of a men's button up shirt (buttons, chest pockets and all!). The strap is fully adjustable so that you can sling it like a messenger or use it as a tote-like bag. This is totally my type of bag!

Vinyl Id Card Holder

These little card holders are made from vinyl interior design swatches that were left over from projects and had no need in the design world. I decided to chop them up and make some fancy card holders with them. Here are a few designs I came up with. The first has two pockets. One side is a clear vinyl for showing ids and what not. The other is a pockets to hold your other goodies. It has an applique design of geometric shapes.

The other design has a key fob on it to attach to your keys. It also has a little elastic band so that there is no risk of your cards or cash flying out of it while it is attached to your keys.

Hope you like them!!

Currently sewing to: Ani Difranco

Snow, In Texas?

2009-12-08T00:00:00.011-06:00

Hey World!

How was your Thanksgiving? I feel like I have gained what I am now calling the "Texas Ten" after moving down here. All thanks to the glorious and abundant donuts and Tex Mex food, and the lack of support for biking as alternative transportation here (since I feel like I am going to get smashed under the giant rims of a Ford truck, AND one time when I was out biking I got called an "ass muncher". Go figure.). I do miss biking as a mode of transportation, but I am deathly terrified of other drivers down here! And the roads are in really dangerous conditions, full of pot holes and giant cracks. So, I guess I will just have to start jogging for exercise. barf.

Or I could use a horse for a mode of transportation in the city like these two gentlemen did...

Only in TX!

This past Friday Houston got a blizzard (no, not the yummy blended ice cream treat...mmm.)! I guess this was a big deal (not really for me, though, being from Minneapolis and all!!) since it rarely ever snows in Houston, let alone gets below freezing that often. Most of the flakes melted when they hit the ground, but eventually we started getting accumulation of an inch or so.

It was just the greatest feeling ever when it snowed! I really felt, for the first time since I moved down here, like I was home. And it's funny that it took a snowfall to help me feel that way, but it just gave me a warm, fuzzy, calming feeling. It was like a message or a bridging of the gaps between the two distant worlds that I have recently belonged in. And it was really great to see them meet and tolerate each other, in which gave me hope that I can do the same in my life.

Our dog, Bud, LOVES the snow! He was so excited about the snowfall he was running all around the yard getting all rambunctious and giddy. When we lived in Minnesota we would throw his ball in the snow drifts and it would get buried down in the drift and he would LOVE to dig it out. He wasn't able to do anything like that with this snowfall, but at least he could get the little spark of energy from the chilliness!

Here's some pics of Bud playing in some MN snow a few years ago!

The pounce!

The dig!

The find!!!!!

Speaking about Bud, we just found out that Bud needs to have surgery on his back right ankle, again. As you can see in the picture of him standing on the deck his ankle joint is really swollen from arthritis from a previous surgery he had when he was a puppy. He's now 4 years old and the last two weeks he has not been putting any weight on his leg and hobbling around on three legs. :( The vet said that it would be best to fuse this joint together so that he could be pain free and have no more arthritis. Only problem is that the surgery is $4,000!! Holy moly! This has to be the worst timing ever since we are now remodeling our kitchen and putting new windows in the house. I am thinking for Christmas we will have to ask for all of our gifts to go to the Bud's Surgery Fund and all of b.bags's sales to go to Bud's Surgery Fund for quite some time! Poor fella!

Bud, when he was 1 year old, after his first surgery. Not again!

2009-11-25T21:28:00.012-06:00

Hello folks! Happy (day before) Thanksgiving! I hope you all are spending your fabulous gluttonous holiday cozying up with friends and family. We are spending it with Eric's brother and sister-in-law and their family who live only a half a mile from our house. It's been so great having family nearby. Even though we don't see them every day, it's just good knowing that there is someone close by that can help us out if we ever need anything. Also it's been fantastic getting to hang out with our niece and nephew. They seem pretty excited every time we see them!

When we bought our house in TX in June we knew we wanted to remodel the kitchen. We really hoped that we could get it done before the holidays (well Christmas was the absolute deadline). We started demo about 2 weeks ago and we are about halfway there! Here are some pics of the demolition and where we are at now. Getting excited for the finishing touches!! Can't wait to use a stove again!

Our stove used to be against that wall but we "accidentally" burnt it down. We haven't had a stove since JUNE!!

OUR NEW STOVE!!

Hole in the wall

Bud approves of the kitchen remodel.

All of the cabinets are custom built. Check out that awesome stainless steel apron sink!

Only the prettiest sink ever! Imagine this with a glass tile back splash and an industrial looking faucet.

Many A Great Thangs!!

2009-11-24T23:35:00.011-06:00

Howdy folks! I have a feeling that I am not going to be the best blogger since I have a hard time just sitting down and writing about updates, adventures, stuff in my life, stuff not in my life, blah, blah. (Isn't that what a blog is?). I need to take better life notes because I am always a step behind in communicating news! Always have been! Not a great way to start out a blog, but oh well! Maybe this will help me get better!

So last week/weekend was all craziness in my life. I spent the whole week trying to prepare for three days of arts and crafts sales here in Houston. The WHAM (Winter Holiday Arts Market) show was Friday and Saturday, and Green Market at Discovery Green in downtown Houston was on Sunday. My in-laws, Jim and Nadene, were planning on driving down from MN this past weekend and staying for the week of Thanksgiving, but, knowing how busy I was with all the shows coming up, they offered to come a week early and help me out. Thank the lords above that they did! We hacked out around 20 bangle bracelet bags and added them to the 10 I had already made. We also made a handful of envelope clutches, checkbook covers, and a few bigger bags. Not only did Nadene help me sew some things but Jim helped out a lot with cutting out patterns and ironing on interfacing! These two were such troopers for me and I can't thank them enough!

All the bangle bags on my wrists. That kinda hurt!

Power b.bag lifts!

Tote bin of envelope clutches ready to find new homes!

Well, it totally paid off!!! WHAM was the best sale I have ever done (mind you I am just starting with the craft shows and this is my 5th or so)! I started with 30 or so bangle bracelet bags and ended the show with 5! They were flying off my table like fresh baked cookies! Also, I started with about 14 envelope clutches and ended the show with 4! It was all so amazing and surreal.

The 5 lonely bangle bracelet bags left. These were the ones without appliqué. I might just have to add some appliqué to these fellas!

The last and lonely envelope clutches left.

Both Eric and I were astonished by the sales and by the positive response from everyone at the show. Everyone was so nice and excited about my products and designs. They seemed genuinely pleased by the fact that my bags are made from upcycled materials (although Eric almost got in a little tiff with one old lady who told him that the word "vintage" was a more appealing word than "recycled"...? That's questionable. Eric vs. old ladies crack me up sometimes!).

Starting to tear down the booth. Eric (only the best supportive husband ever!) is waiting for the approval to throw everything in the tote bins.

A GIANT THANK YOU to everyone who came out and supported b.bags! I hope you enjoy your new eco friendly, super fabulous, hip handbag (or wallet!). My next Houston show will be in the Heights on December 5th.

As for the rest of you who may not be local, I promise I will get some new items up in the shop. Since about 75% of my stock is gone it may take a bit to get some new things rollin' but we'll get there!

Also, I have a few new bag ideas planned for the future! They're gonna be great! Stay tunned!

Applique, OK!!

2009-11-17T22:22:00.000-06:00

Over the last however many months since we made the move from Minneapolis to Houston I have been saving all of my small scraps from my sewing projects. I'm talking scrap pieces as small as 4 inch squares. I just really hate throwing things away and try to find a purpose for everything. Since we moved in I have only taken out my sewing room's garbage once! I think that is pretty darn good as far as waste reduction!

Anyways, I was staring at this overfilling bin of scrap fabric and wondering what I was going to do with all of these lovely pieces. I thought that there had to be something cool that I could do with this stuff. One day I just grabbed a few pieces and gathered and bunched them in a group and sewed it onto my bag in a swirl pattern. I really didn't know what to expect and thought it had a 50/50 potential of actually looking good. Well, I think it turned out awesome!

I am now officially OBSESSED with putting these gathered appliqué bunches on everything! I just think they add so much fun, character and dimension to each bag. Lately I've realized that I have a thing for ruffles. Almost every bag I make I just don't think it's complete until there is a ruffle on it!!! And I've realized out at shows that all the bags with ruffles go first, so I think the legend of the ruffle is going to continue here at b.bags!! It may have to be a signature! ;)

Too little time, too much to do!

2009-11-12T19:12:00.000-06:00

Hey ya'll! (Ok, I vowed not to say "ya'll" now living in Texas, but it's in a blog so that's different than actually saying it out loud!)

How has your week been? Mine has been productive, busy, stressful, but all in a good way! I am trying to work on beefing up my inventory for a craft show I have this weekend in Clear Lake by the boardwalk in Kehma, TX. Unfortunately (and fortunately!), I still don't have enough big bags for the show because I have sold a few this week and that leaves me with only three! I guess I will just have to suck it up and have a very bare booth with only small bags... :( But the few things that I do have are AMAZING, and I am super excited to hear the response from people

about them!

Here's a little taste of a bag I whipped up last week that is made from a brown/muave-ish pair of pants, vintage plaid wool, and a linen grey button up men's shirt for the liner (buttons, pockets and all!). It has two big slip pockets on the outside of the bag, a magnetic snap closure, and an adjustable strap!

My goals for tomorrow are to:

- Rock out at least 3-5 big bags (crossing my fingers for 5 even though I know it is probably physically not possible for me. If only I was part machine!! Darn nit!)
- Finish some more checkbook covers since only the ugly ones are left...
- Take pictures of a handful of my stuff and post them in the shop * see sub note below*
- Gather my head for the show this weekend and figure out directions (always a good thing when you live in a new city! Thank GOD for i-phones, right?!?!)

*sub note* So along with this craft show I am doing I am also going to be featured in a super cute blog that I told you guys about, www.thatwifeblog.com. My item (a surprise!) is going to be the big shebang prize at the end of the week's worth of giveaways! I am hoping that this will bring some new visitors to my etsy shop and therefore I want to have it stocked with some cute stuff. Well, this is a little hard to do when my stuff is flying out the door, and when I have a show going on on top of the giveaway! So, I am really, really hoping and praying and crossing my fingers and little toes that I don't have any double purchases this weekend and create any enemies! Again, THANK GOD FOR i-phones! I will be trying to update my etsy shop via the love of my life, my i-phone, (ok, my third love, after Eric and Bud the dog!) if things that are listed in the shop sell at the craft fair. Lets hope luck is on my side!

p.s. Here is a peek at the giveaway at That Wife's blog on Saturday... I don't want to spoil everything!

Welcome to b.bags' new blog!

2009-11-09T21:25:00.000-06:00

Hey fans! I've decided to join the blog world and try my hand at writing about my business adventure. About a little over a year ago I started sewing upcycled, eco-friendly handbags on a sewing machine given to me by my mother-in-law. Sewing handbags became an obsession and I decided to open an etsy shop and start selling my creations. Well, after a year of sewing part-time as a hobby and selling my bags on etsy and locally, I decided to go full-time with b.bags. So far things have gone really well and I have been keeping busy!

A lot has been going on in b.bags' world lately. November is packed full of craft and art shows. About every weekend I have a show of some sort! It's going to be really difficult to keep my etsy site up to date but I am going to try my hardest for you guys! Things might be appearing and disappearing left and right, so if you find something you love act quickly!!

The other day this envelope clutch was spotted

and asked to be published in a magazine called Haute Handbags. If my bag gets selected it will be published in the Spring edition! This is super exciting since it will be my first publication and it is a magazine that gets sold and distributed internationally and in many major bookstores such as Barnes and Noble and Borders. Here is the website to the magazine: http://www.stampington.com/html/haute_handbags_autumn09.html

Also, this week one of my clutches will be a featured giveaway item on a really fantastic blog written by Jenna called That Wife Blog. Head on over and check out her blog. I love her artistic style and photography. If you make some comments on her blog this week you could enter to win a giveaway!!

AND MORE.... I have been working with a company called Guffly with selling my men's wallets. They have featured the wallet once and it didn't do the greatest, sadly. But now they are headed to the San Francisco Green Festival this November 13th-15th and they want to feature

my wallet there. This could be HUGE for me! But I might be waaaaay in over my head too. We'll just have to wait and see!

Keep checking on this blog for updates on b.bags and giveaway opportunities! I hope you all enjoy hearing the new and exciting things happening in my world!

Stay tuned!!