I am super proud of this piece. Happened across this terrific purse during a recent outing for source material, and was so excited I got started on it as soon as I got back to the studio.
I cleaned up all of the leather with leather conditioner before delicately decontructing it. Sewed in window appliques of Alexander Henry tattoo fabric and a few sparkly stars. Repainted the gold purse clasp and whipped up new lining for the bag in a rich chocolate color. A few of the windows were embellished with gold beads.
I’ve been keeping an eye out for more vintage purses that would be good candidates for this type of makeover, but haven’t found any as pristine as this one yet.
I’ve been working in the studio at least five days a week, and keeping up a steady pace has been very good for my work. I have many new pieces ready for June’s First Thursday. The studio will be open from 6:30 - 9:30 on June 5th. The studio is located in Suite 412 of the Goldsmith Building, situated at 20 NW 5th Avenue in downtown Portland. Please stop by!
Transformed my greyhound into a bat hound with a bit of ingenuity. Indy needed a rain slicker for our lovely Portland weather, and I’d never sewn a dog jacket before, so I figured it was time to try. The gold bats are reflective to aid in visibility. We went for a walk near the studio so I could check out how he walks and does his business with it on, and it passed with flying colors. Got some good feedback from other pedestrians on his “cape.”
Making a push this weekend to finally get some items up on Etsy, and try to get good traction on studio projects. I seem to have more motivation when I know where the item will wind up, and I need to work on being less precious with my supplies. I have a terrific stash (bordering on horde) of materials to create stuff with, but when I start sifting through it for project ideas, I find stuff I would like to use, but have trouble justifying the use of the item because I think, “What if I come up with a better idea to use this item later?”
Yes, this is a risk I run with utilizing limited quantities of a variety of recycled materials, but I need to get better at just diving in and using the stuff. Need to adapt a “no time like the present” mentality. It’s tougher than you would think.
Since it is spring (and I am getting out of my winter hibernation) I am playing with felted flower creations these days. It’s been a terrific way to use up small scraps of sweater felt and the plethora of vintage buttons I have in my stash.
I haven’t gotten pictures of it yet, but I recently created a melded pillow and stuffed animal creation. It’s tentatively titled “the bear that wanted to be a leopard skin rug.” I also made a Mexican El Dia De Los Muertos key rack for our new home.
Been knitting like crazy lately. Working on a pair of argyle bat socks for Aaron (black and yellow, baby!) and a set of colorful skull curtains for our Day of the Dead kitchen. Attended this year’s Loop and Hoop, but it was a disappointment since the Blazers lost and there were no goodie bags.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! I am participating in the Goldsmith Building Artist Collective First Thursday event. Live music, too! Our gallery will be open from 6 - 10 pm on Thursday 4/3 and Friday 4/4. Please stop by and say hi!
