Monday, January 26, 2009

A new week

Boy last week was a killer. I had other obligations to fulfill and had to keep some ungodly hours, but once again I survived and woke up early this morning (4 a.m.) to start sewing! The Kona Mountain Coffee retail store nearly ran out of bags so I am working feverishly to fill their shelves again.

I did some major stress eating last week too and feel like I need to do a cleanse to jump start my week. Why do I seem to feed my body such bad food when I am under pressure? It is a new week and once again an opportunity to "start over". You got to love "do overs". So I plan to take care of myself this week. spend time on myself....hmmmm a pedi and a massage sound oh so decadent! And of course lots of sewing.

Better get back to the sweat shop.
A hui hou (until we meet again)

Monday, January 12, 2009

Anela




Anela was born on January 12, making her a Capricorn. She is a beautiful girl who has a strong bond with her family and the friends she holds dear. She loves working with her hands and doing things for others.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

A New Design



Yesterday I was gone, running around most of the day doing errands and meeting with some customers. So today I had to crack the whip again and get back to my sweat shop...er...uh...Studio! I have never made a messenger style bag before so have been looking at them when I am out and about. I made this one pretty basic just to get the hang of it. It is 9" x 11" x 4". I made it out of a Hula Daddy bag and attached a generous strap so that it hangs a little longer than my other shoulder bag. I put one cellphone pocket and a pen slot in this bag but would like to play with adding other pockets to future bags. I have seen some that have zippers in the flap and like that idea.

So, as promised, new designs are in the works. I have so much going on actually! My Etsy sales have kept up the pace into the new year and I have also sold both of my Bolton-Sasaki handpainted bags. So I guess I better get off the computer and get back to the sewing machine.

Aloha
Barb

Monday, January 5, 2009

Welcome Luana!




Help me welcome a little sister for Hiapo! This gal was born on January 5th and stands in nobodies shadow! She is my second in a series of collaborated art/bags that I am working on with Hawaii artist Stephanie Bolton. I used a rich deep blue dupioni silk fabric for the body of this bag and lined her with a cotton batik that looks as though it is a remnant of the pareo that the lovely girl is wearing in the painting! It is done in red tones with a little coppery brown thrown in.

I used bamboo D shaped handles which add to the tropical feel of this bag. In the Hawaiian language, Luana means "to be at leisure, enjoy pleasant surroundings and be content". As I finished this handbag I looked at the gorgeous painting and thought that "Luana" describes the scene beautifully!

As with all my Diva bags, I have written this little bio for her:
Luana was born on January 5th, making her a Capricorn. Remaining true to her sign, Luana is a deep thinker with a calm demeanor and a never ending curiosity. She is surprisingly witty and a joy to be around.