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)

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.

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

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.

Handpainted "Hawaiian Expressions" Silk Handbag

In collaboration with Hawaii artist, Stephanie Bolton, I am pleased to announce the release of the first in a series of "Hawaiian Expressions" handbags.

I enjoy making beautiful handbags and have chosen Stephanie Bolton, a Big Island Hawaii artist to work with to create "Hiapo". As my groupies know, I always name my diva bags after their completion and since this beauty is in Stephanie's "Hawaiian Expressions" series, I chose a Hawaiian name for this bag. (pronounced Hee ah po) The name means first born and I celebrate this bag as the beautiful work of art that she is.

This bag is made from an irridescent dark red dupioni silk with the front panel being handpainted on heavy cotton canvas.

The painting is an acrylic on canvas of a polynesian girl with a flower behind her ear listening to the sounds of the ocean through a sea shell. Her eyes are haunting in a shade of green. There are palm trees and the ocean in the background.

For the lining I chose a high quality cotton batik with colors that accentuate the reds and greens in the painting.

The exterior has one rear pocket lined with the cotton batik. It is accented with matching custom piping.

The interior has two pockets accented with custom piping.

This bag closes with an antique gold colored magnetic snap.

The handles are bamboo, attached to the bag with dark red silk loops.

The size of this bag is 10" tall x 6" wide.

Hiapo was born on December 27 making her a Capricorn. The Capricorn personality is one that is firmly grounded in reality and who will consistently be the voice of reason in a chaotic world. Who wouldn't want a friend like that?

Warning about Sasaki Bags

I got an email from one of my customers this week. She told me that she thinks I should warn all my potential customers about a phenomenom surrounding my bags. Here is what she said:

"I was telling you that my 'sassy little bag' is a flirt! I had her in the grocery store with me the other day, and a handsome, older gentleman standing near me said, "Bet you wish you were there, don't you?" I looked around to see if he was talking to someone else before saying, "Excuse me?" "That place on your bag, Kona, Hawaii.. bet you wish you were there, don't you?" It was 20 below that day! So, Barb, be sure to fore-warn potential buyers of this tarty little bag.. She's likely to attract attention!

So, you have all been warned! If you don't want handsome men starting up conversations with you, if you don't want any attention regarding your fabulous sense of fashion, then please do not buy my bags!

But for the shameless, flirty, fashionistas out there....I am headed back to my sweat shop!

Stop by Borders

Stephanie Bolton (StephanieBolton.com) will be featured at the Kona Borders for the rest of December. She will be displaying the bag that she painted and I made as part of her display. If you are in Kona, stop by Borders bookstore and check it out.

The comfort of rituals

As you know, I live in Hawaii. But the things that I love about this place that I call home are not what you may expect. Yes, the weather is great almost every day. And who doesn't love the beach? Those may be elements that GET people to Hawaii....but most of them leave. Today I had a reminder of what has kept me calling this rock home for over 14 years. It is the people and the culture.

If you read my blog yesterday, you know that one of my former coworkers/customers was killed last week in a car wreck. I was told that she was only 24. She had red hair and pure white flawless skin. Her name was Janelle Morse and she has a little girl named Lucy who is 4 years old. When I was contacting her regarding what kind of purse she wanted me to make for her she told me that she didn't really have any hobbies but she loved cooking and organic food. She said she was often mistaken for a tourist because she was so "white"! I didn't know her well, but was deeply saddened by her death.

Today at her workplace they held a small memorial for her coworkers who wouldn't be able to attend the services in Kohala this afternoon. We all arrived at the beach and formed a tight circle so we could hear the Kahu (minister) above the lapping waves. We all just stood there on the beach and listened to the ocean as time passed. Peace...The waves coming and receding. He reminded us that with each wave there is new water that comes in and touches the shore. Every wave changes the earth that it touches if only in a small way. Oh sure there are days that big powerful waves can change the whole landscape...and we have perhaps met people like that....but Janelle was like that gentle carressing wave that came on shore but for a moment and was gone....but what she touched will forever be different because of her. I hold onto that thought.

Then we all joined hands and became one with each other...giving our own strength to the circle and letting go of our own sorrow. Following a prayer, everyone took an orchid or two from a basket and walked down to the water, said our own private words and tossed the flower into the waves. While we were doing that Nattie Whitlock sang "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"...the slow Bradduh IZ version. Then the Kahu lead us all in singing Aloha Oe....which the only words of that song I actually know are "Aloha Oe....Aloha Oe....until we meet again".

There are times like this that those simple rituals offer comfort and I feel blessed to have met her and to live here where we shared so much today on a small sandy beach...in Hawaii.

Life is Fragile...

I just had a harsh reminder today of how fragile life can be.

About 3 weeks ago a girl I had once worked with, very briefly, emailed me. She had seen my bags and was hoping I had time before Christmas to make a custom coffee bag for her mom. I emailed her photos of different lining fabrics and we talked back and forth. She also wanted to order a bag for herself but said there was no rush on that one. We decided we would get together after the holidays and design a special bag for her. I finished the bag for her mom a couple of weeks ago but we weren't able to connect until last Thursday. I took the bag into the Four Season's Hotel, where she worked and she loved it. She was so excited to be able to have it to give to her mom.

Today, I found out that Janelle, the beautiful young mom, was killed in a car wreck the following day. The bag I made was still under her desk. She lived with her mom and didn't want to take it home yet, I guess. I want her mom to know how much thought she put into that gift. All the emails back and forth. It wasn't just something she bought on sale!

I am a believer that people come into your life for "a reason, a season or a lifetime". Sometimes we never know the reasons, but today, I think I might...

Hug your kids tonight. Tell those you love that you do. Life is fragile.
Janelle, you will be missed, honey.

Disney Crochet Tote Bag

I had to take a break from making all my customer orders and work on some things for my own family. I don't think my sister in law ever reads my blog so this should be safe (I hope). She loves pink, and she loves Disney characters, she is into crocheting...and she is Japanese SO...I created a large pink bag with Daisey Duck and Minnie Mouse machine embroideries, added some beautiful bright asian print fabric and then stuffed it with some yarn and crochet accessories. I really love this bag. It took me all day just because I made it without a pattern...sort of made it up as I went. I knew how I wanted it to look but had to nip and tuck here and there to achieve the final product. I hope she likes it.

AND... just for any "licensing infringement" police out there, I never use Disney or other licensed embroidery designs on items that I make to sell! This will be given as a gift!

I really should make some notes about how I made this bag so that I don't have to reinvent it the next time I want to make a bag like this. It has 11 pockets and a magnetic snap closure.

Back to the sweat shop
a hui hou

Handpainted Eco-Friendly Sasaki Bag

I am so excited! A couple of months ago I first spoke to a very talented young artist (Stephanie Bolton) regarding doing a collaboration. For months, I have had this dream of introducing a line of handpainted original "wearable" works of art. Those who follow my blog know I have made some bags by taking my rotary cutter to finished art pieces, but I really wanted something that I could request specifically from an artist I knew. Today I finished our first joint effort. This bag was a custom order but is a preview of what is to come in 2009. I will be keeping these bags very "one of a kind" and rare so we will be only creating a small quantity of collectible handbags. There will be smaller sizes as well featuring a polynesian style of artwork by Stephanie.

This painting is absolutely beautiful! It features a voluptuous island woman lying on a lauhala mat, leisurely stringing a plumeria lei. There is a lavish spread of local fruits nearby including pineapple and papaya. There is a seawall in the back drop with coconut palms nestling against it. The deep blue of the ocean and the sky remind me that it is about time I go to the beach again...soon!

This bag was sewn onto an eco-friendly, recycled Kona coffee burlap bag and lined with a cheery red and white aloha print cotton fabric, according to the customer's specifications.

Keep an eye out for more of these wonderful bags.
a hui hou

A touch of whimsy

Okay, more than a touch of whimsy. This bag is just a crack up! I have been wanting to make it for months....fabric sitting on the shelf, calling my name...You know what I am talking about!

This bag is not for the shy, wallflowers out there. This one shouts from across the street, "Hey, look at me! Do I tickle you?"

It is my Kealakekua style of bag but I lined the entire exterior with fleece for structural support and to give it a "store bought" appearance. It made a lot more work for myself but was worth it when seeing the final product. I really dislike flimsy bags!

I still have projects I should be working on ....but needed this little break from burlap for some comic relief.

Now back to the sweat shop!
aloha

The Art Zoo

I just received notice that my seed sack is being featured on "The Art Zoo". Here is the link for my adoring fans (tee hee).

http://www.theartzoo.com/handmade/bags/

Check out their site.

No Wonder!

No wonder that my shop has been so busy! I am being featured in the Etsy Gift Guide for Eco Friendly Gifts. See this link:

http://www.etsy.com/gift-guides/environmentally-friendly/102?&page=1

How exciting!

A new Market Tote!

The day after Thanksgiving, hubby and I drove over to Volcano to see some dear friends and their new home. What a beautiful spot they have. It oozes tranquility! On the way home we stopped by the Hilo Coffee Mill and I bought some of their bags and told them what I had planned for them. So here is the first one....I have a different Hilo bag in the works that I should be finishing up right now!

The other bags are doing extremely well. Today the Buddha's Cup bag sold! That didn't take long! It is only December 1st and I have had two Etsy sales! Yippee! I have a shop goal of 100 sales by Christmas...only 9 to go. As a promotional, I am offering a free tissue tote to the next 8 customers....the 9th will get one of my beautiful purse hooks (up to $20 value!)

Who will be my 100th customer???? Maybe YOU!

Gobble Gobble!

Okay, who ate too much today??? Hubby and I went to his sister's house for Thanksgiving dinner. She always puts on quite a spread. There were about 20 of us this year. Thanksgiving in Hawaii is quite a different menu than what folks on the mainland eat. Oh sure, we had Turkey, Ham, mashed potatoes, cranberries and pumpkin pie. But a traditional Thanksgiving appetizer (pupu) in my husband's family consists of sushi, fresh catch sashimi, edemame (soy beans), shrimp cocktail, and ogo poke (chunks of fresh raw fish with onions, seaweed, and a chef's choice of ingredients.

We came home and both took naps! But don't go thinking that I took the day off! I have no time for that! I finished up one bag that was on my order list and made two bags out of a couple of new coffee bags that I recently got permission to sew with for my etsy store. One of them is "Buddha's Cup" coffee. On one side it says "for the enlightened bean in all of us" and it has a cute Chubby smiling Buddha on the other side.

The other bag was made with Country Samurai's bag. I really like their bag too. One side says "Kona Peaberry" which is the primo type of coffee. The other side has Japanese writing that I assume says, "Country Samurai". I will have to ask Sharlene Kunitake, the owner.

So I am just trying to juggle and balance all this bag making. I sent off 31 bags to Kauai this week, made 12 xmas stockings for Kona Mountain Coffee's retail store, sold 7 bags out of my etsy store and keep plugging away at the orders that I have to finish before Christmas.

Back to the Sweat Shop!
a hui hou

just checking in...

The Kona Coffee Festival has come and gone. We had a very successful day at Hale Halewai. Met some great people and had good sales inspite of the economy and there being less foot traffic than in previous years. I took several custom orders that I will be working feverishly to complete before Christmas.

A wonderful gal named Janet Lipps purchased seven of my silk diva bags and she will be selling them in her gallery that she is taking over from Sunny Pauole. The gallery is in the artsy little town of Holualoa. I am grateful to have another venue so that people can see the beautiful silk bags up close and personal.

I have been sewing so much that I haven't had very much time to take photos or post new items. I hope to get caught up on all my orders SOON! So if you are waiting for your bag, thank you for being patient with me!

For now, I need to catch a few Z's so I can get up and do this all over again! Ever see the movie "Ground Hog Day"?

Aloha and good night.

A New Diva - Maeva

Gee, it has been a really long time since I brought a new Diva into the world! I think the last one was...May or June! But today I took a break from burlap and decided I could not keep my hands off of the new silk that arrived this week. So today, November 13, 2008, help me welcome Maeva!

The fabric I used to create Maeva, is a gorgeous irridescent kelly green silk. Infact that is why I decided on an Irish name for her. Maeva (May-vuh) is an old Irish name meaning "enchanting one". And it won't take more than one look to become enchanted with this gal!

She has one exterior pocket on her backside that is accented with custom piping. When she turns around you get the full picture of her beauty. There are 3 layers of pleats that are topped off with two gold tone metal buttons that look like french knots. The pleated panel lays over a gathering of peacock flue (the hairy part of the peacock feather). These feathers just do not photograph well to do them justice. There are so many colors of irridescence including copper, green, gold, black, and blue. I adore them!

For Maeva's lining I used a colorful paisley cotton in shaded of green. Her two interior pockets are accented with custom green silk piping and self lined with the paisley print.

I made her handles a bit longer than on some of my wristlets, but she is still a wristlet, not a shoulder bag!

Maeva is a Scorpio and true to her sign, she is passionate and bold. Determination and will power are two of her strongest traits. When you want to accomplish big things, have Maeva by your side!

A Paddler's Autograph Bag

A friend of mine is going to the Cook Islands to participate in some paddling races. She paddles for Kai O Pua but will be racing under the "Live Strong" as in Lance Armstrong, team on this trip. She saw my Ironman bag and wanted one to take with her on this trip to have all the other paddlers sign as a memory! I found a nice fabric with paddles and palm trees to line the bag with. Then I machine embroidered a single paddle on the front pocket. The back has the snap swivel hook that she can attach the sharpie pens to if she wants. She wanted both exterior pockets to be undivided so I installed magnetic snap closures on both as well as in the lining to close the rest of the bag. Tia, have a great trip!

Little Miss Kona Coffee Pageant

So, yesterday I was finally able to buckle down and get some serious sewing done. Atleast, that was the plan because I have 82 bags on order right now with Kauai Coffee, the Coffee Festival and Xmas orders. Plus I am trying to keep some bags in the Kona Mountain Coffee Store here too! I started my morning by prepping several bag parts. I don't have a serger so I zigzag around each burlap piece before I sew it into some of my bags. That is kind of nice "no brainer" work but it is time consuming. I love it when I don't have to think too hard! But while I was doing that, the director of the Little Miss Kona Coffee Pageant called. She had seen my bags down at Kona Mountain and wondered if I would be willing to donate to the girls this year. They have 5 different age group categories. So I made 5 different bags that hopefully the girls will like. I even made a little bag for the 4-6 year old age group! Thank you to Mary at Kona Mountain Coffee for letting me use their coffee bags to make the Sasaki Bags out of!

The Coffee Festival is just around the corner. In fact, it is only 3 weeks from tomorrow! Yikes!

I am trying so hard to get everything done so that I can be organized with my booth. I still have to sew some table covers and embroider a new sign for "Sasaki Bags". I have Hypertufa instructions to print (see hypertufaArtistry.blogspot.com)
Business cards to make...oh my other job is busy right now so I also have to punch a time clock and do some physical labor! I really need a 36 hour day...can anybody help me out???