Never Dig For Your Keys Again

Step one: Attach your key ring to the key clip.

We now have this new gadget in stock that is great for those of us who tend to lose our keys in the bottom of our bags.

Step two: Place the key chain portion in your purse.

Ingenious, yet simple, the key clip meets our favorite criteria for products; it's both fun and functional.

Step three: Allow the top portion of the hook
to rest on the edge of your bag.

We have several cute styles available in stock for $8.50.

You're done!

I think this tropical silver flower is my favorite.

Introducing Marilyn Make-up Bags

I've toyed with make-up bag designs in the past, but this new style, Marilyn, is ready for her close-up.

Crafted with wipe-clean, coated cotton, Marilyn has deep corners that allow her to pack cosmetics into her compact shape. (9" wide at top, 7" wide at bottom, 2" deep)

For extra-durability, I've used nylon rip-stop as the liner. You can easily use a damp cloth to wipe off any spilled powders or potions. Plus the bright color and shallow design allows you to see every thing in the bag at once.

Here's the first batch of Marilyns, available in the shop for $26 each. Of course, you can come visit us to design your own for the same price.

Button Thursday: Vintage Packaging

Butterscotch Buttons, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

The graphic design on this package is just as interesting as the golden buttons.

Butterscotch Buttons, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

I love the color palette, fonts, and built-in ruler.

Fabric Tuesday: Overlapping Dots

One day late, here it is!

Map Necklaces by Cyn City

Before I moved to Seattle just over 15 years ago, the city was mostly a spot on a map in my mind. These charming necklaces, by local designer Cyn Moore, capture the birds eye view of the place I now call home.

At $24, these simple pendants are priced perfectly for birthday or graduation gifts.

Introducing: Madeline Mega Wallet

I've been searching for the holy grail of wallet design and I think I've finally stumbled upon it.

Madeline is the most organized and detailed wallet I've crafted to date.

Here are the features:
* Six credit card pockets (Above right)
* Clear ID pocket (See pug photo)
* Zipper change pocket (See orange zipper pull)
* Cash compartment (Under change pocket)
* Secure snap closure

Available in our shop. Coming soon the the website. ($42 - readymade or custom)

Button Thursday: White Plastic Assortment

Vintage Plastic Button Sample Card, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

For the Stylish Golfer

Ashley used her handy-dandy cell phone camera to snap a shot of a Caroline Clip wristlet in action on a push golf cart.

Fabric Tuesday: Party Print

I love the vintage-inspired colors that scatter across a cream background in this print.

The selvedge reads, "Mag & Mimi Designs for Timeless Treasures."

Jet Setter Monkey

I put the passport covers out on the floor at the end of the day yesterday, and by noon today this little sock monkey guy had already sold. I wonder where he'll travel...

Introducing: Embellished Passport Covers

I combined some cute patches with detailed stitching to create these bright, fun passport covers.

Come into the store to design your own. Or buy one of our readymade designs. ($21.)

The clear inside pocket protects the ID information while showing it easily with a quick flip open.

Button Thursday: Tonal Trio

Pearlescent and Metallic Plastic Buttons, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

Valentino - Fashion, Glamour, and Pugs

Photos courtesy of Valentino: The Last Emperor

That Valentino Garavani is famous for his long career as one of the most fascinating and prolific high-end fashion designers in the world is common knowledge. His love of pugs was news to me.

A PR company sent me a beautiful poster for the documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor, which is now showing in theaters. I visited the website for the film and saw a cute button titled Pug-o-Vision. Behold, a hilarious clip of the fashion god with his herd of pugs. View it here.


While you're on the site, watch the trailer for the film itself here. The glimpse into his workroom, fashion shows, and private life left me gasping for more. Jeff and I are headed downtown to see the movie this weekend.

Heritage House Meets Phyllis

Now that Mother's Day has passed, I can show you this gift. Our customer brought us this amazing Victorian era shot of a family home in Tacoma, Washington. (Note the cow in the lower right corner.)

She ordered a glossy black Phyllis shoulder bag for her mother featuring the heirloom photo.

Click on each image to enlarge it so that you can see more detail.

Seattle Pugmania 2009

Seattle Pugmania 2009, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

Otis, Jeff and I attended Pugmania over the weekend. I took a bunch of pictures that I posted to my Flickr account here.

Purple Birthday Bag

My sister chooses a color theme for her annual birthday and the shade this year is purple. She asked for a ruched bag, so I made her a modified Miranda purse.

I cut the wild print from a 1960's era Hawaiian mumu, and added a locket zipper pull (shown above).

Bold Cameo Necklace

Cameo necklace by Luscious. $32

Pair this big bold necklace with a pretty blouse. Or go for rocker look by wearing the pendant with jeans and biker boots for a study in contrast.

Case in Point: Interesting Black Purse

I pulled this Phyllis flap purse from our floor to photograph because I think it is a nice example of a black bag that isn't boring.


The front flap is black faux leather embroidered in tones of red, gold, and bronze. We added antique gold rings to the single strap to continue the motif.

Button Thursday: Tiny 1960's Plastic

Metalized Plastic Button, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

In real life, each of these buttons is about the size of a dime.

Fabric Tuesday: Happy Duck Ribbon

A good friend found these 1960s era duck ribbons in a New York City notions store several years back and sent them my way.

I just pulled them out of my stash to show a customer who has a special affinity for ducks. Her blog is in fact named, "One Happy Duck."

You can read One Happy Duck here. She focuses on life in the massage therapy business here in Ballard.

Now That's Matchy Matchy

Here's a shot of my sister Susannah dressed in her Boston International Film Festival garb. She's carrying a bag I made out of a vintage dress for her a few years ago. Oh, and there's a giant phone too.

By the way, I've added a new feature to the blog. Just like Facebook and Yelp, you can now click "Like" if you enjoy a story. Look for the check box in the fine print below each post. There's also a doodad called "Share This," so you can put a link to any post on Facebook, Twitter, or various other social networking sites.

My sister has over 500 friends on Facebook, so I'm sure she'll be proud of this integrated social networking business.

Stockist Exclusive: Loteria Collection

Our friend Paula of Casita International commissioned this exclusive collection of mini notebooks and coin purses for her shop.

Loteria is a Mexican game of chance that uses iconic images. Since Paula sells other Loteria items in her shop, she chose her four best-selling graphics for this collection.


I love how beautifully the drawings pair with our bright and sparkly faux leathers.

The collection is a great example of using artwork in place of photographs on our custom photo products.

If you'd like any of these notebooks or coin purses for yourself or a friend, visit Casita International on Capitol Hill. Tell Paula that Laura Bee sent you.