Weekend Adventure with the Boyz

My Boyz at the Sculpture Park, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

Have you been to the Olympic Sculpture Park on the Seattle Waterfront? It's one of my favorite places. I love that it is both free and dog-friendly.

Weekend Special for Our Online Friends

I'm testing out the idea of offering exclusive specials for our online followers on Twitter, Facebook, and here on our blog. Starting today (Friday, September 25th), buy one necklace and get the second at 1/2 off.

We have a whole bunch of new fall jewelry in stock, so stop by to take a look!

Button Thursday: What Happened to the 6th?

Red Plastic Buttons Marked "Glamour", originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

One thing I enjoy about collecting vintage buttons is the interesting graphic design that is encapsulated on old packaging.

I love the simplicity of this coated white card with aqua text that is half-way between script and individual letters, as though it is handwriting tossed off by a hip '60s designer.

Also, I wonder who bought these cherry red buttons back in the day, and what did she do with the one missing button?

New to Button Thursday, view my other posts here.

Veronica with African Fabric

Click on the image to see the incredible detail of the handmade batik fabric.

Our customer's husband wore a traditional garment made from this batik fabric when they were in the Peace Corps in Senegal.

She paired the vibrant print with espresso microsuede, dark teal faux leather, and a fun lime lining. You can see her first Veronica with African fabric here.

Some Pretty Things to Share

New in the Store: Cuff Bracelets

$16 each

Button Thursday: Pink + Blossom

Pink Plastic Button on Flower, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

I've been working on some new microsuede blossoms and topped off this espresso and ivory number with a little rose pink vintage button.

Sweet Treats - New Premium Faux Leathers

Check out our new Premium Collection section our website to see what we've cooked up so far with these yummy ingredients.

Sugar Cookie - The shimmering pearl finish reminds us of sugar crystals atop fresh baked golden cream cookies.

Truffle - Dark chocolate goodness glows with a warm metallic finish.l.

Mojito - Fresh mint meets a supple matte finish on this refreshingly fun faux leather.

Licorice Squares - Shiny and matte squares dance across the luxe black surface.

Becky for Mom to Be

Pockets are made of our new Whimsical Woodland
cotton print. Love the orange skunk!

Our Becky bag is the most complicated to cut and sew. This version, with an extra cell phone pocket and open-divided pocket, is 29 pieces of fabric, interfacing, and faux leather!

The tooled espresso microsuede provides a rich, subtle texture.

Not to mention the three zippers, four metal feet, one magnetic snap closure, and three colors of thread that are all key ingredients in the Becky.

All of the details - pockets, closures, materials - will keep this new mom to be organized and stylish!

Sneak Peek: New Premium Faux Leathers

We're calling this rich bronze color Truffle. I'm working on a new line with four gorgeous new colors and finishes. I'll keep you posted!

New Earrings for Autumn

The light was really pretty early last evening in my back yard so I took this picture of these earrings that just came in this week.

They measure about 3/4 of an inch tall. $16 pair with sterling ear wires.

Practical Color - Thread and Zippers

Above, Ashley demonstrates the huge the selection of zippers and thread.

We spend quite a bit of time behind the scenes working on procurement of all of the components that go into our bags and accessories. We have to stay vigilant about the status of our inventory of each and every part.

Above, look at all of the beautiful green thread choices.

We sew with German-made thread that come in gorgeous colors that make selecting our 50 or so stock colors difficult.

Above, check out the variety of gray and brown zipper options.

Our US manufactured zippers are available in infinite shades as well. We carry about 25 stock colors to match the majority of our faux leathers, microsuedes and patterned fabrics.

Design Inspiration: 1940's Teatowel

One of the least expensive items to buy at most thrift shops and antique stores are vintage linens. I bought this pretty blue tea towel in Bellingham for three dollars.

It caught my eye for several reasons. First, the lovely linen is soft and nubby with wear. I love the flower illustrations, and especially the little bumblebees.

I also think the color palette is unique and lovely. Here are four colors I extracted from the my photo using the eyedropper tool in Photoshop Elements. I pulled one blue from the highlighted areas of the image and another from the shadows.

You can use this technique, or my more low-fi version, to put together a color palette to use to decorate a room, some cupcakes, or anything else that needs a color pick-me-up.

I *Heart* Corduroy - Video

These New Rings are a Hoot

These crazy cute owl rings just arrived in our shop yesterday. Available in silver and goldtone for your sparkling pleasure. (Or is it sparklish, sparkley?...) $14 each.

(Sorry about the title. I just can't resist silly puns.)