Clara Wristlets made with New Faux Leathers

Clara Wristlets made with New Faux Leathers, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

Now that you've seen our new collection of premium faux leathers, I thought I'd share my first batch of products made with these gorgeous materials. You can see that our popular Sonic Bloom ribbon looks lovely which each of the new colors.

Clara features an exterior rear zipper pocket and a roomy main compartment. Order this Clara here.

Premium Clara wristlet in Vine, Macaroon, Blueberry or Mushroom - $48.

Our Latest Premium Faux Leathers

Fall 2011 Faux Leather Collection, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

I'm excited to share our latest materials with you. I've been playing with these for a couple of weeks now, prepping samples and coming up with names. Some of you even helped with naming these via our Facebook page.

These faux leathers are buttery in texture and are softer and more pliable than our regular collection. You can swing by our shop to see them in person, and they can be incorporated into custom design right away.

Over the next week, I'll post pictures of bags made with the new collection here, and I'll also offer some new stuff in our web store. Stay tuned!

Vine is a complex green and brown metallic.
Macaroon is a delicious cream and gold confection.
Blueberry is matte blue with the yummy texture of its namesake.
Mushroom is a matte warm gray.

Tuesdays in Ballard: All Earrings on Sale for One Day Only

This Tuesday in Ballard, we're shining the spotlight on one of our best-selling items: Earrings.

Buy any pair of earrings in the store, and we'll give you 50% off a second pair (of equal or less value). This discount is offered for Tuesday, July 26th only, and isn't valid with any other offer.

After you swing by our shop for some new ear candy, head down to central Ballard for the Pub and Grub crawl. Print this passport before you go.

Clara Wristlet: Navy with Peacocks

 This navy blue microsuede wristlet showcases one of my favorite ribbons. I think these peacocks are charming and special.

As always, our very popular Clara has an exterior zipper pocket - perfect for stashing your iPhone, as in this photo. Clara is available with either a fabric strap, or bangle (as shown).

$44, order via email, phone (206.789.4044) , or in our store.

Website Exclusive: Summer Locket Sale

We have a few of these bird lockets in stock, and I've marked them down 29% on our website. This discount applies to web orders only. Click here to view and purchase.

This locket, the very version style we started carrying a few years ago, is also on sale. It's great quality and made in California. Click here to view and purchase.

Sale ends August 10th. Both styles are limited in supply, so don't delay your order.

Tuesdays in Ballard: Give Back & Save

Tuesdays in Ballard is under way, and local businesses are banding together to make summer extra special. This week, the theme is Give Back. The folks at the In Ballard Merchants Association came up with the idea to collect donations for the Ballard Food Bank. We love this idea and we'll have a donation bin tomorrow.

Donate an item and we'll give you 

$5 off any purchase of $20 or more!

Laura Bee Designs staffer Debbie volunteers each week at the Ballard Food Bank, so I asked her what the most useful donations would be. She told me that hygiene items are always in great demand and short supply. Small sizes of toothpaste and brushes, razors, shampoo and the like make useful donations.

She also said that pet food, especially cat food, is much needed for those who struggle to feed their pets during tough times. Big bags of dry food work great; the bank repackages them into smaller quantities to give to many pet owners.

Even if you can't make it in to donate tomorrow, we hope that you'll consider donating to this wonderful local organization in the future.

I Heart Ballard: Malena's Tacos

Malena's, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

I'm definitely not a food blogger. However, in case you're thinking of visiting my shop and need some grub, I thought I'd tell you about a few of my favorite neighborhood eateries.

First up is Malena's Tacos. Just down the street from our shop, this place is cheap, delicious and friendly. The ingredients are simple and fresh.

I always get the veggie tostada ($5.75 with tax and huge). However, friends report that the tacos, burritos, etc are also quite delicious.

If you eat in, you get free chips and salsa, pictured above. Learn more here.

Video: Recent Thrifted Items

Everything's $5 Sidewalk Sale!

The weather guy is predicting a sunny 70 degree day tomorrow, and that's perfect for our sidewalk sale.

 Kim and I spent today sorting, bagging, and assembling good stuff  to sell. I have so much good stuff, I can't possibly get to everything (more ideas than time) so I figured it's time send some of this fun stuff out into the world for others to use.

 In addition to ribbon packs, we have jewelry components like these lockets, fabric, webbing, hardware, and all more crafty stuff. I also have some jewelry - earrings, necklaces, etc, packaged up to sell for $5 as well.

If you need pom pom trim or iron on red sequins hearts, you're in luck!

You can find all of the details about the sale here. 

Featured Bag: Lovebirds Harriet

 Lately we've been selling more ready-made bags than ever. While our specialty is custom bags, sometimes instant gratification is the way to go. We always have many bags for sale in our shop, so I thought I'd start featuring in-stock bags here for a bit of virtual window-shopping.

First up is this Harriet bag, which is perfect for summer days. It features a colorful lovebird ribbon atop an espresso brown pebble flap. The body of the bag features an exterior zipper pocket, and is bright cobalt blue. The raspberry pink lining provides a bright interior pop. $106, also includes cell phone pocket.