New Scarf Styles

Our handmade infinity scarves continue to be popular with customers of all ages and fashion sensibilities. We make fresh batches twice a week with new fabrics.

Above, a painterly bird print in slate blue with gold and brown accents. This is a lightweight, exceptionally soft fabric. $30


The black and cream geometric print is a thicker fabric that pairs perfectly with winter jackets and cozy sweaters. $30


Our current best-seller, this scarf has quirky vintage-inspired colors - aqua, espresso, butterscotch, and white. $30


The fabric is as soft and lightweight as your favorite cotton t-shirt. $30

Color Therapy: New Fabrics

 

This is the time of year when gray skies and gloominess can get to us. I find that colorful fabrics and bright hues can cheer me up. The print above is our newest coated cotton. The material sheds water and wipes clean making it perfect for a makeup bag, wristlet, or any every day, heavy use purse.

Here's another cheerful fabric. This is a lightweight knit that we're using to make our popular infinity scarves. This large-scale floral looks amazing wrapped around your neck, the color and pattern brighten up your face.

 

 Here is the same print in bold hot colors. Fuchsia, orange and turquoise are sure to spread some color therapy when you wear a scarf made with this fabric.

Our Cabin Fever Cure - A Sale!

We're having a sale on two of our most popular items this weekend. Learn more and get the latest in our newsletter here.

Clara Three Ways

Our bestselling new design in 2011 was our Clara. Sold as a wristlet with a strap or bangle, the Clara protects your smart phone, and keeps your essentials close at hand.

For 2012, we've added a third handle for the Clara - a cross-body nylon cord. Those of you who find wristlets and clutches too fussy, this option is for you.

Of course the detachable wrist strap remains popular and functional

All three Claras share her defining feature, the exterior zipper pocket.

Claras in Graphite premium faux leather, $48 each.

Learn to Make Felt Flowers While Supporting Your Cause

I've always wanted to have crafting workshops in my store, but I've never quite figured out what to teach. Yesterday, listening to news stories marking the two-year anniversary of the Earthquake in Haiti, I hatched a plan.

You may remember our Dahlias for Haiti project, where we made nearly 700 of these felt flowers, and you our wonderful customers bought them for $12 each? Together we raised almost $7000. I think these little flowers can continue to give to many great organizations via how-to classes.

I would like to teach you how to make these fun, happy flowers in workshops at Laura Bee Designs. I will donate 20% of the class fee to the non-profit (501c3) of your choice! These flowers are easy to make and can be used to decorate all kinds of projects. Wouldn't a workshop be a fun way to celebrate a birthday or brighten up a gray winter day?

Here are the particulars:

• Classes will be two hours, hosted at my store on Tuesday or Thursday evenings, to be scheduled via email (orderdesk (at) laurabeedesigns.com) or phone (206) 789-4044.
• Class fee will be $30 per person, with a minimum of 5 people and a maximum of 10. (Larger groups can be accommodated, as can off-site classes.)
• 20% of total class fee will be donated via check directly to the non-profit (501c3) of your choice within two weeks of the class date. If you aren't sure of a non-profit to support, we can tell you about some of our favorites. We need to know the name and contact info for the organization before the class date.
• Classes are for adults only (over age 13).  (Kids classes may be considered in the future.)
• Students will leave class with completed flowers plus materials to make more at home (6 flowers total).
• No special skills are needed to make these flowers except basic manual dexterity with scissors and hand-sewing needle.

I will work up some fine print regarding payment terms and cancellation policies, but those are the main points. Please contact me if you have any questions or would like to schedule a workshop!

New Premium Faux Leather: Graphite

Photo courtesy of www.skyesworld12.blogspot.com

The smoky black of graphite serves as the namesake of our newest premium faux leather. This material has the same matte base with subtle sheen as the tip of your favorite No.2 pencil.

Here is a Clara wristlet made with Graphite and topped with our black and old gold floral ribbon. Super soft and supple, the material is understated yet expensive-feeling.



This picture of the back of the Clara wristlet shows the soft pebble finish and sheen of Graphite.

Clara wristlet, $48. Features exterior zipper pocket (great for cell phone) and detachable wrist strap.

Like the Purest Water

swarovski_aquamarine, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

Like the purest water, these Swarovski crystal earrings are clear blue and dance in the sunlight. $26/pair.

New Year, New Ribbons

We started using these new ribbons on holiday season inventory, but I haven't yet shared the trims with you. The rich ribbon above has the holy grail combination of black and brown, making it extra versatile.

This narrower ribbon reminds me of a men's tie. Shades of green, bronze, black and brown combine to create a menswear sensibility.

Happy 2012 to All Friends and Family

Otis in a new sweater, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

We'll get back to regularly scheduled blogging in the coming days.

Pare Down for Party Season

wristlet_glam, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

With all of the baggage we carry in our daily lives, isn't it fun to go minimalist (yet sparkling) on the weekends?

Every woman should have a small bag that packs the essentials - phone, keys, lipgloss, and ID. Dinner dates, girls night out, movie night - think of the times you'll carry such a bag.

Wristlets and clutches start at $28. The above Caroline wristlet features a vintage glass button, $39.

candycane_lipbalm

candycane_lipbalm, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

Perhaps this is the perfect stocking stuffer. $4.

Let's Hear it for the Boys

The brothers, husbands, fathers and sons in your life need accessories too. We offer some fun goodies for the boys in your life. These super hero-worthy socks are brought to you by Portland's Sock It To Me, $9.

This recycled notepad is made in Canada by EcoJot. $10 each.

Our mesh pouches are at home in a briefcase, backpack, or tackle box. Available in two sizes, $10 and $13.

Many men report that they prefer our slim mini wallets over bulky billfolds. $14 each.

For the Frequent Texter

Want to keep your cell phone close at hand, along with your keys, lip balm, and some credit cards? Choose our Clara Wristlet. Her back pocket hugs your iPhone/Blackberry/Android perfectly, while the main compartment holds your essentials. $44-48, depending on materials.

These Texting Gloves by Look at Me Designs are handcrafted from recycled sweaters. Among our hottest sellers this season, they are available in various colors and textures. $30/pair.

We offer a selection of both of these items for sale in our shop.

Stocking Stuffers - Handmade from Recycled Materials

Made from discarded sweaters, these sweet flower pins are crafted by Look at Me Designs. We have various colors and textures in our shop. $18 each.


Seattle jewelry design Krissy Maier collects vintage treasures like broken necklaces and lonely earrings and incorporates them into one-of-a-kind new pieces. These hair clips are perfect for holiday parties. $17 each.

Scarf City USA

Because I'm a scarf junkie myself, we have many terrific scarves for sale in our shop these days. I'm always looking for new ways to wear scarves from my collection, and my current favorite is the easy braided method demonstrated in the above video.

Our scarves start at $18.

Sidebar: You can pretty much figure out how to do anything at all on YouTube! My husband recently learned how to tune up his drum kit, and I find myself watching makeup and craft tutorials nearly every day.

Map necklaces by Cyn City

Map necklaces by Cyn City, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

After several of you asked about these glass pendants, we ordered a new batch.

Available in both Ballard and Seattle styles, these make awesome gifts for college students, the recently moved, teachers, and anyone who wants to show off some local pride.

$24 each

Custom Photo Gifts and Cyber Monday Coupon Code

 New! Custom photo necklace, $28, order here

We're in the home stretch of accepting custom orders for holiday delivery. I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of our custom photo products.

 Custom photo mega wallet, $50, order here

We hand craft each of these personalized items to order in our Seattle studio.

 Custom photo keychain, $16.50, order here

To me, using old family photos or images of favorite pets is in keeping with that old-fashioned holiday season spirit. It's not about the stuff, but about the people and the memories.

 Custom photo checkbook cover, $27, order here

Don't forget, you can use any type of image on our photo products. This child's drawing above makes what might possibly be the most charming checkbook cover in the world.

Cyber Monday coupon code: Order any of our custom photo products on our website and receive FREE SHIPPING on orders placed 11/27/11 through midnight on 11/28/11. 

Enter PHOTO-FREE2011 when you check out.

Pretty Little Lockets

Pretty Little Lockets, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

Pretty Little Lockets $24

Go Away Gray

Yellow scarf, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

Stare at this yellow scarf for awhile and you may soon forget the gloomy skies.

We will be closed on Thanksgiving to celebrate with our families. We reopen at 10 am on Friday, and look forward to seeing you.

We promise there won't be mayhem at our shop, but we are giving double the punches so you can earn store credit double fast.

Yellow scarf, super soft and itch-free, $19.50.

Black Friday Fun

Have I told you that from now until Christmas, we'll be open until 7 pm from Tuesday through Saturday each week? You can view our whole schedule here. There's more good stuff to be found in our monthly newsletter here.

I also want to let you know that we're having some fun this Friday. You can escape door-buster mayhem and shop locally with us instead. We'll wrap your purchases in extra special owl gift wrap (see above). More importantly, you'll earn double the punches on your Frequent Shopper Punch Card. That means you'll earn store credit to spend twice as fast!

Otis the shop dog hopes you'll be as cozy this week as he is in his holiday sweater.

Sparkling Swarovski

I've been watching Project Accessory and drooling over the dishes of gleaming crystals available to the contestants on the show.

The name is famous, yet frequently spelled wrong. Swarovski crystals are the industry standard in luxe sparkle. You can read their fascinating history here.

The earrings above are a mysterious shade of green that Swarovski calls Olivine. The teardrop-shaped cut of the crystal is called briolette. These have a sterling earwire and cast pewter loops.

$26 a pair, crystal is 15mm, available in our store and online here.

Infinitely Cozy

We've been sewing up these comfy scarves as fast as we can because they are selling quickly. It's scarf season in Seattle, after all.

Have you ever worn an infinity scarf? Ours is a loop of fabric that's fully finished on all edges. We make these accessories out of super-soft sweater-like knit fabrics.

You can wear an infinity scarf many ways, and you never have to worry about it coming untied or flapping around. We have this black and white print and several other patterns available for sale in our shop. At $30 these make great gifts for anybody who has a neck to keep warm.

Thrifted Christmas

I've been perusing the aisles of Goodwill and local charity shops over the last few months looking for holiday decorations in my favorite shades of pink and aqua. The box above was a definite score at $1.95; Shiny Brite ornaments are highly collectible. I love the graphics as much as the pink ornaments.

How do you prepare for the holiday season? What are your favorite Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Festivus or Christmas rituals?

Lead Time Schedule - Holidays 2011

Believe it or not, it's time to start planning your custom holiday orders with Laura Bee Designs. Our production schedule always gets booked, so we deliver orders on a first come, first served basis.

We're excited about the hustle and bustle that's starting in our shop, and want to make sure that we deliver all orders as promised and on time. We're open late during this busy season to make it easier for you to visit us. Check out our holiday hours here.

Here's our turnaround time schedule:

Orders complete* by December 15 must be placed by November 25.

Orders complete* by December 20 must be placed by November 29.

Orders complete* by December 23 must be placed by December 4.

*Please note that "complete" means ready to ship or ready to be picked up in the store during  business hours.

Ready to start ordering? Visit our website, or contact us at (206) 789-4044 to set up an in-store design appointment.

Blue Bird Brooch is Back!

 Several people have asked if we were going to get more of these lovely pins in stock this year. Well, they time has come and they are here!

Hand-enameled in New York State, the blue bird brooch nearly glows. Since we only have four in stock, these will not make it on to our website. Never fear, you can order them right here by clicking the Paypal link below. $23 each.

Shipping destination

Shipping out of state $23.00 USD Shipping to WA address (tax included) $25.19 USD

Nerdy Production Moment

Our new infinity scarves have been selling quickly, so I decided to train Debbie "Scissor Hands" on cutting and prepping the tricky sweater knit material for me to sew.

While I stitched away on some bag orders, she got to work. A little while later I turned to see this perfectly pinned stack of scarves ready to go. She told me she, "has a thing about stacking fabric perfectly."

Like fluffy fabric pancakes.

Cozy Hairclips

Crushed Velvet and Felt Barrettes, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

Here's an example of handmade gift that's under $20. These little hair clips are sweet beaded felt flowers atop crushed velvet-covered tension clips.

Made in our studio, $16 each.