Second Life

This brown corduroy skirt hung in our customer's closet for a few years she told us. Apparently, it never really fit her quite right, so it generally stayed out of sight and unworn.

It's a lovely, well-made garment with big embroidered flowers in lime green and two shades of pink.


The skirt made the perfect pocket for this custom Veronica bag with lime microsuede and glossy espresso faux leather accents. The best part - the bag is completely one-of-a-kind. (We gave the rest of the skirt back to her.)

Edited to add: Visit this customer's blog here (the June 23rd entry) to read more about this bag and to see her superior pictures.

Proud Peacock

Each year we make and donate a custom photo bag to the Woodland Park Zoo annual fundraiser. The 2008 Jungle Party theme is 'For the Birds,' so Ashley made this Photo Sara bag using a terrific image the folks at the zoo sent our way. This one-of-a-kind bag will be sold to the top bidder at a silent auction at the July 11th event.

Butterscotch Marble

I participated in a craft show this week that was held in this incredible marble yard.

This was the view from my booth. I was obsessed with the butterscotch colored slab that looked like syrup on ice cream

Since Father's Day has Passed...

...I can show you this wallet. Our customer visited our shop and designed this mini wallet around a wonderful, well-worn black and white photograph.

The image is of her father, left, and his dad. We converted the image to a soft sepia and stitched it to matte espresso faux leather. I love the timeless quality of the picture.

Sock Monkey Wallets & Coin Purses

All week long I've been singing a revision of the famous Beastie Boys song as follows: "Sock monkey, that funky monkey..." This song inside my head began when I had so much fun making these wallets over the weekend.

The monkeys are coated cotton so the images are durable, not just cute. Each little guy has so much personality. They are now available in our shop in all kinds of bright, cheerful colors.

For a little bit of sock monkey history, check this out.

How Bags are Born: Part IV

After I ruched and prepped the clutches, I handed them off to Ashley. She put in the zippers and sewed all of the components together.

Once the bag is sewn, everything is wrong side out. I made this little film strip of shots so that you could see the process of 'turning' the bag. (Click on the image to see it full-size.)

Here Ashley works on the last step - sewing on the buttons and adding the bangle.

So that's how bags are born.

Hopefully, you can see how much fun it is to transform flat pieces of fabric into pretty things.

Home Office

Finally, we have nice weather in Seattle. I set up this impromptu workstation in my back yard at 6:30 or so tonight.

Here's the view from my hammock.

Jeff's been building terraces on our sloped land. You can see a bit of the work-in-progress here.

Happy Father's Day

I'm across the country from my Dad this Father's day, so I thought I'd share some pictures of us here. Above, my dad and me circa 1971. Nice specs Dad!

Family Portrait: We had this picture taken at a fair back when I was in college I think. I'm on the left as Lisa, and my little sis is on the right as Bart. If you know the Buzard clan, you know how perfect these roles are for each of us.

My Dad, as Homer, is definitely an ironic casting. I'm sure Vince Buzard likes donuts, but the similarities stop there.

Throughout my childhood my dad ran his own business, and I'm sure that's what gave me the entrepreneurial bug. His father, Allen Buzard, owned Buzard Brother's Furniture in Sullivan, Indiana for decades, so shopkeeping is in our blood.

Have a great day Dad, and have fun playing golf. I'll be thinking about you.

How Bags are Born: Part III

Once the parts were cut, I ruched the flat pieces of silk. Each fabric takes on a new life once it's gathered and textured this way. (Left, flat fabric. Right, one ruched seam. Click the picture to see a larger view.)

Above, after I ruched the fabric, I layered it over interfacing for stability. I then prepped the mint green lining by sewing in the orange tag.

This gold fabric is a great example of how a muted material becomes striking when ruched. The sheen of the silk has a special luster that nearly glows in the light. (Click the picture to see a larger view.)

Next stop, Ashley's work station to be completed and embellished.

How Bags are Born: Part II

Debbie and Marissa cut orders and inventory projects that are scheduled for production each week. Above Marissa uses quilting rulers to rotary cut the green striped silk for one ruched clutch.

These are components that we'll use to sew the purse. Here I've pinned in our LBD tag and stacked the fabrics on top of interfacing.

Here Marissa cuts the gold bag. A rotary cutter is like a pizza slicer, but made for fabric with a really sharp blade. Watch your fingers Marissa!

Again, the stack of clutch components. (Not shown, zipper.)

Since it's 'Button Thursday,' here's a close-up shot of the star button that I paired with the stitched golden silk. I think they are a perfect match.

To read 'How Bags are Born: Part I,' click here.

Stockists: Introducing Ferrante's

A view of the selection at Ferrante's. Note the
Laura Bee Gelato Handbag in the upper right.

You may not know that we sell a selection of our line to some terrific boutiques in other parts of the country. I want to introduce you to these stockists through pictures that they, our favorite shopkeepers, have sent us.

A cluster of LBD wristlets hangs on a hook under the Cafe sign.

First up is Ferrante's in Spokane, WA. Proprietress Robbie started ordering bags, wallets, and wristlets from us back in January of this year. She's reordered several times so our products must be a good fit with her clientele.

The actual inspiration for our Gelato Handbag
for sale at Ferrante's. Sweet temptation!

Not only does Ferrante's sell great gifts, but their main business is an Italian-inspired pizza and sandwich cafe. Just reading this review makes me hungry.

Two Eve bags dangle above a jewelry display.

I've never been to Spokane, but I'm proud to sell our bags through such a terrific, unique business there.

Ferrante's Cafe and Shoppe, 4516 S. Regal Street, Spokane, WA

If you're in Spokane, please go visit Robbie at Ferrante's. Just tell her Laura Bee sent you.

How Bags are Born: Part I

Every Sunday I survey to store to see what bags have sold the previous week. I then put together fabrics and embellishments that will, by the end of the coming week, transform into inventory. (This is one of the best parts of my job!)

Last week we sold all of our Ruched Luxe Clutches, so here are two combinations I pulled yesterday in the store. I thought you might enjoy seeing all of the production steps that we take to turn these fabrics into new purses.

Step one (above): Exterior fabrics, buttons, and bracelets selected. Scrap of paper indicates style and lining choice.

If She Has Everything

Matches by Fine Spark. Beeswax candles by Big Dipper Waxworks.

When I started selling handbags in the summer of 2001, I really didn't know how my business would look seven years later. I couldn't have predicted that gifts would be such a large part of our niche.

Gently scented soaps by Pre De Provence.

Gradually, I've added in many special items that make thoughtful, reasonably priced gifts. Over the course of the last year, I've slowly brought some spa items - candles, soaps, and lotions into the shop.

Travel candles by Big Dipper, a Seattle company.

These types of consumables make terrific gifts for the woman who has everything. We all need to take a little time to pamper ourselves. Thus, gifts that are pretty and luxurious without being lavish are the perfect way to tell a friend she deserves to relax.

Chocolate bars by Seattle's own Theo Chocolate.

Everything shown here is under $8 in price. Have I shown you our free gift wrap? Next week I'll post some pictures of goodies like these wrapped in our signature pink cake boxes and you'll want a sweet set for yourself.

Shadow Play

When the sun is setting and the light is just right, the shadow above appears on our shop floor. It's rather magical.

This is the banner we have in our window that creates the shadow. I don't have the proper camera filter to get rid of all of the crazy reflections here, but you get the idea.

I bought the 'custom handbags' banner from LetterSpace Paper here. For ten dollars the crafty folks at this Chicago company will make a sign featuring your message and your choice of paper.

Button Thursday: Handpainted Floral

Large Floral Button, originally uploaded by Laura Bee Seattle.

This is another treasure from my trip to my hometown. It's a large shell button that has textured flowers painted on a black circle. I can't tell if the painting was part of the original design, or if it was added later.

The story I made up about this button is that it was hand-painted by a home seamstress. She copied the flower motif from a pretty fabric. Wanting a special dress to wear on a date with her sweetheart, she wanted matching fabric and buttons for her party dress.

Better Late Than Never

My sister's birthday is long gone, but I've finally finished her gift. She wanted a new Veronica for summer. (Thanks for your patience Susannah. This bag is shipping out today.)

She requested a print that had all of the colors she wears - pink, red, green, teal, white, yellow. Easy right? Not so. I wanted to find the perfect fabric so I looked through my collection, visited several stores and came up empty-handed. Finally though, a lucky trip to Goodwill a few weeks back yielded this crazy paisley shirt.

Top quality and beautifully made, this shirt was also too wild to wear. I think it works perfectly paired with lime green microsuede and glossy white trim. I can just see my sis tooling around Boston on her bike with this bag.

Since Susannah has an extra-special auntie relationship with Otis, I took this picture of her new bag with the pug.

Filmmaker Wallets

If you live in Seattle, you might recognize the image on these wallets. It's one of the omnipresent 2008 Seattle International Film Festival posters.

We were asked to make a custom wallet for the Northwest Production Summit. The event is, in part, designed to entice LA filmmakers to the Puget Sound to shoot movies in the future.

Each wallet has four pockets - two for dollar sized documents, one clear ID pocket, and one for coffee and credit cards.

The SIFF and Washington State Film Works offices will give the stuffed wallets to producers and others participating in the Summit.

I mentioned this project in my post about the opening gala of the festival here.