This bag is inspired by the beach and sand. I wanted to make a cute tote you could bring to the beach, but not bring the beach home with you. It’s a looser weave than bag 17/fifty2, so all the sand should fall out of it!

This bag is inspired by the orange signs…again. I decided to cut the sign into strips and weave them together to see what would happen. It’s the perfect size for bringing books to/from the library…people still do that, right?

This bag is inspired by fire fighters and snowmakers. I incorporated some hose I collected from some good friends…I can’t remember if this was fire hose or snowmaking hose, but it’s basically the same thing. I wanted to add a bit of flair flare (see what I did there?) to the neutral color hose, so I dyed it with leather dye. For the first time doing that, I think I did a decent job…next time I will try stripes instead of dots!!

This bag is inspired by slowing down. Take a breath and chill out!  I have had these bright orange signs for so long and I needed a place I could use them. I think this clutch is a great way to incorporate the sign in a funky way.

The double clutch. This one is inspired by an idea I had a while ago…as I was searching for my keys in the bottom of a big bag. (I can never find my keys in a big bag!) That’s why I really like lots of pockets, spaces, etc. that can be used to get your bag organized (no comments from my family and friends about my lack of organization…I just have a unique way of organizing…wink, wink).

Back to the clutch…I have been designing lots of these lately and they all have one thing in common…one space. So…I said to myself, “Self, why don’t you design a clutch with two separate spaces? You can call it the double clutch!” I listened to myself and here it is…

I’ve been working on this curved top clutch for a while and I cannot remember what it was inspired by. Sad, but true. So I’ll just make something up…

This clutch was inspired by the slight curves of the earth when viewing it from a very high distance…like over 35,000 feet above the earth. (I looked it up).

BONUS POST:

I’m on vacation right now…back to where I lived before I “quit my job to follow my dreams”. It has been a great trip so far and I’ve reconnected with some of my favorite people on the planet…and I still have over a week here.

There’s a great hike in town and if you’re “in the know” you’re smart enough to bring a Swiss-Bob to the top and ride the trail to the bottom. I’ve done this hike previously, but must have been “out of the know” (?-I’m sticking with it), because this was my first time on a Swiss-Bob and it was fabulous. Even one of my bags got to try it out! (Check out the video above if you haven’t yet).

It was a beautiful day spent with one of my favorite people and a great dog. We hiked up (full disclosure…I’m out of shape and no longer live at a high elevation, so I was a very slow hiker…let’s just say I REALLY enjoyed the scenery). At the top we had a delicious European style lunch (we were Swiss-Bobbing after all) which obviously included some wine, and wonderful conversation.

After the fun trip down the mountain we decided it was time to Après-Bob. What? You’ve never gone to the local bar with your Swiss-Bob to enjoy a well deserved beer/cocktail? Shame on you!

This bag is inspired by my new grommet tool. I wanted to use grommets in a different way and incorporate a strap into the mix. It’s just big enough to hold your cellphone, wallet, and a few small essentials. I decided to add the green zipper detail on the side to give it a bit more color. That was a last minute addition right before I sewed up the seams.

This bag is a combination of two of my previous bags (2 and 3/fifty2). I received some new tools this week, so I wanted to use them on my bag…hence the top of the bag. After using this bag a few times I would make a few changes so it’s easier to carry. It’s big enough to fit a cellphone, wallet, etc. (etc. being something small like a lip gloss).

 

This bag is also inspired by the ice heaves from my hike a few weeks ago. I love how it turned out…a little smaller than I anticipated. It took me hours of learning how to burnish the leather to get my strap “just right”.