Belated Blogroll

Sometimes it IS better late than never... I found out late last week that one of my leather cuffs had been featured on this blog:

http://gilbea.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html

I'm joined there by several other members of the Etsy Leather Team, in a collection of cuffs and leatherwork that is so striking when seen en masse. Thanks for including my "Wishbone" cuff!

Bon Voyage!

My Victoriana messenger bag is on its way overseas this week... thanks to Etsy and its international fanbase of handmade artistry.
I love the mix of sturdy leather and mannish messenger style, alongside the more delicate elements like the vintage cameo and a feminine ruffle of Italian leather. I hope the new owner in Istanbul will enjoy it as much as I did creating it!

Eyelet Ecstasy

The leather eyelet jacket begun earlier on this blog (see my post of February 4, 2009) was completed and delivered to a *very* happy client this past weekend!

As a plus size, she'd never believed she could wear a leather jacket. To her delight, I created a jacket style for her that was both slimming to the eye, and lightweight to wear.

The reverse side of this purple embossed ostrich was an amazing coral-red shade; thanks to the hand punching, the coral tone peeps through each eyelet and adds depth to the design. Oversized antique brass hooks form the closure for the jacket, unusual in that the hooks are "on display" on the front side rather than hidden underneath.

When my clients are happy, I'm happy! :D

Pod People

Isn't it crazy? I didn't blog for a month, and now two entries in one week... but I'm just so excited about my new backpack design that I've gotta share!

The "Pod" is surprisingly roomy while the slim, curvy shape hugs the small of your back -- you barely can tell that you have it on. On this prototype, I paired caramel brown leather with an Italian suede that has chromosome shapes scattered across it (one of my all-time favorites) plus goldtone hardware, from rivets to zippers to a huge ring for those times when you hand-carry your bag.

I loooove this bag, and can see it in so many different color combinations for Spring...

Leatherworks: Redux

I've been working on a fun project this week... creating leather wristlets and cosmetics cases out of the leather tiles from my gallery exhibit Leatherworks: From Form and Function to Fashion, on display at the WKP Kennedy Gallery in North Bay, Ontario in early 2008.

A leather shield/wall hanging was a large part of the exhibit -- pardon the pun, the shield itself was over nine feet tall! -- and, once dismantled, was simply waiting for its reinterpretation into something new and wonderful.

The shield protrayed the Lion Rampant of Scotland, using an applique technique similar to South American mola textile work. I layered pearlescent blue leather with four additional shades of red and blue lambskin and outlined each portion of the design with metallic thread.

Reinterpreted into chic cosmetics bags, each case is a unique part of the shield -- no two are alike!