New Handbag Design

It has been wonderful getting back to working with leather. Sure, I love making clothes! Who doesn't? But I love working with leather. Why not make leather clothes? I really don't care for working with lambskin, and that really is the most appropriate leather for clothes. I'm still working on the white leather jacket. But I have so many projects on my table, you would not believe! And of course, I must always put customer's orders first. 

I've been making a few handbags. Nothing new. I've been making them for years, but not on Etsy. So now I've added handbags to my designer line and I'm just having so much fun at it. Here's my latest design.

Britt Bag in Deep Plum

I made this one with 4 leather panels on each side. I offset the squares just a bit. I didn't want the whole thing to look too match-y. I decided to price all of my bags at $125 each. Yeah, I know I could get more, but I don't want making the bags to become a complicated messy job. They are really simple bags.

I also have a couple of new leather in my Town line. May as well show them off too while I'm at it. 

Town Bag in Absolut Silver

This one is a metallic silver leather with white stitching and silver hardware!

Town Bag in Black Bomber

This one is made with really bomber jacket leather! Direct from Italy!

I have two more leather bags to do for the new year. Back to work I go.

SharonH

Fine-Threadz Leather Town Bag in Deep Plum

Deep Plum Hobo

w/contrast stitching

Here is my newest leather bag! It's a huge hobo bag done in Deep Plum  Leather with a smooth top grain and white contrast stitching. I've added my signature braided leather strap and a raw edge gray satin lining. This is the only one I have in stock. Not sure if I'll be able to get my hands on anymore of this great leather.

Size 16 x 13 x 3.5
Strap 21 in. long
Drop from shoulder is 27 in. 




Click on the pictures to see full details.

SharonH

Fine-Threadz Leather Town Bag in Bittersweet Chocolate

Here is my newest leather bag! It's a huge hobo bag done in Bittersweet Chocolate Leather with a pebble grain and white contrast stitching. I've added my signature braided leather strap and Fine-Threadz signature sateen cotton lining in black and white. This is the only one I have in stock at the moment. Not sure if I'll be able to get my hands on anymore of this great leather.

Size 16 x 14 x 3
Strap 21 in. long
Drop from shoulder is 29 in. 

Town Bag in Bittersweet Chocolate

Town Bag with Fine-Threadz lining!

SharonH

I Simply Must Have It - OPI Shatter!!!!

One of my most favorite fashion accessories isn't, technically, an accessory! Nail polish. But I tend to like very nontraditional colors. This is someone who has three different shades of black in her collection. And when you get right down to it, no, even all blacks aren't the same.

My favorite brand of nail enamel is OPI. Only once you get your hand on some OPI... or rather get some on your hands, will you too find out that not all nail enamels are created equal. It last longer. It chips less. The colors are in the hundreds, but they can be hard to find locally. Try Ebay. Anywhooo OPI is about to introduce a black that crackles over a colored nail polish creating a leopardy print look.

 

Honestly I'm not sure who Katy Perry is (that's a lie) and I couldn't care less about whether some of the OPI line has Serena Williams' name on it (that's not a lie). I'm not interested in any of the other colors as I have plenty of colors of my own and all I really want is that black. 

I also want to mention visiting the OPI website is well worth it. It's a wonderful experience! This is where you can see all of their latest colors, sure. You'd expect that. What I like is the animated section where you can try on any of their colors. In this "Try This Color On" section you get to choose the tone of the hand, the nail length and to "virtually" try on all the colors they have to your little heart's desire without having to deal with a messy cotton ball. Really, what more could ask for? (Oh I know! Free nail polish!)

OMG! That is awesome. I just can't wait. However I heard it won't be out until the new year. Bummer. When I find it... and I will... I'll be sure to let you all know. 

SharonH

Here's one of my latest Treasuries on Etsy!

Great Photography Artist of Etsy

You don't have to be the artistic type to have an appreciation for art. Art is what it is just because it speaks to the soul. Have you ever seen a photo and just said "Wow"? Well art is like that. You can love it. You can hate it. But the fact that it issues any response is considered a good thing.

I like a lot of different types of art, but I don't really care for the classics. Like "The Mona Lisa". It's suppose to be a masterpiece, but it just doesn't do a thing for me. I actually saw it at the Louvre in Paris. It was surrounded by guards and you really couldn't get that close to it. It was much smaller than I expected. My initial response was "all the hoopla, over that!?! On the flip side, when I went to see the Arc de Triomphe (my #1 reason for going to Paris), my  mouth fell open in awe. I walked around it. and under it, as traffic would allow. It's like an overpass that traffic travels under down on Champs Elysee. It was huge! Never seen anything like it! Now that was art. To me.

 So I realize I don't have the right to say what is art in someone else eye's. Only my own. In that aspect anything could be art. That is the best thing about art. It will always depend on whether the viewer sees it as art. I'm by no means a pro at art, but I'm one who would question whether anyone has the right to call themselves an art expert. LOL! (Always bucking the system, I am!)

So without further ado (isn't that French?) here are some awesome photography artists that I have recently had the pleasure of rubbing elbows with! They are members of the TreasureMe Team on Etsy and I really love their work. For the fun of it, I'll give a one word description of each piece and we can compare notes. 

Promopocket

Sexy!

Bomobob

Tranquil!

GinaPhoto

Metro!

Photomcgee

Glacial!

Super 8

 Rain!

Eireanneilis

Beautiful!

First Light Photo

Time!

The BQE

Industrial!

Such wonderful fine art photography. I have several favorites with each of these great artist, so I have a very hard time NOT using them over and over in my treasuries. Their work has the ability to set the whole tone for my treasuries, so I feel they are lacking without them. Anyway, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. To see more of their work, please click on the picture to visit their shops.

SharonH

Just When You Thought.....

Just when I thought the newest trend in shoes couldn't get any scarier! These are by far the scariest shoes I've ever seen. Just seeing them makes me cringe.

WTF? I love me some Lady Gaga, but...... (sigh)

SharonH

Courtesy of  Stylist.com. You can click on the picture to read the entire article.

For The Love of Linen

One of my biggest customers recently asked me to make a hooded linen dress. Her specs were that it had to have a hood. It had to be big enough to be a pull over. (Linen doesn't stretch.) Keep it simple. Make it around 44in long. She choose orchid for the color. It took me a while to do this because I had to create a mock up first using muslin. Here is the finished dress.

It has plenty of pleats and the hood is generously cut. I added a unique biased neckline. I also added slit pockets. It's simple. So I also added a tie belt cut on the bias.

Linen is one of my most favorite fabrics to work with. I just love the clean lines and the texture. I love how if you wash it, it's super soft but if you get it dry cleaned, it has a more tailored feel to it. Yes, it stays wrinkled and rumbled looking but that's part of its charm.

SharonH

Top 10 Hottest Etsy Trends of 2010

Before the holiday season comes upon us, I wanted to take the time to introduce you to some of Etsy's hottest trends. For those of you who don't frequent Etsy, you should know, it's a world unto itself. I still consider myself quite new and some of the things that stunned me where their obsessions with things like mustaches, foxes, owls, geekery gear and all things vintage. I can understand the geekery and vintage, but so far I haven't been able to gain an appreciation for the mustaches, foxes and owls. Every time I see that kind of stuff on the front page I go WTF? Whose buying that stuff? Again, I have no idea. 

There are some really unique items on Etsy that mainstream has yet to really catch onto, but would probably welcome. This article is an introduction to just some of those wonderful items. So here it is, the Top 10 Hottest Etsy Trends of 2010.

10) Eco-Friendly Soy Candle - Rosewood Vanilla

Green and environmentally friendly goods have now  become the standard in our society. It's no surprise that Etsian also want their candles to be eco-friendly! Plus the Rosewood Vanilla is just too elegant to pass up.

9) Vintage Books - Christmas In The Heart

Truly, Etsian have embraced all things vintage, not just books. However vintage books are a wonderful stage setter for a more antique inspired home decor. 

8) Vegan Mineral Eye Shadow - Mother Earth

After years of being bombarded with glittery chemical laden make-up products, here's a safer more natural alternative. Not to mention the horrible animal testing that those big companies do.

7) Aqua Shell and Pearl Necklace

Everywhere you turn there's jewelry, but the latest Etsy trend is to get your as something handcrafted by independent jewelry makers. This certainly ensures your girlfriend will not have gotten the same set from Tarjey and is going to be seen in it  the following week at the office. Don't you hate that!?!

6) Fingerless Arm Warmers - Pistachio Green

Fingerless gloves and armwarmers come in many awesome styles on Etsy. The selections are endless. But I choose these because they are just perfect for winter and the unique detailing that went in to making them. Plus it's a gorgeous color!

5) Upcycle Ankle Spats - Goldfinger

Here in Texas, we're no strangers to spats, but all of ours definitely come with a western twist. Imagine strutting your stuff in a set of these. They are also great for giving those old outdated boots a new look. Gorgeous!!!!

4) 8 x 10 Quote Print - It Is What It Is

Remember when having a nest of photos on your wall became all the rage!?! Well Etsy takes it up a notch. Now you can have gorgeous artwork with a message included. You're no longer limited to abstract photos of family and friends, or black and whites you found in National Geographics! Embrace color!

3) Black on White Necklace

Victorian and Steampunk is making a comeback. Don't worry, I didn't know what Steampunk was either, but the first traces of it can be found in the movie "Dark City". A gorgeous mix of Victorian and Industrial. Clearly seen in this gorgeous necklace!

2) Handcrafted Soap - Pomtini

This soap looks good enough to eat (or drink). That is definitely the latest trend in soaps on Etsy. But there's no denying their elegance. Don't be afraid to get them wet. Indulge yourself!

1) Upcycle Necklace Scarf - Green

The first time I saw a string scarf I was intrigued! I'd certainly never saw one of these at Marshal Fields! The first time I ever wore one, it got a lot of stares and even had a few people ask me about them. It's a trendsetter! And that's why this is the #1 Hottest Etsy Trend of 2010!!!!

I made sure to add the links to the photos for the wonderful shops that offer these great trendy items. Just hit the link to see more of what they have to offer. The shop owners are awesome ladies and they are so wonderful to work with!

Here is one of my own trendy items that I didn't add to the top 10.

Black Ruffle Party Dress

Here's Fine-Threadz contribution to the latest trends! Ruffles are definitely in this year and everyone has to have that little black dress for the holidays! Can't do New Years 2011 without one!

SharonH

I Simply Must Have It - Curly Mulberry Scarf

If you are looking for a Christmas gift for the wonderful women in your life without breaking your budget, I have just the gift for you. There I was too broke to bother with gifts this year with the economy being what it is, when a new member joined the TreasureMe Team. I'm a member of that team and in the process of pulling together my latest treasury I discovered these Curly Mulberry Scarves.

The name of the shop is My Knit Crochet and she's in Turkey. Her items are listed on Etsy and the price range is $10 - 70. I ended up ordering five of these gorgeous and supremely unique Curly Mulberry Scarves. At $10 each, they just couldn't be beat. And for the ladies that I bought them for, they will never guess how affordable they were. Plus when I tell them they were made in Turkey, they'll swear I spent a fortune. How can they not? You wear one of these scarves and you'll look like a million!

Zeynep is a wonderful seller to work with. You can't beat $10 for such a gorgeous item, but remember she's in Turkey. If you're going to order, do it early, due to international shipping times. You want to be sure to get them before Christmas. 

I simply had to have them!




SharonH