Indian Summer

Its so hot out and the giddy heat, bright sun and bouncing hay balls across the desert is all I can think about. Okay, I'm not seeing real hay balls but heat is definitely making me edgy and migrained. Custom orders are stacked. I'm having trouble keeping up. Some business opportunities are popping up on the side as well but the florspace people are a bit reserved about taking it to the next level, brick, mortar or over oceans. We've had a weird experience with consignments once and would be happier with wholesale. Even then, because every piece is made by hand, words like "bulk" and "wholesale" seem almost offensive. We're not taking it personally of course, the whole point of making stuff (to us) is to spread the quality we once had a long time ago & taken for granted, but had lost it to mass production and sweatshopping in the 21st century. That said, its prolly more meaningful to keep it small and exclusive even, like the tiny handmade shoe shops in the unknown lanes of Paris, where once you've worn a pair, you'll never wear anything else again. I feel exactly the same for handmade shea butter soaps from naiad and soy candles from blisscandles. The so many romanticized idealists would make much more refined things in life which we can immediately appreciate - it comes from someone's hands, not a machine. (Like a Birkin!)



This purse turned out so red hot indian summer! I was once again re-inspired by my own handmade endevors while brainstorming and creating this passport holder for K. (I was really getting bit sick of it. Yikes.) She had wanted a passport holder that would fit & something bright so that it won't get lost in her tote. The conditions seem simple enough. Of course, I'd wanted to put zippers behind, pockets inside, D-rings here and everywhere... But in the end, I gave it all up for simplicity. Not because I was lazy, but I had thought about the practicality of it all plus the fabric was fabulous enough! When the airport security is breathing down my neck, I'd be cold-sweating if I had to dig around a million pockets for my passport and papers. So I decided to keep it bold and simple. And a keyring strap fixed to the zipper so that the holder would remember to zip up before moving. Extra security. :+)

It actually turned out so cute, I think I'll make one for myself. All that book-like passport holder I got was really not working for me. I'm a zippered purse gal. Et tu?