Showing posts with label handbag. Show all posts
Showing posts with label handbag. Show all posts

Roses are Red My Love

by Venbead

Arts In RI team members decided to creatively challenge one another to embrace the season of love with Valentine themed products. Between now and Valentine's Day we will share some of these "lovely" designs with you here on our blog. Let us know how you feel about our art by leaving a comment. Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a random drawing for an Arts In RI gift basket featuring goodies from many of our shops. (one entry per person per post. In other words you can enter once every time we post a new product!!!) Be sure to check back on the blog on Valentine's Day as we will announce the winner that day. Entries will be accepted until midnight February 13th


Our next item is a sweet wristlet created by Lisa Billings of PinkLemonadeBoutique. Lisa says of her creation: "I HEART linen, and this wristlet combines my favorite fabric and a beautiful embroidered rose applique detail. It's just perfect for a romantic night out on the town, or a cocktail party with friends. A sweet little bag for all your little essentials. I love this piece because it's very pretty and feminine, but not over the top. The natural linen keeps it sophisticated, but the hot pink shades make it just perfectly romantic." Let us know what you think of Lisa's wristlet here in the comments section and you will be entered to win a drawing for a gift basket filled with goodies made by Arts In RI members.
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A Valentine's To Love

by Venbead
Arts In RI team members decided to creatively challenge one another to embrace the season of love with Valentine themed products. Between now and Valentine's Day we will share some of these "lovely" designs with you here on our blog. Let us know how you feel about our art by leaving a comment. Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a random drawing for an Arts In RI gift basket featuring goodies from many of our shops. (one entry per person per post. In other words you can enter once every time we post a new product!!!) Be sure to check back on the blog on Valentine's Day as we will announce the winner that day. Entries will be accepted until midnight February 13th.

Have you ever fallen in love with something at first sight? That's how I felt when I saw this classy Valentine themed clutch made by Linda of Alamodestuff. The fabric is velvet flocked red taffeta. Linda said of the fabric: "When I saw it, I simply had to have it. I wasn't sure what I was going to make, but I bought it anyway. After staring at it for days, I decided that it would make the perfect clutch for a little black dress. The shape was inspired by the purses of the 1940s. It reminds me of a time when women wore evening gloves with their fancy little bags." Check out Linda's shop for this item as well as other wonderful items with urban appeal.
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Fabric Meets Metal

by Venbead
Our next collaborative project takes us to the sewing room of Lisa Billings of Pink Lemonade Boutique. Lisa designs and makes gorgeous fabric handbags. She completed a project with Mark Kaplan a metal smith who has taken a one year sabbatical from Arts in RI while he travels Asia. We interviewed Lisa about their completed design.

Please tell us a little about yourself and what kind of art you make

Let's see...I am a stay at home Mom trying to make a go of a handbag business on Etsy and various craft shows. I love to sew, quilting is my passion, but handbags are quicker and more profitable! I actually really enjoy designing handbags too, obviously. They are the perfect outlet for my fabric obsession. I'd rather buy fabric than food, clothes, shoes, (well maybe not shoes) and jewelry. I love to incorporate elements of quilting into handbag design, such as patchwork and fabric applique. I like quirky color combinations, and vibrant colors in general.

Can you tell us how you got started on this project and how it has evolved?

Actually it took me awhile to actually get started on the project. I approached Mark Kaplan about collaborating, and he really understood the design idea I was describing to him. Next thing you know, he has these gorgeous Sakura buttons for me. I kind of dragged my feet on it because I became daunted at designing the perfect bag for his buttons. I think I was overthinking it. But then I just happened to be showing a bag I just made, and someone suggested I add the buttons to it, and voila, it worked beautifully! It was serendipitous.

What inspired you about your partner's art?

I was intrigued by the contrast in our styles. His masculine metalwork was so different from my floral feminine style, I thought it would be pretty dynamic.

How did you ultimately decide to make what you did?

Well think I pretty much described how it inadvertantly came together.

Can you give us some insight into your brainstorming process?

As far as the idea I pictched to Mark, I just had these Sakura (cherry blossom) images floating in my head, and I thought he would be able to execute them, and he did perfectly. I don't know why, but at the time I was fixated on that particular motif.

Did this collaboration stretch your creative limits?

It did, and that's exactly why I wanted to collaborate with Mark. On the surface he seemed like and unlikely partner for me and at first I thought; "this is kind of wacky", but it was actually such a compatible meeting of styles.

Were there any roadblocks or setbacks?

Just my own overthinking and procrastination.

Did you find this to be a rewarding experience and why?

Yes it was very rewarding. I appreciated so much Mark being to willing to do this with me. He did such a great job with the buttons. And I got great feedback about what ultimately became the finished product. It was rewarding to see your particular craft from a different point of view, and do something you wouldn't naturally feel comfortable doing. I'd love to do it again.
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Member Recognition

by Venbead















Two of our members, Kim of Kim V Glass and Linda of A la' mode have recently been published! Kim has a wonderful tutorial of her electroformed skeleton key in the Oct/Nov 2008 issue of Glass Line Magazine, and one of Linda's bags has been featured in the October 2008 issue of Stressfree Living. Congratulations to both of them. We are so proud of them. Both make beautiful art and it's really nice when talent is recognized.
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