This tote bag has:
• an exterior slip pocket on each side
• one interior slip and one interior zip pocket
• a lobster claw key fob keeper
• and a cinch strap top closure.

It features rolled handles, and it was meant to have the vegan leather panel trim across the entire bottom quarter, but that didn’t end up happening after the miscalculation. It’s got my trademark wooden amoeba feet, so the bag wont get wet or dirty unless you stick in it a deep puddle of mud.

The off the wall grommet where the cinch clasp lives is rescued directly from a drapery set.

Chrome hardware rounds out the edgy details, as do the striped silk strap connectors on the sides.

The interior is a wicked cool suzani print in plums and greens and yellows, it’s got a single slip pocket inside, and the two exterior pockets are the perfect size to drop a phone in; the tabs on those pockets are tight enough that your keys won’t fall out even if you flip the bag upside down with them in there — which is great if you have a push button start car! You can still get your fingers into the side pockets to retrieve the keys if you have to actually put them in a lock.

The base is a super cool old school floral with birds and trees and loads of flowers – it’s dead stock I picked up maybe 7 or 8 years ago and I’ve been sitting on it ever since, waiting for the right project to come along.

The colors are predominately magenta, sunflower, and blueberry, with some greens and oranges for accent colors. The collage work is my usual random bits and pieces of whatever was handy and looked good at the time.

The lining is crafted from a suzani print and there’s a single interior slip pocket. The exterior side pockets are perfect for stashing a phone or dropping in your key fob if you’ve got a push button starter – they are snug enough to keep the contents secure but the opening is wide enough that you can get a regular sized phone in this version.

Custom collaging on the front slip pocket and the back panel create a striking design when paired with the multicolored fancy weave. Simple quilted accents, and contrast lining with two interior slip pockets and lobster claw key fob catcher mean you’ll never be searching for your phone, your lipstick, or your keys again.

ag Six also shows some variation in hardware and embellishment – this is the first time I’ve gone with a slim version of the vegan leather strap, instead of the sturdier multi-layer edition; I also went with a 3/4″ finished width – which is impossible to do with the additional layers if you want to maintain any sense of proportion. Since this is a party bag and not a daily driver, I wasn’t too concerned with the idea that the bag would be overloaded and the strap would fail.

Creating a bucket bag shape with specific dimensions is easier said than done, but after a couple of false starts, I got on with it. Interior slip pockets, recycled denim interior bottom and tight fitting exterior side pockets (also recycled denim) helped to create a bag that can easily fit a wallet, phone, keys, and a few other essentials with no extra bulk or weight.

The wide vegan leather handle makes the bag easy for grab and go – one of the main requests for the bag. The blue toned floral pattern is an upscale outdoor fabric with stain protector built in; this also adds to the durability of the bag, but doesn’t make the finished product look like a patio chair cushion. The drawstring closure also makes it easy to cinch and even easier to get into the bag with a single hand.

The interior is made from drop cloth fabric – an inexpensive “base” that I absolutely love using when I am making collage art and certain bags.

It’s such a great neutral. And you can always find your keys (use the key fob!) or your lipstick or your room key or whatever against the light colored background. It is also a fairly dirt resistant material, so kids and pets and that sort of thing won’t ruin your bag interior straightaway.

Bag Three was an early edition of a popular tote bag - wooden feet, taller than it is wide, streamlined shaping with multiple inside and outside pockets.

Construction on this bag was done with no existing pattern to alter; the entire thing was thought up in my mind and drawn up on my iPad.

The boxy shape entertains both a sideways and a flat lie depending on where you are and how much room you have to stow your bag; the clever use of recycled denim on this version created a unique closure – made from the waistband and button of a pair of jeans that were well past their prime.

Bag Two features inside slip pockets and a lobster claw key fob holder, so you can forget about digging around in the bottom of your bag, desperately searching for those little suckers… and the bottom of the bag is supported by hand cut and finished wooden feet, which help to keep the bag bottom from getting wet or dirty when sitting on the ground or in the airport.

Construction details like top stitching, welt trim, and double interfacing as needed are now standard operating procedure.
Other details like hand cut wooden feet to keep the bag bottom clean and dry have been with me since day one.

The use of recycled and repurposed materials like drop cloth fabric interiors, upholstery scraps and fabric remnants combine with vegan leather, recycled fur, and original artwork to produce some truly stunning, one of a kind bags and totes,

Changes to the finished product now include top stitching around the fabric/vegan leather join, magnetic snap, strap cinch, or zip top closures (this one was specifically requested with no top closures of any kind), and a few variations on the strap attachments – based on the materials combo and the look and feel of the bag itself.