Spring SALE

Spring is almost here and I can't wait! Winter in Canada usually means ugly footwear and lots of layers so I am really looking forward to high heals and no puffy jackets! To celebrate I'm having a sale in the CHA CHA SHOP use discount code ALMOSTSPRING at the checkout to get 15% off.

Theres a First For Everything- My First Vegan Clutch

Over the weekend I was dismantling an old leather chair that was about to get thrown out. I was salvaging all the leather that was still in great condition. As I was cutting, I realized that part of it was not leather at all, but vinyl. (NOTE to those about to buy a leather chair, companies will often advertise "leather" furniture, when in reality only part of the piece is leather, the rest is vinyl in the same colour. Sneaky.)
At first I was disappointed that I wasn't going to get as much leather as I had anticipated, but as I looked at and held the vinyl I saw that it was in great condition and could easily be given a second life.  ENTOURAGE CLUTCH was the first style that came to mind that I knew would work great in this material. One great thing about vinyl is the durability. It doesn't scratch easily, you can spill anything on it and it just rolls off and it's pretty light weight.

QUESTION: 
Would you buy a vinyl handbag?
OR
Is leather just too pretty to imitate?

Purple, My Favorite.

I love the colour purple, but it's hard to find the right shade. After filtering through piles of used jackets, skirts, pants ect. I have only found one jacket in what I think is the perfect shade of purple. I was happy I had just enough to make THIS ENTOURAGE CITY TOTE out of it. Just one made!

The Softest Thing You Have Ever Touched.

If after buying this, you can honestly tell me it's not the softest thing you have ever touched, I will give you ONE MILLION DOLLARS. Not really, but it is the softest leather I have come across.
This Entourage City Tote used to be a mens jacket. The garment was originally made in Canada and is beautiful, buttery smooth brown leather.

Entourage City Tote

I love when I am able to salvage large enough pieces of reclaimed leather to make a large bag with all the extra features like... front zip pocket, double handles, long strap options.
Working with reclaimed materials is wonderful because it forces you to be more creative but can feel a little limiting sometimes when you don't have enough leather to include all the features you want. But with this Entourage City Tote I got lucky and had JUST enough leather. Not a speck of waste was left behind with this one.

New Bag!

This is Gracie. A style I have been using for a while only my version is black. It fits my gym equipment perfectly and the braided strap is comfortable when the bag get really heavy.
The leather used to make this bag came from a very long 70's style, women's trench coat. Buttons, had fallen off, the lining was tearing and it was marked with the occasion pen stain. You could tell that this garment had lived and interesting life with someone.

Agatha 1970- Recycled Leather Clutch

I call this version 1970 because it was made from a jacket that looked straight out of that decade. It was trench coat style, exaggerated collar, large leather covered buttons and bright orange silk-ish lining. It was ready for a reincarnation. I had enough leather to make just one of these.

New Clutch- As Yummy as Spicy Cinnamon Hearts

I'm loving this brass right now. This clutch is made of a mix of red and brown recycled leather and lined with screen printed canvas. This is the only one made.  I could say "its red, great for Valentines day" but really, I don't care about Valentines day. Except for those spicy little cinnamon hearts, those are good.

What I am EATING.

In my on going attempt to eat out less and cook more I have been trying some new recipes. This month has been full of a lot of Mexican flavours and soups. Soups are perfect for winter and a great way to get tons of veggies in.

While waiting in line at the grocery store one day last month in I got sucked into the magazine rack. Usually I flip through cheap tabloids that can be read in their entirety while you wait to check out but this time food caught my eye. I love Mexican food so I thought I would give it a try. I ended up making my entire New Years Eve Dinner out of it.

I couldn't find Poblano peppers in my local store so I used jalapeno peppers. A little spicy but great. Next time I will replace the black beans with some shredded chicken.

I was most skeptical about this one. Was it a corn bread a pudding? I didn't get it. But it turned out to be one of my favorites. It was the prefect mix of sweet and spicy, a great side dish.

Super simple, quick and tasty.

This recipe is a little cut off here, but its not missing anything too important. I replaced the chorizo with shredded chicken in this because not everyone in my house eats pork, but to be honest the chorizo probably would have added quite a bit of flavour. It was still good, I would make it again but would just pump up the spices a little.

LOVE THIS SOUP. Easy, tasty and affordable. I increase the spices, I actually double them and add some chilli flakes for a bit more spice. This recipe is from the Looney Spoons Series. I make a big batch of this soup and put some in the freezer. It's always nice to have a plan B on hand for days when I feel too lazy to cook.

Elizabeth Wrap Belts- Recycled Leather

 Elizabeth Wrap Belt. Same pattern as the wrap belts I have made in the past, the difference is that these ones are made of 100% recycled leather!!

New Handbag- Arizona

Check out this bright lady- ARIZONA. 100% recycled suede inside and out.

What I am Reading...

1Q84- by Haruki Murakami

I still have about 200 pages left of this book so I can't give my full opinion, but I do know that I love it so far. I am almost savouring this one like a rich dessert, reading only so much at a time because I don't want it to be over. 

Many years ago picked up The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle also by Haruki Murakami at a garage sale for 25 cents. I enjoyed it at the time but think I wasn't ready for his style of writing and didn't appreciate it the way I would now. I will be re-reading that one soon. 

Murakami has the most beautiful style of writing, like nothing I have read before. His words evoke such vivid visuals that without effort I can go back to scenes in my head and feel like I watched them take place right in front of me. I highly recommend.

Paris Times Eight- by Deirdre Kelly
To be honest I like almost any book that reminds me of Paris. But following Deirdre's journey through the city was light and fun. A casual book you could easily finish in a weekend.

Letters To A Young Feminist- by Phyllis Chesler PH.D.
In school I never took a Women's Studies course and didn't spend a whole lot of time wondering if I considered myself a feminist or not, but lately I have found myself more and more interested in Women's lives and experiences all over the world, past and present.  I enjoyed this one. Phyllis talks a lot about her experiences growing up in the 50's, 60's and 70's which makes it clear how many things have changed and how many sadly have not.

What have you been reading???

Pretty Handbags - In Need of New Home.

Happy New Year!! 
Hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing break over the last few weeks with friends and family. I sure did, but I am ready to get back into things!!
Cleaning out the CHA CHA closet this week, great deals on bags & belts.

Would you wear it??

All the women in my life get stuff I have made for Birthdays & Christmas. They may actually be getting tired of handbags and scarves, but who could get tired of handbags and scarves????
This week I am working on the last of my Christmas gifts and trying out some new things. This is the first time I have used this print on a scarf.
I think it works, what do you think??? Would you wear it or is it too much?

Somethings I just can't live without.

I have been without Photoshop for 2 weeks now. I didn't realize how often I use it. I use it for everything, probably more things then I really should. I'm not a natural computer whiz, so when I find a program I am comfortable with I use the hell out of it. Anyways, me an Photoshop are together again so I will be posting new bags soon.

Join me at Crafternoon Tea!

Normally at this time of year I would be getting ready for the Toronto One of a Kind Show but I have decided to sit this season out. Since I recently made the decision to switch from working with new leather to recycled leather I wanted to make sure I had the new line just right before I made the huge investment into such a large show.
So this Saturday I am looking forward to taking part in Crafternoon Tea. This is the 7th edition of the Indie Craft/Fashion Market. There will be 25 local vendors and the admission fee is either a donation of toiletries or stocking stuffing or a $2 donation to the target charity.
I will be bringing along scarves, recycled clutches, pouches and small bags. Stop by and say hi this Saturday!

When: November 26th 11am to 5pm
Where: 947 Queen St. East at Carlaw ( Queen East Pres. Church), Leslieville

A Little DIY- Hand Dyed Cotton Scarves

1. I like to use a nice light weight cotton. Something soft, but still durable.
2. I get my fabric ready cutting it to the size and tying some loose knots. This will give the fabric that marbled sort of look after its dyed.
3. Next I put on some huger rubber gloves. This is a MUST, I learned this the hard way.
4. I chose the colours I want and dilute them in some water. I use a vegetable base pigments.
5. Then I soak my fabric in the dye. Not for very long, just enough time to get it really covered.
6. I ring them out and let the knotted canvas sit on a drying rack for a few hours to ensure the dye has taken.
7. Now I rinse them. I like to do this to give the scarves a subtle look. I don't want the colour to be to intense. After they are rinsed they are ready to be silkscreened.
8. I pick out my favourite image that I have had made into a silk screen, lately I have been loving these zig- zags.
9. Once the fabric has dried I go over the whole scarf with a hot iron to set the ink. You could probably get away with just that step, but i like to then wash the fabric. This softens it up as well as insures that NO DYE WILL TRANSFER TO YOUR CLOTHES. Worth the extra step.
10. The very last step is carefully sewing the edges so you have a nice clean look. I keep the ends raw, but you could sew around the entire scarf if you would like.

All in all, not to difficult to make, just a little time consuming.  Worth it in the end.
I think these will make great gifts for the holiday season!

Thrift Store Finds

Once or twice a week I make my rounds to the local thrift stores to see if I find any garments that can be turned into beautiful leather bags. While I am there I usually venture into a few other sections, home goods and books. This week I found a pair of the sweetest little espresso cups. Hand painted with 24k gold. These little cups will make a wonderful addition to my morning routine. Second hand stores are a great place to find books. Its nice to go in without a title or author in mind and pick up something you may not otherwise read. This week I will be reading Papillon by Henri Charriere.
Total Spent: $4.89

11/11/11

In honour of those who have fought, as well as those who continue to fight for our freedoms. Thank- You.

Entourage City Tote- Meant to Be

Mixing leathers isn't always easy. You need to make sure the weight is similar, the textures compliment each other and of course, that the colours work together. I lucked out with this one. These two garments (a previous jacket and skirt) seem to be made for each other. Entourage City Tote.

The Perfect Party Bag-Diaz Baguette in Brown

I am a big fan of small bags like the Diaz Baguette. Maybe not for toting things to and from work, but for evenings out, afternoons shopping and even trips to the grocery store. Sometimes we just carry too much stuff.
I recently went through one of the large bags I use and I found....
- 2 spoons
- 2 lip balms
- 2 lip sticks
- 2 markers
- 1 high lighter
- more year old receipts then I care to admit
Really, all this stuff isn't necessary, sometimes it's nice to travel light.

What would make your handbag better???

A lovely customer recently mentioned that she was liking the new recycled leather clutches, but would like them even more if they had a removable strap so she could have another option for carrying it.
Such a simple little addition makes this bag much more functional.
If you ladies have any suggestions on features you would like to see in a handbag please let me know!!

In Love.

I try and love everything equally, but sometimes I just can't. I found the leather for this skirt at a second hand store this weekend and knew it would be perfect for this style. The skirt was mid length and pretty worn at the bottom, you can tell from the wear that the previous owner had loved it as well.
As soon as I got home I took it apart and it fit the pattern perfectly! The only scraps I had left over was the one small area with damage. I love when things just work out. As per usual, only one made.