Today's eco-friendly find is colorful and cheerful, creating lovely wallets, business card holders, fabric wraps, iron ons, coasters, bibs, scarves and more (more? yes, more!) all from repurposed vintage fabrics- they're eco-friendly and cool and a lot of the designs are customizable. What is this wonderful place, you ask? It's rikrak! Check it out! 
Feliz Cinco de Mayo! Today has become a day to celebrate Mexican culture in the United States- although I'm sure you'll see many examples of the capitalization that has made Cinco de Mayo so popular here ($1 margarita happy hour anyone?), I hope you'll also find celebrations of the Mexican heritage, art, music and culture that have helped make America what it is today. To help celebrate some of that talent, here are some handmade goods by Mexico based artists and crafters that I found on good ol' etsy!
{cyrano doll, set of 5 cards by Cara Carmina :: Pink strawberry charm by allen! :: hedgehog march notepads by micasita house}
{Fungi print by Rosie Music :: tulips wallet by ziazia :: Mexican embroidered bag by That Retro Thing :: Mexican embroidered tunic by Aida Coronado} 
{filigree flower and bird earrings by tutarubli :: city lights necklace by Colibri Dreams :: seashells box by Sea Debris :: "remember" print by Geninne}
Today's eco-friendly find is a little shop called Pouch, hailing all the way across the pond from Bristol, UK. The entire shop is filled with handmade bags, belts, stuffed owls and much more all made from vintage and re-purposed fabric. They're fun, fresh and affordable in colorful designs and recycled from found materials- they're eco-rific!
Continuing with our weekly eco-friendly finds (which I try to post every Wednesday, just fyi), I discovered this new artist on today's front page on etsy- Re:made. They make old things new again crafting skirts, dresses and tote bags out of pretty floral pillow cases, and making cute leather bracelets from old belts. 
Everything they create is made from something else, reusing and recycling with vigor to bring new things into the world without using up anymore of earth's resources. Re-make yourself over with a pretty new diddy from Re:made, and keep your fashion eco-friendly!
Happy Earth Day everyone! It seems everyday should be "earth day" really but it's still nice to have a recognized day that brings focus back to the environment and offers advice to people on how they can make little changes in their everydays to be more eco-conscious. One of the simplest and easiest changes you can make to be greener in your daily life is to forget those paper and plastic grocery bags, and instead, bring your own shopping totes. And what's even better than a fashionably funky reusable bag? A reusable bag that was made from recycled/sustainable materials, that's what! So, here are 9 lovely choices for you to consider toting around with you, all made from recycled or organic materials (there's a few sale items included too!)
1. Plastic Blows tote by Black Sheep Heap- 100% recycled cotton- $15
2. Hand painted canvas totes by Bonna Bag- 80% recycled cotton, 20% recycled plastic bottles- $25-45
3. Bicycle tote bag by Rock Paper Scissors- organic cotton- on sale for $21.75, today only!
4. Recycled army bag by Katrina Kaye- recycled tote with vintage fabric- $38
5. Felt tote bag at Zanisa- recycled wool felt- $95
6. Recycled sail tote by Reiter8- recycled sailboat sail- $75
7. Reversible daisy market tote by Pouch- reclaimed vintage and new fabric- on sale for $36, today only!
8. Reversible Doppio bag by Diengie- recycled burlap coffee bean bag- $60
9. Fairgrounds market bag by Tree of Life|Style- salvaged vintage fabric- $25
One of my favorite bag makers, Emma Gordon, just wrote in to say her new spring/summer line has been released, and like always, it's a bright, fun, feminine breath of fresh air. Let's all breathe out a big aaaaaahhhhhhhhh......
Speaking of spring, I just added some springy new goods to the Modish shoppe! New wallets and gadget pouches by sewer extraordinaire, Blissful!
And some beauties from Sprout Studio- earrings, hairpins and brooches that are perfect for spring!
I also compiled an assortment of my favorite spring finds from the shoppe in a handy dandy "spring picks" category- finds some gifts for Easter, Mama's Day, weddings, birthdays and happy spring wishes!
Orangyporangy isn't a delicious kool-aid flavor from the 70's, no, it's better! It's a line of clothing and handbags, much of which is made from re-purposed fabric from the 70's, 60's & 50's- it's recycling at its best, and that tastes even better than kool-aid!
What you see here are shoulder bags, clutches and pouches made from vintage textiles like old curtains, tablecloths and sheets given a modern and utilitarian twist. There's also beautiful skirts in the vintage remix line that combine vintage fabrics with new ones for a pretty layered look, and simple a-line skirts made entirely from funky vintage polyester fabrics. Fashionable and earth friendly, drink up some orangyporangy today!
Happy Valentine's Day! This is really just a Thursday for me, but it's the Thursday exactly one week before the Thursday that we'll be hitting the road with all our stuff and moving up to Portland! I have one week left! Oh my gosh!
That means that starting this weekend I won't be around due to packing/moving/internet-connection-losing. That also means that orders in the shoppe will be delayed in shipping until I can get my office and internet set up again up there. But, I've added so much new stuff lately (over 60 items!) that I just have to show you anyway, and have to offer you a special deal for the patience you will exude in waiting for your orders to ship: so, use code "smoothmove" at checkout for FREE SHIPPING and your order will ship out as soon as I'm able (hoping by Wed, Feb 27th) and will also include a FREE GIFT! I have lots of pocket mirrors, earrings, pins, cards and other good stuff that will find their way into your packages...
In the meantime, here's a glimpse at all the new goodies in the shoppe- get yourself a little "spring is coming and I deserve something nice" gift, hmmm?
Like some of this beautiful jewelry by a newly added designer, Ole Lukoe:
Or maybe some of these hand-dandy felt fabulous cases from Suezybees:
Or these wonderful, eco-friendly, wood-block art pieces by Rebecca Tolk: 
Perhaps you'd like some modern, screen-printed dinnerware by New Work:
Or a new cute purse or tote from Prickly Pear:
Or maybe some fresh art on your walls by Swallowfield or Wolfie and the Sneak:
Or some pretty gemstone jewelry by Prismera to usher in the spring:
This is only a small sampling of all the great new items that are in the shoppe! There's also a lot of sale items left, so nab what you have your eye on before it's gone!
Seeing hearts? Here's some heart themed handmade gifts for you for Valentine's Day, yes, but also just because I love all you readers, so very much. <3
row 1: for the love of baking by Thea Coughlin ($20), eyes for you card by Kaching Design ($6), so happy together by Chromatics ($70)
row 2: bleeding heart blue by Anna Ruby King ($10), heart vinyl and sterling necklace by Nature vs. Machine ($50), brass heart fobs by Bonbon Oiseau ($50)
row 3: heart on your finger ring by ehmeglass ($56), darling bag by Oprikka (70€)
row 4: sweetheart necklace by Nek ($50), love hurts cactus pincushion by Sheasy ($10), heart of glass II by Nanopod ($32)
Yay, the first eco-friendly find of the new year! I hope to make these a weekly thing so that we'll build up a wealth of places to shop handmade and shop green at the same time by the end of the year.
This week's pick is yet another company that I discovered via Poppytalk Handmade, called b green design! 
They're a design collective who "create products based on what they give back, not what they take." A good ethos with good products to boot! Their first initiative is to give back to the same great organization that the last eco-friendly find did, Trees for the Future. You buy one of their plywood art pieces, baby tees or handy totes, and 50 trees will be planted in Honduras helping to re-build our forests. Talk about tree inspired design! Check out the b green site for more info about them and to keep up with this and their future initiatives.
If you hear the word Sketchbook as a company name, the first thing that comes to mind is probably not handbags; but when you look at the collection of bags by Sketchbook, you immediately get it- they're each like a drawing study, taking cues from the same set of skills, the same influences, but each are executed differently. The shapes and styling are totally unique on each bag as if their creator, Amber, allows them to just organically become whatever they want to become- much like sketching in a sketchbook!
If you'd like to carry around a little piece of art with you each day, find the bag that speaks to you at Sketchbook.
This New Year's Eve when you're looking for something to clutch, reach for these gorgeous silk charmeuse bags from Nelle:
Made with hand-dyed silk in luxurious and fun colors, these designer clutches and handbags will be the perfect finishing touch to a pretty party dress and some kiss me kiss me heels. I'll probably be on my couch struggling to stay awake 'til midnight on New Year's, so go: party, look pretty, and stash your cash in a beautiful Nelle bag- I (and my Dove dark chocolate ice cream) will live vicariously through you.
New to the business scene but loaded with the knitting experience of two generations, the mother and daughter team behind the scenes of Pretty Pomme is taking some pretty big strides in creating chic and unique bags.
Each one is hand-knit with care and attention to detail- there's a coordinating lining inside each with a pocket for your cards and small items, magnetic snap closure and the coolest part, the handles are actual knitting needles! Not to mention the bags themselves are cute to boot and sure to garnish compliments. Take a peek at all the styles that Pretty Pomme has to offer and pick up a pretty little something for yourself or a loved one!
It looks like Ted and Angie, the brilliant team behind Poketo, were not just having fun on their recent trip to Korea, they were being productive too! They brought home some in-cred-i-ble new finds from designers they met on their trip, like these awesome, FAKE bags by Zinoo Park:
A critique on "the idolization of brand names and the prevalence of knock-offs", this hot pop art bag (which has a different image on each side and is reversible to a solid blue!) is not only statement making in its design, if you use it as an alternative to a plastic or paper shopping bag, it will be statement making in purpose as well. Part of only 100 made for an art exhibit, snag yours while you can!
And while you're there, take at look at these brilliantly delicate handmade lampshades by Kouichi Okamoto- just pop in a light bulb and cord, and enjoy the glow:
You hear the words "traditional Finnish costumes" and you might conjure up an image of these guys, hmm?
{photo from Finnish National Costumes}
I personally think they're stylin, especially the Finnish version of Dirty Harry there in the middle, but regardless of style, what can be agreed upon is that the patterns and colors in these costumes are very vibrant, and very cool. Oprikka takes the appeal of those colorful folk textiles and integrates them into bags and accessories that mesh better with today's modern style maven:
Mirka, the designer behind Oprikka goods, wants to bring her Finnish traditions into contemporary lifestyle with fun accessories and home goods, and I think she does just that, in a very lovely way. Check out more folk fabulous goodies at Oprikka!
ECI stands for the Emily Carr Institute which is a leading art and design school out of Vancouver, BC and they just opened up a Studio Shop featuring the work of their alumni, students, faculty and staff! Yay for art schools supporting their artists and their careers! The shop is great and already has a heady collection of handmade goods including artwork, of course, but also tees, totes, vases, books, journals and more!
They have things to wear and carry:
Things for your home:
And, of course, some incredible things to look at!
Take a peek at all the goodness that the ECI Studio Shop has to offer and support a starving artist near you!
I found it. Your bag. The one you've been searching for for so long. The one that's handmade from butter soft leather. The one that's hand screen printed on canvas or wool. The one of a kind, hand sewn, quality bag that will last you for years. Oh yes, I found it. Well, I found a few. Your bag is a cha cha, baby. A cha cha...
Designer style from a small one-woman studio in Toronto, cha cha has a wealth of hand-crafted bag goodness that'll make you want to dance with joy- cha cha on over!
The ever popular reversible totes by Shelia D have gotten a little makeover and the cute quotient has gone way up! Take a look at these brand new round totes, large enough to stuff with books and magazines to your heart's content, and stylish enough to carry with you wherever you go. In perfect for the season plaid and striped prints that reverse to supple soft corduroy, you can't go wrong!
Showpony just rocks for so many reasons- #1- everything is handmade from start to finish- hand sewn and finished with hand screen-printed designs or made with hand printed fabrics. #2- everything is eco friendly, using organic, fair trade cotton- yes! #3- they're based in Glasgow, Scotland and I love discovering and bringing attention to indie companies beyond these US borders and #4- they're stuff is cute. I mean, really really cute. It's light-hearted and original and brings a smile to my face, and hopefully to yours too:
Just look at these wonderful tote bags, perfect for your grocery shopping needs, you can reduce and re-use and stay stylin' at the same time! A must have for everyone these days. 
And these complementing little clutch printed pouches and those made with pretty, nature inspired, handmade fabrics:
And how can you not love these wonderful pooch printed pillows and cool hiding place pillows?
Get a closer look at all of these designs, hip, fun and good for the earth, at Showpony!
Oooh, I'm loving the new collection of handbags by Hoakon/Helga called Rocky Mountain Love! Handmade with supple soft leather and hand screen-printed fabrics, these bags are hip and vibrant and really unique! 
I love love love the Canadian Rocky Mountain inspired print in its
diamondy mish-mosh- it looks like an updated rendition of a traditional
Swedish textile pattern, very chic! And the bag shapes are funky and
retro too- what's not to love? Check out the entire collection at Hoakon/Helga, where Canadian's rock!
Armed with new beaver friendly bags, wacky cel phone charms and more good stuff, the always eco-conscious Maki Squarepatch is having a near store wide sale on their goods to make room for even more new stuff for the holidays! Help them clear out some goods at 10% off, and pick up some early gifts along the way! 
I love consignment shops that bring together a wealth of creative, independent designers so you can shop all of them in one spot (obviously I love them, I own one!) so it's nice to see such shops that focus on designers from different countries, especially since it's often hard for customers based outside the US to find online shops that are also based outside the US, but I've found a good one: Betty & Jeff. Bringing together an eclectic mix of British designers and hand-crafted goods, Betty & Jeff is a great place to find jewelry, handbags, accessories and home goods by and for the British sect (but since they ship worldwide, anyone can enjoy some Betty & Jeff cuteness!)
The jewels:
The bags:
Accessories:
And home decor:
Find all this and lots more British based crafty goodness at Betty & Jeff, and support indie designers worldwide!
What's oh so simple and sweet, yet chic? These adorable pleated clutches by Kailo Chic!
Perfect for a fall night out on the town, these pretty little clutches have lady-like style mixed with classic colors and fabrics and hip nuances- I LOVE the grey one with the big red flower, it's saucy! Perfect to stash whatever you may need for the night, I think they'd look just perfect with a flouncy party dress and cardigan. Find them along with a whole bunch of other bags, jewelry and accessories, all at Kailo Chic!
Filled with handmade bags that are fun and funky, vegan friendly and eco-conscious, Queen Bee's cup runeth over with splendidness! Celebrating 10 years in business, this Portland based company, with their small team of seamstresses and office helper-outers (gotta get me some of those!), has established themselves as your go to place for fun vinyl bags of all sizes and now, has introduced recycled wool into the line!
There's cute, embroidered vinyl handbags:
Waterproof vinyl flapped bags to carry your laptop and other daily needs:
Handy dandy wallets to stash inside the bags:
And my favorite, the new line of bags made from recycled wool felt!
No matter what Queen Bee creation you choose, you can rest assured that it will be quality made, guilt-free and filled with a whole lotta love! Find your perfect bag now!
