A Business Card for a Fabric Junkie

We have such wonderful customers generously spread the word about what we do. These great women come into the shop all of the time and tell me stories about random people coming up to them at the grocery store or movies and asking them about their LBD bag. So it's essential for us to have an attractive, functional business card that they can pass along to inquiring minds.

The question is, how can you capture all of the information - store hours, website, custom handbags, gifts, etc - on a cute little piece of paper? For a while I've had a card with a bright pattern on the glossy side, and all of the details on the matte black and white side, all printed here.

Recently, I needed to add the registered trademark symbol to our logo (the little R with the circle around it), so I decided it was time for a new card design. I scanned leftover vintage fabric from this bag and used a swatch for the new card. I think all of the bright colors and the bold pattern connote the creative environment and textile extravaganza that Laura Bee Designs strives to be. Hopefully, you do too!

Window Necklace

These necklaces are so clever. You can easily slide in your own image, and change it any time you like. Handmade in Minnesota by Ceci Cela, the pendants make the perfect gifts for you and your friends.

I used two of my favorite pooch images for the samples shown here, but there are so many other possibilities. How about a bridal bouquet image, or a snapshot of your childhood home? Even a little drawing or scrap of decorative paper would be lovely. You could make yourself a little deck of images and have a new one for each day of the week.

For $24 you can choose from a black patina or shiny silver frame. For an additional $12, you can upload your digitial file and we'll convert it to the proper size and print out an acid free version to place in the necklace.

Since there is clear glass on the back of the necklace, you can even add a second picture. The possibilities are endless.

We have these pendants available in the store, or you can order them here on our website.

From Senegal to Seattle

Isn't this orange batik fabric stunning? Our local customer brought this material back from her Peace Corps stint in Senegal a few years back. While in Africa, she wore the fabric as a traditional head scarf.

She paired the cotton with navy microsuede, mandarin faux leather, and this bright lime green on the inside.

I love the juxtaposition of the traditional fabric against our modern Veronica bag design. What a great way to give new life to a garment from a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Seasonal Help Wanted

Photo by Laurie Pearman

Here at LBD, it’s a team effort each day. We work hard, and we have a great time making stuff in our little corner of Seattle.

We’re looking for a great person to join our team from August-October 2008. If you or someone you know might be a good fit, please send them my way via email at leb(at)laurabeedesigns.com. I'd like to see a resume and a short statement about why an applicant would be a good match for this position.

I could see this job suiting a grad or college student, a quilter or home sewer looking to get out of her/his studio, or a crafty mom who would enjoy some time in our store. We often need extra help at other times of the year too, so the right person could stick around a bit longer than the dates noted above.

Job Description:

6-14 hours per week cutting bag parts and assisting in customer service

Sewing skills not needed, but enthusiasm, focus and manual dexterity are essential. The right person will be a motivated quick learner who likes to stay busy and derives satisfaction from working as part of a team.

Experience with a rotary cutter earns bonus points.

Red and Black Wedding

Our customer, a local bride, ordered five bags to give her bridesmaids. Her wedding color story is red and black, but she chose bags that aren't necessarily meant to be carried on the big day.

Above, you can see a detailed view of a glossy black Gelato bag she designed. She had us line these with bright red.

This is a sleek Chelsea, lined with bright red too.

Finally, this rich red brocade makes a stunning Celeste clutch.

Button Thursday: Piggy Bank Buttons

"I'm saving up for a mud bath at the day spa," said the pig.

Childhood Toys

Back in May when I visited my folks in Rochester, NY, my Dad and I took a little side trip to the Fisher Price Toy Museum in East Aurora, NY. This wooden horse is an example of their earliest toys, which were handmade during the Great Depression. The images were paper lithographs that workers carefully glued to wood shapes.

The company grew despite the grim economy. During WWII, they stopped all manufacture of toys and made supplies for the war effort. In the postwar 1950s, they kick-started toy-making again with made popular gems such as the "Nifty Station Wagon" above. Most of the toys were made in East Aurora till the 1980s when production sadly moved overseas.

This school-house was a 1970s favorite of mine. I can remember playing with all of the little people inside the building as well as on the playground equipment. I loved drawing on the slate door with chalk too and fiddling with the magnetic letters on the roof.

I recognized many of the classic toys in the museum such as the red record player with plastic albums. But my Holy Grail of vintage toys, the Fisher Price Cash Register, was sadly absent from the display.