BirdBrain Designs

news and give-away!!

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I have decided to set up at Etsy store to sell my leather and canvas goods. I hope that this will happen early next week.  To celebrate this event, a large step for me, I have decided, following the example of my mentor and friend Arounna, to have a give-away.  Please leave me a comment, telling me which products you would like to see in the Etsy store and I will randomly select a winner next Friday August 26th. You may have to scroll back to look at the canvas and leather totes, pouches and bags to see what I could possibly make for the Etsy site.  The winner will receive this adorable little pouch.

sunshine tote

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I used the last of the catalan fabric to make this tote along with left over pieces of orange and pink leather.  It is such a puzzle fitting the pieces together! It is 16″x16″x5″ with a long adjustable across body strap that can also be made into a carry handle.  I love the colour play of the leather and the stripes.This is the first time that I have used webbing in a handle, and it works well with the leather.

The bag has two exterior pockets and four interior, two large and two small.  A perfect tote!

blueberry bag

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I made a few small bags last week, but this is my first ‘real’ bag since I returned home.  I love the deep teal colour of this bag and the lovely texture of the leather.  It is made from a remnant which was just enough–the exterior pocket and strap are lined with black leather from a pair of pants.  The lining is a great green and white ticking, screen printed with ‘the bird with attitude’. It measures 13″x11″x3″ and the strap is 38″ long so fits nicely across the body, my favourite way to carry a bag. This is my second bag in this style–Carissa–named because she inspired the first of this series,  the grape bag.

un autre café

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The French have a wonderful relationship with coffee.  There are no take-outs and certainly no drive-throughs. However, your coffee is often accompanied by a piece of chocolate–the idea is to savour and relax.  Cafés abound and it is such a pleasure to sit on the terrace of one and watch the happenings around you. There is always time for a sketch!

some new pouches

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I am inspired by the colours of southern France.

The first set of birdbrain bags are made from a small piece of turquoise canvas I have been saving.  They are trimmed with recycled leather from a pair of leather pants.

The second set of pouches are made from Catalan fabric which I bought in Collioure on the Mediterranean. They are called sunshine fabrics! Each pouch has a small suede pocket inside to match the zipper colour and the one is trimmed in buttery orange leather. I have enough catalan to make three more pouches in varying sizes.  It has a lovely durable weight and does not need lining.  All of these pouches are suitable for carrying your small treasures.

french finds

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It has been easy to buy handmade in the south of France. Yesterday we visited a wonderful pottery studio where four potters had their wares.  I found this:

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A bird wearing red boots! Perfect.

Today in the local market an artisan finished a red leather strap for me–it is destined for a new bag.

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fabric and lemon verbena

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Two of my favourite things. We went to an evening market and I bought some fabric from Benin, Africa. It is 100% cotton and has, of, course birds on it! The second photo is of lemon verbena–we had dinner at a local farm and it was growing in the garden. What a scent!

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The final photo is from our balcony.