In celebration of autumn

Autumn is not quite here yet, but after a hot and humid summer, the cooler air of autumn will be greatly appreciated. In anticipation of this, I recently created a clutch bag made from a beautiful woven obi fabric with silver maple leaves woven onto a vibrant orange ground. I added a mustard yellow lining to add to that fall feeling.

You can find it on my Etsy store here.

Orange and black beauty

I recently added this vibrant clutch bag to my Etsy store. It is made from vintage kimono fabric that I found at an antique market in Tokyo and I decided to mix it with a bright orange lining. It definitely makes a statement and would go perfectly with a little black dress.

You can find it here.

New clutch bags

Last week I mentioned that I had been to the Machida shrine sale and bought some lovely fabrics. I've been busy over the last week and here are three that I have made up. I'm loving the vibrant colours and bold designs and have added cotton linings that compliment the outside design. 

You can check them out here.

Maple leaf

This is the latest addition to my new, smaller sized clutch bag range. I really love the vibrant red ground and the delicate print of the maple leaf. You can check out more here.

Cute kimono clutches

I've just added these kimono clutch bags to my Etsy store. They are something I've been meaning to make for a while now and are smaller than the clutch bags I usually make. I wanted to produce something slightly more compact, but that still used the beautiful kimono fabrics that I have in my stash. The result is a cute evening bag in a selection of vibrant colours that can also be used as a cosmetic bag or handbag organiser.

You can check out the selection here.

Valentine Clutch Bag

I finished this clutch bag just in time for Valentine's Day, and love the vibrancy of the red on the soft vintage kimono fabric. One side uses a pretty printed silk with the iconic Japanese maple leaves and chrysanthemums. The other side consists of a soft pink vintage fabric with a pretty blossom print in shades of red, white and duck egg blue. Perfect for a night out with your sweetie! You can see more clutch bags here.

Cute kokeshi

A year ago today I posted about kokeshi dolls on my blog. They are Japanese dolls that were sold to visitors to the hot springs in the Edo period, and are traditionally made of simple wood shapes which are then hand painted.

I recently came across these beautiful modern versions made by Andrea who lives in Argentina. She loves to paint, draw and make things by hand and these beautiful creations combine all three. You can see more images on her Flickr page and you can visit her website to see more of her creations here.

Terracotta and Green

I have just added these juicy clutch bags to my Etsy store.

I love making all my bags, but have especially enjoyed making these ones, which are a combination of obi and kimono fabrics that I have collected from antique markets around Tokyo. The obi is the sash worn around the kimono and is usually woven or embroidered in vibrant colors. These ones have an amazing shot of gold design to add a bit of bling. 

You can see them here.

Pretty Plumo pieces

I've recently been coveting some items from Plumo, a lovely online store that sells pieces that have been sourced from around the world. Their idea is to provide original, beautifully crafted items which are a little bit different. They tend to work with artisans and co-operatives from Africa to Asia, as well as designers that have just come out of college and the result is beautifully crafted items that have an eclectic, one-off feel. I especially love the pouf made from pieces of kelim.

Luscious treasury

My newly made vibrant green clutch bag was just mentioned in this luscious treasury on Etsy!

Green and Gold Vic... hhfashions $185.00	organic vegan chees... twigandleafbot... $7.00	hollow glass filled... MageStudio $36.00	Steampunk Time Trav... oldjunkyardbou... $34.99
Absinthe Collection... Shadedmoon $7.00	Needle Felted Bird ... HoneysuckleKis... $24.00	Textured Green and ... TheBlondeFacto... $17.00	SALE Soft Olive Gre... joom $29.00
BRACELET and NECKLA... MichelleDJewel... $14.95	Vintage Boudoir Cha... TwoGirlsShop $295.00	Vintage Mineral Eye... CRUSHCOSMETICS $7.00	Green Gold Blobby B... lokimonkey $33.00
Vibrant Green and G... cheekyleopard $58.00	Green and Gold Fox ... printsbyamanda... $59.00	Printable Card Chri... theCyclingArti... $4.00	Green/Gold Urn Shap... NicePots $65.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Japanese Kimono Patchwork Bags

These bright beauties were added to my Etsy store earlier today and I have to say, I've really enjoyed making them. I have collected so many beautiful kimono fabrics over my time in Tokyo and it's great finding a way to use them all together. You can see them here.