Little stunner

I've just added this little stunner to my store. It's made from a vintage kimono piece I had in my collection and comes in a vibrant orange colour with accents of vibrant green and yellow. The fabric lends itself perfectly to a mini clutch bag and makes quite a statement. The best thing is, nobody else will have anything like it!

I love the brightness of the green on the leaves and decided to match the lining colour to that.

The original fabric was a small piece that was waiting for the perfect clutch bag to be made into. It also incorporates touches of gold outline to really bling it up.

Show Now

Purple perfection

I've just added this purple stunner to my store. It's a handbag made from a purple and cream vintage Japanese kimono fabric with stylised images of chrysanthemums and flowing water, classic motifs used in Japanese art and design. You can find it in my store here.

I decided to add a vibrant turquoise blue cotton fabric for the lining.

The bag has a detachable chain handle which can be worn over the shoulder, across the body or tucked inside the bag and used as a clutch bag.

This lovely clutch bag makes a perfect match with the three purple silk scarves in my store which you can find here.

Kimono magic

I've just added a piece of magic to my store. This stunning decorative silk scarf made from vintage kimono fabric swatches from my collection, pieced together to create a patchwork effect.

I decided to use a pleasing colour palette of terracotta, cream and black in a variety of fabric weights and textures.

The scarf is double-sided, so that either way you arrange it, a stunning design will be showing.

 I love the combination of floral fabrics with geometric fabrics, and I've also included a solid black silk to help break up the colours a bit.

The scarf can be worn in many different ways and it's fun to play with different combinations.

It matches perfectly with the kimono handbag below.

Shop Now

Green and black

 I've just added this green and black beauty to my store. It's a handbag made from a vintage decorative Japanese kimono fabric and you can find it in my store here.

The design has been created using the Japanese kasuri technique, where the fabric has been woven using threads that have been dyed with the design before the fabric is woven. This creates the blurred effect of the design, which I love.

The lining is also made from a green kasuri fabric, taken from an outer kimono.

The handbag can be held in the hand or worn over the arm and comes with a detachable chain handle which means it could also be used as a clutch bag.

This bag beautifully matches my summery green trousers, but it also looks just as good with a little black dress.

Shop Now

Purple reincarnation

Last Friday I mentioned in a blog post a beautiful purple kimono from my collection which I was thinking of deconstructing and making into a clutch bag. Well here it is! Yes, I finally had the courage to cut it up. It was a painful process, but I'm so happy with the outcome. It's a stunning design and lends itself so nicely to a clutch bag. I even gave it a vibrant red lining to mirror the red in the flower design. You can find it in my store here.

This purple bag is commemorate His Purple Highness, Prince, who sadly passed away three months ago today. It's till hard to imagine that he is no longer here.....

Spring into spring

Spring into spring with this cute little blossom handbag!

It's made from a bright pink, red and turquoise vintage blossom kimono fabric and I couldn't resist it's pretty design and beautifully soft feel. I decided to use a different fabric for the flap of the bag. It's a softer pink, but still has a blossom design on it and matches so well. I decided to add my signature bright lining for a flash of colour on the inside and this time it's a bright red cotton. These handbag designs are relatively new to my shop, and I'm loving making them. My favourite part of the process is taking time to choose the perfect combination of fabrics, and finding a suitable co-ordinating strap that fits across the body. In this case it is neon pink!

The bag can be worn over the shoulder or across the body and has a very strong hidden magnet closure to keep the bag closed. You can find it in my store here.

I decided to team my handbag with an electric blue summer skirt.

I think it shows off the colours beautifully!

J'adore violet!

Anyone who's a regular to this blog or to my Etsy store will know that I'm a tad partial to the colour purple! I've had a stunning purple floral kimono sitting in my collection for a while and decided to take the plunge and cut it up - a rather upsetting experience! Luckily, I have made two lovely items out of it, both of which you can see below, and you can find them in my store here.

The kimono fabric has a lovely big flower on it.

 I decided to place it in the bottom right hand corner of this clutch bag.

This bag has a detachable chain handle so that you can use it as a clutch bag or as a handbag.

I used a hot pink kimono fabric for the lining.

This handbag is made from two different kimono fabrics and has a long woven strap, designed to be worn across the body. It can also be worn over the shoulder.

It has a hidden magnetic closure to keep the bag closed and everything safe.

Check out that hot pink lining!

A new addition

Cheeky Leopard has a new member of the family - this little kimono fabric handbag!

It is a simple envelope style, using two different kimono fabrics and with a hidden metallic snap closure. The strap is made from a vintage gold obijime and is long enough to be worn over the shoulder or across the body. You can find it in my store here.

 This bag is made from two different kimono fabrics. One is a red and cream stork design and the other is a multi coloured chrysanthemum design, which has been used on the flap of the bag.

I decided to use bright pink cotton for the lining, for a bit of fun.

The gold of the obijime looks fab with it!

The obijime is used when wearing a kimono and is the sash that is tied around the obi belt, to keep the obi on, but also as an added decorative element. They often come in vibrant shades and you can also add a further decorative element using an obidome, a small brooch which is threaded onto the obijime.

This image above shows how an obidome can look. I love the fact that an aqua theme has been used here. The kimono has water swirls and fish printed on it, the obi is a gorgeous turquoise colour and has reeds as week as dragonflies embroidered onto it, and then the obi dome is a fish design.

The images above and below show the last two steps of me having a kimono fitting.

I had a wonderful experience of being shown how to wear a kimono, not long before I left Tokyo, by an experienced kimono teacher and her apprentice. The teacher chose a stunning blue and white kimono, multi colour obi and turquoise obijime.

You can read about my kimono experience on my Tokyo blog here.

Cheeky Leopard visits Downing Street!

One of my Cheeky Leopard bags paid a very important visit the other evening, to the Prime Minister's residence no less! It accompanied Tania Mathias, a local councillor, who attended an event there. She came to my studio a few days ago and selected a pretty handbag made from a vintage kimono fabric that I bought at an antique market whilst living in Tokyo. It matches her stunning red dress perfectly!

Entering through the famous door at Number 10

In the House of Commons

The kimono fabric is lovely and soft and has stunning accents of neon yellow, pink and turquoise

Spring is in the air?

There's a general feeling that spring may be vaguely in the air - oh yeah! This 'Blossoming Feeling' Etsy treasury by Piccolina Boutique sums up that air with some beautiful items, including my bamboo handbag!

You can find it in my store here.

Soft Pink Flower Ring - Resi... SpotLightJewel... $19.95	Flower Photography Pink Spri... LawsonImages $15	Vintage womens accordion ple... plot $43.25	Fabric Covered Button Hair C... SmallTalkShop $7.9
Italian Travel Photography E... DegnodiNota $18	Dusty Rose , Party Dress , B... BLUSHFASHION $129	Soft pink post earrings, pas... ThePurpleBallo... $14.5	Soft pink tote bag in tapest... SomeChicStuff $32
Pastel Photography - Sweet D... JessaMaePhoto $12	Unicorn Print. Unicorn Wall ... OrlyPea $14	Soft Pink Spider Mum, Fine A... NelsonRietzke $40	Wooden brooch, set of 3 piec... TheTwentyFinge... $11
4 Vintage CUP and SAUCERS, S... FrenchKlimBim $26	Soft Pink, Cream and Green B... cheekyleopard $44	Baby/Toddler Crocheted Soft ... thewhimsicalel... $32	Set of Three 8x10 Soft Pink ... RedEggBoutique $59

Sponsored by send bulk email from excel.