2020 resolution - shopping my own bag and wallet collection. Any one else?

[SouthernPurseGal]

Thanks for the kind words about my little purse showcase. I love recognizable and unrecognizable purses alike.... I almost alway buy second hand, unless it's an indie brand and I'm patronizing an artisan, and refurbishing sad looking leather and uninspiring strap configuration issues, which is a hobby of mine.


I'm drooling over python bags on etsy. I know I must be in the minority because this kind of thing is rarely seen on TPF. No brand, no cow or sheep.... But so pretty and fun and so affordable from Indonesia or Russia.
You guys like the bronze or purple better?

 

[Bag peace]

I'm drooling over python bags on etsy. I know I must be in the minority because this kind of thing is rarely seen on TPF. No brand, no cow or sheep.... But so pretty and fun and so affordable from Indonesia or Russia.
You guys like the bronze or purple better?

I know that Creme Leather on Etsy is popular for python bags on the forums as I've seen some reveals of their bags in the past.

I would recommend that you opt for a bag from Indonesia over Russia. My python bag was from when I was living in Indonesia, and the skin used is usually a byproduct of the python meat they eat locally, so it's a more ethical approach to snakeskin bags. Not sure if that's something you're taking into consideration, but sharing my thoughts in case it helps you make your decision.

Mine has held up very well over the years, though I only use it occasionally. It is very well made.

Edit: I see that the Russian shop you're using also sources their skins from Indonesia, so they're both being responsible and ethical. I think you should choose the one makes you happier! I'm partial to the purple.

 

[dcooney4]

Your paintings look great and I would love to see pictures of any future projects including the painting on the purse when you get around to it. I actually don't have any of my mom's paintings here. They are with my brother at the moment -- before my mom passed away about four years ago, she lived close to my brother and his family, and her paintings are currently over there. I was originally planning on bringing one or two of her paintings back with me this year, but will not be travelling at present, given the current covid situation. Hopefully, next year I will be able to travel and also take some pictures to post.

Thank you for the suggestions about starting with a sketch book and some pencils. That is a great idea. I was also wondering if I should just get a water color kit from the craft store -- you know, the kind that have the canvas, design and the paints included. I would actually love to paint in oils versus water color but I am thinking that water color paints would be easier for a beginner?
@880, thank you for sharing about blick on line. Is that a craft store? I will go check it out.

Watercolor is tricky and fun to work with . Make sure you get very good paper as with cheap paper corrections are hard to lift out. You might also try acrylics. No fumes and and you can paint on canvas. The most important thing with whatever you choose get better quality paints Not student grade. They will be easier to work with and look better in the long run. Good luck and have fun. Any help you might need just ask?

 

[BowieFan1971]

She’s in wonderful shape. You have a good eye for finding treasures.

Thanks! I have gotten pretty good at spotting flaws that I can fix and stuff I need to leave to the professionals. I don’t buy those. There are a lot of great bargains that just need a little time and tinkering from my “tool kit.”

 

[SakuraSakura]

Has anyone else been feeling 'turned off' by bags right now? They're not bringing me the kind of joy they used to, although it comes in waves for me. Even my Louis Vuitton items aren't giving me that much joy (which, in all honesty, makes me sad.)

 

[muchstuff]

December Challenge: Carry five different bags
Bag 4: Hermes Etain Evergrain Massai Cut 40
Activity: grocery shopping and school run
View attachment 4927901

Bag 5: Chanel Red Quilted Lambskin Wallet on Chain
Activity: school run and grocery shopping
View attachment 4927902
These bags would also qualify for the thread sharing my largest and smallest bags in my collection.

That Massai cut

 

[papertiger]

Thanks for the kind words about my little purse showcase. I love recognizable and unrecognizable purses alike.... I almost alway buy second hand, unless it's an indie brand and I'm patronizing an artisan, and refurbishing sad looking leather and uninspiring strap configuration issues, which is a hobby of mine.


I'm drooling over python bags on etsy. I know I must be in the minority because this kind of thing is rarely seen on TPF. No brand, no cow or sheep.... But so pretty and fun and so affordable from Indonesia or Russia.
You guys like the bronze or purple better?

I love python too. I think I actually prefer to croc most of the time.

Always have to be careful with endangered species that need a CITES though. No CITES, no buy.

 

[momasaurus]

Oh dear no. But they are just lovely, covered in glitter and you hang them by the thread joining the two boots (a feature which for some reason I love). Mostly, they remind me of our wonderful Christmas when we were living in the States when my kids were little. Most of the other ornaments we brought back are long gone



I am pretty certain I am not getting any help here
It is a vintage H box Faco clutch. Just saw it by chance and I don’t need it. But I LOVE the colors, looks in great condition, will surely find a use for it and the seller accepted a (in my mind) very low offer...

View attachment 4927110

Sooooo wonderful! Good for you.

 

[momasaurus]

I KNEW you'd be able to pin down the time period, @papertiger ! So interesting to read about the evolution of handbags during that decade. I was there, but much too young to pay attention. And my Mom was for sure not a handbag person.

Speaking of vintage (late 1940s, I think) it's been a while since I showed this fun clutch. It's made of a special fabric called cordé. The handle is lucite. This isn't a family heirloom; I bought it from a site that specializes in vintage bags. But there is a family story involved. My great-uncle Joe had a (very tiny) factory in New York that produced cordé evening bags. I learned about this from my Mom a few years ago. She told me that all the women in the family carried one of Uncle Joe's cordé evening bags… even she did, and she wasn't particularly interested in bags! Of course, hers was long gone, so off I went to snag my very own.

View attachment 4927296

This is wonderful. I remember this because of the handle. Awesome and so special!

 

[momasaurus]

Hi @Purses & Perfumes, here is the link to blick. https://www.dickblick.com/
if you get on their mailing list, there are daily deals. @dcooney4 can also advise you. I am a visual artist and my preferred medium is oil paint. Although it’s messier and a bit more of a commitment than watercolor, I think it’s easier bc you can continually rework it (paint wet over wet or wait until it dries). Also, nowadays, there are oil paints that mix with water and also premixed medium that vary in finishes. Something called neo meglip gives oil paint a fluffy texture and almost the look of cotton candy on the canvas. Have fun experimenting, and feel free to PM if you have any questions. P.s. there are coated papers if you don’t want to get into canvas and just ant to play around. I recommend either isabey or escoda brushes, but they were better years ago than today.
@Kimbashop, I’m sorry about your mom, but it’s so nice that you can surround yourself with tangible tokens of memories. i think another poster may have given you wristlet info, hugs.
@SouthernPurseGal, I hope your dog is recovering well from his two procedures!
@cowgirlsboots, I love scrolling Japanese reseller sites ‍♀for vintage H bags. There are a variety of clutches including the faco. all very different than the usual TPF. . .
@doni, I don’t have a faco, but I’ve often thought of one. I did buy two pouch like bags on Etsy bc I wasn’t sure about the commitment of carrying a purse like a lap dog. I do love the look of the pouch, but since I don’t have a car lifestyle, I haven’t used them very much. Here is a pic of the Etsy ones (the colors are warmer IRL) next to a box kelly longue wallet for scale.
View attachment 4927608

Ooooh that box kelly wallet!!!

 

[momasaurus]

Etsy has a vintage section that is thriving with activity. I've bought vintage on Esty, and some of my friends have sold their vintage on there.

Oops, you said it better!
____

I'm loving all the bags posted over the last couple of pages! It's glorious seeing the unusual, the modern, the vintage and the sentimental!

Any tips for searching on Etsy? It's virtually impossible, so I always just give up.

 

[880]

Has anyone else been feeling 'turned off' by bags right now? They're not bringing me the kind of joy they used to, although it comes in waves for me. Even my Louis Vuitton items aren't giving me that much joy (which, in all honesty, makes me sad.)

Try jewelry! High end, low end, and in between! another TPFer on the VCA subforum suggested this brandhttps://shop.alighieri.co.uk/collections

 

[essiedub]

No problem, here it is. I have had it for 6 1/2 years and still love it. I never thought I would say that about a white bag.

View attachment 4923147
ETA: after looking at the strap in this picture, it looks like it was designed to carry it with the white part out. There is blue on the edge coating so even on the white side, you can see some blue.

That is a beautiful bag! It’s like a perfect white bag because it’s white yet more than white.

 

[Purses & Perfumes]

I find regular water colors to be more difficult because you can't correct mistakes. With oils or acrylics, you can paint over any mistakes. I guess canvas is more expensive than paper though. My favorite paints are gouache. I can get the best control with it. They are a little more expensive.

I often use masonite boards rather than canvas.

Thanks! I would love to see pictures of any of your artwork if you have them on hand.

Beautiful colour!

Your camellia WOC is stunning!

Thanks, the WOCs come in really handy for those quick errands! I have been admiring your red WOC and the wonderful leather on your Massai cut!

Watercolor is tricky and fun to work with . Make sure you get very good paper as with cheap paper corrections are hard to lift out. You might also try acrylics. No fumes and and you can paint on canvas. The most important thing with whatever you choose get better quality paints Not student grade. They will be easier to work with and look better in the long run. Good luck and have fun. Any help you might need just ask?

Great tips. I will definitely reach out if I have any questions, thank you.

@momasaurus, did you get to use your crock pot? I did a search for crock pot recipes for beginners on YouTube and it yielded quite a lot of options. I like YouTube for new recipes.

 

[whateve]

Thanks for the kind words about my little purse showcase. I love recognizable and unrecognizable purses alike.... I almost alway buy second hand, unless it's an indie brand and I'm patronizing an artisan, and refurbishing sad looking leather and uninspiring strap configuration issues, which is a hobby of mine.


I'm drooling over python bags on etsy. I know I must be in the minority because this kind of thing is rarely seen on TPF. No brand, no cow or sheep.... But so pretty and fun and so affordable from Indonesia or Russia.
You guys like the bronze or purple better?

I like the purple better. I stay away from python because it is illegal to buy and sell in my state. If I ever got one, I wouldn't be able to sell it. I am also not fond of the feeling. I do like the way it looks though.