SmartGirl.me

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Newest and Latest SmartGirl Book Purse

Everyday I plan on showing you all one of my new purses. I've been very busy making them and selling them and I have not posted in more than a year. That's crazy.

Here are some pictures of one of my most popular SmartGirl Book Purse.

Sherlock Holmes SmartGirl Book Purse

Friday, December 31, 2010

Happy New Year

I think my first New Years resolution, besides the many others I will come up with today, is to write more often in my blog. I neglected it terribly. I wish every one a

Sunday, August 22, 2010

My SmartGirl Book Purses’ have a new online store

I am very excited to announce my new online store. I am able to post beautiful photos of my SmartGirl Book Purses and I like the design. What do you think?

SmartGirl.me

Monday, August 9, 2010

Little Women are all about Do-It-Yourself

Before the DIY network, before eHow.com and before the super box hardware stores one would learn how to change a washer on their sink with a good old fashion book. This SmartGirl Book Purse is made from a vintage copy of Do-It-Yourself Encyclopedia.

And Little Women are all about Do-It-Yourself and books of course. Cute pink Little Women SmartGirl Book Purse.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

My SmartGirl.me Workspace

I finally cleaned and organized my workspace. The colorful walls are due to the fact that this was Amanda's playroom, which she never used even when she was young. Both Ben and Amanda have the rest of the house. This is now all mine...

Ben hates the logo on the wall. I on the other hand, feel like branding it claims it as my own.

I love the view...sitting at my drafting board and looking at my back yard. I get great natural light all day.

I hope I can keep it this way. I feel inspired when everything is in it's place.

I keep my thread behind the door along with a stencil butterfly Amanda and I made years ago.

These are all the SmartGirl Book Purses waiting to be assemble. I keep them in plastic bags that hold the fabric and handles I've selected.

Fabric, handle frames, and beads are kept in these fun boxes.

My Scrapbooking paper which I hope to find time to use soon. I am 3 years behind on Amanda's books and I have clients that have commissioned me to make albums. This room will not stay like this when I start scrapping.

I keep my fabric logo tags in spaghetti jars.

I love my workspace!

Monday, July 26, 2010

SmartGirl's blood sweat and tears.

Saturday, I try and pry a rhinestone from a button with my scissors and jammed it into my hand. This was while I was making the Modern Biology SmartGirl Book Purse. I did not need a biology text book to tell me that if you cut a living being's finger, it will bleed.

Last night while finishing my Gray's Anatomy SmartGirl Book Purse my x-acto knife rolls off of my drafting table and stabs me in the foot.

To Med Express this morning. OUCH!

Monday, July 19, 2010

The Vampire Chronicles SmartGirl Book Purse

Before Twilight, before Bill and Sookie, there was Annne Rice's Vampire Chronicles.

If you love all things Goth you will love this SmartGirl Book Purse. It is made from a copy of "The Vampire Chronicles" by Anne Rice.

What is SmartGirl you ask?

As some of you know, I am quite the crafty chica and have been trying to make a living out of my craft room for some time. I also have a book club and know many smart mommies who love books. But the thing that I am the most passionate about is being a woman. Women rock! I love everything about us, from our soft feminine side to our strong, tough side and with the use of our intuition we can accomplish anything. If we make sure our girls know that, great things can and will happen. This is partly why I became a Girl Scout leader (Amanda being the biggest part) and this is why I surround myself with amazingly smart women.

So you still ask “what is this SmartGirl”? Well, while I was on my 10th year anniversary cruise with Ben which was eventful in itself….we had a man-overboard situation. Yea…can you believe it? Anyway, while we were at one of the late-night pool-side parties I saw with my slightly intoxicated eyes a woman carrying a book or maybe a purse, either way it looked stunning with her outfit. On closer inspection it was just a purse, nothing special, however; what if it was a book purse? How cute would that have been?

So when Ben and I were not having a romantic moment, or sleeping, eating, dancing, or thinking about the man overboard, my mind was on how I was going to make a book into a fashionable, wearable, piece of art and how it can make a statement about the woman who is carrying it. My creative, entrepreneurial mind would not stop.

Imagine, ordering a one of a kind purse that shows off your favorite author, or that one book that changed your mind about reading or where you wanted to go with your life. Your purse would not only be a story in itself but it can be a way to express a snippet of your story.

Now imagine with every purchase of a SmartGirl purse, a $5 donation went to help fight illiteracy, or $5 went to help a girl across the world get an education or even $5 going to a local non-profit that helps young girls meet their full potential.

Better yet, imagine the girl who instead of buying a purse with some designer label or a celebrity’s pick, chooses to buy a SmartGirl purse. What does that say about her?

So, I have been busy researching, and crafting since I’ve been back from our cruise. With the help of my friend Juliet, I think I figured out what these purses are going to look like and how they are going to be made.

Oh and if some of you are wondering how this book-loving, Prius driving, re-user can destroy a book…no worries. I carefully remove the pages from the used book, and I've commissioned my daughter Amanda to create the artwork for new book covers so that the actual pages can be enjoyed again if one wishes.

I’m excited! These purses are going to be stunning. The SmartGirl bag is going to bring literature, fashion, art and charity together. I will keep you all posted.