Introducing: Bibi

You all know that we have many dogs, and we thought that it would be nice if we introduce them to you one at the time.

This is Bibi, our oldest dog, or, at least the dog that has been the longest with us, since we don't know the age of many of our dogs.

Estella found her on april 14th 2002, at an abandoned building site, covered in filth, ticks, with running infected eyes and hind legs that could not carry her from malnutrition. Visitors to our house found her a very ugly dog.
But, as you see, with dogs is as with people, when they are loved, they become beautiful!

She was very afraid and tense, but all that is over now and she is the cuddliest, most loving little dog that you can imagine, with deligthful smelling paws and strong, healthy legs.

Before Bibi, we liked dogs, of course, but she teached us to really love them. They are like little kids, really, curious, naughty, funny and with a strong and unique personality, each one of them.

Many people are amazed at how we look after 14 dogs, and how we don't confuse their names. Even funnier is that all of them have atleast one nickname! Bibi's are Bibke, Bib-bibulishka and Pitirik :)

Next week you'll meet (crazy) Daisyof our fur family!

Monday Moodboard

1. sunshineartdesign  2. psarokokalo  3. lilarubyking  4. kaleda

There is a very cloudy and grey weather here, but the birds are still singing and a pair are actually making a nest right in front of our window, so sweet!
Wishing you all a lovely week!

See more moodboards at FleurFatale's blog!

The Far East Challenge

This is a picture of the bag in the making right now. It will be another bubble smocked bag and as you see, it is a fairly complicated process involving seven needles at any given time.

This is the front. It will take about a week to smock the front and then we will still have to make the bag it self.

Last week we got a very friendly convo by the listing of an other smocked bag asking us if we could make that kind of bags for $10. The lady indicated that in that case she might buy five or more.

It is not every day that you get such overwhelming offers, but I had to tell her to try her luck by our colleagues in the Far East.

What brings me by the problem- or shall I call it challenge?- of our competitors in the Far East.

The market for bags is even more difficult than the market for custom jewelry. While the rich and beautiful choose to spend thousands to buy a brand bag, the regular customer wants them cheap.

And, lets be honest, at the Far East, very good bags are being made, often of leather and with a gazillion zippers and other details well above of what we can offer for that price. In fact, the thousands dollars brand bags are also made in the Far East!

I don't resent the far eastern sellers on Etsy, as long as they are not copying others and as long as their product is well made. Cheap labour does not mean bad labour per se and that people also have to eat and make a living like the rest of us. I think that every one of us buys once in a while from the Far East when is convenient, so let's not cry when we are the seller.

The question remains, how to compete? Is there a market for painstakingly made bags that necessarily cost a bit more? Creating a niche for yourself is easier said than done!

What are your ideas and opinions in the matter? Let us know!

My Friday Night Outfit- On Saturday :)

Sea Urchin Collection- Special Gothic Earrings by staroftheeast
Vintage shoes black cow and crocodile leather boots by thepuddingstorevint
Longsleeved dress with Vneck by ThongbaiTatong
Victoriana Medium Lili Clutch by BagatellesandCo

Yesterday I was so busy with my table cloth (see previous post) that I totally forgot my friday night outfit :)
I guess I'll go out on Saturday this week, with a slightly Halloween-Gothic outfit, in an elegant way.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Our Creative Space...

This week we've made a delicious bag. With a beautiful blue suede leather and a gorgeous vintage velvet, photographs are not doing any justice due to the cloudy weather but we will soon be able to take some decent pictures. Mum had to clip the pieces together as it was impossible to stick needles through the materials, again a nifty solution.

The velvet is atleast 50 years old. Mum has had it almost all her life as someone gave it to her as a kid to make doll clothes of it, but she found it too beautiful to use it and has kept it all these years, took it from Spain to Holland and then to Turkey. Only one bag came out of it, so this is a very special one!

 I'm making nice progress in my old Unfinished Project (you can see it in our previous creative space too).

 

Mum was kind enough to do all the outside lines of the flowers and branches so that I can easily see where I have to fill things up. I gave myself a deadline of 12 november, and yesterday night a quarter of it was finished. The border will be something interesting too, which you will see once the time comes :) I hold the embroidery hoop with both hands and make the tiny movements to fill up the flowers.

I made a picture with my hand so that you can see how large it is, wish me luck as embroidery thread is thin and loves to break often which gives alot of frustration :)

You can see more workspaces at Kootoyoo's blog!

Monday Moodboard

1. NancyvdBoom  2. annawoz  3. boutiqueseragun  4. GlassBeadArt

These days we often are talking about olive trees on the EuropeanStreetTeam. The reason is the photography project of Frances Melhop which I have mentioned a while back. She is now in Italy and has her project on Kickstarter to get funded. If you want to help an artist and get unique photography, check this out!

See more moodboards at FleurFatale's blog!

My Friday Night Outfit

Ruby earrings by littlellama

brown Alpaca poncho by ileaiye

La Fleur Bag - Dusty Red by StarBags

1980s Red leather slouch boots by eeksten


I'm in a Chocolate + Cherries mood, made a Treasury this morning, with the same colors. Down side is both are not in stock at home arrrrrgggg.
Have a great weekend!

Our Creative Space...

In 1999 I attended a machine embroidery course. This is not the high tech way where you put some fabric and the machine does the work. You hold the fabric and with your hand movements it becomes something pretty, if you are doing it alright. Anyway, I finished some pieces during that course, which took all winter and close by the end I started a huge table cloth. Needless to say, I never was able to finish it during the course, but I also never laid my hands on it in the past 11 years.

Now that we are trying to finish our UFO's, this one has almost become vintage while waiting so now is the time to finally finish it. I've started yesterday, and hopefully in a couple of weeks I'll be able to show you the finished piece. Keep your fingers crossed for me, please :)

You can see more workspaces at Kootoyoo's blog!

Monday Moodboard

1. PetitPlat  2. lacravatteduchien  3. P8Accessories  4. domoshar

Weather is finally cooling down a bit, so it is time to bake cookies! I made cookies this weekend, slowly it will become the time to snug under a blanket and watch a movie, yaaay!

Have a great week :)

See more moodboards at FleurFatale's blog!

My Friday Night Outfit

The Organics Collection - Limpet Shell Post  Earrings by staroftheeast 

Keep 'em Flying brown jumper dress  by BombnBelleClothing 

Boots - Tall, Two - Toned Mod Vintage 1970's by bytheway 

Perry in HONEY velvet corduroy  by bayanhippo

Some yummy browns and creams, perfect color combo for Autumn!

Wishing you a great weekend!