kara smith features in Frankie magazine!

I got featured in the July/August 2007 edition of Frankie magazine (FABULOUS Australian fashion mag!). This is pretty exciting for me as an emerging designer to have such interest and I have had some sales on etsy too!! I just uploaded a new fab vintage clutch this morning, "Marlene" - and it was sold within 2 hours!!

K

Time is ticking...

This is new feature on purenaturalbeautiful.com - new Australian natural product website!


It was three weeks on Saturday til we pack up and head off down the coast back to New South Wales! Its been raining continually and though I have managed to create some new clutches, I can't photograph them nicely in such dreary weather!

We are starting to pack and I have been cutting out gorgeous pics of designer studio spaces in inspiration on what I'd like to create in my little mountain shack. I don't have any more time to create new orders so will be putting that on hold til we arrive at our destination and instead pack, slow down, enjoy the end of our time in Brisbane and smile!

This is another creation by the fab Liana Kabel. She is just making such lovely pieces and I'm hoping to get a red & pink version before we leave!

More bags... for 'Mrs Peel' in Leura

These are some of the bags Mrs Peel shop in Leura, NSW ordered. They will be leaving shortly on their way to the mountains. Fabbo autumnal barkcloth!

Been busy trying out new clutch designs but have decided that my original shapes are much better. So one is for sale on etsy.com.



Been makin' placemats - so homey for me! Our old placemats were terribly embarassing but I couldn't decide which of my precious fabric to use somewhere that gets sloppy food on it. So... I got some great fabric at IKEA and cut it up into size.

Wonderful support by madeit.com.au

Lovely support by madeit.com.au on their myspace page. Good going Bec!

Some new items on etsy too...

And here is more of Liana Kabels fab work: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6155898

Sew - sew like the wind!

OK... four bags done so far... 2 clutches and 2 handbags! One more tote to do tonight! Glass of wine in hand (only 4:30pm too!) and listening to Depeche Mode... (arghhh showing my age now!).

The overlocker is back into overdrive. I'm still not sure how I lived with it before...

Only 4 weeks now til we go. Yay!

OH - P.S. Got hacked in myspace - creepy! Still I guess its a compliment...

Bag explosion!

My bags are almost sold out - its crazy! I have 3 left after 2 orders last night. Its gonna be a big weekend of sewing... battening down the hatches, cutting and piecing together!



We snapped this shot with mobile phone last weekend - my bags up in the window of Cherry Blossom in Paddington in Queensland! So cute!

I join purenaturalbeautiful.com!

Been a busy week, despite the lack of sewing. I get to pick up the overlocker today... phew! Lots of orders, lots of interest. I think the myspace page is also working!

I have been invited to join the purenaturalbeautiful.com online store, offering a boutique range of natural, handmade, recycled and fair trade products This is a wonderful new store and worth looking at.

Tuesday morning - no overlocker

Yesterday, a public holiday, I gave up on trying to use my overlocker - it was destined to be a quiet long weekend. I have so much fabric and really wanted to get going on a couple of purses. Damn! Hopefully it won't take too long to fix.



The myspace stuff is finally kicking along with a network of indie designers out there in Australia and beyond. I have even updated the 'look' of it so its not so daggy.



Another gorgeous pic via Flickr.com. This is just so lovely. You can see I'm really excited and want a beautiful space too...

Only 4.5 weeks to go til we leave!

Etsy works!

Today I had my first sale on etsy.com so will continue it as an avenue for selling my bags. "Daisy May" is on her way to Anchorage Alaska!

This is so exciting... but my overlocker is playing up again so no sewing (except just on the machine)... Today's a public holiday and perfect for sewing. Oh well, will continue watching Series 3 of Deadwood!

My bags are on modamuse.com.au!

Some of my range is now for sale at www.modamuse.com.au! Check it out! This is very exciting for me to have retailers here in Australia and New Zealand. I would like to get some retailers now further afield internationally. So if you are reading this, contact me!


Tomorrow is a big sewing day. I want to push forward on some more clutch design ideas, as all my bags are created from my own designs - no patterns! These are freeform with just sketches to begin with... This is how I like to work as a graphic designer so it seems a natural shift into handbag designing.

Have a great Saturday night!

I'm on myspace

Got chatting to the lovely Bec at madeit.com.au and she suggested getting a myspace page to get into the independent network. My page is at:
www.myspace.com/karasmithbags

Cross promotion

The cross promotion with jeweller Liana Kabel is great - lots of positive feedback about the photos and interest! Here is a snippet from Liana's June 2007 newsletter. Yay!

Sydney Markets - Hope Street

Exciting new markets for great independent aussie designers:

www.hopestreetmarkets.com

I will be aiming for a stall in the Spring market.

Photoshoot on the weekend

Fabulous photoshoot last Saturday to showcase the bags just that little bit more. My wonderful friend Christy agreed to be the model, and photographer Trish bailed, so I ended up being the photographer! The photos weren't too bad really for an unprofessional. And Christy has agreed to model further! Liana Kabel www.lianakabel.com came along with some beautiful jewellery including her fab funky knitting needle bangles and a beautiful knitting needle necklace which had colours that tied in so well with all the vintage fabrics, giving the bags a whole new appeal!


I have updated my website with some of these lovely photos - with more coming soon!

My overlocker was finally fixed this morning - the blade had to be sharpened after hitting a pin! I've been pacing for 2 days now without sewing (everyone keeps asking why I can't just sew with the sewing machine - but the overlocker is just too amazing!). So she is doing well now and I've made 3 more fabulous clutches which will be up tomorrow.

Photoshoot today with the fabulous Christy looking gorgeous with my bags and Liana's jewellery. Photos will be up tomorrow and Christy went home with one of my bags, 'Hippy Jo'. I did a swap with Liana (photos of her gorgeous jewellery tomorrow when its light) - but, so funny, she got so excited that she bought another bag!!!

Tonight its pouring with rain - so lovely!

This is a cute purse I bought from Cinnamoon Moon - its so cute and I can't wait to get my hands on it!

Very inspired today and feeling very creative. Only 6 weeks to go til I can create each and every day full time - making sooo many delicious handmade handbags!

Going international!

I have updated www.karasmith.com.au to include prices in US dollars! I hope this will make shopping easier for people. Just click straight through to US bags to see it all.




This is some fabulous retro cotton fabric just won on ebay. I can't wait to see it and have lots of ideas for it... or could keep it as one lovely piece for the studio. I love huge prints like this. Maybe I should start screenprinting myself...!