Fall into Linen...2 more!

As winter approaches, we start to mellow out a little too! We've got 2 more of those awesome natural linen theme that we all love so much! The one up there is Travelling Dreams which is quite personal for me as I love the anticipation of going somewhere, exploring new places, seeing new people and finding out a fresh perspective on life. This classy, slightly grown up little tote would be perfect for a day of shopping and lunch with the girls! Its a great conversation starter too! :+)



This is the last of the Teddies at the carnival! Don't miss it if you heart this print! I believe this combination is one of a kind as we're out of these cute handles. I love the playful nature of the teddies having fun at the fair! This tote would be so great for a yummy mommy! :+)

Check them all out instore!

Fall into Linen Collection ... The Brownies!

Whats fall without the creams and chocolates? Our little addition to the Fall into Linen Collection. Check them out instore!

A/W 2010 Fall into Linen

In a blink of an eye, its september 4th! Our Fall into Linen Collection is trickling into the store. A little write-up about this little collection...

My love for the natural linen look started as soon as I set eyes on copies of Japanese zakka-esque craft magazines around 2005. Being a virgoan, I am somewhat automatically drawn to earthy tones and well, chocolate being my default fav has stood aside since while I drool all over the bright pictures in the mags featuring purses & interior crafts made out of a combination of that amazing natural, oat colored linen. Of course it naturally lead to a maniacal search for the perfect natural canvas material for my totes right after I started florspace. I needed something thicker than the common, quite flimsy summer linens mostly for summer suits & dresses. After a long while, I got what I wanted. A beautiful, natural-looking, grainy yet smooth & squeezable raw canvas that I couldn't get enough of! Unfortunately the supplier stopped producing this particular fabric & I berated myself for not investing in bales of it while I can. I blame myself for being out of town when it disappeared from right under me. Since then, I have found a replacement, not quite the same, but quite perfect in itself. That is of course, the same material that goes into all the totes that we make today. We have used this natural canvas for a while now and coupled with our stabilizer, its performance is pretty decent. Just as many of our happy customers!

Hence, this little collection of a dozen totes, with selected prints that celebrate the amazing & versatile raw, natural linen, we call it Fall into Linen. We are certainly in love, are you falling for them yet? ;+)



Linen Apples is looking all proud, with a little insignia at the bottom that somewhat resembles a store front, don't you think? ;+) We are also in the midst of switching our ribbon D-ring tabs to all fabric versions to make them much stronger & more swingable!



This beautiful Sunday Print from Shinzi Katoh will be our last as the fabric is out & retired. The beautiful canvas fabric is both adorable & super duper hardy! This tote set is perfect if your belongings tend to be a little heavier than usual (like mine! :P).

Keep your eyes peeled for the rest of the collection & some wallets popping into our shoppe this weekend!

Fall Collection sneak preview

A little peek at what's gonna land in our etsy store in September. ;+)

Do you like yet?

The Shinzi katoh Collection

Presenting the Shinzi Katoh Collection! :D We're a little obsessed with this Japanese illustrator, designer & zakka stuff creator! We've collected these prints over these couple of years and finally get to do a little collection! I presented myself with this challenge, 4 mama totes + 2 Kid totes in 4 days. Day and night I worked on it! It was tough, but really really enjoyable to work on! (much more than the impending exams I have to mug for. LOL)



Anyways, look out for them in store this weekend! We hope you guys love them as much as I enjoyed creating them! ;+)

Cruise 2010 - Come away with me...

I got so excited about this little collection I had to shoot a couple more vanity shots just because! LOL A little story/inspiration to tell about these new totes.....

Well, as you may have already known, I journeyed to Bangkok, Thailand & back. It was such a wonderful flurry of sights, food and shopping, the only desire I had was to make the trip last. Even under the scorching sun during the weekend markets, I had close to no complaints I swear. Usually I'd curse & rant til the sun sets or til I'm back in the protective shield of some place with AC. Obviously the last thing on my mind was appearance. I know, I know, appearance is everything, its the first thing someone sees you as! But hell, sometimes we're so frustrated with the bazillion things we have to do! Hence the stripped-bare simplicity of this collection.



I wanted something that would hold a lot of our necessities, including a lot of supposedly uncalled for items we may or may not want the world to know! These totes will do their job functionally. Open it wide to hold your mags, papers, novels, bottles of water, fold umbrella, wallet, cosmetic, you kiddo's toys, bottles & towels etc. The best thing is that you can zip it all up and no one will be allowed to peek in nor steal your latest purse sitting right on top while you're shopping. Which makes it the best tote for travel! No more stuff falling out when you put this baby in the overhead compartment! No worries about your appearance either coz these grab n go vegan leather handles will last! The simple, chic prints will take you anywhere. Plus the little details will be such eye-candy!

All you need now is a little imagination & a little getaway!
Come away with me!

Kitchen-sink totes!

Its days like these I wish I had a bigger tote. Last week, I was stuck in school, lugging bunch of books, my laptop and a small purse I'd insist on using for the day. It was one of my earlier creations. And I thought it was super cool & chic to just be with my maxi clutch and my macbook. But nooooo.....I ended up with 2 textbooks and A4 sized notes which had no where to go but crumpled and dog-eared by the end of the day. I do need a tote. Something to hold everything, still look great and not make me look like some clumsy chick juggling stuff on my hands rushing for classes. Ugh.

Hence the creations of bigger totes that combines cuteness, style, utility and durability. The japanese denim I'd painstakingly collected a while ago came to mind for the bottom so that we can throw it around and it'll still look great. Besides, denim looks better with use and age. ;+) I'm quite particular about denim, the color, feel and grains. I don't own 30 pairs of jeans like my some of my friends do. But I digress! This denim fabric is ever slightly stretchy, with beautiful diagonal grains integrating lighter and darker threads. It feels tough yet comfy. I'd imagine it'll be perfect for a skirt, but thats for later!

The top panel is one of our all time favorites that has gone out of production. We don't have a lot of it, like many of our other prints, we try very hard to make the best of very bit! The amazing combination of animals, dolls, fruits, trees over colorful meadows just takes all of our weariness away! To soften the harsh lines between Wonderland and the dark denim, we added a strip of lattice lace. For further cuteness & girlyness, red white polkadots for the inside and a peek of it is seen on the top. After much contemplation for the handles, we decided that navy blue woven handles are best, to match the bottom denim and bring everything together, but most of all for comfort and durability to withstand use!

We are planning for more to come, divided between the need for cuteness & utility, you'll see both small and large totes! For now, check out Wonderland!

Time to Play!

Its the weekends and its time to play! My new favorite tote, so cute, it takes a lot of energy to be away from it! LOL Made for play inspiration during your boring work days and of course, it'll be the perfect tote for gallivanting! ;+) I love this print loads coz of my personal childhood addiction to lego blocks. The myriad of little colorful blocks offer SO much possibilities! A cottage today, a bridge tomorrow, a city the next!

Hopefully this cheery little tote will bring its new owner loads and loads of fun, luck and possibilities in this new year ahead! yaaaay!

Don't forget to check out our gadget case too! ;+)

Nature-inspired Classic Everyday Totes for Autumn

I have a long-standing love with Enchanted Forest. Not just because the fabric was so pricey and rare, but the print is one of those that we'll never get sick of! We use it really carefully for the best projects to ensure its beauty is fully expressed! Paired with special import laces & natural cotton sourced from various parts of Japan, we're pleased to tell you guys that they are all made in Japan! Naturally, quality is guaranteed and we're more than happy since the final product will be amazing for you guys too! The lace on Enchanted Forest is actually a very delicate hand-woven linen lace which matches the beautiful print. There's a little bit of mystery & magic there!



We chose In The Woods for this collection since you guys seem to love this adorable print a lot! Beautiful trees with cute leaves is flanked with vibrant colored animals & mushrooms makes for one unique print! We used a slightly thicker scalloped cotton lace also hand-woven in a natural linen color. Both totes feature vegan leather handles from Japan for a more beautiful & professional look. Handles are hand-stitched & reinforced with double denim thread ensuring you carry all your everyday necessities in style!

Isn't autumn the most beautiful season? :+)
Happy Autumn everyone!

Half Market Tote!

I posted the above playshot on flickr yesterday. Were you guys curious to find out what it is? ;+) I know I was! Yeah, its highly likely I'm standing alone as a seriously mental bag lady! LOL Anyways, I gotta admit the tiny retro flowers background is actually my ironing board cover which the elves had gotten a while ago coz they know I'm gonna fawn over the kitschy print! I did and it goes well with the Couleur Envelope Tote, doesn't it? This shot was just begging me to play with it digitally! After some cross processing, vintage-ing & polaroiding the shot, it looks somewhat like the lomo effect...sort of. ;+)



Taa-dah! Its a hafu~(half) Market Tote! Our usual Market Totes are really great in terms of size, but while searching for possibilities of variety (I blame ADHD!), I had to do a cute version of the mom-sized totes! I also loved that despite the tote being soft-sided, its really lightweight and foldable which means, extra storage and burst of color on the go! It tucks neatly into the flat envie tote! I wear a lot of black and commuting in the crowded city, sometimes there's not enough room to even move! This tote guarantees ease of reaching in while on the shoulder especially in a tight jam and a quick stop at the organic market. The pleats on all 4 sides adds 3D-ness to the color-popping effect!

A little florspace happiness everyday! here!

Fawn of Mushrooms

By now, you guys'll prolly know my fondness for mushrooms. I love them to bits, eat them, stare at them, make them, play with them... It is only a matter of time before they mushroom out into totes again. One of my fondest memories of my first mushroom totes were of this one. How happy was I to find that fabric! Even today as I unearth another out-of-this-world-cute mushroom print is sure to make me grin and squeal! This print is particularly special as it incorporates another fav character - the fawn, aka deer, aka doe...etc. I loved Deery Lou when Sanrio came up with it eons back. It evokes memories of beautiful secret woodlands, or the garden of Eden, with apple trees & honey bees, elves and pixies having a cuppa on stumps. Oh yes, I should prolly mention that I grew up with fairy tales, Alice in Wonderland & Enid Blyton. :+)

Pair this etereally adorable print with a slightly more unexpected polkadotted sky blue (usually it'll be red!) as I was really thinking of well, the powder blue skies with puffy clouds in that secret garden! All thats left is a rainbow and maybe a cute leprechaun before its pure magic!

Let's have tea in the secret garden here! ;+)

The Rilakkuma Trio!

If I had a character addiction, it might be Rilakkuma. I keep coming back to this adorable yet lazy bear! Yes, Tenorikuma (must be the coffee thing) is pretty close and cute, but this guy, LOL, even DH thinks I laze like Rilakkuma! Remember the first ultimate set back in 07? It was a mod summer yellow version of Rilakkuma! That said, I had to double faint when I saw this print before I left for Sydney. That was back in April, but I can't help reliving the little happiness I felt. Not just Rilakkuma, but a pink version of it! Above all, I pulled out my schedule book for this year and voila, its a perfect match! I knew I didn't have time to dabble with the poor fabric, just begging to be made into something cute for someone nice. It was the day of departure. I rushed it home, kept it nicely together with the rest of my private reserve stash knowing it'll be the first thing I'll go for when I'm back. I did almost, just alsmot forgot about it when I came back but since I was missing DH terribly, I opened my stash and there she was smiling at me. Before long, despite the heat, i managed to do up this trio for some lucky Rilakkuma lovers! We don't have much of this print and apparently its out of print, typical for most fabrics unfortunately. I hate it when good prints becomes unavailable, but well, I guess all we can do is to cherish them!

Anyways, I thought it best to combine this candy-ish pink background with a little chocolate brown. In comes mr. polkadots and miss cottony lace and we have cuteness! The cube is a special edition with the same chocolate polkadots inside too! They just look so yummy together! Best thing? Get all 3 and the 2 purses ships free! Just pay for shipping of the tote!

Look at them here!

2 new totes!

2 new totes in store! We're loving the new wider size, slightly tapered towards the top makes it more lady-like and pretty. :+) Stand-up handles means you can grab n go! Perfect for your everyday essentials, carried in style!

Check them out!

Mighty Mushroom Tote set - oopsy!

This set is so seriously adorable, we totally forgot it was PINK! So we've just put it on the Pink Spring SALE list, 20% off, at just $55.20 for the cuteness!

Boy am I getting old. Much thanks to my dear assistant who pointed out, "Isn't Mighty Mushroom in pink?" LOL Feel free to holla if I'm wall-eyed again. ;+)

Just a bit more details on it. I bagged this print all the way from Japan, from a really cramped fabric store and woulda missed it if it didn't winked at me from some dark corner! I love it loads but it wouldn't turn out as great in a larger tote, read* not as cute! Its a smidge shorter on the top length coz I angled in the sides, to give it a really cutely boxy look, which fits in with the adorable scalloped lace I had to include! I'm known to hoard cotton woven laces coz I think they're simply amazing work! To girly-fy the whole thing, I had to squeeze in a tied lace ribbon!

Dang, I want one! Get it here!

Yearly Ultimate Sets - Spring

Apparently my mojo gets online from time to time and reads my blog! After my outcry late into the night yesterday, he came back for a visit. So I took the opportunity to finish up the Counting Sheep set I was dying to for weeks. The other piggy one has to wait. Oh yikes, I shouldn't say so much! LOL I was thinking about it for a long time coz the finishing for the sheep one wasn't right. I was trying too hard to put in more stuff that wasn't meant to be there in the first place. It was meant to be just sheeps! Anyhoo, just to keep the lovely zakka spirit alive, I managed to find some amazing cotton zakka lace in that perfect oat color for all the trimmings. I could eat this stuff if it was edible! And adding that little accent was because the vintage french crystal button was just begging for some attention. Methinks he sits proudly on the cute little lace ribbon on the side.



I tossed out several ideas for the handles, like using raw cotton canvas (inside) but it was too plain and didn't fit. Wooden handles just made it look worse. Even my signature woven cotton handles were somehow out of place! My Biscuit tote that I use everyday is a peeling leather I got from my Japan trip earlier but that was the only pair. In the end, I realised, sheeps only go with sheeps! I had them attached on both the inside and outside coz I wanted it to be super hardy for what you might throw in, which make this the perfect bag for travel, school, work or play. No excuse for leaving your sweater or that novel at home now. There's also double large pockets inside. People have been telling me to include larger pockets in my totes. I'm starting to see why after installing some in the one for myself! They keep stuff safe, especially the puffy extended pocket for gadgets.

This set also features something I'd been wanting to make for a while - a Key Home! I have been using one for years and love the idea that it covers the abrasive metal of keys, keeps it safe from other delicate things in your bag as well as keeping them all in one place!

So yeah, some of my little thoughts that goes thru my creations. There are more but it'll prolly bore your brains out!

Check out the Counting Sheep set right here!

Classic Kitty tote - Edition of 1!

Its been a while since I created this! Obviously I couldn't forget how darn cute it was so I did another rendition of Classic Kitty!

Go grab it quick before etsy warns me not to put up kitty. yikes.

Just $45, right here!

The Red Marine

I feel so guilty about La Marine Rouge. This beautiful dude was sitting unglamourously backwards on the WIP pile on the sewing table for a good month before I got my tired ass sorted out among the orders to actually finish him up. I had started on him because the beautiful thick yet soft marine canvas was calling my name. "Make me into the ultimate tote!" he'd say. I had to along with that request, seach for the perfect match for the inside. I found Miss Cerulean a little while ago and thought they'd be so happy together. I was worried they'll fight. It took a bit of eye-adjusting but with the slightly lighter cerulean clone, the woven soft cotton straps, we were good to go. Not until I slacked off sewing to hit the books. When it was finished last week, its was such a beautifully unanimous union, it just stands proudly on the photo table. Such eye candy that I've always yearned for. Needless to say, I harbored thoughts of eloping with La Marine.



Sillyness aside, he's one strong dude! Will happily accompany you on beach, market & shopping trips! I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Our totes are strong! We tripe stitch every stress point, corners and centers. The straps are gone over twice inside and at least once outside! They'll NEVER come apart, even after going thru the washing machine. We know, coz we've tried. They'll carry plenty, & promise never to complain!

Just one thing, never, ever, try to feed it to your dogs. We don't guarantee that it won't fall apart then!

La Marine Rouge is $65 right here.

More tote sets...

I'm not sure but I suddenly experience tremendous joy in cutting up huge pieces of fabric. Its kinda weird coz in the end, the bag turns out smaller than the gigantic pieces inititally. But really, nothing beats making these tote sets. The amount of work is giving me chronic back muscle pains but somehow, there's something about the exuberance of the images on the totes that seems so enticing to see it in person! On Tuesday, I even found the courage to cut up the half a yard of the blush pink version of Branche. My chest sorta tighten a little when I did but when the tote finally got completed on Friday, I sighed in relief and maybe accomplishment! You might ask, its a pretty simple tote, what's the idea? Well, I relish in simple designs coz I would very much prefer to let the beautiful fabrics I use speak for themselves. Besides, my little impromptu research over the years as a bag user, shows that a high percentage of us actually reach for a frills-free tote as a default everyday tote. Here, I'm obviously trying to convince everyone this is something you'll pick up everyday before you leave the house! ;+)

ps, I am desperately trying to find a way to reduce international shipping. Because of the layers of interfacing and heavy fabrics, a tote set tend to weigh a bit, not to mention some extras I throw in. I might have to find a cheaper source of bubble envies or maybe absorb a bit of the shipping? Hmm.

Update - Shipping recalculated and much reduced. Hopefully the tote sets will get to travel a little further this time!

Tote sets!

Productive wednesday turned out to be pretty fun! Thanks mr coffee. All 4 totes are loose in my little shoppe! Got some summer moolah? Get yourself a pretty tote set! All made with my absolute fav raw cotton for the insides and cute little measure tape and zakka rick rack you saw during wip. It also took me some good time to locate those fabulous soft yet strong woven cotton straps for the handles. All the way from Japan, they are pretty expensive but hell, it works much better and looks fab too. I think I had much fun matching the handles! I hope I did I good job! Lots of designer fabrics are up here, Shinzi Katoh's Stroll, Puti de Pome's J'aime Paris, TABI's Biscuit & the rather rare and obnoxiously cute Safari. I had imported everything myself, 'cept Biscuit, which I had to have when I was in this very tiny fabric shop in Japan. I was carrying a crazy load but when I saw that, I had to have it! I still have a thing for red, Paris and vintage so it kinda explains the fabric choices too!



These fab totes also come with their own detachable/attachable mini wristlet! More are coming!

Do you love?

Shinzi Katoh Kids Land Everyday Tote Set

Kid's Land number 2! Yaay! Another tote set for a cute mom, a little girl or a big girl! Either ways, you're toting around town looking happy and fancy! I adore the cute sentiments on the already cute print of squirrels, mice and other critters! I made the inside of the pocket and the inside of the MiniB the same orange polka dot! So juicy and yummy the colors, I need a tic tac. heh

Perfect purse for summer! Strong and sturdy, bright and sunny!
Right here!