Holiday Bag Orders

My strategy for managing orders for the holidays this year is going to work by listing items to be made to order over the next few weeks.  This is a change from my typical style of working but I think it is the best option for providing the Wool Felt Roll-Style Chef Knife Bags recently listed in Bon Appetit magazine's holiday gift guide. 

Orders within the US need to be placed no later than December 19th in order to guarantee delivery for Christmas and December 15th for Hanukkah.  International orders will close December 8th for Christmas delivery and December 4th for Hanukkah.  Mushroom and Graphite are only available as US delivery.   

Each listing is set up by the color of the bag and there are quantities listed for each based on my current stock of supplies and work load.  I have five different colors available, three of which are brand spanking new. They are:

Mushroom (the same Grey-Brown shown in the magazine)

Charcoal (Dark Grey/Soft Black)

And the new guys: Graphite (Pure Grey), Navy Blue & Persimmon (Red-Orange)

Several more leather bags will be added to the shop soon and custom orders will be considered until I feel my workload is full.  If you would like more info on the particular style of this bag, please read the listing or check out this post.  I am happy to answer any questions you might have as an Etsy message or at beefandlambbagsATgmailDOTcom.  I hope this helps you organize a great holiday gift for that special cook in your life!

Bon Appetit!

I am lucky enough to have my Stage Roll-Style Chef Knife Bag featured in the "Great Gifts for Home Cooks" mention on the December 2011 cover.  Check it out the next time you are at the grocery store, newstand or bookstore.  You can't miss it - it's got a fun bright pink peppermint meringue cover.

My bags aren't just for the professionals - I've had several serious home cooks mention that they would love one to transport their knives to their favorite vacation spot, parent's house or in-law's house.  The thought of one of these rustic knife bags traveling to a cabin in the woods or to a seaside retreat just makes me smile. 

The bag featured in the magazine is in Mushroom (a natural grey-brown) Wool Felt.  I have several colors of both natural neutrals and fun saturated dyed wool felt available.  I also make this same bag in several types of leather.  Check out the ready-to-ship bags that are currently available in my online shop or check out my Facebook page to see photos of the all of the bags I have made in one place.  Soon I will have listings up to pre-order bags guaranteed to ship in time for the holidays.  I will post the listings with all the info here once they are live.  Also, if you are local to the Austin area you can find me, my bags and my other items at Renegade Craft Fair November 26 + 27 (this Saturday and Sunday!).  The following weekend, December 3 + 4 I will be at the Urban Craft Uprising show in Seattle.  Come see my bags in person or talk to me about a custom order! 

Custom Tool Roll

I just completed a leather tool roll for someone who has really helped me hatch out ideas and get this little business going.   You can call him my boss.  Something special was in order.  It has seven slots (instead of the standard five), is personalized with his initials on the upper strap and is able to be 'tied' to close using adjustable sliders.  I even purchased a one of a kind piece of leather to get the dark, oiled look he was after.  Take a look.

He is so pleased with it that he has decided to start an alternate career as a hand model.

 

You can see more small and large wool felt and leather tool rolls here.

New Item: Large Tool Rolls

Like the chef knife bags that I create but looking for something a little more basic and pared down?  Look no further, Large Tool Rolls are (finally) here!  They are similar in style to the Stage Roll-Style Bag but with a few tweaks.

The first is that there is no strap or handle, this is something that you just carry in your hand. Perfect for those who carry their favorite knife to work rolled up in their jacket.  You know who you are. 

The large tool roll has a single flap that folds over the tools to make sure they don't touch when rolled up.  It secures in place with collar buttons, which are simple, clean and easy to use.  The whole thing rolls up from each side and secures with two buckles.

These bags are faster for me to make and use less materials, making them a more economical alternative to a bag.  The Large Tool Roll in the shop right now is in Milk Chocolate Calf Leather.  (I also added a Stage Bag in the same leather today.)  Remember that I also make the Small Tool Roll which is great for holding shorter items.  I will have both sizes in more leather and wool felt options in the shop soon.

Big News!

I am long overdue on a post here to let you know what's new and what's coming up.  There has been so much exciting stuff going on!

1.  I have a several new leathers and two new colors (blues!) of wool felt that I am working with.  Look for more variety to be added to the shop, including lots of luxurious calf leather, oiled leathers, various weights, and a wider variety of neutral leathers and colorful wool felts.  I can't wait to share all of the new stuff with you guys.  I've already added one item from the new stock of leathers - a highly polished and professional looking portfolio in a lovely glossy reddish brown calf leather - and there will be more to come.

Document Portfolio in Chestnut Calf Leather

2.  I am now able to personalize any of my leather goods.  It is just the thing to add that personal touch to your new knife bag, wallet or portfolio.  I have two different styles of letters depending on your personal style: a 1/4" typewriter style set and a 1/2" block letter set.  It's easy to purchase - just add it to your cart when purchasing and item and then let me know in the message to seller which style letter you prefer and which 1-3 letters you would like stamped.  Actual monogram location will be the same as those pictured in the listing.  Contact me prior to purchasing for any alternate locations or if you have any questions.  I am still working on something to personalize wool felt items.

 Coin Purse in Darkest Brown Oiled Leather with 1/4" typewriter-style letters

 Stage Chef Knife Bag in Dark Brown Calf Leather with 1/2" block letters

3.  I now make tool rolls!  I just added a Small Tool Roll in Saddle Tan Leather to my shop.  It is similar in concept to the Stage Bags but much more basic.  The small holds 7 items up to 9.5" in length and there will be a larger version that will hold up to five 16" items, such as chef knives, added shortly.  

Small Tool Roll in Saddle Tan Leather

4.  I am pleased to announce that I was recently accepted into Renegade Craft's first-ever Austin Holiday Show!  It will take place November 26 -27, 2011 (the weekend after Thanksgiving) at the Palmer Events Center.  My boothmate will be the talented Rebekah Vinyard.  I love her jewelry designs!  Hope to see you there!


5.  I am also pleased to announce that I was also recently accepted into the Urban Craft Uprising Winter Show!  It takes place December 3 - 4, 2011 at Seattle Center.  I am so excited I can hardly stand it.  I live in Houston right now, but I have lived in both Austin and Seattle before, so these shows are extra special to me.  I've attended Urban Craft Uprising events many times and I so proud to say that my work is being included in the bunch.

So things have been very busy around here.  I am working like crazy to get stocked up for the holiday shows.  Plus I plan on having a lot more variety in the shop, including more ready to ship chef knife bags, for the holiday season.  If you are thinking of gifting one of these bags to a loved one for the holidays, now would be the time to start arranging it with me.  Current production time is about 2-3 weeks.  That may change as the holidays approach and material selection might not be as good as it is now - see #1.  Email me at beefandlambbagsATgmail.com for more info.

The Envelopes

I've had a pretty productive past couple of days/weeks and have lots of new things added to my growing list of designs.  Today I've added several new wallet designs to the shop as well as added some existing designs in new material options.    Each is a different version of an envelope style created simply by folding continuous pieces of leather and closing them with an easy to use collar button.  I love this style for is classic looks and its simplicity to use.  It really is a pleasure to have the experience of using your hands to fold, press and carry these styles.  

Here we have five different designs, each in a Pebbled Reddish-Brown Leather and in a Dark Golden Brown Leather.  From top to bottom and left to right, we have the new Business Writing Portfolios, more versions of the Document Portfolios, my new women's wallet - a Clutch Envelope, my new unisex wallet - a Small Envelope, and my new Coin Purse.  Each of these items is now available in the shop and ready to ship.  Unfortunately, I made a huge mistake in sewing the Business Writing Portfolios and those are not available yet.  Hey, I am human.  They will look exactly like the ones in the pictures except without the short horizontal lines of sewing and should be up in the shop in a few short days. 

I am really digging each of these new leathers too.  They will both be a part of my regular leather offering.  Both are oiled leathers, which makes them waterproof and long-wearing.  Perfect for hard-wearing utilitarian items.  Both are also pull-up leathers which change character when you manipulate them but return to their original look with a little time or some buffing.  Pretty cool stuff.  The Pebbled Leather is a classic richly textured reddish brown that turns smooth and golden red when bent.  The Dark Brown Leather is super smooth, slick and has that classic oiled leather feel to it.  I can't help but think of seals when I am working with it.  When it bends, it lightens and takes on a lovely golden hue.  Check out the listings in my shop for more pictures and descriptions of each of these new items! 

Also on my plate, I have been working on designs for classic tool rolls (think the Stage bag without a strap and in different sizes)  and two different designs for laptop bags right now. I've also got some exciting news to report soon on being able to personalize items.  New designs, more new designs, new leathers, new techniques.  Whew.  So check back soon.  Exciting times, I tell ya.

Beef & Lamb is for everyone.

New items are now in my shop!  I will keep this quick because today is my birthday and I have important things to do like play with kitties and puppies, eat some BBQ and a lemon tart that I made, and enjoy the nice weather outside (finally!). I am proud to announce that I now create cardholders, wallets and document portfolios, all in leather, wool felt or a combination of the two materials.  I am calling these 'Goods' and they are all tagged with a flat stainless steel oval tag that is individually numbered like my bag tags.  Check em out.  More wallet styles, material choices and other new items will be added shortly!

Leather bags in the shop!

Nos 000012, 000013 & 000014 have been added to the shop.  All three are the classic roll-style chef knife bag, each in one of the leathers I offer right now.  From back to front in the pictures below, they are a 6.5oz Oiled Russet Brown Cowhide Leather, a 2-3oz Deer-tanned Saddle Tan Cowhide Leather and a 3.5oz Vegetable Tanned Dark Brown Calf Leather.  These bags are all exactly the same size but they are very different from each of the leathers weight, firmness and tanning process.  You can see the difference each of the leathers makes in the character and final shape of the bag.  Let's call them the fraternal triplets. 

I am offering each one at $190 plus shipping which is a bargain for a hand-stitched high quality leather bag, especially a specialty bag.  I hope you like what you see, there will be lots more shop updates this week and next week.  Lots more variety to see very soon.  And not just for chefs either...hint hint!  Also, I have decided to lower the price of the wool felt backpack and messenger bags already in my shop by $10 to entice you a little more.  Go get em!

No 000010

As promised, photos of the hand-stitched leather chef knife bag I recently shipped.  Take a look!

This is my standard Cyclist Sling-Style Backpack in Saddle Tan Leather.  It holds up to three flat tools/knives and has a small pouch with just enough space to hold a piece of clothing, bike supplies or your wallet and keys.  The knife roll portion of the bag is made from Mushroom Wool Felt, which both protects you and your tools and holds your tools securely in place while the bag is in use. 

As a cross-body sling style, you can tighten the adjustable strap to fit closely to your body and still be able to easily slip the bag on and off without fiddling with the strap length.  The bag comfortably fits close to your body so that it doesn't move about while you are riding or walking. The shoulder strap standard length will fit almost any body type, but is also easily cut and finished to a custom length should you prefer.

Like all of my leather bags, this bag was completely handmade from start to finish.  It was hand-cut, hand-stitched with natural linen thread, both for quality and durability and then hand finished with hardware and leather conditioner.  Each of the four styles I offer has a similar look and feel to this bag, but the choice of leather will change the character.  This one is made from my softest and thinnest leather so the shape and texture of the bag reflect that.  Along with some of my other styles, I will shortly have ready to ship Cyclist bags in other leather options added to the wool felt selections already in my Etsy shop.  I can also make this bag from any of the 3mm thick Wool Felts I have.

This style and order were both arranged through a series of conversations on Etsy.  A huge THANK YOU goes out to the recipient of this bag.  I very much appreciate your support and I hope that you enjoy using your new bag as much as I enjoyed the challenge of designing and making it.  If you would like to preorder a bag or arrange a custom order, please contact me.  I would love to work with you as well! 

A sneak preview.

I've just finished my first custom order coming in through Etsy.  It's a Cyclist Sling Chef Knife Backpack in the Saddle Tan leather and it is lovely if I do say so myself.  In the photo above I am hand finishing the bag with carnauba cream to both condition the leather and make it more resistant to water and stains.  I will post more photos of the finished bag once the recipient has it. 

New Leathers and Felt In Stock

 One of the main reasons it is taking time to add ready to ship bags to the shop is that I am still nailing down the leather selection.  I would much rather have 2 or 3 leathers that I am really happy with than tons that are just ok.  That being said, I just got some new pieces in that I think are going to be pretty great.  

First, we have a Vegetable Tanned Calf Leather in a rich dark brown.  It is 3.5oz in weight, super soft (Calf!) but still will provide bags with a firm structure and is reallllllly luxurious.  It has a nice subtle, natural surface grain.

Second, there is a heavier 6oz Oil Tanned Russet Brown Leather.  This heavier leather will make some nice beefy bags and has a smooth, slick surface texture because of the oiling process.  The flesh side (reverse side) of this leather is also much slicker than normal.

Also, I am pleased to add an adventurous bright red-orange felt to the Beef & Lamb line-up.  For those who want a pop of color, wool felt in Persimmon is just the thing to order.  It looks great on its own or combined with any of the other materials in smaller doses.

 

Right now I am working on a few custom orders and getting some leather bags ready to add to the shop.  I know this is taking some time, pictures will be coming soon!  Very soon, hang tight.