Modish

Eco-Friendly Find: Urchin Bags

A very good friend of mine works in a bike shop, and through him I have become a huge fan of anything made from bicycle scraps—tires, tubes, cogs—I love the look of all things bike, and I love that there are so many talented people out there finding new ways to keep scrap material out of landfills. That's one of the reasons I was so excited to discover urchin bags.

Urchin bags are made from 95% recycled materials. These awesome little pouches are made from repurposed bike inner tubes and scrap vinyl. I love the combination of the bright vinyl, contrasting zippers and black rubber. They are fun to look at, and look decidedly durable—perfect for coins, cards and all the little stuff that's rattling around the bottom of my bag.

Enid

Last night, when I was picking out the lucky random winner of the Plywerk giveaway, Lara, I clicked the link to her name and was led to a little store full of wonders. I was led to Enid boutique!

Enid is a brick and mortar shop in Fredericksburg, TX featuring handmade and independently designed goods. Owned by Lara and her husband, the shop is named after and inspired by her grandmother, Enid Collins (seen above), who designed handbags from the 50's-70's. Pretty cool, hmm? There's also an online version of the shop, so we all can partake in the goodness. That's where I found all these lovely items below. 

See what entering a giveaway could do for you? Not only can you win it, you can get featured at the same time! ;)

Sponsor Spotlight: Exotic Flavour

Exotic Flavour is a shop based in Sweden specializing in unique and chic cord jewelry and vibrant bags and totes. Mention "modish" in the notes to seller at checkout for 15% off your order! (offer excluding shipping- discount will be refunded after checkout. Exp. 8/31/09) {SHOP}

Eco-Friendly Find: Get Ready Set Go

I need a vacation. And I definitely need new luggage. And while I doubt I'll be able to get away from work any time soon, Get Ready Set Go can definitely help me with my luggage needs.

Get Ready Set Go finds unloved old luggage, cleans it up and silkscreens designs onto the cases. Pick one of the finished pieces in her shop, or pick an un-embellished case and choose your design from her menu of options. She'll even add your initials or a quote to any piece. Hip, personalized luggage + always being able to spot your case on the carousel = the beginning of an awesome vacation.

 Liz Grotyohann is a co-founder of cosa verde, a marketplace for handmade, environmentally-conscious goods.

Sponsor Spotlight: Jennifer Ladd

Jennifer Ladd creates beautiful bags and clutches from vibrant fabric. I really love her wooden handle purses- they're stylish and fun! If you mention "Modish" in the notes to seller at checkout, you'll get 10% off your purchase! (exluding shipping cost- discount will be refunded after checkout) {SHOP}

Honeycombs

note: as I was finishing editing this post I saw a little tweet from Heart Handmade about the honey inspired picks she just posted- doh! Great minds... I thought of scrapping this post, but since I had already spent a bunch of time editing it and our selections are totally different, I decided to go ahead with it- but be sure to check out Heart Handmade's sweet picks too!

1 :: sweets for the sweet necklace by Rachel Ann Designs
2 :: honeycomb modern wall clock by Pilot Design
3 :: queen bee earrings by Red Heart 13
4 :: Karl Von Frisch purse no.3 by The Sea Within
5 :: tilly necklace by Stone & Honey
6 :: honeycomb necklace by Brevity
7 :: honey ginger soap by Aniselle

Sponsor Spotlight: The Studio

Visit The Studio for beautiful goods by some of your favorite independent designers. They've got some new spring stuff in, some fall stuff on sale and shipping is always free!

Bees'netta

Sometimes, you just need a big bag. Big as in, room to throw everything in, carry it all, with big enough pockets to carry your big things. Big as in, go on vacation and forget nothing, cheat the airline with your "one personal item" that could fit a whole trip's worth of shopping items. Big as in, room to carry your farmer's market veggies, fresh flowers, a bottle of wine, a fresh baguette and the litter of stray kittens you find along the way. Big as in, Bees'netta.

Whenever I think of Bees'netta, I immediately think "bee's knees." Probably because that's what they are.

Outfitted...

{fiji dress by modaspia :: poppy necklace by oh ginger :: clutch by tendiris}

Pravina

The spring collection from Pravina studio was just released, and it's looking mighty fine!
Their bags are chic and classic, from pretty pleated purses to large and in charge totes with contrast stitching. Available in beautiful shades that'll take you from spring into summer, they're pretty perfect for the warmer days ahead. See the whole collection in the Pravina shop!

Udessi

Have you seen Udessi yet? I've been browsing through all morning and it's gorgeous, I can't get enough!

Host to art and craft items made by some phenomenal Australian talents, Udessi has a wonderful collection, all of which is photographed and styled to perfection. It's run by Kim Wallace, a fantastic ceramacist who also sells her work there (that's her gorgeous vintage lace dish in the upper left!) The entire shop is a real treat for the eyes and I'm thrilled to see another option that focuses on Australian art and artists.

Moop Sale & Five Yards

Moop is having a seconds sale on some of their bags, yahoo! You can get awesome discounts on your favorites that are discontinued styles or colors or have tiny flaws- check it out in their supermarket shop!

And while you're in the Moop mood, you crafters may be interested in their new shop, Five Yards, where they're offering 5 yard cuts of their overstock fabric. Most of the fabric has been upcycled from wholesale fabric jobbers who collect overruns directly from textile mills. The Moop folks want to be able to offer the same awesome fabric they use in thier bags to other talented makers who may not have access to fabric/textile districts like they do. Nice, huh?

Vivien Cheng

Well, it's been a good week full of eco-friendly finds, hmm? Our last one for the week is a long time favorite of mine that I'm surprised I haven't featured here yet, Vivien Cheng!

Vivien creates beautiful revamped vintage bags and purses, turning blah thrift store bags into beautiful hand-painted signature pieces. Ooh la la. They're eco-friendly, GORgeous and one-of-a-kind. All qualities that make for a pretty perfect bag in my book!

See more lovely designs over on Vivien's site and purchase them in her etsy shop, or the other online retailers listed here.

Sponsor Spotlight: Kir DeVries

Visit Kir DeVries for beautiful unique gifts! There's lots of handmade, indie designed and eco-friendly goods to choose from. Use code "modish" at checkout to save 15 % on your order plus shipping is free on all orders over $40!

enhabiten

enhabiten is a stylish little shop filled with eco-friendly goods galore!

From the little zip purses made from vintage feedsack cotton fabric and lined with hemp, to the hand-embroidered cushions made from tea-stained hemp and filled with sustainable kapok fibers, everything at enhabiten is thoughtful, pretty and made with earth-friendly materials.