Showing posts with label ANA cigar box purses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ANA cigar box purses. Show all posts

Thursday, March 9, 2023

Cigar Box Purse: Upcycled Art

I am looking forward to spending time making cigar box purses this week and next. I had a week of the Northwest Flower & Garden show and then a wonderful week showing my niece around Seattle and now I can think about making handbags. My delightful life has a lot of categories. When you get a chance to make, what do you reach for first?

Today I am going to upload a few new purses to the Etsy shop and start the custom fabric lining on some new boxes. I've got a spring in my step!

Do you like this photo? When I was first starting out, I sold my purses in summer art shows in Michigan. I had this image made into a 2 x 3 foot poster to hang in my tent. It was so dramatic and beautiful.

#upcycled #wearableart #etsy #finddelight #annereeves  #cigarboxpurses #springgreen

Friday, September 20, 2019

Jennelle Marcereau Gallery: A Stunning Landscape Photography Gallery in Tacoma

My friend Jennelle Marcereau is an incredible landscape photographer! Her work is beautiful; I am proud and I want to tell you all about it. 
Do you remember that one point when your Facebook connections grew exponentially because all of your college or high school friends were finding each other all at once? Well, Jennelle and I connected online during that flurry and though we sent a nice message saying "We're both living near Seattle!," we never set up a time to see each other. Then recently, Jennelle posted that she was opening a gallery of her photography! I was in Michigan the night of her Grand Opening, but we were able to connect and talk in her beautiful space for hours one afternoon not long afterward. 

She and I are Theta sorority sisters from Michigan State University. We were roommates in our sorority house and it was incredible to laugh and fill each other in on everything that has happened in our lives since we were 21. I kind of wish we'd been recording it, because we really did a good job of boiling our stories down. Have you done that lately? It's quite a mental exercise.
Jennelle has a fascinating life. She balances life as an emergency room doctor with the creativity & physical strength of being a professional nature photographer. In just talking with her, I felt kind of jealous of her brain.  It gets a healthy workout in two completely different kinds of thinking. What a thrill. 

Jennelle loves to travel and hike to capture photos that are absolutely incredible. The color and composition she is able to see and then capture, is just beautiful. Though many people are moved by her images and make a purchase right on the spot, I see an important future for Jennelle in medical spaces. I think her images could bring comfort and inspiration to patients during the uncertainty of the office visit and waiting room.
On a different note, Jennelle thought it was very cool that I had become an artist and writer. She said that she remembered that I was creative and enthusiastic in college, but didn't know that I would become a maker. She invited me to bring my cigar box purses to display & sell at her gallery during a Tacoma Wine Walk. When she saw them in person, she asked if I would like to keep them in her gallery for a while. She liked that it would give her customers a variety of art pieces to look at. It was a kind and generous offer to share her space with me and I am grateful to her. It feels wonderful to have some of my collection on display in an art gallery. My life just keeps surprising me. Thank you, Jennelle, for the honor. Your gallery is beautiful!

#seattleblogger #finddelight #tacomawa #pnw #HerPNWlife #wanderwashington #photography 

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Cigar Box Purse: Happy Customer

 
"Anne - Hi! I just wanted to reach out to let you know that the cigar box purse was a HUGE hit. I wore it to a Cuba themed gala. I thought a lot of ppl would have cigar box purses, but none did! I had more compliments than you can imagine. Here is a pic for you. One of the society magazines was more interested in a pic of the purse than they were of me. If it makes the magazine, I’ll send you a copy. Thanks for taking care of me for a Noche en Havana to support Phoenix Children’s Hospital!!!" 3/5/18
Oh happy day. I just heard from a recent Etsy customer that she LOVED her ANA cigar box purse and received lots of compliments at a charity gala. Doesn't she look fabulous?! How wonderful. I want to thank her for passing on the photo and the praise.

If you'd like to shop my collection of handmade cigar box purses, click here.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

ANA Designs Inc.: Cigar Box Purses and a World of Delight

After moving across the country, I realize how important it is for me to be able to articulate my brand. I founded ANA in 2003 when I started making and selling purses made from original cigar boxes, lined with fabric, improved with a handle and feet and then signed and numbered. Each purse is finished with my clay ANA logo. They were received well right from the start and I had great success selling them in juried art shows across Michigan. As I started to travel more, I decided to move my store to Etsy (Anne Reeves on Etsy) online in order to reach more people and keep a nice inventory.
















Today I wanted to tell you about my "customs stamp." (see above) I use it to signify that something has been stamped with my approval...literally a stamp that from my territory - a world where things have to be "Super Cute."

The cursive "I.K.I" in the center stands for "I'm Keeping It!" That is the yardstick I use to know when a design is ready to sell. When I find myself admiring the design and start thinking about keeping it, I know that it is "ready" and that my customers will love it. 



#etsyseller #maker #womeninbusiness #cigar #cigarboxpurses #conversationpiece #etsy #makersgonnamake #youbeyou #womenbusinessowners #artistsoninstagram #artist #creative #lifeasacreative #momentsofdelight #annereeves