Confessions, Creativity and Calling all Customs!

I, Isabella Kiss, creative beast, have something to confess. I had not created anything in at least 2 months up until 2 weeks ago. I had gotten so busy I hadn't made ANYTHING. Nada. No notebooks, no amigurumi, not even a pair of earrings! And that for me is huge, because one of my passions is creating...stuff. I was made by a creative God, I am his daughter, and one of His traits that He passed onto me was his love of CREATING. I have tried (and will continue to try) just about any artist medium. I love it. I thrive on it. But I had been slacking...

But in the last 2 weeks, I made not one, but two new purses.

I also have to confess, I don't actually *LIKE* sewing. I really like the concept of taking some flat, square fabric and other materials to make something. And I really, really like the end result of having something that is one- of -a- kind, made by me. But the middle process (cutting, ironing, sitting at a machine) isn't my favorite. At all. But I am always so happy at the end, that I go and put myself through that process again and again. I have made (am making, will make...) some pretty sweet stuff, guys.

The latest and greatest in the line of Bella Bags.

The blue-ish one was for my mom for Mother's Day. She had requested another bag, because the first one I made her was stolen when some mugs smashed in our car window on last year's Pennsylvania vacation.

Shot up close. Machine appliqued flower. 

Most the stuff I do involves applique and buttons. Tedious details, but I so love the end product that I work through the extra amount of time it takes to make them look that great! The bags would be pretty boring otherwise. And I am 100% against BORING.

The other bag is mine.

It was due time I made another one for myself. I was actually carrying around a bag I had purchased. Whole. Not made by me. From a store! And I found that rather mortifying. When I found an obnoxious orange/blue shower curtain for $3.99 I looked deeper, saw its inner potential (okay...lies... I just liked the orange and bold stripes) and brought it home to be turned into a bag. Why I am wearing it like a cloak is another story entirely... I think I was trying to show you how much fabric there is in a shower curtain. I have a bunch left.

Instead of applique (it would have been reallyyyyy not boring if I added to the crazy print. People's eyes would have bleed from too much awesomeness.) I did a hand-stitched swirly. (The white stuff is the chalk I used to draw it on, not part of the bag) Lime green, to match the lining (made of a curtain. Yeah for up-cycling!)

For some weird reason I enjoy hand-sewing a lot more than sewing on a machine (Sometimes I am really old-fashioned with stuff like that. I try and avoid machines and "the easy way" as much as is modernly possible). I actually hadn't sewn in so long that I rubbed like 4 layers of skin off my right thumb, while holding the needle. It was all red when I was done and didn't feel so great when I went to play keyboard the next morning. That is just sad...proof I need to make more stuff, more often.

I feel much better now having released some creative juices. And hey, I'm looking to release more! I've offered custom Amigurumi's before to raise money for the upcoming (July 9-17!) mission trip to Costa Rica. But I do custom bags too! Last year I made a bunch of money off of custom orders, and I am now throwing that offer out there again! The bags are all one of a kind! And I love doing customs because then I get to make the bag to fit you and your unique tastes!

 If anyone wants their very own, custom BELLA BAG, comment/etsy convo me!

Depending on what size, and amount of details (like applique), you want for the bags, they run from somewhere around $30-$45 dollars. The are generally between 12 and 18 inches tall, and are a similar number in width. The bags are very sacky, with big handles. Inside pockets optional. All of them are lined, and also interfaced for lasting durability.

Past work, just to give you a visual idea of the awesomeness I am capable of...

                                             

As you can see, a lot of the stuff I have previously done involves flowers, but I've also done musical notes, (simple) Celtic knots, butterflies, letters, skull and cross-bones and...stuff.

If it can be cut out of fabric and stitched down, I can pretty much do it.

Anyone interested!? Let me know!