a new addition...

Well, first of all:

My excuse-ridden abscence this time is actually pretty good: the Boser and I moved! We're out of our slighty old, slightly sad, slightly why-do-none-of-the-kitchen-drawers-work-and-how-am-i-supposed-to-do-laundry-in-a-space-like-this two bedroom apartment and into a lovely little 3 bedroom house in the heart of Denton!

The Boser works in Frisco, Texas, which is about a 40 minute commute, and we had long talked about moving closer to his office once our lease was up. But then we realized that we don't really care for Frisco so much. And we kind of care for Denton a lot. And we could get exactly what we wanted within our budget in our town of choice anyway so.... DENTON! YAY!

The addition of a 3rd bedroom means that the Boser gets to have a "mancave" where he can play guitars and work on his fantasy football team and play ridiculous games with Cat. And IIIIII get a happy little studio all to myself! Not sharing is the best. Sometimes sharing is not caring. Especially when you're sharing workspace with someone you're married to.

My studio is pretty much put together, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow for the grand reveal. Until then, I'd like for you to meet the newest member of the Rachel Elise team:

This is Connie! She is an industrial sewing machine, which is a piece of equipment I have long needed, but also long feared. Industrial sewing machines operate remarkably similarly to home sewing machines, but are more powerful and able. And also more confusing because they come with instruction manuals that assume you've worked in a sweat shop for ten years and know how to use the thing. Falseness. I do not. But a venture to visit the super knowledgeable Willard of Texas Sewing now has me and Connie getting along like old chums. (Chums? I've been watching too much London Olympics...)

Connie's home sewing machine counterpart, Bernie, has been having some issues due to overuse, but she'll be around a while longer, assisting Connie when needed. Eventually Bernie will be replaced by a new home sewing machine, but my bank account needs to catch its breath for a minute.

Check back tomorrow to see what the new set up looks like! Eep!

Loves and Hugs,

Rachel Elise

live!...

Exciting day, my dear friends!

My redesigned website, including a shopping cart for my first collection, is now live! Hooray!

Check out the new look

and the new collection!

 

*happy dance*

Loves and Hugs, 

Rachel Elise

progress...

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about all the epic new plans I have a brewin'. Just thought I'd update you guys on what excitement is happening in Rachel Elise world.

1. Very Jane clutches are all made and shipped out! Woohoo!

 Isn't that picture fun? I was really excited about it. I also took this one:

 That's a hundred clutches. Ahhh the colors. So happy. Ahem. Moving on.


2. I've ordered my first purse frames, and I await their arrival.

 It will take a while for me to perfect the patterns, technique, and order a big batch of frames, but the process is in the works.

 3. The Bunch Bag and Date Purse have been redesigned to be more cohesive with my other bag styles. The Date Purse will debut in the shop later this week, and the Bunch Bag will debut next week. Only it's not the Bunch Bag anymore! It's now the Courier Satchel, which is a name I used on a previous bag style, but I've reassigned to this new Bunch Bag-sized satchel, because... let's be real. It's an awesome name.

4. I've designed my first collection! It was a really fun and exciting process. I started out with fifteen fabrics for the Forgotten Summer Collection, but I edited down to just eight fabrics, from which I made 15 unique designs and 60 individual bags. None of them are sewn up yet, but here's the stack of cut out pieces. Also, cat. Because she's always around.

Look out for those new Date Purses later in the week! And have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Loves and Hugs,

Rachel Elise

Etsy-versary...

This Sunday, June 24th, marks four years since I first opened my Etsy shop! So insane! When I opened it, I had no idea that Rachel Elise would one day be my career, pay my rent, and make me unbelievably satisfied with my first job out of college.  I feel I'm living proof that God just giggles at us when we talk about "five year plans". Five years ago, I didn't know what Etsy was. Thanks, God. That was a good one.

Just for kicks and giggles, let's take a look back at some of the "awesome" stuff I've created over the years. I'm opening my soul here, so you are welcome to point and laugh, but please still be my friend afterward :D

June 2008
This is the first bag I ever sold on Etsy.

See the Etsy Listing

June 2009

See the Etsy Listing

June 2010

See the Etsy Listing

June 2011

See the Etsy Listing

June 2012 

See the Etsy Listing

Wow/Sorry/You're welcome.

Happy Friday, kids.

Loves and Hugs,

Rachel Elise

on the move...

So about every six months or so, I start itchin' to come out with something new. Usually it's like... a thing or two. This time...

OH MY STARS I'M OUT OF CONTROL.

Mind you, all these changes will take some time. I'm in the middle of preparing for my next Very Jane feature, which will be this weekend. Which means making 225 clutches on top of regular orders. EEP! But once all of that is behind me, I'm going to start cranking out some new and exciting things.


1. Collections

I've never made a cohesive collection of products before, but that's about to change. I already have the fabrics picked out for two collections that I will be selling exclusively on rachelelise.com via Big Cartel. I'm still trying to figure out Big Cartel/redesign my website to accommodate it, but I'm working on it.

Here's my inspiration board for the "Forgotten Summer" Collection:

Via Pinterest

Soft, vintage, nautical, summer. With some stripes. And lots of seafoam. Lots and lots of seafoam. Also, there will be bows.

My other collection is still nameless. It was going to be "The Denton Collection", but then ended up not being very Dentonie once I picked my fabrics. I may have to leave the naming up to the Facebook world once I get the collection designed. Regardless, here's the inspiration board:

Also via Pinterest

Lots of mustard, brown, and rich rich neutrals. With teeny pops of color. And a little bit of stripe action. And a Moroccan pattern that I will create with cutouts. And an amazing bird print linen. You're welcome.

2. Out with accessories, in with bagccessories.

When I first started doing craft shows, I made little bracelets and headbands to supplement my bag sales at these events. Accessories were a HUGE part of my show income for a long time (and how I got my start in wholesale), but they never did too well on Etsy. And now, almost all of my income at craft shows comes from bags. And the accessories still aren't doing too hot on Etsy.

But a smart business woman always has a range of prices, especially at craft shows. So accessories are going out (except for the luggage tags.. because they actually do well and are bag-related), and I'm going to experiment with coin purses big and small to be my new "low end" item.

I'm hoping to sell them individually, as sets of a large and small bag that are in different fabrics but coordinate, and sets of multiples for bridesmaid gifts. I've never made a purse frame/kisslock bag before, so we'll have to see how that goes. But I'm excited.

Here are some kisslock purses I admire:

1. Cream and Lace // LeelaPurse on Etsy
2. Screen Printed Floral // CuriousDoodles on Etsy
3. Silk Linen Bird Print // FoxburyandCo on Etsy

 

Noms. Also, note that the bird print from my mystery-name collection is very similar to the one on that last bag. Yeah. I know. I told you it was awesome.

3. Cohesiveness in the line.

Last time I got the change-everything-and-redesign bug, I redesigned most of my existing bags and retired a few styles. I also left the Bunch Bag as it was and brought back the Date Purse, but I felt like these two never fit in with the new designs of the other bags. So, those little guys are getting mini makeovers as well. Actually, the Bunch Bag may morph into something else entirely, but we'll see what happens. I'll have to play the pattern-making game for a while, but I have little happy and perfect pictures in my brain. Hopefully it translates.

Aren't you excited now? You should be excited now.

Loves and Hugs,

Rachel Elise

they're heeeereee...

Well everyone, after a long wait and much patience on your part, they are finally here.

IT'S LUGGAGE TAG TIME, CHILDREN.

As promised, luggage tags are now available in the Etsy shop for $12.00 each and in a variety of designs. Get. Excited.

Live in the Austin area? You can see them in person this weekend at the Renegade Craft Fair.

It's my first time doing a Renegade show and I am PUMPED. Better get to that sewing machine so I have lots of new shiny things for this weekend :)

Loves and Hugs,

Rachel Elise

P.S. If you live in the Denton area, like me, hold your horsies. The Etsy Denton Summer Bazaar is coming up in a couple of weeks. It's going to be our biggest and best show ever! Plus, be on the lookout for a feature of the Bazaar on the Denton Record Chronicle's "Denton Times" front page on May 24th!

where in the world is rachel elise?...

Oh hey. Haven't seen you in a while. That's because I've been busy. And busytime means noblogtime. That being said, I'd like to introduce my newest blog feature:

1. You don't have to tell me how not awesomely I edited this image. I know. I know.

2. "Where in the World is Rachel Elise?" is how I'm going to win you over after I go MIA from ze blog.


Here's where I've been:

Making 150 clutches as part of a deal for Very Jane. Here's fifty of them:

After doing all those bags (and dusting up all the 20,394,802,394,802,349,384 burlap fibers that were coating my studio in a nice thick layer), I moved on to preparing for my first show of the season.

The Etsy Dallas Spring Bash is just around the corner! Weeee. The Cinco de Mayo corner, to be exact. I hope I see you kiddos out there.

If you'd like more info about the Spring Bash and my full lineup of upcoming shows, visit my event's page.

Loves and Hugs,

Rachel Elise

bridal orders...

So you may or may not have noticed that I've started listing sets of bridesmaids' clutches in my shop. I thought it would take a while for this line to take off, but the frugal bride with a vintage or rustic flair to her wedding has really taken to it. And I have taken to her, because she buys 4-10 bags at a time. Everybody wins.

I made a couple "example sets" and put them in my shop just to get people interested in the idea that I could make clutch sets for them. I've already sold one of those sets as well as several custom sets.

I made this "example set":

 

And it turned out that it was exactly what someone was looking for: right colors, right number of bags. Too easy. While it was in the shop, it inspired this custom order:

which I am totally obsessed with. They're so cute! I hope this bride's wedding is as fun and vintage-inspired as this set of clutches. I might have to make an example set inspired by these. Too much fun.

Loves and Hugs,

Rachel Elise

foldovers...

Do you miss the Foldover Tote? Lucky for you, a couple more just appeared in the shop.

Recycled Coffee Burlap Foldover Tote

Khaki Canvas and Vintage Lace Foldover Tote

I lent these two bags to Haute Handbags to be photographed for their Spring/Summer issue and just now got them back. This style of bag was a favorite among my customer, but it was a pain to make. And when you're the boss, you can stop making something just because it annoys you. Ha.

If you'd like a Foldover Tote or any other discontinued style at any time, you are always welcome to ask for a custom order. :)

Loves and Hugs,

Rachel Elise

inspired entrepreneurship...

I occasionally wander over to the Etsy blog/community pages to see what's the haps in the Etsy world. Usually I end up reading about featured sellers, an outside event/policy/dilemma that is effecting the craft world, or about an Etsy-fueled wedding/home decor project. And while those are all nice and fun and informative, what I read about today was inspiring.

Here's the article I read.

This is sooooo exciting to me! That an art school is actually focusing on business-- amazing! When I was an art student at UNT, I went above and beyond my required class load by sneaking into a few business classes to learn about selling, branding, and writing a business plan. It was one of the smartest things I've ever done. But I graduated with hundreds of other art majors. And of the ones I know, no one else did this. How does a university expect its art alums to be successful persons if they can't sell the work they have been trained to create? Blerg.

I've mentioned before that my friend Shelley and I are the leaders of Etsy Denton and as such, we've hosted two "Business for Beginners" classes, aimed at Etsy sellers in the Denton area who want to make their art/craft/vintage wares their living, or at least a viable contribution to their household income. I love that I get to teach this class. I feel so blessed that I get to do what I do and want everyone to get to do what they want to do, too. In a perfect world...

As great as that class is, I'd love to find a way to do more. My friend Sarah has asked me to speak at a "Fiber Career Day" that she is organizing in April, and I'm really excited about that. Hopefully it will get my creative wheels turning on how to make sharing my experience and business knowledge a more present part of my artistic ventures. :)

I'd love to hear if you have any ideas on how I can better inspire other sellers to expand their businesses and become brave and adventurous entrepreneurs!

Also, check out all the videos from the RISD Mindshare. I watched Vanessa's video during my lunch break and I plan on watching a few more while I sew this afternoon. :)

Loves and Hugs,

Rachel Elise

published!...

Exciting news! Rachel Elise is a published writer!

Two of my bags, along with sewing how-tos for each, are featured in the Spring issue of Haute Handbags magazine! Haute Handbags is a specialty issue from the popular Stampington and Company that prints Somerset Studios, Altered Couture, Sew Somerset, and pretty much all crafty craft magazines that I drool over. I'm so honored to be featured!

The issue is full of beautiful bags and talented designers. You can pick up a copy at any Barnes and Noble -- the magazine hits the stands in April.

Hugs and Loves,

Rachel Elise

straaaaaps...

It's been a long time coming for a lot of complicated and convoluted reasons, but...

NEW STRAPS ARE HERE.

 

They will start appearing on bags in the shop next week. Yay!

Loves and Hugs,

Rachel Elise

helper...

Sometimes, Cat likes to help me sew. And by help, I mean sit on my sewing desk/back of my chair/lap while I work and make sad eyes until I play with her.

Jerk.

In other news, there's a couple of little headbands now in the shop!

While my accessories are staples at the shows I do, as well as to my wholesale business, I've never had as much luck with them on Etsy. I get impatient with the slower sales and therefore put accessories online and take them off all the time. But I'm determined to make it work this time and to stick with it. If nothing else, it's a free gallery for wholesaling accessories and opportunities therein. So whatevs. :D

Loves and Hugs,

Rachel Elise

P.S. Today is the last day to get 25% off everything in the shop! Use the code "SPRINGY" during checkout.

lost and found...

Here's a sneak peek of a new product! This is my prototype, so it's a little rough, but you get the idea :D

Luggage Tags!

I'm planning on making this chevron design, an airplane design, a doily design, and a bow design! Yay! I'll keep you posted when they hit the shop.

New headband designs and a new twist on my bracelets are also in the works ;)

Loves and Hugs,

Rachel Elise

P.S. It's official! I made it into the last spring show I was waiting to hear about. You can check out my spring show schedule here.

spring cleaning sale...

A sale for springtime! Yippee!

Now through March 22nd, take 25% off your Rachel Elise Etsy order with the coupon code "SPRINGY".

Visit the shop here.

Happy Shopping!

Loves and Hugs,

Rachel Elise

leap day miracles...

Whew! What a day yesterday!

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH to everyone that was a part of my Leap Day Sale!! I got to clear out some old inventory, make a few more monies before the end of the month, and, most importantly, brighten your day with discounted bags. Win win win!

Aside from an amazing numbers of sales thanks to my awesome customers, there was another Leap Day miracle...

 

What is that photo you ask? Oh that's my Paypal shipping bill from mailing orders yesterday. AND THE TOTAL WAS $29.29. ON FEBRUARY 29th. IN THE MIDDLE OF MY $29 SALE. I know, I know. Stranger things have happened. But come on, guys. Celebrate the little things. Or at least have a little freak out about how awesome the little things are from time to time.

In other news, you may or may not know that I'm a leader of Etsy Denton, my local Etsycentric artist collective. This morning, we launched the application for our next show, the Etsy Denton Summer Bazaar, which will be on May 26th. Get ready to hear a lot about this event from now until the end of May. I always think it's not going to be a big deal, but then it ends up consuming my life. But in a good way. :D

Are you a DFW arts vendor that would like to apply to the event? You really should. Our events are super fun and we don't bite. :D Here's the application.

Hugs and Loves,

Rachel Elise

leap day sale cont...

Wow! Only 8:00am and already five Leap Day Sale bags have sold! So exciting!

Here are the bags that are still around:

And if you missed yesterday's memo,

these bags are all just $29.

But just on Leap Day!

You can check them all out here.

Happy Leap Day! 

Hugs and Loves,

Rachel Elise

leap day sale...

So tomorrow is that special time of year that only comes around every four years: Leap Day.

If you're an avid 30 Rock fan, you might spend Leap Day pretending that nothing counts. Or if you're my parents, you might spend it making jokes about how you went on your first date on Leap Day, so your first date was only eight years ago.

Regardless of how you NORMALLY spend Leap Day, this year, you should spend it on Etsy.

BECAUSE RACHEL ELISE IS HAVING A RIDICULOUS SALE.

That's right, cats and kittens. Making sure you find time amid your Leap Day celebrations to take a gander at my Etsy shop.

Because all of these bags...

will be just $29 each.

Say whaaaaa. Yes. You heard me. I can be loud and dramatic when I want to.

All the bags in the "Discontinued Styles" section of my shop, originally $50 - $75, will be just $29. But it's just for tomorrow. Get to leapin'.

Hugs and Loves,

Rachel Elise

workin' for the weekend...

Sorry for the few days of MIA. I've been a busy bee. But no worries. New bags in the new styles (and in some new fabrics) are hitting the shop Monday. Here's a sneak peak at an adorable new Yoke Tote:

Also, this is going be the best weekend ever.

Tonight: Mr. Frosty's with friends. (If you aren't a Dentonite,  Mr. Frosty's is the cutest burger/soda fountain joint that opened in the 50s or 60s and hasn't changed since. I've never been, but it's been on my "Before I move out of DFW" bucket list for some time.)


Later Tonight: Newly weds Laura and Jose are coming to play in Little D. <That's Denton, for you out-of-towners.

Tomorrow Morning: Making Eggs Benedict and mimosas for the Boser and I.


Tomorrow Night: BB King at Billy Bob's with the Boser. I surprised him with tickets. Because I'm a good wifey. Billy Bob's, aka the world's largest honky tonk, has also been on my "Before I move out of DFW" bucket list, but I was waiting for the right time to go. When one of the Boser's favorite legends is playing? Perfect time.

I hope your weekend is looking just as lovely!

Loves and Hugs,

Rachel Elise

the new collection...

Alright, kiddos. As promised, here is the new Rachel Elise collection (as well as a peek at a few spring colors).

First and foremost, everyone's favorite teeny little bag is back with a little bit of an update.

The Date Purse

The Date Purse. $17.00.

 Next, meet a new-comer with a bit of chevron inspiration.

The Hobo

The Hobo. $38.00.

A few favorites are sticking around, but got makeovers.

The Clutch

The Clutch. $27.00.

The Yoke Tote

The Yoke Tote. $32.00

The Satchel

The Satchel. $42.00.

 And one favorite stayed as is, because you love it just the way it came.

The Bunch Bag

The Bunch Bag. $48.00

The Haversack and Courier Satchel have both been retired, so get one while you can! They can be found in the Discontinued Styles section of my shop. Bags styles that were updated can be found in their original style and at their original price for a while longer as they sell off.

Don't you just love the new family?

Loves and Hugs,

Rachel Elise