New in my shop

I know I should be searching for my Monday inspiration right now but instead here is a brand new Pupa shoulder bag I listed last night.

It is made of floral upholstery fabric in olive green I bought years ago in Troyes in France - I found a lovely fabric store very close to where we used to live, but sadly it was closing down so I had to quickly grab the leftover pieces that were still available.

I love this soft and luxurious fabric and it goes really well with raspberry pink corduroy and metallic lace trim in old gold. In my vintage buttons box I even found two matching metallic buttons and to make it more summer like I lined the bag and the zippered pocket with colourful rose print. The handles are made of thin ribbed corduroy in khaki, adorned with raspberry ribbon.

Don't be late!

The White Rabbit, ill. John Tenniel

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The Daylight Saving Time is here!
Adjust your clocks or you will be late for tea tomorrow...

Flashback Friday

I have almost erased this picture from my camera the day it was taken, it is blurry and you can hardly see my face because of the harsh back light - but today, six years later, I'm glad I kept this souvenir of spring 2004.

That was the year I met my boyfriend, now husband. It was him that took the picture when he came from France during Easter break to visit me in Slovenia for the first time (we have met on Malta a month before, long story, perhaps next time...).
I am standing in front of my desk I used to draw at and cut fabric on and I can't believe how tidy it is (no doubt I tried to impress my boyfriend!). On the far left are my pens and paint brushes and on the far right of the photo stands a cookie jar of doggie treats for my hairy flatmate, Zuza.

A spacious, tidy working desk is now a distant memory. But at least I kept the photo...


Want to play along? Link your flashback over to Christopher and Tia blog.

The Lovely Blogger List

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Rachel from Lovely Clusters blog, an inspiring place for all things handmade, has started The Lovely Blogger List to help introduce other creative souls to one another.

Here is my contribution, a short introduction for those who don't know me yet:

Damjana ::
Freelance designer of textiles and fashion. Born in Slovenia, married in France, where I live with two children and one sewing machine.
I started making handbags when I realized the most common item in my closet were not shoes, but handbags, totes and purses that I have been buying ever since high school. It was time I started making them myself.

Loddelina ::
The name of my brand came from a nickname I once gave to one of my cats. Many cats and many handbags later I still enjoy sewing and creating. I prefer using solid colour fabrics of different structure and finish and adorn them myself - with embroidery, beads, lace, trims or applique. I love fabrics and will also use printed designs when I can complement them with my own hand work.

I always carry a small compact camera in my handbag so I can quickly capture images that later inspire me, such as nice colour combinations, interesting patterns on leaves and tree barks, a funny street sign...

You can also find me here:

[blog] [Etsy shop]

My day Monday

All the colours of spring

Clockwise from top left: sabahnur, woolicious, BonnieBoon, AtelierAfra.

Custom work

I was so thrilled when Alice, my first ever Etsy customer, contacted me for some custom work. It was the new Pupa bag that had caught her eye and she wanted a pouch to match. Some "convo brainstorming" later three more pouches came out, each made of different part of the colourful striped Basque canvas, adorned with trims, lace and embroidery.

Thank you, Alice, it was so much fun working on your custom order!

Flashback Friday

My love for flowers goes way back...

Want to play along? Link your post over to Christopher and Tia...

Finally spring!

It was before Christmas that I was already fed up with winter. Now, three months later, it seems the old lady (she is feminine where I come from) is finally packing her bags. The temperatures are reaching comfortable 15° C during the day and lovely saffron crocuses are popping up everywhere - soon the other spring flowers will follow...


Last week Loddelina ended up on the Front Page again, thanks to Kallia, whose treasury lists are always so artistically curated. This time she chose romantic spring pastels and soft textures - thank you for including my little bee!

And thank you Liat from BoydemTreasures and Petra from MamiMadeIt for including me in these gorgeous treasuries!

My day Monday

printed textiles

Clockwise from top left: creamrose, vadjutka, Kosmika and chomelchomel .

Flashback Friday

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A look back at Loddelina beginnings...

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The picture was taken when I was six and a half, enjoying a family vacation in Croatia. My mother made me this short summer dress in soft torquise blue terry cloth and my father brought the leather shoulder bag with printed flowers from one of his foreign business travels.

The original photo was printed on matt paper so the image was not very sharp to begin with. But you can see the smile on my face, showing I was proud of my first real handbag - and the huge inflatable swim ring on my shoulder proves that it took me another year or so to fully learn how to swim...

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It was Fallon's Sweet Fancy blog where I first saw this great weekly feature. If you want to play along, link your flashback over at Christopher and Tia.

My day Monday

Today I'm not feeling very well, this yo-yo weather (it snowed again last weekend) has turned a harmless cough I had a few weeks ago into a nasty bronchitis that keeps me awake at night coughing like a chain smoker...

So today I have no energy to scan the Etsy shops for my "mood" items. But I don't want to bring you down so here is a picture from a sunny, allthough crispy cold day at the Doubs river where we regularly take walks.

And happy Women's Day to all of you ladies out there!

Another challenge entry

I am participating in another European Street Team's challenge - this week it is hosted by Dawn of LaTouchables, who runs a unique Etsy shop, full of gorgeous bags and accessories.

The new theme is self portrait and I chose all my favourite fabrics and colours to make this Pupa shoulder bag, called Simply Me. I love the red flowery lace trim I bought years ago - it makes me smile every time I look at it. I like drawing with thread and this time I used some thick embroidery thread to make decorative stitches on both sides of the bag. They remind me of nonsense drawings I doodle while I'm talking on the phone; the drawings often turn into flowers without me even being aware of it...

The new shoulder bag is now available in my shop!

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You can see all the other challenge entries at Dawn's blog.

Tea time giveaway

Who wants a cup of tea? Or a whole banner of them?

Enter Fallon's giveaway at her blog Sweet Fancy and leave a comment to win this original Olive design.

Do you want to make one yourself? Follow Fallon's tutorial and surprise a friend with a unique handmade gift!

My day Monday

Wind

clockwise from top left: edart, yourdoll, matilou, intres

Hurricane winds were blowing through western Europe all weekend...