PooLou Designs Style Red

 Just in time for the holidays, here are my red style picks! 

Red Clutch with Black and White Flowers.  You will definitely get noticed at the holiday party!  Inside is red with black and white polka dots.

Wire Wrapped Red Howlite Ring ~ Red and Black meet again!  I love the uniqueness of wire wrapping.  They are one of a kind!

These earrings are red glass with hematite.  The red really shows through!

Need a zipper pouch for your cosmetics or to act as a wallet?  This one is sure to please!  The inside surprise is lime green damask!  The pouch measures 5 X 7, so it is a good size.  It could also be used as a clutch wallet.

You can find all of these items in my Artfire Studio at http://pooloudesigns.artfire.com/.

If you like something here, but it is no longer available, please ask me about it.  I can recreate a lot of items especially for you!

I hope you have enjoyed this PooLou Designs Style!

Kristen

PooLou Designs Style Pink

Love pink?  Here are a few accessory ideas from PooLou Designs to complete your favorite look!

You will need a clutch for that night out with the girls!  This one is oval in shape and fits everything you need.  The button closure is stylish and adds pop.  Everyone will ask you where you got it!

How about a big, vintage looking ring?  The ring is adjustable, so it will fit anyone.  The white base is an old button.  I added wire wrapped pearls in white and pink.  Old meets new!

A must have bracelet!  Large rectangle beads paired with pink pearls and metal beads.  Rustic and elegant.

I call these cotton candy earrings!  I love the soft, light pink with the darker pink mixed in.

All of these items you can find in my Artfire Studio at http://pooloudesigns.artfire.com/

If you see something you like, but it is not in my studio, ask me about it.  I can usually recreate the item.  I hope you have enjoyed this PooLou Designs Style!

Kristen

Adjustable Rings

I have been wanting to play around with making adjustable rings for awhile.  I finally had a few Joann's coupons and went crazy!  I already make wire wrapped rings, so this was just a little different.  I bought some ring bases and E-6000 adhesive.  Here are a few of the rings I came up with.  I hope you like them!

Red and Black ~ Perfect for the holidays!

I love fall and this one gets me in the mood with the fall colors :)

Animal Print

I think this one is my fave.  It is old meets new.  The white base is an old button.  I made a cluster of pearls and wire wrapped them.  Glued it all together and viola!

I am coming up with new designs in my head.  The glue doesn't smell very good and we just had a big snow.  I will have to wait a few days before I can make more.  I like to let them sit outside and cure.

Let me know what you think!

Kristen

Coming Soon!

Don't you hate it when you go to the grocery store and you come home with tons of produce bags?  I sure do!  It is a waste, not to mention bad for the earth.  I have been frustrated about this for awhile, and finally decided to do something about it!  I am going to be making reusable mesh produce bags.  They will be great to have on hand whenever you make a trip to the grocery store.  They will also make awesome gifts!  I know what I am doing for Christmas this year ;)  Here is the first one I made.  I love the color, don't you?

This is the standard size you get at the grocery store.  I am thinking about making them in different sizes and offering them in a set.  I will also do different colors.  What do you think?

My Take on the Simplicity 2750 B Pattern

I bought this pattern forever ago and I just got around to trying it!  This is the first pattern I have ever worked from. 

I made the purse, not the messenger bag...

And here it is!

I added 2 pleats instead of 4.  I like it better.  The only thing I do not like is the length of the straps.  The next time I make it I will make them longer.

I hate taking pictures of myself!  I had to cut my head off the picture :)

The color is really off on this one.  I really like it!  Simple and great for everyday.

 

There is so much room!  I added 2 pockets to help me stay organized.  I like how the white liner makes it easier to see everything inside.  I added some color inside with the pink pockets!

I am thinking of making some to seel in my shop.  What do you think?  Do you think they would sell?  It was a lot of fun to make!

Inspiration

Where do you find your inspiration for the things you create? 

I sometimes get a feeling when I see some fabric or beads and I just have to buy them!  Most of my inspiration comes from nature.  I love flowers, wood, wind, grass, and trees just to name a few. 

I found the inspiration for this cosmetic pouch when I saw the fabric.  My husband and I are planning a trip to Kaua'i in May and it is going to be kid free!  Grandma is coming to stay with the kids while we are gone for 9 days!  It is going to be awesome, but I am sure will will miss them lots.  When I saw the  fabric, I felt like I could feel Hawaii just by looking at the fabric.  I couldn't resist buying it and I decided I was going to make a cosmetic pouch just for the trip.  I absolutely love it!

And I have never been to Hawaii before!

I think the bright teal zipper pulls it all together.

What do you think?

Make Your Own Bath Salts!

I love making my own body products!  It is so fun and you get to use it too!  Today, I made my own bath salts.  This is the first time I have ventured into the salts.  It was so easy!  Here is my recipe.

4 cups Epsom Salts
1/4 cup Baking Soda
2 Tsp Liquid Glycerin
Lavender Fragrance (or fragrance of your choice)
Food Coloring (optional)

Mix it all up and put into a jar.  Decorate and these make great Christmas or anytime gifts!  Inexpensive too! Use 1/3 to 1/2 cup in warm bath water.  This recipe makes a lot, so be sure to share!  You could use sea salt in place of the epsom salt, or a combination of the two.  I used what I had on hand.   I didn't have any red food coloring to make purple, so I had to settle for blue.  The glycerin is a great moisturizer and the baking soda makes your skin feel silky smooth.  I can't wait to try it and give some to friends!

All the supplies...

Up close...

In my jar...

Enjoy!  If you make some, let me know how it went or of your variations!

New Clutch Design

I have a new design!  I am falling in love with it!  I call it The Liz Clutch.  I started designing it this weekend.  I was dreaming about it and couldn't wait to get started on it.  Well, as most things do, it didn't look quite the way I saw it in my head.  Today, I played around with it, and I must say I like it better than I imagined!  Sorry about the pictures.  It was getting dark and I really wanted to get a few shots.  I will try to get better ones tomorrow.

Presenting: The Liz Clutch!

The whole view...

Close-up of the closure...

And what it looks like open!

I need feedback from you!  I love it, but do you?  I am keeping this one myself, but I am itching to make more!

POOLOU DESIGNS BLOG GIVEAWAY #1!!!

Welcome to my very first giveway! I hope this to be the first of many! This is to show my appreciation to all my friends, followers, fans and customers! I couldn't do this without any of you.

THE PRIZE...




I am giving away this very fun, chunky and unique button stretch bracelet! It is made of purple buttons of varying sizes and shades. I put it on clear stretch cord, so you don't need help putting it on! It measures 7 inches and easily stretches to fit over your hand. I am already in love with this bracelet!  $10 value.

I have a thing for buttons! To fnd more items using buttons, visit my Etsy shop!

TO ENTER: You get an entry for every one of the following AND you have to leave a comment for each one to get counted:

Become a follower - even if you are already a follower, make sure you leave a comment to get an entry :)

Become a fan on Facebook - my Fan Page is http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Colorado-Springs-CO/PooLou-Designs/134250103524?ref=ts ~ again, if you are already a follower on FB, leave a comment for another entry!

Follow me on Twitter - my Twitter id is klkestner.  Leave a comment to get an entry and I will follow you!

Heart my Etsy Shop - If you really like what I have to offer, heart me!  Leave a comment telling me of your heart.  http://advenphoto.etsy.com/

You can have up to 4 entries for the drawing!  Please let me know how to contact you, in case you are the winner!

REMEMBER to post a comment for each entry.  The winner will be drawn using http://www.random.org/.  The giveaway starts today (Wed., Oct. 28) and goes through Wed., Nov. 11, midnight MST.  You have 2 weeks to get your entries in.  The winner has 48 hours to contact me to claim your prize.

Good luck and I can't wait to see who the winner is!

Kristen

Check This Out!

One of my pouches was featured on this awesome blog! Check it out at http://creativeflydesignz.blogspot.com. I am so excited about it!

On another note, I am working on my first giveaway for this blog! I am hoping to get it posted tomorrow, so be sure to check back. I hope everyone is having a great week. I can't believe Halloween is this weekend! We have a full day of activites planned for the kids on Saturday. A hayride, fall festival and then trick-or-treating! When I was a kid, Halloween was always my favorite holiday. I loved dressing up and I continued to do so through high school. What is your favorite holiday?

Apples and Pears

This is too cool! I found this great blog background that matches one of my tote bags! So...here is a picture of the tote bag.

I designed this tote bag. I love how roomy it is! I wanted the tie straps because I like how they look and it is a way to add adjustable straps. There is a large pocket inside and a magnetic snap closure.

I found my background at this great site that has free backgrounds. There are a lot to choose from! Go to http://aquapoppydesigns2.blogspot.com for yours!

Welcome!

Welcome to the all new PooLou Designs Blog! I hope that I can keep on top of this! Being a mom and wife first, this is going to be a challenge, but I am up for it! I am happy you are starting on this journey with me! I welcome all comments and will strive to respond to each one.

I started PooLou Designs at the beginning of 2009, by surprise. I started sewing and fell in love with it! I have evolved to other areas, as well. I create/design tote bags, purses, pouches, earrings, bracelets, just to name a few. I am always coming up with new ideas. I love making thinks and I hope you love my things! Everything I do, I am self taught in. My flaw is, I want what I want when I want it! If I want to learn something, I want to learn NOW! And I do!