Keep it organized with satchels and zipper pouches by Sandra.
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Friday, December 24, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Purple Passion Treasury on Etsy
I've fallen in love with purple and had to seek out more etsy creations to share with others. Follow the link to a variety of items in purple by Etsy Sellers.
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cda0459eeea8eef75f0e768/purple-passion?index=1
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
New Look
Let me know what you think of the new design. I'm exploring different options.
As the Fall settles in I have been bit slow accepting the change it brings -- in weather, the slow down at the market, the shift in priorities. Yet there is a relief. Summers are intense as business bustles down at the market. No time for reflecting and planning. No time to send out my E Newsletters, introducing new fabrics and designs. Only time to respond to the traffic at the Market.
So here I am, having the luxury of visiting you once again on my Blog. I would love some feedback from you about what is important to you. What you would like to see on my blog.
Sandra's Satchels just celebrated our 10 year anniversary in August. It is hard to believe that it has been so long.
I remember making my very first handbag, entirely by hand. You see I inherited my Mother's sewing machine which had been sitting in the attic above the garage at my parents home for many years. When I hand carried it from Wisconsin to Seattle by airplane -- tucked under the seat (whew, it just fit and I didn't have a plan "B" if it didn't.) When I tried to use it, the oil had jelled, causing the machine to only go backwards. So, before having it serviced, I just had to get that first handbag made.
The day I made it I was propelled only by the intention for a simpler life, set out to create one with my own hands and the fabric that I loved combined with a fascination with the perfect handbag. It took me the entire day!! As I lay on my bed I asked myself, "what makes you think you can make a living at this". And the answer came: "I only have to make the next one."
This journey is not always easy buy it has been and continues to be a great friend and teacher. I get to share this with agents and customers, and others who join me and enrich my life. Some day I will take a photo of that first handbag, which I still have in my workroom, as a reminder of where we started. I still love it!! It has a starfish charm on it because the starfish has great significance to me.
There is a story about a man who was sitting upon a hill just overlooking the ocean. He saw a figure moving along the shore in a sort of dance, sweeping his hand down to the sand and extending it out to the water, again and again. Being curious, he went down for a closer look, and discovered the man was picking up starfish one by one and tossing them out to the sea. He walked up to the man and asked "what are you doing". The man replied that the tide was going out and if the starfish were left on the shore they would die. The observer said, "There are miles and miles of shore and millions and millions of starfish, what makes you think you can make a difference?" The man bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it out into the ocean. He then looked at the observer and said, "It made a difference to that one".
I hope that each of my satchels make a difference to the one who wears it, if even in a small way.
Sandra
Sandra's Satchels
As the Fall settles in I have been bit slow accepting the change it brings -- in weather, the slow down at the market, the shift in priorities. Yet there is a relief. Summers are intense as business bustles down at the market. No time for reflecting and planning. No time to send out my E Newsletters, introducing new fabrics and designs. Only time to respond to the traffic at the Market.
So here I am, having the luxury of visiting you once again on my Blog. I would love some feedback from you about what is important to you. What you would like to see on my blog.
Sandra's Satchels just celebrated our 10 year anniversary in August. It is hard to believe that it has been so long.
I remember making my very first handbag, entirely by hand. You see I inherited my Mother's sewing machine which had been sitting in the attic above the garage at my parents home for many years. When I hand carried it from Wisconsin to Seattle by airplane -- tucked under the seat (whew, it just fit and I didn't have a plan "B" if it didn't.) When I tried to use it, the oil had jelled, causing the machine to only go backwards. So, before having it serviced, I just had to get that first handbag made.
The day I made it I was propelled only by the intention for a simpler life, set out to create one with my own hands and the fabric that I loved combined with a fascination with the perfect handbag. It took me the entire day!! As I lay on my bed I asked myself, "what makes you think you can make a living at this". And the answer came: "I only have to make the next one."
This journey is not always easy buy it has been and continues to be a great friend and teacher. I get to share this with agents and customers, and others who join me and enrich my life. Some day I will take a photo of that first handbag, which I still have in my workroom, as a reminder of where we started. I still love it!! It has a starfish charm on it because the starfish has great significance to me.
There is a story about a man who was sitting upon a hill just overlooking the ocean. He saw a figure moving along the shore in a sort of dance, sweeping his hand down to the sand and extending it out to the water, again and again. Being curious, he went down for a closer look, and discovered the man was picking up starfish one by one and tossing them out to the sea. He walked up to the man and asked "what are you doing". The man replied that the tide was going out and if the starfish were left on the shore they would die. The observer said, "There are miles and miles of shore and millions and millions of starfish, what makes you think you can make a difference?" The man bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it out into the ocean. He then looked at the observer and said, "It made a difference to that one".
I hope that each of my satchels make a difference to the one who wears it, if even in a small way.
Sandra
Sandra's Satchels
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Interesting Times
I am a member of Team Sassy. This is a team of Etsy Sellers who offer assistance to each other and members of Etsy Sellers. It has occurred to me that in these interesting times, there may be other people starting fresh due to job loss, altered retirement plans and just plain wanting to do something fresh with their lives.
Recently I have had an increase in those who want advice on getting more sales and I thought I might share some of the things I've told them based on my experience. This will be the extended version.
When I was a newbie in a job as a lifelong learning consultant for a small liberal arts college in the midwest, it was my job to drive 90 miles, in the evening to Madison, Wisconsin once a week to recruit new nontraditional (read older) students to our evening B. A. Program.
As the single mother of a 4 and 5 year old, recent graduate at age 32, recently divorced recovering from atypical primary pneumonia (in July), I thought to myself, how am I going to make this trip in the middle of winter in a blizzard. And then a wise voice entered my head and replied, you will know the road by then, you will be stronger by then, just drive. That was in 1979.
Skip ahead to the end of the day spent solely in creating my very first Sandra's Satchel. As I lay in my bed I thought, "what makes me think I can make enough of these to make a living". The response came "you just have to make the next one". That was in 2000.
This reminds me of the question: "How do you eat an elephant?" -- Answer: "One bite at a time."
Here I am in 2010 and basically that simple lesson, has carried me, one step at a time through almost 10 years in business. Believe me it wasn't and still isn't a straight line, but the gift of doing what I love has been so worth the bumps and bruises along the way. I can honestly say that it is becoming more and more the journey, not the destination that matters. In fact, I can put that another way: The journey IS the destination.
I share this with the thought that it might be helpful to someone somewhere along the path of new discoveries and challenges.
As I told one of my Etsy friends who is going through some big challenges, "Do what you must to feed your body and do that about which you are passionate to feed your soul."
Many good wishes go with you along the way.
Sincerely,
Sandra
Recently I have had an increase in those who want advice on getting more sales and I thought I might share some of the things I've told them based on my experience. This will be the extended version.
When I was a newbie in a job as a lifelong learning consultant for a small liberal arts college in the midwest, it was my job to drive 90 miles, in the evening to Madison, Wisconsin once a week to recruit new nontraditional (read older) students to our evening B. A. Program.
As the single mother of a 4 and 5 year old, recent graduate at age 32, recently divorced recovering from atypical primary pneumonia (in July), I thought to myself, how am I going to make this trip in the middle of winter in a blizzard. And then a wise voice entered my head and replied, you will know the road by then, you will be stronger by then, just drive. That was in 1979.
Skip ahead to the end of the day spent solely in creating my very first Sandra's Satchel. As I lay in my bed I thought, "what makes me think I can make enough of these to make a living". The response came "you just have to make the next one". That was in 2000.
This reminds me of the question: "How do you eat an elephant?" -- Answer: "One bite at a time."
Here I am in 2010 and basically that simple lesson, has carried me, one step at a time through almost 10 years in business. Believe me it wasn't and still isn't a straight line, but the gift of doing what I love has been so worth the bumps and bruises along the way. I can honestly say that it is becoming more and more the journey, not the destination that matters. In fact, I can put that another way: The journey IS the destination.
I share this with the thought that it might be helpful to someone somewhere along the path of new discoveries and challenges.
As I told one of my Etsy friends who is going through some big challenges, "Do what you must to feed your body and do that about which you are passionate to feed your soul."
Many good wishes go with you along the way.
Sincerely,
Sandra
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Labor Day Update
Did you know that you can subscribe to my E-Newsletter? Just scroll down and fill out the subscribe form and you will be sent updates (no more than 2 per month). You will then receive any specials, new products and fabrics --
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Pike Place Market, Seattle, Washington
We sure had a lot of fun last Saturday -- our weather has been balmy -- although today, much rain: I think we are in Seattle Todo...The nice thing is that my garden thinks it's spring -- shoots coming up. Aren't my customers fabulous -- We had so much fun and the sunshine made everyone so happy!!!
I still feel like a right hander trying to write with my left hand. So much to learn so that I can more effectively communicate with my customers. Email me at kevin.sandra@gmail.com if you have any great suggestions or comments you would like to share.
Sandra
I still feel like a right hander trying to write with my left hand. So much to learn so that I can more effectively communicate with my customers. Email me at kevin.sandra@gmail.com if you have any great suggestions or comments you would like to share.
Sandra
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
January, at Sandra's Satchels
It is "chilly" here in Seattle in January, so we are there to meet you on fewer days. Unless it drops below 30 degrees, you will see one of us there on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, most Sundays and Tuesdays. We will be off on Mondays and Wednesdays.
If you would like to subscribe to our online Newsletter, you may email me your email address, and first and last name. That way you won't miss specials, special events, coupon offerings, new products. Visit http://sandrassatchels.etsy.com often, because there is always something new you won't want to miss!
Sandra
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