Pesky Cat Designs

Kitty by Edward and Lilly I've been following Rebecca's lovely blog, Edward and Lilly , for quite some time so when she asked whether I would like to participate in her new segment of interviews called 3 Quick Questions, I was thrilled. Thanks Rebecca for such a lovely feature. You can see the feature and read my interview here at 3 Quick Questions: Pesky Cat Designs . You also have to check out Rebecca's shop, Edward and Lilly , for the sweetest brooches, cutest softies and many other beautifully crafted handmade items. 

Posted above is a sneak preview of my upcoming fall collection.  It's my Downtown Bag in mustard colored cotton corduroy. My recent trip to the Garment District was quite a success and my studio is now stocked with corduroy in lots of new colors. I love working with this textile. Its got a luxurious yet casual feel and works with so many designs. I also purchased lots of new cotton fabric in cool retro-look prints that I plan to use to line my handbags with. One of my favorite parts of the creative process is searching out new textiles. I walk the aisles of the shops in the Garment District feeling each fabric as I pass. Sometimes a color catches my eye or sometimes a texture can. I usually have to maintain a lot of self-control so I do not end up purchasing more than I can carry back to my studio!  

I just added a new handbag to the Pesky Cat Designs shop. The Summer Tote is made from a linen- look upholstery fabric in wheat and is adorned by a bird on a branch ultrasuede applique. Check out the two sweet wooden buttons on the flap.  Last week I made a trip to the Garment District in NYC to purchase some fabric for my upcoming fall collection. Of course I was like a kid in a candy shop. The corduroy section had me in a sugar rush. I plan to introduce some of my fall handbags in the next week or so. Expect to see delicious colors such as pumpkin spice, sweet butter, milk chocolate and more!

Honestly, I can't believe it. This is my 9th Etsy front page this month. The stunning treasury posted above is on the front page right now! It was created by an Etsy administrator using the search term "woodland". Lucky for me I recently perused Etsy's gift guides and decided to tag my Offbeat Messenger  with this term. I was hoping to get my bag into the gift guide category called Woodland and Feathers , but I am more than happy to be on the front page!

This morning I got an email from the lovely Damjana of Loddelina designs letting me know that my Offbeat Messenger was on Etsy's front page! That makes eight so far this month. I feel very lucky. These front pagers have really increased traffic to my shop this month which would otherwise have been very slow due to the economy and people being away on summer vacations.  The gorgeous treasury posted above was created by an Etsy adminstrator using the search term "linen". A lot of my favorite designers were included.

I just discovered that my Offbeat Messenger with a pair of seahorses made it to Etsy's  front page today! Thanks to Etsy for selecting this treasury and thanks to Kira Ferrer for curating this stunning sea-inspired collection. You must check out Kira Ferrer Designs on Etsy. She creates the most beautiful and unique jewelry. I've had my eye on her shop for a long time. I love her  Sea Anemone Stacking Rings and the matching S ea Anemone Studs . They are on my wish list. Today I also learned that I was featured on Karen Fields lovely blog. Thanks Karen! See the post  here . Karen is a wonderful artist and her one-of-a-kind original paintings are available in her Etsy shop, Karen Fields Gallery . Her work is beautiful and the colors are stunning!  

Very early this morning my Wayfarer Purse with a Bird made it to Etsy's front page! Thank you Hal of Diaspora for creating such a cool treasury and Etsy for selecting it for the front page. Check out Diaspora for beautiful modern art to light up your living space and also check her profile for links to jewelry made with her art.  When I first saw this treasury, titled Feathered Friends ,  I thought it was front page material. Hal selected some really eclectic, fun and beautiful items. I'm thinking Bjork might be interested in  Zoe Chen's swan dress above. What do you think?! I love it. It's elegant and quirky at the same time. I personally liked Bjork's swan dress as well. By now you can probably tell that I am partial to aviary-inspired work. :)