Giveaway: Fabric & Handle

Hello my dears.  I know I've been an awful blogger, but thank you to those who are still here supporting Elisharon! There have been so many exciting things happening and I want to share my experiences with you all.  And I will.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but on Jan 14th of this year, Maui banned the use of plastic bags. All merchants switched over to paper, and our community was encouraged to use reusable bags.  I personally think mother nature is giving our little community a huge pat on the back.  I've also noticed that Maui peeps are sporting some pretty stylish reusable bags.  Yay Maui!  In efforts to help mother nature out, but remain stylish as well, I perused the interweb for a fun shopping tote, and I came across this ingenious shop, Fabric & Handle.  Let's get to know more about shop owner, Salinya and her fabulous bags.

Tell us a little about yourself. Any fun facts, tidbits, where are you from, etc...
I'm from Bangkok, Thailand. I really love finding the perfect new fabric for making my clothes or new bags. In fact, you might say I'm addicted to collecting fabric.

What inspired you to start making bags?
I've been making clothes, accessories, and bags for myself for so many years. It's like my big hobby. A lot of people asked where my clothes or bags came from. Some people even wanted me to make some for them, but I thought they were kidding. Then my hobby became more serious, and I built a workshop in my home. I kept making things for myself, my boyfriend, and my friends. After receiving nice compliments about my work, I thought it would be good to share this with more people. I hoped that maybe other people would love my creations. When I began designing and making bag models it took longer than I expected because I kept changing the small details. Now I have a couple of good tailors working with me so we can get things done faster, but I still put the finishing touches on every one of the bags myself.

Your design philosophy?
I believe a good bag is both pretty and practical. It should look nice, feel nice when you touch it, and survive daily use. The design should be simple enough that it doesn't get in the way and timeless enough that it never goes out of style.

Anything else...
I love what I'm doing so much that it doesn't seem like work at all. It's a privilege to be able put my personal touch on every bag. I can truly say that I love every bag I make. I hope that the people who order my bags will enjoy them as much as I enjoy creating them.

Fashion inspiration?
I have always been passionate about fashion. I read fashion blogs and magazines as well as watching people I see in my daily life. So I guess I've developed my own sense of style from a variety of sources.

Wow Salinya, you are awesome!  It's great to know that you put your own personal touch into each and every bag.  That's an A+ in my book.  Salinya has graciously offered the Claire Tote Shopping Bag to one of my readers. 

To enter, simply visit Fabric & Handle and tell me which item is your favorite. 
Extra entries if you follow by blog, follow me on Facebook, and follow Fabric and Handle on Facebook.
Please leave me your email addy, so I can contact you if you're the winner! (if I have no way of contacting you, I'll have to choose another winner.)

Giveaway open to everyone and ends on Saturday, May 7th.  Winner will be announced shortly thereafter. 

Love, S