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Edited to add:
If you are offended by animal furs being used for art purposes, please DO NOT OPEN THE THUMBNAIL. JUST PASS THIS THREAD UP!
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I've been thinking about this purse for a long time. I love to wear camoflage... shorts, shirts, pants... I'm always buying camoflage for myself or my husband.
Yesterday hubby and I went to the Reniassance Festival. I wanted to carry this purse with me so I'd have a place for my camera and bottled water. It worked perfectly!
Everything on this purse was recycled, with the exception of the Chicago Screws. The purse has a neoprene "koozie" for holding a drink, a place for my Blackberry, a place to securely hold my pocket knife, a place to hang my keys, a pocket for business cards and pens, and many other pockets for other purposes. The interior is very roomy because everything is so organized. Plenty of room to carry a camera and a couple bottles of water, if necessary.
I told a few folks on another thread to be watching for something new. Here it is... another UniQue Treasure. You can see more photos at the link below.
Special thanks to my wonderful sister Connie for her help and ideas.
I thought the purse sounded like a great idea, but it looks like it has some sort of dead animal on it, I was hoping it was fake as I really do not do dead animals well at all, I am one of these unbearable animal aholics, can't kill em, can't eat em, and I have been known to hurt people who I see abusing them. Oh well a little jail never hurt anyone including me for assault lol. Men do hate admitting a little old girl like me (nearly 50) hit them when it comes to the court case so I have not actually been to Jail just arrested a couple of times lol :-) Unfortunately I am the same with kids, I have been in trouble for people abusing them as well, not a smack or anything, but a beating I will not tolerate. I am not a stand by and do nothing kind of girl.
Oh well I have had my say, if I have offended anyone I do apologise as it was not meant, sometimes I just have to let of some steam, and today has been a bad day. I found a sack with 4 puppies dumped on the side of the road on my way to work this morning, 2 unfortunately did not make it. My vet is taking care of the other 2. I did not think I would ever stop crying over these 2 dogs that I did not even know, now that @##$$%%^& I would really cause some serious damage to if I ever found them.
have a great what is left of your day all, hopefully mine will improve
Shelly, thank God you found those puppies and you and your vet were able to save two. I know you did good today.
While I understand your take on 'dead animals', I will share my take with you. I don't believe it is wrong to use what God has put on this earth for survival. Animal skins have been used for warmth and adornment for eons. Animal meat has been eaten by humans forever, because we are carnivores. Killing an animal for sport and not use really upsets me, but I am certainly not opposed to wearing a leather belt or having a good steak. As for the steak, I am glad that as a society we are being more careful with how our livestock is treated. Hate crimes toward animals make me sick. As for Janet's purse, from what I can tell from previous posts of hers... they are hunters for the good reasons, and I think it honors the animal to use all of it's bits as much as possible, even as adornments. That to me honors the life.
Hope this isn't too political... just wanted to share another view.
Janet, like all the things you make, your purse is lovely. Good job utilizing the natural resources provided to you!
Shelly61 wrote "I thought the purse sounded like a great idea, but it looks like it has some sort of dead animal on it, I was hoping it was fake as I really do not do dead animals well at all, I am one of these unbearable animal aholics, can't kill em, can't eat em, and I have been known to hurt people who I see abusing them. Oh well a little jail never hurt anyone including me for assault lol. Men do hate admitting a little old girl like me (nearly 50) hit them when it comes to the court case so I have not actually been to Jail just arrested a couple of times lol :-) Unfortunately I am the same with kids, I have been in trouble for people abusing them as well, not a smack or anything, but a beating I will not tolerate. I am not a stand by and do nothing kind of girl.
Oh well I have had my say, if I have offended anyone I do apologise as it was not meant, sometimes I just have to let of some steam, and today has been a bad day. I found a sack with 4 puppies dumped on the side of the road on my way to work this morning, 2 unfortunately did not make it. My vet is taking care of the other 2. I did not think I would ever stop crying over these 2 dogs that I did not even know, now that @##$$%%^& I would really cause some serious damage to if I ever found them.
have a great what is left of your day all, hopefully mine will improve"
Shelly, I am not offended by your post. However, I feel that I should explain my use of the mink on this purse.
I did not kill the mink that was used. It was part of a collar of 5 minks that I purchased at Goodwill. Most likely this belonged to some little old lady and was found in a closet by her children or grandchildren after she died. It was donated to Goodwill and I purchased it to give the minks "new life".
This is not the first purse that I've made using an animal that I purchased at a thrift store for decoration. A few years ago, Connie and I created a purse with a fox. You can see the original purse at this post http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=4182564
As you will see by the above post, one of the posters in that forum was offended and in the long run, sadly, hard feelings were had and since I am a peaceful person, after explaining my own position, I left the thread rather than argue with her.
I carried that purse until I thought the fox was looking not quite as beautiful and "retired" it. In the meantime, I found a gorgeous red fox and created another purse. That fox has moved to 4-5 different purses over the past few years before he also became "retired".
In the 2 years that I've carried a purse with a fox on it, not one person every told me they were offended by it. It's a conversation starter for the most part. Only once did someone tell me that if her neighbor (who was a PITA activist) saw me, she'd spray paint the purse red. And to her, I said, had her neighbor done that, I'd gladly kick her @$$. I've done nothing wrong by recycling something that would have otherwise ended up in a dumpster some place. I've in some small way, given the animals a "new lease on life". After laying dormant in someone's closet for years, they are now appreciated for their beauty by everyone that sees them.
Thank you Brenda for your defense of my art and my ethics. While my husband and I do hunt, he hunts for food for the table, whereas I hunt with my camera. My husband told me that he wants me to have a gun for my own defense against snakes and also for coyotes, that have overrun the deer lease, which backs up to farms in the area. I told him that I didn't think I could shoot one, but if I did, I'd like to know where to shoot it so I could at least recycle him into a purse.
I should have posted a warning at the beginning of this thread and will do so now because it's not my intention to offend anyone.
Good morning all, I am very glad that I did not offend anyone, as this was never my intention, that is what I love about this world everyone is entitled to his or her own view (well in most western countries anyway).
I do not get upset about people killing for food, the animal kingdom does it everyday to survive, I would like to think it is done humanely however. Killing for sport or self gratification however is an entirely different matter, this I can not and never will justify.
My greatest problem is some peoples cruelty, this is where I can not help but get involved in something that is none of my business, when I was little I had a horrible man living out the back, his dog had just had 8 puppies and I used to go out the back and talk to them everyday, one afternoon I went over and he was putting a hammer through all their heads, he said he could not sleep they were making to much noise, I jumped the fence crying my eyes out and jumped on the puppies, I got the hammer on my head (5 stitches), but I manage to save 3, the laws back then for animal cruelty were non existent. Thank god they have improved over the years.
I guess saving those little babies was the start of my love for all animals, I must have a thick skull lol, a hammer to the head would have probably put most people of :-)
They kull kangaroos here when there are to many and not enough food to feed them all, I may not like it but it is one of those things that I guess has to be done, when I look at it from a rational perspective. I am normally an intelligent and rational female, that is until I see an injustic, and then I am afraid all ration and thoughts of self preservation go out the door lol.
Janet if some one was attacking you on the street, I would run up and jump on the man and give you a chance to escape, it is not because I have to know you, its only because I just can't help myself, maybe that hammer caused some sort of permanent damage, as my self preservation gene is missing lol.
I am sorry that I have waffled on so much and I am sorry for boring you all.
So I will leave you all with this - Personal choice is a wonderful thing and we all should be very grateful to live in countries that allow it.
Have a wonderful day to you all
Shell
Very cool Janet!
You are so very talented... and this is what T to T is all about ... taking something that no longer has a use (for most people) and make it into something beautiful and useful.
You did a beautiful job and I bet you were the bell of the ball at the reniassance festival!
Thanks Nanaka. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.
I don't know about being the belle of the ball though. I saw plenty of cool leather purses there, but none quite like my own. :-)
Shelly, I can understand your wanting to defend all animals. Especially with the experiences you've had. I'm the same way about defending them, while being rational about the use of animals for food and clothing, etc. I have 2 dogs that I love dearly and several "granddogs" that I feel the same way about.
God has a Master's Touch when it comes to beauty in animals and I've always enjoyed using feathers, fur and leather in my art.
Unique,I thought eeww camo purse,Its really cool ,nice job,I love recycling anything !! we went to a costume party a week ago, Cruellla De ville was there,she had a beautiful calf length mink coat on ,recycled ,some little old lady she knew GAVE it to her,its 45 yrs old,old fur is not a bad thing.I dont condone animal crulity.but i would most definitely wear that old coat,when possible!!!!
Many years ago, when my kids were small, I too dressed up as Cruella Deville. I found this really cool dress at Goodwill that had the look of crumpled aluminum foil. I went to a costume store and found a cigarette holder and had the guy that did my hair at the time to paint it half white and half black. I found some killer red heels and red hose and went to the school for the Halloween party. My youngest went as a Dalmation and we all had a blast.
I'll have to see if I can find the photo of me that was taken then.
TOO CUTE,we used to host Halloween parties way back,costumes I made over the yrs,i miss my more crafty yrs,i need to recover it LOL,I wish I had dig photos,oh I could scan them umm,I wont bore you !!! any way I have to go to work.I do love that purse!!
Unique,Do you hunt with guns or just cameras ??? We live in a rural area deer pass through here every day,we dont hunt,but we sure watch the wild life everyday.Oh I just read you had a successful hunt ,Iam glad I missed that picture !!!.I sure would like some of those butterfly chops for the bbq !!love your deer cam,that would be so cool to play with.
I've spent the past 30 years as a hunting "widow". Meaning, hubby goes out to hunt and I'm left home each weekend between October and January. For a few years, we dove hunted together. Both of us carrying shotguns. Had a lot of fun too. I even went duck hunting a time or two with him and his brother. Too many alligators out in the marsh though for my peace of mind (at 3:30 in the morning).
Having said that, I just don't think I could look an big animal in the eye and shoot him... especially after watching on the trail cameras.
Hubby uses both bow and gun. I'll be using my camera... as soon as I figure out how to get good photos from 100 yards. I thought my Sony would do a good job, but was sadly disappointed in the couple of photos I took from the blind. Taking shots of the scenery around me was great, but I could just barely make out the backs of deer this weekend.
I've always carried a pocket knife. It's come in handy many times. When I mentioned that though, I was thinking from a safety standpoint that if I was ever abducted, I'd have a weapon handy! HAHAHA
Connie and I made a trip to San Antonio and made a surprise visit to Mom. Sure felt strange waking up in a bed not my own this morning. Good thing I made the coffee last night so I could get woke up.
Janet,
I was in tractor supply sat and thought of you and your pocket knife they have them with rinestones on the handles ... cute
But I think ill just keep my buck :)
I have to smile each time you've mentioned that Gerber knife. There is a story that goes along with the knife.
Originally it belonged to my husband. We engraved his initials into the blade. He got a new knife and that one was passed along to me. [ He's the oldest child and I'm the baby, so we're both used to ... him getting something new and ... me getting his hand me downs. :-) ]
Anyhow, I'd had it a few years and constantly had it on me. I used to open mail with it at work and the work crew was always eyeballing my knife with envy. Well, when I evacuated for Hurricane Rita to San Antonio, my vehicle broke down and an "angel" gave me a ride. She was headed to Laredo and took me 200 miles to my Mom's house. It took almost 20 hours to get there. She and her family spoke mostly spanish, so I never did understand what her name was. Well, we ended up in San Antonio for several weeks because of no power here. When I returned home I noticed my knife was missing. I tried to find out who the lady was... and eventually did. While we were in SA, Mom was in Virginia. Connie and I and our kids and my grandkids were all there. I didn't know that Connie's daughter put my knife on top of Mom's fridge.
Fast forward a few months... Mom sends an email asking if I knew who's knife this was... along with a photo. I was ecstatic!!!! My favorite knife was found!!! In the meantime, my husband bought me the same knife, only a newer model. It just wasn't quite the same.
Another lost and found knife story... That same knife...
I had it in my pocket when we went to the deer lease. In the Spring, we'd been walking down the lanes, etc. trying to find good places to put blinds, feeders, etc. that knife turned up missing yet again! Ugggggggggggghhhhh... I was sooooo upset. I had peed several times and retraced as much of my path as I could remember. Didn't find it.
In the meantime, I am in the parking lot at Gander Mountain. I've come out with an Action Packer storage box and a bow case for hubby. I'm trying to decide whether to put it in the back of my new truck, or behind the seat. I'm weighing out the consequences of each option. The day was beautiful and I decided to put down the windows. I pull up to a traffic light and sit there waiting for the light to change. A truck pulling a trailer passes on the road in front of me and I hear something metallic. I look and there in the road is a knife. (can you hear my heart beating now???) I put the truck in park and walk over, wait for traffic to pass and pick up the knife. It's a Gerber!!! Oh Boy!!!! I jump back into my truck just as the light changes for me to go.
Well, a few weeks ago, hubby and I are walking back to the road from changing out the camera cards. We are on a road I don't ever remember walking, but evidently I did. I was walking "in his footsteps", highstepping it, and suddenly he stops... moves aside a clump of scrub brush. There is MY OLD GERBER!!!! You can imagine how tickled I was.
SO... now, my old Gerber stays at the lease in the trailer. The new, found on the road Gerber is in my pocket or my purse.
LOL! I have had many favorite knives through the years (as a former florist, and current gardener), and have lost most of them! So glad you've restored your collection!
Aint it strange sometimes,My DH lost his wallet the 1st time while we were riding motorcycles,he couldnt remember where we had been ,follow me I said,retraced our tracks,found the wallet laying open upside down on the road ,dh jumps off his bike picks up his wallet closes it puts it in his vest pocket this time .So we are sitting on the road deciding where we were going from there,all of the sudden I see $ 20 bills laying all over the road,off the bikes again,pick up the cash,needless to say ck the wallet before you put it back in your pocket,it was his $92,GEEEZ.Then a few months later we were in florida,he lost his wallet again,geez,we went for breakfast he thought he left his wallet at the camper,nope we look ,ok back to the resturant,nope no luck,so we leave ,we have to go left at the intersection,as Iam pulling up to the light I see his wallet laying in the middle of the road,OMG a truck is pulling up in the opposit direction,i shove the truck in park had the door open and my feet hit the pavement before the truck stopped ,I ran and picked up his wallet,before the others got to it,i think they saw it the same time i did .geez.His wallet had landed on the black running board of our truck,He didnt see it laying there,then when I turned left it fell off .i should have looked on that side of the truck ,I probly would have seen it.I had already cancelled the credit card,Thank god he only carries 1.No lost wallet since !!!
Huggergirl...
get him a wallet with a chain .. hubby woun't be with out his ...
Janet ,
what luck you have :)
It took my Mom & Brother 20+ hours ( a 2&1/2 hour drive) to get up here too almost out of gas and sick pets ... What a mess that was for y'all down there
That was my first major hurricane to evacuate from and an actual hurricane make landfall here. And what a doozy it was. Connie and I also evacuated for Ike. And Ike was almost as bad here as Rita was. My hubby stayed behind for them both. After seeing all of the looting in NO, he wasn't taking any chances with our house. We were so fortunate to have Mom's house to go to. Many others had no place to go. Many folks slept on the sides of the road. The traffic from Beaumont to San Antonio was a sea of red lights 12 lanes big. It was the most surreal thing I've ever witnessed in my life.
I heard that Southeast Texas lost around 5 million trees in Rita. When we returned here 3 weeks after the storm it looked like a war zone with so many damaged homes and businesses.
Janet,
My son is in the Coast Guard stationed in Galveston The CG moved out to Katy,TX. and did their job from there. But he sent me a few short clips from his phone when it was all over & they were moving back even he could not believe all the boats on I 45. & the damage to area they are still in trailers at the Coast Guard station
The sad part is some people on the Island didnt leave. & The CG had to go pick them off roofs ...if they made it through the storm ... and what few roofs were left .
It was Rita that My Mom & Brother came up here they wouldn't leave for Ike
Connie and I watched tv from Mom's house in San Antonio and saw some of those fools that stayed behind being rescued. I'm still shaking my head at how foolish people can be some times. We checked out Google Earth and saw the devastation that Ike left behind of all of those beautiful beach homes. There one minute, and gone to sea the next. It was so sad. My hubby and I took a trip down to the beach road about 6 months ago and it was like a ghost town. We didn't make it all the way to Galveston, but what we saw was just so sad. Some folks are rebuilding though. Imagine that... some folks just never learn. I suppose though if you've got the money... and you want to live at the beach... well... biting my tongue here to keep from saying what I REALLY think of that.
We did see some place on the news site that if they call for a mandatory evacuation and you decide to stay behind, that you will be real lucky to get any rescues and you'll have to PAY for them. That's the way it should be.
We Know people that have already rebuilt on the beach... I told my son it really made me MAD that he & the rest of his team had to put their lives at risk for Stupied people ... His reply to me was We Never Rescue Smart People ... & that about says it all ...lol
I'm so glad we live as far from the beach as we do (about 45 minutes). The beach is a fun place to frolic in the waves and fly a kite, even BBQ (if you can stand the sand in your food). But I sure wouldn't want to live there year round.
