Shop Local - Coterie

I'm so proud to announce my first Shop Local Interview. For this feature on my blog I will be interviewing and highlighting local Welsh Designers, Crafts People and Store Owners.

So for my first interview I would like to introduce the amazingly talented Tracy of Coterie. Tracy uses salvaged leather from the furniture industry to make raw edged and nature inspired functional leather bags. Each bag is completely unique and she can even make to order if you want. So on with the interview! 

Whats your name and where do you come from?
Tracy Watkins, beautifull Pembrokeshire on the west coast of Wales

How long have you been making your designs?
I set up the business in 2007, but had been making bags for a few years before that for family & friends, trying out ideas.

Pebble Detail Bag - £128.92

Is there a story behind your shops name?
My shop is called Coterie. When I first set up the business I ran a contempoary design gallery, Coterie meaning exclusive group or clique. I worked upstairs in a studio making bags, running downstairs to the gallery when the doorbell went. As I got busier it didn't really work doing both, so concentrated solely on the bags. I now work from home, selling online as well as to small boutiques, indepedent shops and galleries.

Scarlet Vintage Key Clutch - £59.99

What’s your favourite materials to work with?
Just leather! Though I have got some lovely welsh wool blankes made from recycled wool here, so have a few new ideas to work on.

Raw Cowhide with Vintage Key Bag - £88.35

Of your items which is your favourite?

Ooh, one of the big bags with a large brass key. Though my own bag is from the 'Lifesyle' range in mustard. I made it and hung it up in the shop window then took it straight down as I'd have been gutted if someone else had've bought it. It was MY bag now! I've had it about 5 years now and it's still going strong. Everyone loves it!

Distressed Chocolate Raw Leather Messenger with Vintage Key - £155.09

Where do you get your inspiration for your designs and also their names? 
I get inspiration from all around me. I'm a great upcycler - I see a use for eveything. I live on a smallholding and I'm always making practical things from bits and pieces from years gone by. The names pretty much do what they say on the tin.

Rouged Detail Black Leather Bag - £130.23

Do you have any formal training or did this start as a hobby?
I trained in London as a furniture deigner, then worked as a product developer for one of the UK's leading contemporary deigners and manufacturers. I used to come home from the furniture workshop with bin bags full of waste leather which is where I started turning them into little bags. I always knew I wanted to come home to Pembrokeshire eventually and jumped at the chance when I got the opportunity to move home and set up my own business.
Pebble Detail Navy Clutch - £58.24

Do you have any favourite etsy shops which you buy from?
I don't really have any particular favourite etsy shops to buy from, but I like perusing lots of differnt ones, particularly the jewellery and other little quirky gift ideas.

Lifestyle Messenger in Russet

What's your dream for the coming year?
I don't really dream, getting up at silly o'clock in the rain and mud to do the horses keeps my feet firmly on the ground! I'm really busy working on promoting the business right at the moment, trying to pick up some more special little outlets. I'd love to do some collaborations with some fashion designers next...
A selection of beautiful Purses

What's your favourite flower?
Freesia, I love the smell, but I don't like buying cut flowers transported from abroad. I like to keep it local and I love meadow flowers and anything I can grow in the garden too!

Want to see more designs from Coterie then check out their Facebook Page too

So there you have it the first of my Shop Local Feature, did you enjoy it?
What do you think of Coterie's Bags - are you as in love with them as I am.

Mani of the Week - George Cloudless Sky and Teal Shatter

I was in ASDA last week picking up a few things for dinner when I spotted an offer on their home brand nail varnishes, all down to £1. I had never tried George varnish before so I thought why the heck not! They are all smallish pots but they had some nice colours. I figured at a £1 they probably wouldn't be great quality, but they would be ok for work and stuff. 

I really liked the Shatter Top Coat as they had it in a Teal colour, which I haven't seen in any other brand yet, so I bought that and a blue colour to go under it. Here is my Mani of the Week

 Blue base coat in No.9 Cloudless Sky - I was pleasantly surprised by this polish. It only took 1 coat to be completely covered, this is pretty rare of most polishes.

Shatter Top Coat in Teal - At first I wasn't too pleased as it didn't seem to shatter at all, usually they are almost instant in breaking as soon as you have painted it on, but after a few seconds it did start to shatter quite nicely. It is almost more of a bark/paint-strip effect instead of a shatter. But the colour is really beautiful. If you paint it too thin it doesn't shatter clearly but if you paint it too thick it just has 1 or 2 thick cracks instead. I think layered over the blue it looked a little like seaweed!

Now I didn't add a clear top coat, so I knew it wouldn't last ages, but sadly it didn't even last 2 days!

This is what it looked like after 2 showers and 1 load of washing up:

Now it isn't too bad really, but this started happening within only a few hours sadly, ah well what can I expect of a £1 nail varnish! lol!

Has anyone else tried a George polish before? What are your opinions? Do you like them.

Travel - Scotland in the Snow

Well as you will have guessed we are back safe from our little trip to Scotland (even with all the snow!) so here are a few customary pictures from our holiday.

I actually drove from Wales to Scotland so this is us crossing the bridge to England!

Seeing snowy capped mountains in Carlisle on the boarder of Scotland.

Beautiful sunset silhouettes from my aunts home.

 Beautiful clear skies and the stars over Auchterarder

Photos of the Fruit Farm Poly-tunnels in the Snow

 We went on a bit of a road trip through the mountains and took these lovely snowy landscape photos

This is the Doocot which was next to where we were starting

 

Jon taking on the burger challenge at The Venue in Crief

 Highland Cows - mandatory thing to see on a trip to Scotland

Edinburgh by day and night 

 Outside Edinburgh Castle - it was very cold!!

Jon having his first ever battered Mars bar - He liked it!

Anyone else visited Scotland? What do you think of it? We love Scotland lots, and will be there again this summer I hope.

Sponsor Spotlight - Barratts Shoes

Most of you will already know my first official sponsor, as they are a well known British shoe brand. Most of us will probably already have bought shoes from them at some point in your lives actually.

So I'm very please to present Barratts. 

As the brand is pretty well known this Sponsor Spotlight is going to highlight my favourite shoes and bags from their New Arrivals section. So here you go:

Diamante Trim Round Toe Ballerina Pumps £18

Studded Pointed Toe Casual Ballerina Flats - £22 

Envy Sequin Platform Wedges - £35 (for if I ever get up the guts to wear huge heels!!)

Odeon Bow Trimmed Heeled Sandals - Now £20

Floral Print Satchel - £12.50

Truffle Studded Trim Gusset Ankle Boots - £40

Patent Peep Toe Court Shoes with a Bow - £30 (I think these are my favourites!)

Embroidered Cowboy Boots - £50

Pointed Toe Court Shoes - £35 

Claudia Canova Ostrich Print Handbag - £57

Plus if you go online soon, they are having an upto 70% off sale. Plus with orders over £30 you can get free delivery with the code 'FREEDEL'