deeHaymer and the artistic green-loving woman behind the brand

dee-HAY-mer, is the phonetic spelling of Angela's maiden name. She comments, "I know that what and how I create is an extension of where I am from, so this name made perfect sense."

Angela's favorite item currently in her shop is:

She talks about it: "This burlap purse design is a new design style for me. With the burlap totes, bags, clutches, etc., I really love purposefully abstracting (or maybe extracting) and placing the lettering and images in new ways and orientations. Each bag becomes its own unique design. This square purse, in particular, is a really fun and cute size and graphic design."

Angela is busy. I caught her in time for a quick interview: "...finishing up and starting up several projects right now. I am donating a few of the burlap totes to a non-profit fundraising event in New York City: http://www.cenyc.org/greenmarket/tasteofgreenmarket for the silent auction. I am tremendously honored to be a part of this event, which purposes to provide green and sustainable produce and products for residents in NYC, also giving opportunities to youth in the various neighborhoods in NYC to participate in the growing and harvesting of the produce.

I just donated a painting to another silent auction in Des Moines, Iowa, purposed to raise dollars for Iraqi refugees in Syria and Jordan, via the organization American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). This was a very exciting opportunity!I was also able to show 10 new paintings at the West Seattle Art Walk, at a shop called Brunette Mix. My paintings are a conglomeration of science, history, and landscapes.

I love creating and making with my hands. Whether one is creating drawings and paintings, purse and totes, the engine of a car or cream puff pasteries, there is something inherently human about using hands to create and communicate ideas, emotions, needs and wants, or beauty. I have been creating and making ever since I could hold a crayon and a pair of scissors (which was apparently at the age of three, when I cut some of my own hair with a special pair of duck-shaped scissors - I affectionately named them my "quack-quacks"). Over time, I have come to understand the process of creating exists as a thread that binds human beings together across cultures, beliefs, trades, and time. Hooray for hand made!"

I say Hooray for Angela! Hooray for dee-Hay-mer! The striped tote is my favorite. I think you should buy it for someone on your Christmas list.

More of Spokane with SeamsVictorian

The Seams Victorian shop is run by a very talented seamstress who was born and raised in Spokane. If you can attend the Farmers Market and Craft Fair this Saturday, September 13th, you may meet her there and see some of her beautiful items in person. The fair will be located at Fresh Abundance Organic Foods, 2015 N. Division in Spokane. The hours are from 10AM to 7PM, with live music starting at 11AM.

I have been sewing since I was 12. I am self taught mostly. I learned the basic elements of sewing in school and appreciated that knowledge since clothing from stores didn't fit me correctly. I remember taking apart a pair of San Francisco Riding Gear jeans that I had and making my own pattern for jeans. Ever since then, I have been fascinated with "remaking" things into something else. My favorite thing in my shop is the wedding dress that I transformed from "dull" into something unique and vintage looking.

I have an intense love for the Victorian era, hence the name of my shop! I hope to one day inspire the owners of the Davenport Hotel, a famous hotel in Spokane known for it's elegant historical decor, to host Victorian balls or events where people can rent or buy period clothing to participate. Two such outfits for this type of event would be the Embroidered Bronze Bustle Gown and the Victorian Floral Bustle Gown.

I don't like to be nailed down to one particular style, so hopefully people will stop by my shop and be pleasantly surprised at the variety of items I have. I have been working on purses and totes recently and love the way they are turning out. My favorite fabric is the handmade fabric I create, which is very time consuming but the results are fantastic! It is tough to photograph because of the sparkly nature of the fabric so I am still working on the best views.

I love Etsy because the people there are fantastic to talk to! I have had the best experiences with the customers I have had! People that love handmade things seem to be the easiest to work with. I appreciate that so much!

Spotlight Spokane and Studio Cherie

Studio Cherie is an active member of the Eastern Washington Etsy Street Team. A Seattlite who has lived and worked in Spokane for 7 years now, Cherie is beginning to call Spokane her home. "I love the sun, the hiking trails, the wildlife, and the 'small town in a big city' feel of Spokane."

What I am really excited to do on Etsy is to sell my patterns and kits. I love to make bags and baby accessories, but I also need to have the freedom to move on to the next idea. I found I am not really suited to the business of producing an inventory and selling it at shows. I love the shows and the people, it's the inventory part that bogs me down. I really enjoyed the Spokane Baby Fair, and sold out of most of my baby inventory there. I think that is what got me thinking about ways I could free myself up to produce the new designs I had rolling around in my head.

My Laura's Luggage pattern has been the most popular so far. I think that means there is a market for patterns that can be used to produce a boutique quality handbag. I hope so anyway because that is how I would describe my patterns and kits.

My compact travel change pad/bag is available in kit form because it is important to me that when someone makes this product, it turns out right. I also offer licensing of any of my patterns to people who do want to make inventory and sell it. I have kept my licensing fees low because I know how hard it is to produce product, package, pay entry fees, travel and transport, sell and still make money.

Sometimes it's hard to sell the items in my shop because I love them and want to keep them, but I already have so many bags that sometimes it takes me five minutes to find which one has my wallet:) These are two I would love to keep.

The Lacework Motif Hobo and the Modern Romantic Clutch are both done in Amy Butler fabrics. I started making a lot of my prototypes for my patterns out of popular designer fabrics, so that if someone wants to make it look just like mine they can. The clutch pattern is available now, and the hobo pattern is coming in a couple of weeks.

to go along with the summer theme, meet...

melissa and lisa of borsabella

Located in Wenatchee, the apple capital of the world, Borsa Bella is the wonderful fashion bag company of Melissa Wisen and Lisa Nelson. Melissa and Lisa met about 4 years ago. Both new mothers at the time, they shared quite a few common interests that included a love for beautiful functional purses and handbags.

As avid sewers, they soon started making their own totes and hand bags for family and friends. There was such an overwhelming public interest in their bags, they began designing & sewing bags to sell. This cottage industry has bloomed into a wonderful business. With such an extensive background in fashion and design, they are creating modern hand bags and purses out of the coolest and hip fabrics from around the world. These quality handbags are sure to please.
take a look at these cute bags in their shop!