BBBlog

Re-imaginining a classic: BBB profile in TOQUE magazine

Brave Brown Bag was recently featured in an article from Toque Magazine.

Susan G. Scott is a Canadian-American artist living in Montreal known for her figurative paintings. In art book La peinture au Quebec depuis les annes 1960 , Scott is described as having an 'extr...

VE DAY TO MOM'S DAY

VE DAY to MOMS DAY. One day their will be victory over this current pernicious invader. On May 8 1945 I imagine all Mother's would've celebrated victory in Europe no matter what side and honou...

BLACK CARS LOOK BETTER WITH A BBB!

THANKSGIVING SHOUT OUT to TESSA TRAEGER

Our Thanksgiving is in early Oct. However, it's hard not to get caught up in our southern neighbours spirit of giving thanks for harvest - modern and traditional. Be it the season of cooking and...

FIELD & SUPPLY SHOW KINGSTON NEW YORK

Thanks to my cousin Stewart who lives in nyc for introducing me to the F&S show this past Columbus Day weekend - also our CDN Thanksgiving weekend. The show is the vision of interior designer...

PUFFBALL HAPPY BIRTHDAY 66

Mid-September to mid October is the season for puffballs where I live and also around my birthday. Perhaps this is why a rather large one appeared at my front door to greet me! I regret to say I...

FOUR FATHERS CRAFT BEER & THE CRAFTING OF BBB

Approximately a year ago Four Fathers Brewing Co. (formerly nestled in a barn in bucolic Rockwood, Ontario) found a new home at 125 Guelph Ave in Hespeler. I moved the bag biz from Toronto to th...

Women of Excellence - the Maycourt Ladies

The May Court Club of Chatham (I'm a 'out of town' member continuing the long tradition of my Mother and my Grandmother) recently held their annual awards dinner for the winners of the Women of E...

THANK YOU TAU BETA

That would be a thank you to all the organizers of the Tau Beta Spring Market held last weekend in Grosse Pointe Michigan. I and the BBB were honoured to be one of the 20 boutiques selling th...

DOVETUSAI is back

I've written about my Italian dealer Dovetusai in past blogs. Translate: 'You know where we are'. But I didn't know where they were or went. First, they joined SKITSCH - an upscale Ikea look bra...

BBB VALENTINE'S NOTES

They were like Valentine's Day cards only better. I was so amazed and excited to receive these notes this February from 2 very special BBB customers. Consider the old fashioned form of lett...

The Year of the Flying Turtle

What a way to start the year.....Do not usually dream in colour, first if I am lucky enough to recall dreaming at all. The last time presaged a major turning point in my life; I dreamt of flying ...

Always room for one more....

Always room for one more chair, that is. This is my ode to dear friend Sandra, consummate collector of interesting furniture and fabrics, often discarded as not of interest by others. I visited ...

PROVINCETOWN'S LISA VENTRE HATS

Have not met Lisa Ventre personally except by bag, so to speak. Lisa got in touch at the beginning of the summer to say that her Brave Brown Bag , otherwise her 'go to bag' was still holding up a...

ESSE PURSE MUSEUM

I'm not one to attend local BIA meetings; my BBB studio is a bit off the main drag of Hespeler. However, I do belong to the association to keep abreast of developments which of late are many: the...

A LITTLE TLC for BBB on EARTH DAY

Deb Annis is my right hand BBB maker. When I moved the biz to Cambridge in 2004 Deb took charge of crafting our tote with her solid background in textile work and quality control. I have to...

The Sea Salt Soap Voyage of Charlotte & Castel

Charlotte and Castel Sea Salt Soap: beautifully made, beautifully packaged and an exquisite experience to use. Who are Charlotte and Castel? Well not the names of the founders, 'charlotte' re...

Buttons and bags: twigs and trees

Starting from top row left to right are buttons made from branches of yew, maple, boxwood, black cherry, birch, black walnut, mystery driftwoord, tulip and ash. I confess I know very little ab...

Seagrams on water, please.

No, that's not a drink... but it could be. Rather I am referring to Blair Seagram's photography. www.blairseagram.com. Yes, Seagrams Whiskey ( remember the famed Crown Royal and its purple g...

BBB HOLIDAY BEZARR

BBB HOLIDAY BEZAAR STUDIO SALE with lots of BBB specials and DIY gifts with 10% going to Trinity Community Table. For event info: https://www.facebook.com/events/720327764801840/ Hope to see you.

Bonny's Thanksgivng drift: the mobile wreath

Apropos of the Thanksgiving and holiday wreath-making season, sister and garden/artist Bonny McKeough never fails to treat the mind's eye with the visual poetry of her driftwood/found object mob...

Founders Garden Club of Sarasota

Thank you Founders Garden Club of Sarasota for having me and the Brave Brown Bag collection at your Green Forever luncheon last Wed. One never knows what the display arrangements will be but this ...

Biddiing battle over BBB at the DX?

Last night at the annual Toronto Design Exchange DX Intersection party/fundraiser, our Antique Wax BBB was auctioned off to the highest bidder? Were you there? Did their honorary guest Monocle e...

Conko is back - the unscary clown!

Our Conko the clown tote is back. An exclusive production for the Conko Foundation. The Conklin family gave Canadians the wonderful Canadian National Exhibition. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

Then and now, now and then....

The ole chestnut as I like to call it on the left was the first ever bbb made; the one on the right our 20th anniversary version. I would always bring the first as a mascot to shows etc and the ...

NAWA: SOUTH AMERICAN NATURAL LEATHER

Hello/goodbye Rio! Now that the Olympics are over, I am recalling that seeing the waterfront/ coastline of this city was as much a highlight as the event itself. So unusual: both steeped in it...

'Missoni' birdnest

Missoni mangia your heart out! I love your knitwear and sense of colour but this is what happens when one leaves wool out in the garden for the Baltimore Orioles. The weaving technique is remarka...

Mid Century Bathing Beauties

I have always wondered who took the photo? Circa 1942, the men were overseas and the ladies on the shores of Lake Erie at Erie Beach behaving themselves! Erie Beach incidentally will host a 1...

Catherine Berka and NILI Slow Thread

Colour, sunlight, texture, the stunningly beautiful shawls of textile designer Catherine Berka, seated on the left amidst her wool felted 'family' describing the artistic process to my family frie...