Cute leather handbag. Bisons in Belgium, really? Fall pictures hunting!

I had a productive week since I last wrote you: we visited a bison ranch, I made a cute leather handbag and started painting the doors in our work space upstairs and went fall pictures hunting. First some pictures of my super cute handbag.

Leather handbag

I am a bit tired of designing and creating jewelry and wanted a different experience; I like diversity and diversification. My faux fur handbag turned out all right and  I was ready for a new bag challenge. (I am still pondering a bucket bag design of my own!) This sounds courageous but it took me a while before I actually put my hand on it. I know, I know: when you create something you shouldn't be focused on the result but having fun going your path; well, let me tell you this, I want both: fun while designing and creating AND a good end product.

I had my mind set on round (bamboo) handles to save me the designing and sewing handles on. You already know that pinterest is my craft dictionary and I spent hours and hours studying bamboo handle totes. But all totes were in fabric so for a leather tote I was on my own. I had a butter soft piece of beige leather, smooth as silk, with the drape of old and used linen. It looked not small to me but when I started measuring, my tote couldn't be bigger than 30 x 30 cm. From pinterest I knew that my round handle should be about 20 cm. I had a pair in dark brown  acrylic mottled with lighter spots  and a diameter of 18 cm: perfect. And to be super super safe, I made first a "specimen" in fabric before tackling the real one.

Since this is not a blog on handbag making, I'll spare you the details and show you the bag right away
Here is the result:

Lovelea's leather round
handle handbag
 

Lovelea's leather
 city bag

This handbag is perfect as a small city bag and will look gorgeous hanging from your arm, set off against a black outfit, it will upgrade your denim attire and when not using, it won't take up space in your closet. The tassels spice up the bag and are used to close the handbag.

Lovelea's leather city bag
 with denim outfit

Lovelea's leather city bag
with black outfit

Bisons in Belgium? Where!

We, my husband and I have been talking more than a year about visiting this bison ranch in Orchimont friends of us where talking about. At last, we went. It was a 2 hour drive and we where right on time for the guided visit. With a real wagon we made the tour of the property but I was mostly interested in the bisons, this prehistoric, mythic and fierce looking animals. Seeing this proud beasts in the open (I won't say "in the wild"), your soul is stirring, something is grabbing you and your imagination starts to work. You want to grab their woolly looking skin with both hands. I am very very thankful to have this experience .

Another reason why we (especially me)  wanted to visit the ranch is that in the restaurant, they cal lit "Saloon" they serve bison meat. I always have been interested in "tastes" and I am eager to try out different things. When we went to Norway a couple years ago, I had whale. It actually tasted more as meat than as fish but it has it's own special taste, not a very strong taste. I was a bit disappointed in the taste expecting a more gamy taste, seen the dark red meat, it tasted surprisingly equal to beef, maybe a bit sweeter.

I have been fascinated with everything  native American since a child. I've read all of Karl May's Winnetou and Old Shatterhand adventures. I read so many of them that at last I was disgusted. I never liked girl books: very boring, dull and unstimulating. Now I saw those beasts with my own eyes.

They have been rearing bisons since 1998, starting with a couple animals and now they have a flock. They sell the meat, serve it in their restaurant and have a bison project running in Billings, Montana, USA.

This brings me to the book: Butcher's Crossing by John Williams. The book is very very good and very good in describing the horror people commit without blinking an eye. It describes in a very observing way the landscape, the journey to the secret valley, the slaughtering of thousands of bisons and with nothing, zero as an end result. Frightful how people were and still are only guided by greed! Don't read it if you are faint at heart.

Autumn colors

Whenever I see autumn pictures, I assume that halve of the colors are photo shopped! Last Tuesday the weather was extremely nice, 18° on the 6th of November! and we went photo hunting. All the yellows and reds made my blood go faster. And yes, the pictures I show you are not photo shopped, the yellows and the reds were there! I captured them as I've seen them. I merely adjusted the horizon in some of the pictures. A lake always gives smart pictures and the tall trees give a cathedral like feeling.

Fall at Zoete waters, Oud-Heverlee, Belgium

Fal, Swan at Zoete waters, Oud-Heverlee, Belgium

Fall at Zoete waters, Oud-Heverlee, Belgium

Some parts of the woods are very dense and some are very open like in the picture beneath.

Fall at Zoete waters, Oud-Heverlee, Belgium

Does nature give us this strong colors, this exuberance of shades and tinges so we can get through the blandness and hardships of winter? as a memory to fall back on during the long and dark nights?


When admiring all this beauty, this stark colors I think: yes fall is my season but then comes spring to my mind with its tenderness, the soft hues and best of all: the knowing that winter is over. What is your favorite season and why? Tell us, please!

See you next week!