And the Winner is...

I want to thank everybody who posted here the last couple of weeks and who also kept me abreast of a glitch in Firefox so I could let others know. 

Ok - all the entries have gone into a hat and my husband is doing the honors...Good Luck everybody,
And thank you all for entering!

...and the winner is....

 Peter!

I will be contacting you shortly, Peter.

This was my first giveaway,  not my last.  I plan to do more as the occasion arises,   so to hear about any future promotions don't forget to sign up for my e-mail list.

Thank You for all the support.

Carla Dawn

And the Winner is...

Wacky Weather Giveaway!

AKA...Winter’s Baackkk giveaway!

Winter seems to have legs yet!  In NYC today we had snow, sleet, rain, hail, thunder and insane lightning.  Much of it simultaneously!

So as a send off to winter’s last blast I’ve decided to do my very first giveaway here on this blog…

This a one-of-a-kind crossbody “Guitar Strap” bag (value $798.00) features a beautifully collaged, natural springbok hide that has been over-printed with a striking jaguar pattern. The body of the bag is made of a rich espresso vintage finished cowhide that wear's beautifully.  The bag has 2 zip pockets and a metrocard  pocket (fits  business cards too!) and a key fob. 

It’s a nice roomy 11 x 11.5 x 2” with a 22” strap drop and is clean finished & unlined for maximum durability.  (This leather and the construction are basically watertight- believe me, I speak from experience!)

To enter the drawing, follow these simple steps before April 15th to qualify:

1. Scroll through the blog or use the archives list in the right column, choose one story to read, and submit a comment at the end of the story.
2. Like BehrleNYC leather on Facebook (not necessary if you already like us) and recommend us to your friends!
3. Want to double your chance of winning?  Come back to this post and comment again!
4. Important: Go to my contact page and leave your name and e-mail address and / or phone (so I can contact the winner) and note "Contest" & which post(s) you commented on.  Especially important if you are a new visitor.  You may also leave a 3rd comment with you email included, That will NOT be published.

(You do not have to sign up for our mailing list, but if you like what you see, and are not already on our mailing list please check the box to be included on it. I send very rarely- 2x a year - and never share emails & you will hear about future events first.)

Follow these guidelines and you will have a chance (or 2) in the drawing, the bag will be shipped to a lucky winner the week after tax day (I am determined to make somebody’s day!) Note that the bag will be shipped within the USA only so please have a US residential address to qualify to receive the prize.

The winner will be notified via e-mail April 15th and I’ll request your shipping address then.  Claim your prize and it will be shipped out right away with delivery confirmation!

I’m happy to offer this drawing with special thanks to all of you who have encouraged and supported BehrleNYC over the last few years!  All the wonderful people I've been lucky to work with and the positive feedback I receive on a daily basis & most importantly the continued support of my amazing  customers and friends,  all this makes what I do so worthwhile & delightful.

Thank you to Andrea for providing the inspiration to finally do this (and from whom I have cribbed liberally for the format) check out her work, she is a brilliant silversmith/ jeweler.

Good luck!… 

Note: Comments are moderated- so they won't show up immediately.  Don't worry,  I do receive them and they will post.  
Blogger may have problems posting comments on Firefox-so Switch browsers if this happens!

Wacky Weather Giveaway!

Leather Blooms for the Holidays...

I hope these put you in a festive mood!  Between the usual crunch of the season I managed to dig out some beautiful skins that I've been collected over the years.  These are skins that I do not have enough to make any type of garment or regular item with,  and the leather is just too special to not do something with.

We put together some pieces... all inspired by an accessory we did years ago for Patricia Field.  Here is a start.

And we are trying something new here.  Buy Now from the blog...

Flowers ship to US,  for other destinations please contact us.

Exotic Orchid Fascinator 
Only 6 available as shown.  Hand made in NYC. Petals and blades are individually wired.
 Blossom can be contoured to highlight your features.

$165.00

Rose Band
( Forget about Alice!)

This band can be made to order in any combo of 2 of roses above.
(Each piece is individually Hand made in NYC)
from left: Cherry, Jewel Purple, Black Suede, Silver Shimmer
These colors are limited editions,  and once gone- they can't be repeated...
$145.00

color

black suede/ cherry black suede/ jewel purple black suede/ silver shimmer

Solid color- please specify

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Leather Blooms for the Holidays...

BehrleNYC at the Vendy Awards

For those of you Lucky enough to have a ticket to tomorrow's 2010 Vendy Awards,  eat up & have a blast!

A celebration of the the best street food vendors in NYC (and Philly too this year) ranging from Venezuelan to Austrian to French Moroccan and on to Desserts!

We were not able to snag a ticket   :(    but one of our bags did!   This one-of-a-kind, unisex, Springbok & leather BehrleNYC messenger bag will be part of the raffle,  so if you are there,   buy a ticket to support all the best Street food vendors & the Street Vendor Project of the Urban Justice Center.  NYC just would not be right without it's street vendors.   If you are lucky you may wind up with a bag perfect to hit the street with this Fall!

& taste a little of everything for us!!!

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BehrleNYC at the Vendy Awards

Nice Work if you can get it.

My friend Karin sent me this  photo of this very cute Giles Deacon bag:

 

( I will refrain from comment on the pants....)

& I do think the bag is even cuter in solid white.

...but it sure looks suspiciously like this plush toy by Wild Republic that's "Licensed by the Natural History Museum and approved by NHM Paleontologists." as noted on the smaller version available on Amazon.  I wonder if  NHM or WR will see any licensing fees should this bag go into production? 

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Nice Work if you can get it.

One Man's Luxury

Saw Harry Potter the other night, really enjoyed the visuals and kinda made me wish I still had a hand in the costume business....love costumes!

Anyhow, on the way home, a conductor got on the train & we both immediately noticed his bag.

It was gorgeous, & obviously made specially for the things conductors need, with an unusual square base, solid brass hardware and in an incredibly beautifully broken in leather.

We admired it & I took some (not very good) photos with my phone:

And then we got a great story from the owner (this guy had obviously been stopped about this bag many, many times) and he beamed as he told us that he got it custom made back in 1988!

He had to get a bag for the job back then so he and a few other guys got together and commissioned these special custom- made bags. He's had his ever since and uses it every single day since he got it.

He chuckled as he went on to say that the cheap bags that the MTA was pushing at the time would last on average 6 months and had to be replaced like clockwork. That, and they all got ribbed endlessly that they were spending way too much money for a bag.

And then he chuckled again...

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One Man's Luxury

Mia's Brand New Bag Deux

Catching up and finally getting around to posting the 2nd new, (and improved!) custom made "Mia" bag I finished recently.


This one is made of a thick, glossy finished Italian hide, so this bag has a much more dressed-up /formal look, while still being completely practical.



It is much more constructed in the body than the original and also has a built-in hard, padded divider constructed for her airbook. The divider also has additional and specific pockets for discs, peripherals, power cords, business cards and plenty of room for other items. Meant to go from the air, as a carry on. Straight into important meetings. The client is thrilled with it as am I.



It's the most constructed bag I've ever done and likely to be the last of this type of construction and detail I'll do for quite some time since it's not exactly what we're set up for. This bag will only be repeated again for the customer it's named for.

On our regular bags, I've now got 2 new one-of-a-kind bags up in the shop. They are the only ones, and will not be repeated. Here they are:

One-of-a-King "Jaguar" Guitar Strap Bag

One-of-a-Kind "Zebra" Guitar Strap Bag

For more info and other bags, check out the shop.

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----------------
Now playing: Pig Bag - Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag
via FoxyTunes

Mia's Brand New Bag Deux

Having an Alaia Moment

Azzedine Alaia is one of my favorite designers and I admire him as much for his attitude as his insane talent - he is well known to follow his own schedule and to hell with everyone else's.

I am prone to follow my own schedule too, sometimes due to materials (aka- I love it now!) sometimes just 'cause I feel like it. So here is my current Alaia moment(s):

purchase Jaguar Crested Bag

purchase Zebra Crested Bag

Yes, they are fur, but I wanted to get it over with. Fur is a real bitch to work with once it gets warm out and no, A/C doesn't cut is as then you get it flying.
And yes, I will be doing these bags to order after these initial pieces are sold.

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Having an Alaia Moment

Fun with Handbags

I have been busy working on a little group of limited edition & one-of-a-kind bags that I will be putting up soon, but it's taking a while because I keep getting distracted with alhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifl the other stuff I am doing. I came across these bags by a designer named James Piatt, out of California. I love technique they are made with, and I like the dark humor (though some of it definitely hits wrong now - I can't tell how up-to-date the site is.) Check out the "Persuader". Your cell phone becomes your ammunition. Very clever.

Tinkerbell by James Piatt

This is the bag that caught my eye, I thought it was a black cat, in the Emily vein - I guess I'm just a goth at heart.

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Fun with Handbags

Stretch Leather Leggings

Finally got some new stuff up in the shop. (I hate MIVA Merchant) My faves are the stretch leather leggings, which will go great with a sweater dress I am jonesing for, or under anything else for warmth and sleekness.

& these long stretch leather sleeves and this nubuck hat, which was inspired by a hat I saw once on Larry Shox of Shox Lumania. It is really fun to wear, warm, and a lot more interesting than a knit cap.

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Stretch Leather Leggings

Store is Up!!!

The shop section of the site is finally up! What a process! But I am thrilled and excited that it is up and working. The shopping cart software is a huge learning curve for me and I expect it to be a long and ongoing. I want to thank the designers, Joe and Erin of Transfuture. They've been great and very patient through whatever came up. (Especially the 5-6 weeks that Miva was refusing to let us login consistently (or at all).

I am now looking for some help with the internet marketing, running the store, keeping on top of this blog, etc. etc, etc.
A part time webmaster? Good with all the web and internet marketing techniques, from adwords, to adding feeds and content to this blog, creating a MySpace page above and beyond what is sitting up there now, some SEO ability. Coding a must, Fashion Background a Super Plus. I will pay a good commission on any sales the internet generates, including any new Custom clientele. I would love to hear from anyone interested.

Store is Up!!!

Angelina Jolie and leather...

Angelina Jolie in Behrle Leather as seen in Movieline Magazine

One Girl to another pouring over the (pawed up) gossip mags at my Local Duane Reade:“oooohh! She really is having a baby…”
Ok, I don’t get the fascination, really … but if Angelina Jolie (or anyone) is having a baby, I have got the perfect baby gift!

Just added to the group of items we will be selling in our store, is the cutest baby bib ever in two styles “Sweetheart” and “Superstar”
Both Bibs are made in the Finest Italian Lambskin and lined with black cotton jersey, they feature metallic leather inlay work and contrast leather trim. They are one size and can both be wiped clean easily with a damp cloth (no dry cleaning on metallic leathers) They are $85.00 Each. And we can do special order colors and inlay for an additional charge.

I am offering them here, first. Or you can go to Etsy until my own store is up and running. Each piece is made to order so once your order is confirmed , please allow 5-7 business days for shipping.

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Angelina Jolie and leather...

If you are as into Gloves…

As I am, Dutch Artist Sylvia B.’s various takes on the Classic Opera Glove are out of this World! She’s taken an Icon of Glamour and twisted it into fabulously perverted Statements on Beauty and Fashion….

“Love-Hate”… How could you ever say it better? Or more beautifully?

Sylvia B's Amazing Gloves

I designed gloves for years and wish I’d been allowed to do something like this! These are just brilliant!

The “Almost Perfect Model” is a classic, and grab the "Unpopular Model" for when you can't stand people. It'll work like a charm...

If you are as into Gloves…