Great to see Kara is doing so well with her custome Brooks saddles. Read our original post on her here and then check out the traveling exhibit press release below.

North Central Cyclery is proud to announce an exhibit of the exquisite work of artist Kara Ginther opening February 6th, 2010. The exhibition will include an array of custom carved leather Brooks bicycle saddles and a few other rare Brooks Saddles owned by North Central Cyclery.

Ginther is based in Madison, WI and while her work has been widely shown on popular cycling and bike culture websites, this will be the first physical exhibition centered on her saddles since she began carving them a few years ago. Most of the saddles are commissioned works which will be on loan for the event. One saddle is being commissioned by NCC specifically for the exhibit.

Kara Ginther studied textile design at the University of Wisconsin and her work was born from a love of all things vintage. Much of her creative process stems from that inspiration. Her embellishments to Brooks Saddles add to their beauty without diminishing their purpose.

North Central Cyclery has been designated by Brooks as an Outstanding Brooks Dealer for the last two years and has been awarded limited edition saddles as rewards for their proficiency of sales and affinity for the culture of Brooks Saddles, etc. NCC shares this honor with fewer than 20 other bicycle retailers in the country, making DeKalb a destination for knowledgeable cyclists.

The opening of the exhibition will be Saturday, Feb 6th at 6:30pm and be open to the public until Friday, February 12th during regular store hours. The exhibition will then travel to Salvagetti’s Bicycle Workshop in Denver and Topanga Creek Bicycles in Los Angeles.

For more info on Kara Ginther and North Central Cyclery, please follow these links:

www.karaginther.com

www.northcentralcyclery.com – Related posts on NCC Blog here and here.

For more information, please also contact Tobie DePauw at 815.758.2403 or email tobie@northcentralcyclery.com

One day, while browsing through Flickr, I came across some gorgeous bicycle seats. The designer, Kara Ginther, carves each unique seat and believes that it’s important to maintain the hand of the artist in any design work. The end result is an amazing piece of functional art.

Kara came across her craft while studying textile design at the University of Wisconsin.

“My work table was piled high with my semester supplies, lino cutters and leather scraps among them, and as I sat pondering the work ahead of me, I absentmindedly began scratching some leather with the nearest tool. I started carving everything I could get my hands on, ruining several bags and belts in the meantime.  However,  every day I learned a little more about what leather carves best, what tools to use, how to test for color contrasts and most importantly, how to make this process my own.”

Her inspiration, like ours,  stem from all things old.

“I’m truly obsessed with objects in general, especially the really old ones.  I’ve started a modest collection of antique leather luggage, handbags, and other travel accessories in hopes of being able to give new life to each piece. I love how antiques are covered in scrapes and scratches that serve to tell their history.”

Her canvas starts off with a very luxurious British made Brook’s leather saddle.

“I’ve worked solely on Brooks saddles so far and have fallen in love with every step of the process.”

The tedious carving process can take as little as 2 hours to 2 weeks for each design.

“I’ll never forget how nervous I was to make that first cut into the gorgeous seat. Carving leather leaves little room for error; not only can you ruin the design, but with one slip of the blade you can render an object useless!”

“With every saddle completed, I can’t wait to see what happens to my bike saddles after decades of riding. Hopefully they will have made their way into some musty attic, only to be rediscovered by someone who loves deciphering the story of an object as much as I do.”

Kara’s custom saddle work start at $99 for simple designs and can range up to $345 for more elaborate pieces. Contact Kara for more information.

Kara Ginther Leather
422 N. Ingersoll Street
Madison, WI 53703
(715) 896-4577
www.karaginther.com

Nik Palmer of Palmer And Sons has designed a set of very cool leather bags that have a rough vintage style, making them very unique. His latest bag – one of my favorites, is the Gladstone No 10 L .  With its massive chrome clasps and brass rivets, it reminds me of a large doctor’s bag. I want one but I need to figure out where I’ll be traveling with it!

Here are some more specs directly from his website:

• 10 oz  Havana brown leather

• Brass rivets throughout

• Handmade Cocobolo and Ebony top rails

• 2 x 1 ton closing clasps

• Exterior size is approximately  20” x 10” x 15”

• Also available in Black Smoke, Red Chestnut, Havana Brown

All items from Palmer And Sons are custom built one by one. This beautifully handmade Gladstone has interior bracing on its ends to help it retain its shape when closed. The interior is unlined and contains one single large compartment. The bags are fully customizable, simply contact them directly.

Price: $625 Canadian Dollars

Palmer & Sons
Nik Palmer
http://palmerandsons.ca
Telephone: 1-778-987-3385
Email: info@palmerandsons.ca

Photography by Beata Kacy
http://soigneatelie.blogspot.com
Email: beata.kc@gmail.com

I have a weakness for handbags, so when the lovely Miss Beth alerted me to Ora Handbags, I was immediately smitten. These bags are designed by the very talented Randi in my hometown of Vancouver, BC.

Ora Handbags are made from vintage garments and local upholstery scraps that would otherwise crowd the landfills. All Ora handbags are fully lined with internal pockets. All straps are adjustable and each bag is made one by one by designer Randi in Vancouver BC.

I love the braided detailing and the gold hardware accents – reminds me of riding on a long stretch of road with the top down or walking barefoot on freshly cut grass.

Check out their website for more eyecandy, and because Twitter is basically taking over the entire world, don’t forget to follow them here.