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

IDSWest took place this past weekend at the Vancouver Convention Centre and boy was there a ton of eye-candy. There was no shortage of vendors, designers and independent contractors with various displays for people to look at. Pictures speak louder than words so take a look at the plethora of visuals after the jump.

The shots below are from outside the convention centre, an awesome desk and chair combo and a beautiful chandelier we came across inside the show.

I love the mini vintage piano with the fashion books stacked high.

The highlight of this show for me was the custom all-wood kitchen installation designed by Christian Woo – super nice guy who does such beautiful work. Check out his website for more gorgeous examples.

Photos below are from The Cross Decor & Design booth.

I love the European single pendant lights – wouldn’t they look pretty strung up high across a backyard? Gorgeous.

A good friend mine received a tiny sewing machine as a gift. It was the Singer Sewhandy and it came with the box, manual, needles and a spool of ribbon. I couldn’t find much information about this machine online, but I did come across this:

“…Model 20 small sewing machines were marketed solely as real sewing machines for girls and were often given away to help imprint the Singer name in the mind of the future sewing machine buyers or young seamstresses of tomorrow.”

Prices for Sewhandy 20-10’s  range from $75-$300. You can find more images and information about my friend’s sewing machine here.

It’s the end of summer and I’m trying to make the most of the rain-free days by being outside and poking my head into the shops in my neighborhood. There are a ton of places to explore around my area but I usually find myself inside Stepback, perusing the shelves stocked high and full with glorious vintage treasures, refurbished antiques and quality retro reproductions. I love the selection and rarely leave empty handed.

All items inside Stepback are hand picked by the owners and make great one-of-a-kind gifts. Need a school classroom world map circa 1930? How about vintage suitcases, milk glass vases of various sizes or part of a cloakroom? Stepback has you covered.

My most coveted piece(s) at the moment are the awesome library card sorter and the large selection of vintage letters they have at the back of the store. I’ve managed to collect a couple but there are so many it’s difficult to decide with kind of look I want to go for. There are letters from old movie theaters, highway signs and random store fronts.

If you’re in the area, definitely check this place out. My favorite coffee shop is also a few doors down – Cafe Artigiano. They make the best mocha in town – I like mine iced.

Stepback
3026 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC
V6K 2H1

Tues – Sat: 10-6
Sunday: 12-5

Tel: 604-731-7525

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

Are you sick of all the Portland posts yet? Well here’s one more.

Madison Park Antiques is a MUST VISIT. This store is a gorgeous, well edited collection of antiques, vintage home decor and various other ephemera. I noticed the small, discreet sign outside while walking around an area of Portland (I forget the name) filled with antique and vintage stores. Out of all of the shops on the block, this one definitely stood out – mainly because it was in a beautiful residential house rather than a store front.

I was breathless as soon as I walked in. The main floor of the house was packed, floor to ceiling with gorgeous vintage wares. Every corner was stuffed with something new and exciting to explore. I spotted a few amazing vintage birdcages which I wanted to buy, but sadly they were out of my budget.

Usually when I visit stores like this, there are a few select items that I want. At Madison however, everything I saw, I wanted. The vintage bust forms were amazing and one-of-a-kind and the gilded gold frame would look amazing as a mirror or just leaning against a stark white wall in the sitting room. Everyone must visit!

Madison Park Antiques
7805 SE 13th
Portland, OR 97202
(503) 233-3731

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.

I love browsing the shops on Etsy not only for unique prints and knick knacks for my house, but for the amazing designers who put out great one-of-a-kind jewelry and accessories. LIASON is no exception. I first came across this store, run by a talented designer named Katherine, during my hunt for a feathered headband to accessorize my outfit for an upcoming 1920’s flapper party.

While her custom-made luxury headband with vintage feathers, Japanese and Czech silk and velvet florals, precious and semi-precious stones may be a TAD more than what I am looking for, a girl can dream and this one is at the top of my list.

Items in her shop are fantasy inducing and hand crafted with love. The Alphonse Mucha inspired headband with vintage materials and semi-precious stones is another of my favorites.

Custom items are also available upon request. Stop by LIASON and browse through her collection of amazing accessories.

Ryan and I are always on the lookout for cool and unique items so we were super excited when we spotted these awesome tablecloths. These fun table covers are made from vintage, wipe-clean vintage oil cloths and imported from Argentina. They’re available over at LAMA: Specially curated finds for the culturally inclined.

Christine who runs the store says it’s one of her favorites and we couldn’t agree more. This item is double sided and available in two colors. She’s also got a great blog with lots of updates about the store, her life and home decor. I’ve bookmarked it and so should you!