You’ve been waiting awhile for our neck straps and we’ve been busy in the workshop to bring them to you.

Let’s face it, some of those straps that come packaged with the DSLR can be quite ugly. You’d think the manufacturers who had the foresight to create a beautiful product would extend that to their straps, too. Alas, this isn’t the case. We call this strap fail.

The elegant line of the wrist strap has been extended to bring comfort around your neck. The long and sumptuous 24″ leather is backed with suede to cradle your neck with soft strength and bring peace of mind when taking photos.

After all, you should be focusing on framing your shot, not fighting with your strap.

Check out our new neck straps here.

We hope you’ll love wearing these while you work your magic behind the lens and look stylish, too.

Warmly,
Lisa & Stewart

Thanks for Introducing Yourself!

We just want to give a big thanks to the folks at 2012 Bethesda’s Fine Art Festival who invited us to exhibit at their annual festival.

What a gorgeous weekend Mother Nature provided us! Such perfect days to meet new customers. We loved hearing your great comments, encouragement, and specially loved collaborating on new products with you during the show and engaging riotous laughter.

Also, thanks to many of you who placed custom orders with us -and as promised, we will be in touch.

Our Mewsletter
If you didn’t get a chance to sign up for our email mewsletter (nop, not a mistake), please do so below. We promise to keep your name safe and not to clog your inbox with hairballs.

Warmly,
Lisa & Andrew

When Piedmont Craftsmen posted a creative call to their artists, we answered. It’s an opportunity for us as artists to generate a one of a kind piece only limited to imaginations. The theme of this call is “Things with Wings.”

I found myself responding to the call with an idea of doing some kind of DaVinci meets paper air planes mashup on the inside of a techbag. As soon as I thought I was finished with that description, my genius came out of no where and hit me in the back of the head with a frying pan. “Or….” I continued, “I could create a really cool little clutch. Think Mercury’s Wings meet Steampunk.” Nicole responded with intrigue.

Honestly, I had no idea where that came from but I knew exactly how it was to look.

My Piece: “Mercury’s Wings”

With all of the trapping of the subgenre steampunk, this leather clutch includes a tiny compass, magnifying glass, and vintage key. It also includes a small brochure with clues on how to reunite Mercury and his missing wings.

Do you like adventures? If you’d like to learn more about how to solve the riddle, please join us at the gallery -I’d love to meet you.

Things with Wings
Friday, May 4
Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery
Winston-Salem, NC
7-9p

PS. If you’d like to read a little behind the scenes and a few spoiler reveals, you can read them here on my personal blog.

Goggles On!
Lisa & Andrew

We’ve got a line up for this year’s events thus far. It’s not comprehensive as we still have a few trunk shows to schedule and other speaking engagements to confirm.

2012 Calendar
May 4 – Piedmont Craftsmen – Winston Salem, NC
May 12-13 – Bethesda FineArts Show – Bethesda, MD
Sept 28-30 – Armonk Fine Arts – Armonk, NY
Oct 7- Festifall – Chapel Hill, NC (TBD)
Nov 16-18 – Piedmont Craftsmen – Winston Salem, NC
Dec 2 – Boylan Heights Art Walk – Raleigh, NC

Stay tuned!

Thanks,
Lisa & Andrew

We’re not sure if these objects are related to Missing Mercury or his wings. If any of these objects belong to you or if you know the owner of any of them, please contact the authorities straight away.

Over the course of this weekend past, we received an unmarked package with the following objects enclosed:

• A small key with black cord (we believe it is silk)
• A tiny magnifying glass with same black cord
• A postcard postmarked 1936 from an airship called the Hindenberg
• Small Parchment with several strange rubbings
• Large parchment with orientation symbols, and strange large industrial watermarks

Please refer to the articles photographed in the image below

Again, we’re looking for the whereabouts of Mercury. If you know any information that can locate both he and his winged sandals, please alert the authorities. We will continue to bring you late breaking news as it arrives.

Thanks for your attention to this matter.
Lisa & Andrew

Once, there was a god of trade, thieves, & travel name Mercury. Inventor of the lyre and seen with the caduceus, it was told that he wore winged sandals as a messenger to guide and protect merchants, shepherds, gamblers, liars, and thieves.

However, one morning when Mercury happened upon a market, he found himself in the middle of a heated exchange. With an instant, Mercury disappeared and his wings torn from his feet.

We’re looking for the whereabouts of Mercury. If you know any information that can locate both he and his winged sandals, please alert the authorities. We will continue to bring you late breaking news as it arrives.

Thanks for your attention to this matter.
Lisa & Andrew

Picture your style with a Lisa Stewart handcrafted OOAK leather and suede camera wrist strap.

Focus on framing, not your strap.
With our new camera strap, you can have security, style, and comfort.

Focus on framing your shot while the soft supple suede wrist strap disappears from view. The nylon strap secures your expensive DSLR investment from crashing to the ground as the strong, stylish suede wraps your wrist in comfort and style.

Between us, my husband and I have about 5 cameras and nothing is more important than changing hands securely and easily without all the fuss of unnecessary length. The leather and suede wrist strap keeps you agile and the view free from strap shadows.

When I told my Twitter & FB Buddy, Linda Woods, she exclaimed, “I LOVE the idea of a wrist strap! A wrist strap has been my fantasy camera accessory!”

So, I sent one to her to get honest feedback. When she did receive it, she tweets, “Today I got an item in the mail that I have been fantasizing about since I got my first 35mm camera. It makes up for discontinued mascara.” I think we can all relate to the loss of favorite products.

Photo courtesy of the Awesome Linda Woods

Read more on her blog entry.

After a day or two of using it like a new toy, here’s what she had to say,

I loved the wrist strap the second I got it out of the box. It is beautiful red leather with black stitching- I’d like a pair of shoes like this! I could barely get the shoulder strap off my camera fast enough. The wrist strap was super easy to attach and in a matter of minutes I was on a mini-photo walk in my backyard. It was bright and sunny out and unlike with a traditional shoulder strap, I was not getting any shadows or reflections from a dangling strap in my photos, something that has often bothered me. When I set the camera on the table, the strap was not a messy tangle, it didn’t even take up much more space than my key chain. ~Linda Woods

Often, Andrew and I would have the same messy issues when we were travelling. Invision two people fighting with a camera inside a backpack like a nasty honey badger trying to crawl its way out teeth bared. Never an elegant sight when we’re trying to ‘capture the moment.’ Why didn’t we think of this sooner?

The Hook

We design with Mother Earth in mind. We strive to design products that don’t require extra clips or unnecessary environmental disasters. We included a 12″ nylon strap that is stitched securely to the leather. This includes one single adjustor that is enough to keep peace of mind when out taking photos in the wild.



Using the one strap adjustor on the webbing prevents slippage and accidental drops to up to 50lbs. This means that should the camera slip from your hand (while your wrist is wearing the leather strap), the webbing will snag tight inside the plastic. Be sure to keep enough tail through the buckle while wearing.

I know one thing, I love each one I make and proclaim it to be my favorite. So, please select yours before I hoard them all!!

Found in the Leisure Section

If you haven’t already noticed, we’ve restructured the Web site to help you find the treasures you seek. We’ve created a Leisure Section that hosts the guitar straps, journals, and now the new camera straps.

Camera Straps

May each shot you take be gorgeous -and comfortable!
Lisa & Andrew

Cultivating Your Sophisticated Style With Lisa Stewart Fine Art & Gifts.

We always want to know what you’re thinking and what you need most.

Ladies, we heard you!

Resoundingly, we heard last year that you wanted backpacks. Small, stylish packs that allowed you to walk your city without feeling weighed down by heavy purses.

We get that.

After many months working in the workshop, we have created a stylish yet soft and petite bag that allows you to carry it at least 3 ways.

Tour your own city or travel lightly in style with our new Bilbao Leather Backpack. The sleek style transforms your every day ritual of packing your iPad, maps, and camera into an extraordinary event. Calligraphic images grace the inside flap revealing a button pocket large enough to hold passport, map, and your mobile phone. Main compartment is so roomy that you can also include a pair of shoes and water bottle.

Get more Information on the Bilbao BackPack

Samples!

While we are in the shop designing, we build prototypes until we settle on the best design for you. Today, we have 4 samples for sale in our ETSY (shop just for this purpose). If you want an absolute one-of-a-kind bag, hop on over and select yours now.

Get more Information on the Sample Bilbao Backpacks

As an adventurer, we know you’ll love the way this new backpack feels and responds to your lifestyle.

Bon Voyage!
Lisa & Andrew

Cultivating Your Sophisticated Style With Lisa Stewart Fine Art & Gifts.

Never lose a sale with our new SquareUp Reader Pouch.

Or perhaps this should read, “Never lose your tunes with our new iPod Shuffle Square Pouch?”

Either way, this nifty little Square Pouch will port your ability to take credit cards or music in style.

For Entrepreneurs

If you’re running a small business, chances are you’ve got to take credit cards. In this day-in-age, carrying only my debit card is the easiest thing in the world and I prefer that over cash every day -I bet you do, too.

The SquareUp application for mobile devices is taking credit cards by storm. Eliminating the middle man (your bank), this little gem is the easiest solution to your merchant account woes. If you have one, you know it and love it. If you don’t, feel free to read my article on INDIECreatives (link coming soon) outlining the benefits of this square beauty.

Meanwhile, I know all about the burden of managing the whereabouts of my SquareUp device and the issues that come with keeping it tethered as I do business at large.  I could keep it in my cash box but I rarely reach for it, not to mention, it’s inaccessible. I’d rather not run through a crowd of people leisurely shopping my wearable art to the back of the booth just to open the cash box just to get the device. While a great utility, it has the penchant of poking me as I try to hold it or shove it anywhere against my body -a thoroughly unpleasant event to be held in public- trust me.

If I don’t have pockets, where do I put my square?

The solution: The Suede Square Snap Pouch with Clasp. 

If you’re a dog walker, you can clip this to your phone tote. If you’re a piano teacher, an interior designer, an on-call vet, anyone who is typically mobile in their small business will love this attachment to keep their SquareUp device handy.

“After looking at several options on the Web, your Square pouch is very classy.” states James V. a recent purchaser. “I’m going to hang your postcard on our company’s bulletin board for other employees to buy.”

“This is a-dorable!” exclaims Amy, a new devotee of the Square Pouch. “I’m going to hang this on my Tech bag!” Naturally, this systematic approach Amy takes to life is typical as she builds her Fobot army.

The Square Pouch comes in a variety of colors sure to please your preferred color palate (red, green, blue, brown, gold, to start) and are one-of-a-kind as they’re utilizing the scraps from our bigger projects. More importantly, this savvy snap pouch is great to clasp onto anything to keep it safe and stylish -and never lose that sale.

Buy Your SquareUp Pouch Here

Not an Entrepreneur? No worries music fans, we’ve got you covered, too.

Entrepreneurs aren’t the only ones looking for a Square Pouch, according to a recent discussion with my friend Amy, music fans of the iPod shuffle are too. According to Amy, “Husbands have the propensity to ask wives to carry their stuff just because she wears a handbag,” she explains, “and this is why I never carry one.”

I know how she feels. Sometimes, when my husband wears his man bag, I’ll start handing him my two DSLRs, girly supplies, and a half-eaten sandwich to carry -just to see his reaction.

“So, one evening while we were closing up our tent at a recent art show,” Amy begins “Phil asks if I’ll save his mp3 player in my handbag. I point to it sitting in a dark corner of the booth and he tosses it over in that general direction.” Hmm… this doesn’t sound good. “Later that evening, he dumps my handbag out in the middle of the hotel room bed eagerly looking for his tunes,” she continues. “We never found it and I’m thinking he tossed it under the bushes for a dog to find.”

Oh, good luck finding that one again.

Hold This!
Does this sound familiar? “Can you hold this?”

Husbands and kids alike are always going to the matriarch in the family to hold things. “Can you hold my hat? Can you hold my headphones? Can you hold my… (zip! goes the vinyl record needle)” This just in: Mom isn’t your beast of burden, y’all.

For the music buffs in your family, the Square Pouch comes in a variety of colors sure to please anyone. This savvy and adorable pouch is great to clasp onto anything you can find to keep it safe, stylish and off mom. Showing your loved ones how to be self-sufficent is a snap.

Buy Your Square iPod Shuffle Pouch Here

All handcrafted in our Raleigh, NC studio, it’s a seriously sleek solution to maintaining your individual style.

We know you’ll hanging this Square Pouch on your gear.
Lisa

Cultivating Your Sophisticated Style With Lisa Stewart Fine Art & Gifts.

We’d love to announce that Lisa Stewart and Andrew Hayden are now officially new members of the Piedmont Craftsmens Guild!! We learned of this in late November and wanted to wait until the excitement and flurry of the holidays passed to announce this exciting news.

Also this week, we’ve just sent in the Boston Convertible Crossover for the new members show taking place at the Piedmont gallery next month.

Three more pieces have also been sent in and are available for purchase.

We’re excited to become members among so many fabulous artists and hope to see you on March 2 for preview night!

Thanks so much for welcoming us into the guild!

Warmly,
Lisa & Andrew

Cultivating Your Sophisticated Style With Lisa Stewart Fine Art & Gifts.