Judy's Miser's Purse

When I asked my older sister Judy if she would like a Miser's Purse, she said she'd love one. I was pleased because Judy is particular and knows what she likes. I think these commendable qualities, but when I'm designing for her, I am much more anxious about her being happy with the finished product.

She decided she would like her purse on a snap hook so she could wear it attached to her jeans or belt when she goes out walking. She was also specific about her color choice for the body and beading and also wanted the texture to be soft.

When I think soft chocolate brown, I think alpaca, so I spun some yarn up just for the project. When attaching the purse to the snap hook, I worked the yarn all around the exposed part of the D-ring so that the chains wouldn't slide around. For the beads, Judy threw out turquoise brown and orange as favorites, plus a touch of red. She's always loved the color red.

The crazy thing about beading is that no matter how expansive your bead collection, you never seem to have exactly what you're looking for. At least that's my experience. I try to keep a wide variety of colors and sizes, but I was having trouble finding the perfect combination. I settled on turquoise and red and I like the way it turned out.

It's not lost on me how southwestern this bag looks. I've lived out here for less than three years, but the desert culture has definitely found its way into what I make. It's a happy influence as far as I'm concerned. I love my surroundings and I kind of like seeing them pop up in my own creations.

Tomorrow this miser's purse will be on its way to Virginia. I hope Judy will love it even if it's a little different from her vision. Keep your fingers crossed for me!