It's been and amazing Christmas! That's mostly because of my choice to perceive it that way.  What about you? Did you know you have power of what and how you think?  How I express my creativity is also a choice.  I know only one person will be the recipient of the purses I make. What will she be like?  Sassy? Concervative? Wild? Adrenalin junky?  It's so fun to perseive others attitudes, creating the bag with attitude then letting that purse find just the right cowgirl!  
So here's to chosing joy, peace and an extra lap around the barrels for all my barrel racing sisters!
#diamond57 #madeinUSA #leathercraft #cowboybootpurse #cowgirlmagazine

I'm in Arizona! Why is it in the 60's in October?? But such is life.  Not always meeting my expectations, but often exceeding them!  
I just started offering custom inlays on bags!  I'll be posting pictures and information next week. So fun, I can hardly stand it.  I will offer your custom brand on bags, clutches, saddle blanket bags and wallets.  Christmas will be extra special this year! I can feel it!  Order early so ya don't stress me out. My dog gets upset when I'm frantic! LOL!
Enjoy the falls leaves, cool air, sunshine and in some areas snow flakes!

How did it happen??? Despite all that is going on in the world there is a constant. Time.  So with that thought I try to live each day with purpose. In fact I try to live ON PURPOSE.  When we live with intention, life if fulfilling. So choose to fill it with love despite the chaos, joy is yours. I saw the tiniest humming bird this morning on my walk. Then right, there as if to be a personal show just for me, the Lord sent a rainbow! I live in the DESERT!!  I couldn't belive it.  But I felt Him smile as if to encourage me to keep going, keep spreading love, acceptance and comfort.  So off I trot!  Like a flower girl at the best wedding ever, spreading those little rose petals as I go along, hoping to make people smile and find a little joy. 

I have been practing playing guitar. Reminiscing with James Taylor, Garth Brooks, Kacey Muscgraves, Eagles, John Denver, JJ Heller.... Ecletic, right? Life is like that. You find something unexpected and it turns out to bring you joy.  Restringing my guitar gave me an opportunity to create necklaces and bracelets from those used strings. Oh the songs you sang to me!  Now they have guitar picks and turquoise or tiger eye stones.  Which is your favorite?  
  
#guitarStringJewelry #recycleGuitarStrings #happyTrails #CoCreate #diamond57

This has nothing to do with Leather goods! But everything to do with what you choose to do with your days. During these times "in the wilderness" (it's day 123 today) where we do not have the liberty to go about our normal social activities, I determined I would not endure fear, chaos or a time of darkness. I set out to learn something new every 2 weeks. It started with juggling. That was fun. Then I had always wanted to learn stop motion animation. So why not now? I said that a lot during these times. You tube is amazing to learn anything. So the jest of it all is you take a picture of your "project" then move it a half inch, take a picture, move it again, take a picture.... you get it. Guess how many photos I used for 1 second of this project?? 32!! It was a process! I learned determination, patience, learning to hear the whisper of inspiration when I'd get stuck on the story line.... This is for my granddaughter, Carter! It's a story I tell her before she goes to sleep. After, this project I set out to play my guitar every single day for 1 hour. Oh how I loved that project. I will play every day for the rest of my life. What a great adventure it's been so far. I anticipate a great future of learning, inspiring others and learning how to be a co-creator of beauty, kindness and generosity. What have you done lately? What will you do today?
#happyTrails #LoveBig #creativecocreater #diamond57 #happybirthdayCarterJ

This is my favorite tablet sleeve! Keeps your table safe and secure.  I hand cut the tie strap to keep it close.  I dismantled a turquoise necklace to create this turquoise setting into a concho for the front of this tablet sleeve.  I used this really pretty tooled, turquoise embossed leather for the flap.  Fits most tablets. 10" wide and 8" tall.  I can customize these so let me know if you want a different size.

Fearless Friday Round 2!   July 10, 2020  Here ya go!

The most often asked question is how did you create the idea to make a purse from cowboy boots? Well, here is the story! Plus you'll get see Legacy! I will have to caution: I am a little "high Energy!!"  LOL.

#diamond57 #madeinUSA #leathergoods #mybeginnings #creativity #inspiration #minihorse #loveMyHusband

I refuse to let the world of chaos take over my shop. I am fully aware of the tradgies, for which I pray continually.  If the hearts of the people will turn to God, we may have a chance to change the world, starting with our own hearts. Love. Respect. Kindness. That's my focus.
And today I focused on a custom bag for a sweet gal from Oklahoma.  Cute boots from her uncle. Such great quality in the leather and craftsmanship.  I am almost done with making modifications to the handle and custom conchos. Oh the joy, to help others find joy.  Thank you for your trust in me to create something special, just for you. To always remind you of your Uncle and the special bond you had. I was able to incorporate he belt and buckle.
  

What the heck?? Well, that's how long we've been on stay at home orders! Who ever thought that would happen. I wanted to remember these times as productive, creative adventures, not filled with fear and chaos.  So I picked up my mental attitude and gave it a really great pep talk and out to the shop we went, hand in hand with high hopes of creating hand crafted leather bags you would love.  I hope you enjoy. Not only what I created, but every day of your life. It's all a gift to be explored and to be curious about. Live life on purpose!  #behappy

   
They were her very first boots.  A gift from her grandparents.  She romped with the cows and fed the pigs. She's a girl that loves her horse and her chickens.  Her first boots will be a forever reminder that her Grandparents loved her. And so did her horse, cows, pigs and chickens.  With inspiration this purse, bracelet and necklace will be a reminder of simple, fun and loving times.  It was my honor to create this special bag for you!
#custombootpurse #cowboybootpurse #cowgirlbootpurse #madeinUSA #cowgirlboots

Bloom where yer planted! When we moved to Arizona, I wasn't quite sure how I'd get along with out the beauty and lush green of the Mt. Hood foot hills and wilderness.  My favorite hike is Ramona Falls where you wind and toil around and up and down, through fairy tale forest of most laden trails and trees next the freshest water given by the hand of God.  Words can not describe the beauty and wonder of this land. Arizona is everything opposite!  But I was determined to find beauty in all things and I was not disappointed.  I love the sunrise hikes with the beautiful colors dancing across the morning breeze. Or the moon rise hikes out my back property.  The night time is intense here! The stars sparkle like little Christmas lights waiting with such excitement to tell you a story and show you something grand.  I've learned there is joy no matter where you go.  Find it. Capture it. Live it. Love it!  It's all a gift!

Do you love the Indian and Arrow Themes?  Wild Child theme and follow your arrow. This tote was made just for you! You'll love the rustic canvas material with the Indian head dress print on one side and arrows on the other side. The handles are just the right thickness of leather. Inside you'll find pockets and beautiful lining.  This is the perfect tote to take shopping, traveling or overnight bag.  This indian tote bag will soon be your most favorite!
  

I love, love, love the Trinket Dream Catcher pins!  Each is unique and will be customized for you.  Add to your Saddle blanket bag or Indian Chief blanket Bag. You can even wear them on your jean jacket, denim bag, canvas back pack or shawl. Express yourself with the individual trinkets you choose.  Just send and email letting me know what you want.  There are too many options to show on my website but here are a few:.
        

 I ended up with all sorts for bits and pieces of horse tack in my shop. In particular I had buckles. Really small ones to the really bigs ones and everything in between. If you see me at a show you can dig through my boxes of buckles for your own prized piece!
So this is what I came up with to use up these buckles.  I added a soft lambskin leather strap that is adjustable to wear long or short like a choker.  Verstitile, cute, funky and reused! There, done!  Check them out here.
       

Cool! Any product with red in it will be 40% off. Supplies are limited to stock on hand. Most products are one of a kind.  Sale starts at 12:01am on 11/25/17 and ends at midnight on 11/25/17.

I'm sure you've noticed that on my site I describe the parts of the purse handles as "throat latch" or "brow band". Sometimes this is unfamiliar to some people.  Here is an  explanation of where the tack fits on the horse.
  

Custom saddle blanket bag ready to ship to New jersey this morning! Hand cut fringe, specialty trinkets and custom horse rein handles. Create your bag today! $150-190 
http://www.diamond57.com/saddleblanketpurses

#saddleblanketbags #saddleblanketpurse #wovenwesternbag #cowgirlswag#cowgirlfashion #recyclewesternbag

Read more at cowgirlmagazine.com

 Photo courtesy of Mustang Maddy.
Truly, Maddy is gifted. A special spirit born to communicate with horses, and in some cases, save their lives. Read about her amazing story and be inspired to be the good in the world.
Cowgirls… if you don’t yet know about Mustang Maddy, it’s time to get educated! Taken from Maddy’s official Facebook page, “Madison Shambaugh, AKA “Mustang Maddy” is a horsewoman from Telluride, CO that specializes in gentling and training wild horses (mustangs) and exotic equines (including zebras). Madison currently travels throughout the United States, raising awareness for the plight of the mustangs (hence her nickname, “Mustang Maddy”) & educating the public on equine behavior.”

The above statement is just a summary of Mustang Maddy; it does not discuss how truly talented she is when it comes to understanding horses. Maddy can take a Mustang that is labeled “unpredictable” to many, and have a show worthy horse in a matter of months.

What sets Maddy apart, and what allows her to communicate so effectively with Mustangs, is that she doesn’t engage in common training methods. She understands that these horses do not respond well to certain techniques, which is why she has worked hard to find a method that these horses will positively respond to.

Read more about Maddie at https://cowgirlmagazine.com/mustang-maddy/

The saddle blanket bags are made of an acrylic/wool blend. Inside they are lined with cotton fabric and 2 pockets.  They have a zipper closure to keep everything safe. Handles are made from horse reins. I add conchos and a horse hair zipper pull for some add cowgirl swagger.  Get your favorite pattern today and order one for a friend!

Shop will be closed for remodel June 1-18th. We'll have lots of workers here but not able to ship products! Order early. All orders placed between May 31st and June 18th will be shipped June 19th.

This bag is one of my most favorite. The handles are made from a horse bridle brow bands with lucky horse shoe conchos, spots and bit snaps that attach the handles to the bag. Inside I lined with soft cream leather and 2 pockets. I added a vintage indian concho to the front magnetic closure. (you can request this to be changed if you'd like). Squash blossom conchos on front and back. 210 hand stitched lacing around the bottom.  It's a great size for every day. Consider adding the leather zippered bag that "snaps" inside the bag for added security. Trust me, You are gonna love how you feel with this bag! 

Make them personal by adding a concho of your choice and custom handles from ropes or leather horse reins! Leather tassels also available. 
Post

Ankle boots are all the rage these days, but guess what? Diamond 57  has been making them from the bottoms of the cowboy boots since 2002.  So were really happy y'all love 'em.
Here are some new ones we just hand laced and posted. Most are size 8 ofr size 9 in womens. If ya don't see whatcha want, just give me a hollar and I'll see what I can do to find ya some thing real pretty!
    

I am so grateful for inspiration! And this bag is no exception. It took on it's own characteristics as I was putting it together. I added some chair from a curb bit to the front and added some fun and rustic cowgirl findings. Look close, you'll see turquoise, red coral, cowboy boot, hearts, lucky horse shoes, angel wing, cowboy hat, feather and more.  The handle is made from a miniature horse poco bridle.  It's lined on the inside and has 2 pockets. I call this bag a "Living Bag" because it's easy to add your own personality to it. When on your adventures, festivals, rodeos or horse shows, you can add memorabilia to it.  A leather tassel would be nice or a horse hair tassel. Let you imagine soar! 
  

Just created a few more cowhide bags. Some of them I added leather horse reins or bridles for the handles.  The blonde and white is an unusual color that I don't get in stock very oftern.  The handles on that one  are adjustable.  If you want a 3" concho added to a bag I can add to any of the cowhide bags. Also, if it already has a concho, and you'd like a different concho, just let me know and I can customize it for you.
Inside you'll find them lined with leather and 2 pockets.
      See more at Cowhide Bags

March 26, 2017  Art of the Superstition : Gold Canyon Golf Resort, Gold Canyon, AZ

March 31 and April 1, 2017:  Vintage and Vino : Horse Shoe Park and Equestrian Center : Queen Creek, AZ

April 23, 2017  San Tan Artist Guild : Queen Creek Olive Mill, Queen Creek, AZ

Nov. 4-5 2017  Superstition Artist Studio Tour. Gold Canyon, AZ.

I found these beautiful Geodes!  I decided to make them into pendants. I absoultely love the crystals in the middle. Each is very different and stunning.  These are made from cutting Thunder Eggs into fine slices then polishing them. 
  

Last weekend I was vending at Thieves Market in Chandler Arizona.  Tom had taken some old boot bottoms and and planted some succlents in them to recycle the boots.  A very sweet, young couple came by, loved the recycled boot and purchased it. Along the way as they were shopping they were telling people about their "recycled boot planter". At one booth they dropped the brochure I gave them. The vendor (we'll call her Jane) picked it up and started reading it. In this brochure I have the story of how Diamond 57 was created. She was touched by the story and came to find me. As we started talking she discovered a cowboy boot bag she loved! "It speaks to me!" she squealed. I am so grateful to be inspired to create works of wonder that spreads such joy. Jane makes beautiful recycled yard, garden and home art reclaimed old wood, antique clocks and more. She told me she was going back to her booth and was going to take the proceeds from her sales to buy the bag.  She returned in a short while and told me she was telling her brother all about the bag (he also creates beautiful works of art by recycling vintage wood and old truck parts). I asked her how sales were, and she said not good but I'm telling everyone about the bag I'm going to buy it when things pick up.  I told her to take the purse to her booth to show her brother, to which she replied with a smirk, "ok, see ya.... in, like....never!" Ha!  She did return with the purse swinging like an old friend on her shoulder.  Gently putting the purse back on it's rustic display she said she'd be back and  may have to take up donations to achieve her goal. She would joke with the good people enjoying the show.  The next day I recieved an email from a delightful angel asking me if I remember the gal that really wanted the cowboy boot bag when she was shopping in my booth. I said, "oh, yes! She's a delightful soul!"  She asked if I would accept her payment of the purse and present it to the "lady" as an anonymous gift? This woman said "I don't know her name, but do you know who I'm talking about?" "Yes, I remember", as disbelief welled up in my heart. Really?? For Real?  She was serious and called me with her payment information and didn't want any recognition for her very kind gesture of love. My life will forever be touched by such generosity and inspiration! 
Tom and I went to see Jane, and I put the bag on her shoulder asking her if she's sure it fits properly. She smiled and said, of course it fits just right!  I said "Well, then, it's yours!"  She was in shock with tears of unbelief mixed with such humility that will be a memory in my mind forever. 
Jane came to me later that day and said "I've always been a giver. I don't know how to react as a reciever." Joy. Pure joy! This is what it feels like to bless others. 
This is the bag that started it all....

  This is a picture of previous planters.  #cowboybootpurses  #cowboybootbag  #joy #giving #blessingsfromangels   #bootplanters  #recycledboots #recycledcowboyboots  #madeinUSA

Love the new patterns of cow hide bags! You can express your own cowgirl style with the customization of the handles and adding a 3" concho on the front. If you want more personal attention, just let me know!

               

Dedicated to all the moms!
https://youtu.be/bJsQg0mo8bE