"If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud." ~ Emile Zola
I met Dawn, known via her Etsy shop and at craft shows in the Pittsburgh area as Vintage Hotcakes, a couple of years ago through our local Etsy street team, Etsy Pittsburgh. I immediately adored Dawn and fell in love with her darling bags! She makes more than bags though, crafting quirky, one-of-a-kind handsewn potholders, decorative pillow covers, and baby bibs in addition to uber sweet wallets, wristlets, and purses. What makes Dawn's eco-friendly designs stand out, besides quality workwomanship and hip styles, is that all of them are made from awesome vintage and repurposed fabrics! 
Some of my favorite sources of upcycled material that she uses are these nifty vintage linen tea towels with calendars or wild birds printed on them. She has quite an eye for other fabrics, too, many of which she finds at estate sales. The coolest are these fun, loud fabrics from the 1960s and 70s in crazy huge patterns and colors. Dawn also upcycles vintage accessories like handkerchiefs and men's ties, incorporating them into things like wristlet straps and decorative patches (see pics of my bags below).
I have been lucky enough to pair up side-by-side or share a table with Dawn to vend our wares in the local crafty scene, which means I often get to see her freshest new products. As a result, I own three of Dawn's bags, one each of a wallet, wristlet, and shoulder bag (thanks for trading, Dawn)! lol They never fail to stand out in a crowd and garner compliments and curiosity. Check out Vintage Hotcakes on Etsy to get your own- she does custom work, too!My own Vintage Hotcakes collection:
