Poise.cc

04/19/2016

Spirograph Tote

This durable and sturdy tote can not only stand up by itself, but it stands up for doing good deeds. Made originally for a friend who vol...

04/12/2016

Liberty Tote

Tincloth is cotton canvas soaked in a 100-year-old wax formulation that makes the fabric waterproof, breathable, and eco-friendly. It wil...

12/16/2015

I'm honored that the staff at Time Out Chicago would include me in their gift guide for 2015. Very honored.

Find out what our editors want, from food and music to jewelry, art and quirky gifts, all made or sold locally

10/11/2015

I adore the philosophy behind this. I already give 10% of my profits to various organizations. But for this particular weekend, I'll remove all shipping charges and give 10% of my sales to a local food pantry that does larger gift baskets during the holidays. All funds will be donated by December 1, so they have as much time to put them to use as possible. http://www.evanstonvineyard.org/harvest

The holidays are approaching. The frenzy of expectations around Black Friday / Small Business Saturday / Cyber Monday will soon again have us spinning. Year after year its a weekend that’s left me feeling disconnected and conflicted. Sure... more sales... but in the end its an unfulfilling version o…

05/06/2015

I do my best to order supplies that are exclusively made in the United States. I do this for a couple of reasons.
1) I like knowing that if I have a problem I can call the company that makes my item and get personal service. I like feeling connected to my suppliers, the same way I like feeling connected to my customers. That would be possible if I were buying from a company in another country, but it would be harder.
2) I like knowing that my dollars are staying close and in many cases supporting smaller businesses.
3) I like knowing that I won't have my business impacted negatively because of a shipping embargo, or conflict, or customs problem, or strike in another country.
4) I like knowing that my dollars are supporting businesses that are run as eco-friendly as possible. It may be cheaper for me to purchase fabric from India or China, but there is likely a worse environmental load being made by their companies than by companies on our soil. And the shipping to get items to me would use so much more fuel.

Today was a perfect example of #1. Almost two weeks ago I placed an order for fabric. I hadn't yet received info on shipping, which is very unusual. I had sent an email but didn't get a reply, which is also unusual. So, today, I called the company and was greeted by a very kind woman who said "I'm not usually able to tap into the online system, but OH, someone who could just walked into my office." She put me on hold and came back 2 minutes later and said, "Ah, the person who prepares these orders quit a couple weeks ago and we've been working through a backlog. The person who replies to email is out with the stomach flu. But your order has shipped and here's the tracking number. You'll get everything tomorrow."

I'm know that I'm making the right decisions with how I run this supply part of my business. But interactions like today's affirm that I'm making the right decision. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to do this.

04/22/2015

I made a custom bag recently. A bag that I sadly forgot to take a photo of before shipping out. A bag that I liked so much I have others cut out ready to be assembled and added to the shop. A young man ordered it and customized to be exactly what his special lady would like. I was nervous, like I always am when making a custom bag for a gift for someone I don't know. But I needn't be. The bag arrived yesterday and I received this message from the man who purchased the bag:
"We just received the bag. It’s perfect! She’s filling it right now."

His special lady sent me this shortly afterward: "This is me as a bag!"

She thought that sounded creepy. I think it just means that this young man knows her so well he was able to ask the right questions and request the right items so she could get a bag that would truly fit her needs. I'm flattered and so very happy that yet another custom order made the new owner happy.

03/30/2015

It's always great when one of your favorite local businesses not only likes the work you make enough to want to sell it, but likes it enough to leave you embarrassingly glowing compliments on their page. Thanks to all the staff at Blue Buddha Boutique for flattering me and being so danged nice. But especially, Rebeca Mojica jewelry.

Though it’s still a bit chilly here in Chicago, we’re already dreaming of lunch time picnics along the lakefront that will be happening oh-so-soon! What better way to package up some delicious noms than these beautiful handmade lunch bags? Cinnamon Cooper creates both waxed canvas rolltop lunch ba…

03/25/2015

I have been working on the pattern and am finally happy with the first of several sizes of Dopp kits I'll be offering. It's been a year in the development stage and the other sizes are soon to follow. But this Dopp kit is good for an overnight trip. It has just enough room to hold the basics. Or if you're a simple, minimal person, it may be all you need. It should also hold about all of the makeup you would need for a shortish trip, too. So it's good for guy stuff and gal stuff. It's classic shape and color mean it is attractive to leave out and visible. It's a brand new listing, and I'll be choosing one of the first 20 people to Like this item on Etsy, to receive one for free. https://www.etsy.com/listing/227175464/waxed-canvas-water-resistant-dopp-kit?ref=shop_home_feat_4

This bag measures: 9 long, 3.5 tall, and 3 wide. This Dopp Kit is perfect for packing what you need for an overnight or weekend trip. It will hold the

03/17/2015

I'm delighted to be selling at this show again. I'll have bags specifically for knitting purposes, and I'll have bags that will make it easier to for knitters to carry their knitting and their life together. If you are interested in anything fibery, you should come. There are going to be some amazing classes, the organizers do a wondeful job, and it is great to see vendors you won't see anywhere else.

01/13/2015

I'm pretty excited. I ordered a couple of new fabric colors, which means lunch bags will soon be available in two new colors: Tobasco and Honey.

12/30/2014

Shortly before Christmas, one of my waxed canvas lunchbags was favorited by a young woman. Then it was purchased and she sent a message saying she was delighted and though it would be the perfect gift for her beau. I added the bag to the list of items I needed to make for Christmas shipping. The next day I received an order from the exact same address for a bag in a different color. So, I guessed that this young man may have been viewing his lady's Etsy favorites to find a gift for her. So he purchased for her, the same bag she had purchased for him. Typically when I ship out bags that are purchased on Etsy I buy my postage through them. It seems to be a bit cheaper and the tracking is registered and it permits the buyer to watch their item travel to their home. But, I knew that if I did that I may spoil the surprise. So, I found two different envelopes in my stash (I try to use eco-conscious packaging that is fully recyclable and lightweight) and I typed one shipping label (without my name and address on it) and hand wrote another shipping label without my name on it. I mailed them off on separate days in the hope they would arrive staggered, but still in time, to avoid any possible surprise being ruined. Then, on Christmas eve, I received an email from the young woman giggling about how she and her beau had pulled an O'Henry-type gifting exchange. I explained the actions I took to avoid ruining the surprise and she laughed further and sent me this picture of their presents sitting under their Christmas tree. Things like this are what keeps me going through the late nights and long weeks of production work. I made it possible to bring something functional, attractive, durable into this couple's life. And they have a great story to share as well. https://img0.etsystatic.com/045/0/5262636/icm_fullxfull.51750688_r8ocmckiwy8cgkg40o8s.jpg

12/14/2014

I'm honored, flattered, and admit to tearing up a bit when I read what Rebeca Mojica, the fabulous owner of Blue Buddha Boutique, and the creator of her own jewelry line, wrote about me on her business blog. Rebeca has been an inspiration at a personal and a professional level since 2005. I'm honored to have been included in her round up of local businesses for her 12 Days of Craftsmas feature. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=832793056771525&id=398475233536645

Poise.cc is the small handbag empire of Cinnamon Cooper, a founding member of the Chicago Craft Mafia and original organizer of the DIY Trunk Show. For many reasons, she’s pretty great. We love that her bags are durable, versatile and extremely high quality. The three bags pictured above are from he…