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by
Karen Fetter
If
you are searching for an
amazing gift for that
special woman in your life
here is an answer: a
personalized purse made from
an authentic cigar box! This
unusual and eye-catching
purse is handmade by
Westmoreland County resident
Carol Adams of Jeannette.
Carol creates the purses in
various styles and designs
to compliment anyone’s
taste.
“This
is a personal gift and it
reflects the gift-giver’s
knowledge of the recipient.
For me, that is why I love
doing it,” Carol said.
The
cigar box purses are either
square or rectangle in shape
and include a handle type
ranging from a small beaded
handgrip to a long strap.
The wooden box is then
covered with embellishments,
jewels, fringe, photographs
or whatever pertains to your
interests. You name it and
Carol can put it on the
purse. The purse is then
covered with a varnish to
protect and seal the
embellishments onto the box.
Care
should be taken while
carrying a cigar box purse
and a downgrade in purse
accessories may be in order!
“When I started using a
cigar purse I got a smaller
wallet and cell phone,” said
Carol. Speaking of which,
Carol bought her first purse
from a catalog and wore it
out because she used it so
much. Then her daughter made
her another one. Suddenly,
themes started jumping into
Carol’s head of the
different purses she could
make. Themes include pets
such as dogs and cats,
flowers, photographs,
football, Las Vegas,
Parisian, and, her favorite
so far “sisters.”
“I
like the sisters theme best
of all,” said Carol. “The
purse became very personal
and included a poem about
sisters. I just loved it.”
***
“I
have always loved to sew and
work with crafts,” Carol
said. “Making cigar purses
is a hobby for me and I
enjoy it.”
Carol
started making purses for
her friends and family and
it has now grown to outside
customers. What most people
like about the purses is
that they are different. So
many conversations start
with people because the
purses are interesting to
look at according to Carol.
The purses even catch men’s
attention.
“I
have been out with my purse
and men will come up to me
and ask about my purse and
where I got it because they
think it looks so different
from other purses,” said
Carol.
Cigar
purses are perfect for
mothers or grandmothers
because you can cover the
purse with pictures of
children and grandchildren.
They make great gifts for
Mother’s Day and birthdays.
But no matter what the
interests of a person are,
the purse can reflect that.
And most importantly, who
doesn’t need a new purse?
Gift
Ideas
-
Mother’s Day
-
Birthdays
-
Anniversaries
-
Christmas
“Some
people do not know how to
express themselves and God
gave me the ability to do
this for them,” Carol said.
She
will sit down with a person
and discover what that
person enjoys or holds close
to them and then transforms
it into an amazing new
purse.
Carol
has used belts, fringe,
tassels and jewelry to adorn
the boxes. Despite the
uniqueness of the box, this
type of purse can match
anything in a woman’s
wardrobe.
rice
ranges for the purses begin
at $45.00 and can go up to
$75.00. The football purse
is the most expensive purse
she makes. However, other
purses are less expensive
when the cigar box itself is
so unique that little needs
done to complete the
transformation.
Purses are not the only
things Carol creates in
utilizing her artistic
abilities. She has been
sewing since she was a
teenager. Some of her bigger
projects include making her
daughter’s prom and wedding
gowns. She currently is the
president of the Business
and Professional Women’s
Club of Westmoreland County
where she has led Project
Friend Stitch. Members knit
or crochet nine-inch squares
that are later connected to
create blankets donated to
the Blackburn Center for
Domestic Violence during the
Holiday season.
If
you are interested in
ordering a handcrafted cigar
purse, call Carol at
724-744-2377 to set up an
appointment today! The
average ordering time per
purse is about a week. Also,
Carol has put together a
photo album of all the
purses she has designed in
the past to help with ideas.
However, she is always open
to something new! |
