From Blank Purse to Wearable Art: The Making of Uncommon Luxe

There’s something exciting about a completely blank surface.

When I look at an unpainted purse, I don’t really see an empty acrylic shell. I see possibilities — color, movement, texture, sparkle, and eventually, a piece of art someone will carry out into the world.

That idea is at the heart of my Uncommon Luxe Collection. Each purse begins simply, but by the time it leaves my studio, it has been painted, embellished, sealed, assembled, and transformed entirely by hand.

So what actually goes into turning a blank purse into wearable art?

Quite a bit more than you might think.

It Starts With the Design

Before the first brushstroke, I have to decide what this particular purse wants to become.

Sometimes the purse itself inspires the design. The beautiful tortoise acrylic immediately suggested something chic and sophisticated, eventually becoming the Tortoise Bow.

Other times, I begin with an image or color combination I can't get out of my head and figure out how to translate it onto a three-dimensional surface.

That's one of my favorite parts of creating. I don't work from a formula, and I'm not trying to make every piece look exactly like the one before it. The process is much closer to creating a painting than decorating a manufactured accessory.

I talked more about that distinction in What Makes Hand-Painted Wearable Art Different from Mass-Produced Accessories?.

Then the Painting Begins

Once I've settled on a design, the purse becomes my canvas.

And unlike a traditional canvas, it isn't flat.

I'm working around edges, curves, openings, hardware and multiple surfaces, constantly thinking about how the design will look when the purse is actually being carried.

Some Uncommon Luxe designs are painted on nearly every visible surface. That means the artwork doesn't simply stop at the front.

The Crimson Peacock, for example, was created so the rich red and gold continue around the purse, making the entire piece feel finished from every angle.

It's also why no two pieces will ever be perfectly identical. They're painted individually, by hand — brushstroke by brushstroke.

If you'd like a peek at how that creative process has evolved in my studio, you might also enjoy From Studio to Street: How My Designs Come to Life.

Then Comes the Fun Part: The Details

Paint is only the beginning.

Once the artwork is where I want it, I start adding the dimensional elements that give my work its signature personality.

Depending on the design, that might mean beads, crystals, jewelry components, metallic details or other unexpected embellishments.

This is where a painted design begins to change into something else entirely.

Take the Pink Holiday Ornaments, the painted ornaments establish the design, but the dimensional details, sparkle and embellishments are what give the piece its celebratory personality.

I love mixing materials this way because each one contributes something different — color from paint, dimension from embellishments, reflection from metallics and crystals, and depth once everything is sealed.

It's essentially mixed-media art you can carry.

If you're curious about what that means, I wrote a whole guide about it: What Is Mixed Media Art? A Friendly Guide (and Why It's Everywhere Right Now).

Protecting the Artwork

Once all those details are in place, I'm still not finished.

Selected areas are carefully sealed with UV resin. Besides adding that beautiful glossy finish, the resin helps protect the painted and embellished surfaces.

This step can't be rushed. I work section by section, making sure the resin goes exactly where I want it and cures properly before moving on.

And because I'm working with a finished purse rather than a flat art panel, every angle presents a slightly different challenge.

Even the Handle Becomes Part of the Art

One of the things I wanted from the beginning was for Uncommon Luxe to feel finished down to the smallest details.

So I make the decorative handles too.

Wire, beads and components are selected to complement each individual purse, then assembled by hand. The handle isn't an afterthought — it's part of the overall composition.

Many of the purses also include a removable long chain, giving you another way to carry them when the occasion calls for it.

Putting It All Back Together

There are even parts of the process you'll never see once the purse is finished.

To properly paint and resin certain areas, I may need to carefully loosen portions of the interior lining. When the artwork is complete, everything has to be put back into place and secured again.

It's one of those little behind-the-scenes steps that isn't glamorous, but it's part of creating a finished piece I'm proud to put my name on.

From beginning to end, one Uncommon Luxe purse represents many hours of hands-on work — painting, embellishing, resining, creating the handle and finishing the piece.

And that's after the design itself has been imagined.

More Than a Purse

When everything is finished, I don't see the acrylic purse I started with anymore.

I see a tiny piece of art.

One that happens to have a handle.

That's really what I wanted Uncommon Luxe to be: not another evening bag designed to disappear into an outfit, but something that becomes part of the outfit — a conversation piece that reflects the personality of the woman carrying it.

Eash purse also comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, because I believe wearable artwork deserves to be treated like artwork.

From that first blank surface to the final bead, brushstroke and layer of resin, every step happens here in my studio.

Shop The Uncommon Luxe Collection

Hand-Painted. Heart-Filled. Always Uncommon.