Leather Watches & Quote Books

Circa 2002 / handmade & dyed leather watch ) with a classy "Aqua" ( Walmart Special ) watch face.

This started when I was a Sophomore in high school. I saw / fell in love with the film Crazy/Beautiful. Kirsten Dunst's style was just beyond out of the box for what I had seen in Oklahoma. I loved how she portrayed this carefree chick - I loved her style, her messy hair, and how everything looked so effortless.... not that I wanted to copy her style exactly - I was just extremely inspired. I hadn't really realized until now but that could very well have been the start of my love for fashion, creating, quotes, leather, and self emotional healing. The first thing I noticed about her was her killer watch. Thick brown leather - looked very vintage. This was before Fossil, Diesel and all the other watch brands picked up that trend. I searched for one everywhere and the only place I could find was this company called Red Monkey. At 15, a Red Monkey watch was about $150 dollars too expensive for me... So I decided to give making my own a shot. My dad helped me think of the supplies I would need and we were off to the Leather shop. I created my first watch and it was "SO COOL". I wore it to school the next day and people asked me all day - what is that? And I would say... its a watch! Second question was, " Wow, where did you get it?" and I said, " I made it..." Anyways, so after about a week of wearing it - this guy from my sign language class, who then became one of my good high school friends was asking to buy it from me. My first reaction was, " Well, thats nice that you like it but its mine... I just made it like a week ago." So long story short, I ended up selling it to him for $15 or maybe I gave it to him, I can't remember......so I made a profit of negative $30 - yay! He was a cool guy though, and anyone who asked him about it he would send them to me and before I knew it - I was making watches for a great amount of people - I even sold / donated about five to our Swine Week sale and some sold for $75! I dyed leather, did some fancy stamping, wiring, riveting... I would sit and make watches for hours ( nerdy leather girl! :) ). That lasted about a year and then Fossil and all those brands started making leather cuffs and watches and it became super trendy and so I stopped all together. And I realized - It was time to move on. ( or maybe I realized I was using all my moms $$$ and making no profit, haha!!) Very fun anyways. Here is a photo of one I made for my brother. It's the only one left at my house. I had a good friend from high school message me the other day that she still wears the one I made her... that made me smile :) Yay.

Crazy / Beautiful also turned me on to an art journal.... or what I really used it for.... quotes and doodles. I would sit for hours and hours listening to music and looking up lyrics and quotes. I didn't know it at the time but this was like therapy for me. I look back on the pages and I know they aren't that great... but stuff like this, whether you are a great artist or not... its still just such a great tool...and thats what I used it for. Allows time for thoughts, reflection and chillin. * All of these are from books I made in high school. Wow, after reading these I sound like a loner loser! Haha, "hours and hours in my room making watches and books" Haha, neat Haley, real neat. :) 

'preciate ya. hb