Wine bottles, furniture, boards - these are perhaps the first places we think of when one mentions Cork, but Carolyn of CorkandCotton has taken this material to an ingenious level and one that truly breaks boundaries.
Carolyn uses cork to design bags and purses which are not only practical but durable.
I gleaned from her shop announcement that cork fabric is made by shavings taken from the bark of the cork oak tree, applied to a thick cotton fabric backing and then sealed and that is all done by hand! Imagine that~~~
My first response? WOW~~
Below is an excerpt of an interview with this talented designer:
What made you start out on your journey to use cork as a medium?
I am originally from Canada and near my family is a shop named The Cork Store. They have floors, furniture, shoes, kitchen and bathroom accessories and cork fabric for sale.After putting the cork floor in my kitchen and admiring it'd beauty and durability I decided it was time to start using the cork fabric.It is very easy to sew with, which was my initial concern, then getting people used to the idea of cork handbags was my second.
The other great thing about cork is that it's a renewable resource. The bark of the tree were the cork is taken from grows back, so the tree is not killed. It may be harvested again in ten years and the trees grow to over 500 years.The cork fabric is soft, durable, lightweight and waterproof too.
What reaction do you get from your buyers about your craft?
At craft fairs I love the look of amazement on people's faces when they touch the bags and ask "is it really real?"
How did you find out about etsy?
I found out about etsy from a buyer at a craft fair. She had told me her daughter sells on etsy and that I should give it a try. It had turned out to be a wonderful experience.
Enjoy the array of beautiful items in CorkandCotton.
All images copyright CorkandCotton
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