2012 - A Fresh Start

Every year at this time we re-focus and re-strategize with new goals and designs we'd like to do but never seem to have time for in our day to day busy schedules. It's our goal to get some new designs launched off the drawing board, into the prototyping stage where we tweak and play till we're in LOVE with the new style. This year we'll do our share of this, but along with our eco-handbags we hope that Echoes in the Attic will soon morph into what we've always envisioned and what some of you have been asking us to do...a line of upcycled products that's wider and broader. The evolution of Echoes has kept us very busy and very happy with steadily growing numbers of eco-peeps that love carrying our 'salvage-savvy' bags. Since it's inception in '05 when we started Echoes, we always hoped we would have the time and space to commit to accessories for home as well. Our addiction to antique wool and chenille blankets has us thinking of squishy, feather pillows again, upcycled lamps painted with fabric covered shades, old b&w photographs and uniquities that have Echoes one of a kind style and that takes upcycling to the next level. We'll keep you posted on our vision...stay tuned.

Pre-Christmas Sale Events Round-Up

November and early December are the busiest months on our calendar. Echoes gets out there and interacts with customers to find out what you really want. Hands-free, cross-body, pockets, more pockets, longer straps, wider straps...you name it and we hear it. All this customer interaction helps us streamline and make our upcycled, vegan, Canadian, handmade ecobags even better.

You can follow us on facebook to find out all the specifics but in the meantime, here's the overall lowdown:

Nov 5 - Holland Landing Community Ctr 10am - 3pm

Nov 12 - Port Perry High School Craft Sale 10am - 5pm

Nov 12 - Bradford Arts Guild at the New Bradford Library 10am - 5pm

Nov 18 - St. John's Presbyterian Church Bradford fundraiser 7 - 9pm

Nov24 - York County fundraiser, York County Bldg Newmarket 10am - 4pm

Nov 25/26 - Warehouse Sale, 22 Gres Court Bradford, Fri 2 - 8 pm

Nov 30 - CBC Craft Sale, Front St. Toronto 9am - 5pm

Dec 2/3 - Warehouse Sale, 22 Gres Court Bradford, Fri 4 - 8pm, Sat 11am - 3pm

Hope to see you out for some great deals on Echoes 'upcycled ecohandbags for planet-lovers'.

The Falling Leaves drift by the window. The autumn leaves of red and gold - lyrics, Frank Sinatra

Fall is one of the loveliest seasons.  It brings with it enough chill to change from the sleeveless, cottaging, carefree days of summer to that feeling of feathering the nest and a change in wardrobe with layers, colours and textures of warmth.  Nothing like tossing on a great scarf over a warm jacket with an Echoes, warm-toned, cross-body flatbag and you're good to go.  Get out there.  Go walking in the autumn leaves.  Hold hands with a loved one.  Stroll the markets and see nature's bounty.  Get to a fall fair or cranberry festival  Just don't worry about what your carrying, Echoes best selling Zipster & Zipster Jr. add just the right hit of colour and pattern and keep your hands free for more important things.

Happy Autumn everyone! 

Ah, Summer...

Seasons come and seasons go. Echoes loves the bright greens of spring in all it's newness turning into the fullness of summer. Autumn colours inspire and winter's grey only benefits by a splash of colour wherever you can. At Echoes we love each season for the backdrop of lovely eco-designs we reinvent from XS textiles.

There's an ease to summer's wardrobe and the fun is adding just the right bag to the simplest outfit to make it pop. Echoes soft pinks and apple or celadon greens will fade slowly to the autumn golds and browns...keep your eye out for the subtle changes and remember, nab the bag you love before it's gone, they're one of a kind.

Nab your new spring Echoes Eco-Handbag

April 15th - 23 - Book an appointment to Nab Your Echoes Spring Eco-Handbag! Just in time for Easter, Mother's Day you can come and shop our huge selection of spring bags before we ship out to our stores! At Echoes HQ/Laura's home office we're knee-deep in bags and we'd love you to be sporting new, fresh colours, patterns and styles in time for capri and open-toed-sandals-season.

Email for your private shopping appointment echoesintheattic@gmail.com

Our favorite colour in spring is GREEN!

Basics Office Products EARTH DAY contest

Stop in to any one of 35 Basics Office Products and fill out a ballot to win an Echoes in the Attic Ecobag to celebrate Earth Day. See for yourself what beautiful diverted landfill from forward-thinking companies can be re-imagined into when they choose to eco-donate instead of trashing it.

Basics Office Products is giving away 35, one of a kind, Zipster Flatbags. The most popular Echoes bag just slings across your body so you can go...with a clear environmental conscience that you're helping us save the planet one handbag at a time!

Basics Office Products EARTH DAY contest

Basics Office Products is celebrating EARTH DAY with a contest and a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind, Echoes Zipster, cross-body, flatbag is the prize!

We are thrilled to be a part of Basics Office Products Earth day celebrations. Just drop in to any one of Basics 35 store locations and fill out a ballot. You could win an Echoes Upcycled EcoBag and be a Green trendsetter.

Draws to be held April 21st, 2011 in all stores...35 bags up for grabs.

YOU be the DESIGNER

Echoes strives to honor your individual style by designing one of a kind, or one of a few, upcycled eco-handbags. Inherent in our eco-donations of small, but gorgeous fabric sizes is the necessity to keep our 'runs' very exclusive. That being said, Vicky and I have often wondered if those of you who carry one or many of Echoes bags would ever want to have a go at being your own designer.
This is your chance. 'YOU be the DESIGNER' is a one-time chance to choose from our stash of gorgeous fabrics, bring your own or mix the two and make your own statement in a current Echoes bag style.
For a limited time, January 17th - 31st we're inviting you into our studio, otherwise known as Vicky's house, to choose your own fabric combination. We'll have the bags professionally sewn and you'll be carrying your own design within 3 weeks! What are the chances that someone else is going to choose exactly as you do?
For an appt. call Vicky at 905-775-0529 and prepare to unleash your creativity on your own Echoes eco-bag.

2010 coming to a close

Echoes is ushering in the New Year of 2011 with some brand new design/styles. We're working on some tweaks in a couple of bags to change things up a bit. We can't wait to unveil the newly designed bags. In the meantime, beginning mid-January 2011 we're going to be announcing a really cool promotion that will involve you!!! More details to follow, stay tuned.
To all our loyal customers, many of whom have become good friends, we wish you a safe, healthy, and joy-filled holiday season and a new year of happiness and a host of handbags that come from 'greener pastures' : ) Vicky & Laura

Echoes bag carries all for chemo trips!

(From one of our terrific Echoes friends)

March 5 of this year I was diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. I would have 6 rounds of chemotherapy. March 6 was our local Karate school's fundraiser where one of your beautiful Echoes bags had been kindly donated. My friend and I were admiring it on the auction table. We were talking about how often I would be going back and forth to the hospital for my treatments. I was going to be there for several hours each time so I had better pack a lunch and books for reading. I was going to need a bag to put all this stuff in. She was going to bid on it for me as a surprise birthday gift. So she did. Then, she got to talking to another friend of ours who was also bidding on the bag, and this girl really wanted it for her friend as a birthday gift too. So my friend stopped bidding. Well, as the night went on and the auction was coming to a close my friend's husband noticed that someone had out bid my friend. Not knowing that his wife had stopped bidding so the other girl could get the bag, my friend's hubby out bid her and won the bag. So for my birthday, a week later, I was given the bag you donated to the Silent Auction. The bag is beautiful and I LOVE IT!!! My bag went to every doctor's appointment, all lab days and every chemo treatment I had. My bag carried every test result I had. It carried my "book" of questions and special dates and notes, word search books, books to read. You name it my bag carried it back and forth from the hospital. I am grateful for my bag ... if it could talk the stories it would tell about the places it has been. Thank you for being so creative!


We loved getting this email and needed to share it. As a cancer survivor myself, this one really touched me. Happy to report that this gal is doing GREAT. Cancer is also in her rear view mirror and we're so glad she's healthy now and happily still carrying her Echoes bag she took to all her chemos.

Echoes Brand New Bag Launch

Echoes has got a BRAND NEW BAG! We're thrilled to announce the launch of Zipster JR. A mini version of our most successful Hipster Zipper (Zipster) that launched this past spring '10. It's a cross-body, flat bag with two zippered compartments just like the larger version, only this one's for eco-fashionistas who just want to carry the essentials. Great for wallet, keys and cell for outings that you don't want to lug a bigger bag. The original Zipster is pretty comfy...doesn't bog you down at all and the hands-free part is always a fave, but the JR. is even less of a commitment. Watch for the Zipster JR, launching now in one of the amazing almost 100 stores across Canada carrying Echoes in the Attic's 'Salvage-savvy handbags for planet-lovers'.

Back to School

It's that time of the year again...back to school commercials are in full swing. Our fave...."It's the most wonderful time of the year!" Alas, it would be but my daughter is leaving the nest. Going off to University and I'm going to be going through some post-partum no doubt. We'll get used to it (I suppose) but the first two weeks are going to be a little rough for mom. I'm sure she'll be having a blast, so that'll ease my pain a bit. Not looking forward to walking past her room and wondering the name of cyclone that hit it.
She's leaving in fine shape for the daughter of a 'bag lady'. She's got a new Hipster Zipper, a couple of handy wristlets for ipod, camera, chargers, cords, wallet, cell, student card and 2 new laptops carriers for her precious MAC.
For all you mom's like me that have the bittersweet moment coming up pretty quickly (my daughter's been counting down since about 171)check out our eco laptop bags for organizing notes and keeping the pricey laptop in it's padded, ultrasuede compartment.
www.echoesintheattic.com

Echoes Mother's Day FREE SHIPPING on webstore purchases

To celebrate Mother Earth and MOM Echoes is offering FREE shipping on all webstore purchases till May 8th/10. We love our mom's, we love being mom's and Mother Earth needs us all to vote through our purchases on her long and healthy existence.
Echoes Salvage-savvy handbags for planet-lovers are made from a mix of sturdy materials from post-manufacturing and gorgeous designer fabrics. In other words...diverted waste stream donations previously on their way to a bloated landfill near you. Echoes steps in, stops this process and reinvents these spectacular fabrics in a line of one of a kind, eco purses, totes, diaper & laptop bags.
Echoes in the Attic - Canadian, One of a kind, Eco-friendly, Upcycled Handbags.
www.echoesintheattic.com

Our Bags Are Travelling

Echoes bags have traversed the planet! They certainly go more places than we do. This year these two gorgeous girls toted Purse-nickety Hipsters across the pond on their school trip for March break. From England to Paris Lauren & Tessa toted their stuff in Echoes handy, small bag meant just for essentials keeping all their necessities close at hand without having to lug a big, honkin' bag...and looking pretty cute in the process trying to get this guards attention outside the royal palace. He wouldn't even blink!

Echoes Private Shopping Event Mar 20-Apr 3

With a change of season comes a change of handbag. Spring's just around the corner and to celebrate we're doing a 'first'. As many of you know we run Echoes in the Attic's Eco-(small e)empire from our workshop/studio at Vicky's house and Laura's office-come-Christmas-Sale-Event-Shipping-Receiving-dept home in Bradford ON. After many requests for a spring show/sale we've decided that for two weeks March 20 - April 3 you can book a private appointment to get first dibs on our spring line. Nothing like the Christmas Warehouse Sale, just Laura's office with piles of new eco-bags including our new HipZip before stores make their selections. Call 905-775-4656 or email: echoesintheattic@gmail.com to set-up a time. Come out and bring a friend or two, that's about all that'll fit at one time! Join us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/EchoesFan Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/echosintheattic Check out our Squidoo page on our newest bag the HIPZIP http://www.squidoo.com/newecobag

Echoes Purse-ifier diaper bag in Today's Parent magazine

Echoes is thrilled to have our upcycled "Purse-ifier" diaper bag gracing the pages of Today's Parent magazine. Our beautiful 'rescued remnant" designer fabrics are gorgeous on this sturdy, dual purpose diaper bag that can also be used as a laptop carrier. Along with it's multi-pocketed interior its got a swish, padded interior pocket lined with ultrasuede that's just the spot for your precious laptop or your precious cargo's necessities. Made from the most beautiful "salvage-savvy", new, designer fabrics, it's a good thing for toting all your stuff and casting your vote for the planet. See all Echoes beautiful bags made of fabric diverted off the path to landfill at: www.echoesintheattic.com

Echoes Sales Nov/Dec 09

The pre-Christmas round-up of where you can find Echoes at sale events other than 65 stores that carry their eco-bags across Canada: Nov 6th 1pm - 7pm, Nov 7th 10am - 4pm A Step in Thyme Christmas Gift Sale at Lucy Maud Montgomery's Manse in Leaskdale Regional Rd #1 just outside Uxbridge
Nov 7th 9am - 5pm MarketMoms Holiday Shopping Experience Mill Run Golf Club, Uxbridge
Nov 12th 9am - 3pm Southlake Hospital Newmarket, by the elevators, the East Wing 40% of all proceeds going to the new cancer centre
Nov 19th 2:30 - 7:30pm Beth Tzedec Synagogue 1700 Bathurst St. Toronto
Nov 25th 9am - 4pm Pre-Christmas Sale Catholic Board of Ed. Bloomington Sdrd, Aurora
Nov 26th 9am - 3pm Southlake Hospital Newmarket, by the elevators, the East Wing 40% of all proceeds going to the new cancer centre
Nov 27th 10am - 4:30pm Bradford West Gwillimbury Arts & Crafts Sale at the Library in BWG Dec 4th 5- 8pm, Dec 5th 11am - 5pm Our second annual Christmas 'REGIFTER WAREHOUSE SALE 22 Gres Crt. Bradford
Dec 10th 11am - 2pm Fair Trade Bazaar Bayview Secondary School Richmond Hill

Etsy, for all things handmade

Echoes on Etsy. It's the website dedicated to all things handmade, and all things anti-cookie cutter. Fabulous finds, many of which are one of a kind. Craftsmanship instead of mass produced uniformity. Etsy is all about originality and we thought that couldn't be a better fit for Echoes in the Attic. Our one of a kind bags, totes, diaper & laptop bags are made of rescued remnants from post-manufacturing and designer samples. Each bag is lovingly detailed and we think that's kinda special. We're the anti-bling and we're doing our part to save the planet one eco-bag at a time.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6802112 

EVERYWUN recognizes Echoes

Echoes has joined the coolest site ever. It's called EVERYWUN 'making giving possible for everyone'. It's super easy to do and has a huge impact on the world. You earn points through really simple, fun, easy, cost-free actions, see the credits that you’ve earned and track the impact that you’ve made on the world! It's like a cyber game with real results. With your points you can feed hungry children, plant trees, send mosquito nets to Africa, get books into the hands of children or care for animals.
Getting points is fun. Trivia questions that teach you about a lot of great stuff we should all know, receiving a newsletter and other easy stuff.
Oh, and here's the link this socially conscious organization did on our eco-efforts at Echoes. http://newsletter.everywun.com/
We may only have one voice, one vote, one opinion but we can use our 'one-ness' to change the world.

Fuze Photography

We recently had the enormous pleasure of having photo's done by the very talented Joey Boylan of Fuze Photography in Medicine Hat AB. www.fuzephotography.ca (check her out, it's so worth it).
Joey came to us by way of a new friend of Echoes', Amanda Hillier who was the inspiration we needed to get our butts in gear and redesign our Purse-ifier diaper bag...which we've sold out of every run we've done.
Thanks to Amanda enlisting her friend Joey we now have some amazing shots of our bags which you'll soon see on our new website...coming soon.