Crafting Good Luck Everyday

The Distelfink is Roxy Chalfant.

Where does one begin? I have spent 20 years making glass wind chimes with my family. I grew up tied to tables at art shows. With the closing of our family business the time has come to find a new path forward. I tried normie life- getting a job and working for someone else. But turns out I don't like being employed. I've sworn off working in glass again this lifetime, and I do dabble in fiber arts (I have a BFA from UGA in it) and ceramics. But after too many YouTube videos I decided to try my hand at leather craft. There is something meditative about laying out patterns and carefully cutting out the pieces that will become a fabulous handbag.

All my leather goods begin as full grain leather hides. I predominately use cow hides, but sometimes veer into deer and buffalo. The leather bears the marks of the animal it came from, sometimes as brands, sometimes as scars. It's a material that is meant to take the dings and scars of use in your everyday life. The holes are all hand punched. The edges gently beveled by hand. Saddle stitches in waxed cord are meticulously set one at time- by hand. I will admit, they are not perfect. It will take for me to attain perfection. I only began this journey in April of 2026. But perfect bags are for sale everywhere. These bags are made by hand, one at a time. There may be a few that are the same, but there will never be hundreds the same. They aren't made to be fast fashion. They're made to be used and to be loved. And that is rare in the world today. If you don't find one you love, let me know what you're looking for. I'm always up for a challenge, and I'm getting better everyday!

I truly appreciate everyone who takes a chance with me and buys one of my bags. Your support is going to someone who does indeed make everything right in her own backyard in little old Martin, Georgia.

What is a distelfink anyway?

Distelfinks are a Pennsylvanian Dutch folk motif often emblazoned upon barns as wards against evil and to bring good luck and happiness. Distelfink is literally German for thistle finch, which were believed to bring good harvest by eating the thistle seeds. I am from Georgia, but my family is originally from Pennsylvania and my mother loved the 50s retro version of the distelfink. I think it's one of the goofiest words I've ever heard, and it makes people stop and wonder what you just said to them. At this point we all need a little good luck, happiness, and goofiness in our lives. So rest assured it's not a weird curse, or strange disease, just a little bird trying to eat up the seeds of discord.