Behind the Bag: Harlequin diamonds clutch

I keep a notebook for jotting down random ideas for purses.  Anytime I feel the need for inspiration I'll browse my idea notebook.  I get ideas from various places.  Browsing supply shops on Etsy is a sure way to gain inspiration!  Clothing and home decor often give me little ideas.  I thought I would share the inspiration behind my newest bag.

This is the purse, and this is the inspiration:

See that mask? I saw that and thought, that would make a cool purse!

And aren't those costumes amazing?  They are made by the designer Horst Raack, who designed them for the Carnivale di Venezia.  He's won several different years.  I found a blog post about him while looking for faberge egg fabric. The fabric is discontinued, sadly, but I highly recommend you visit the blog and take a look at all the costumes this man has made!  It's rather lengthy, but even just looking at the pictures is fun.