I have always loved items that have that vintage travel feel.  I have made several purses in the past with this theme. 



This one was the first cigar box purse  that I ever made with that vintage travel theme.  I called it "Around the World" since  I made it with this great wrapping paper I had that had maps of all over, and who knows where, and other travel motifs that I just loved. I went ahead and added some stickers, rhinestones and so forth, and I really ended loving the end product.



This one I made for a friend who loves to travel.  I called it "World Traveler".  I added some dimensional items like buttons, rhinestones, etc. to add a little more flare to the fun decoupage papers.



This one is one of my favorite purses of all time, I called it "La Vie en France".    I found this wall paper border that was on clearance at Home Depot, with this delightful European cafe scene.  I ended up making about 4 different purses, all slightly different but using the same paper.  I loved the fact that I could wrap the design around the entire purse.



For this one, my "Cote D'Azur" purse,  I was really trying to sort of create a  new technique using tissue paper to almost paint the scene.  It ended up being quite fun.   It is hard to see it  in the picture but I also used some seed beads on top of the paper for added texture and interest.  The girl on the left came from a calendar picture. 



For this one, which I called "Dreaming of Cinqueterre"  I used once again a calendar picture.  The images on these calendar pictures made me think of those beautiful little towns in the mountains of Cinqueterre.  Since I've not been able to make it there yet, I opted to call it "Dreaming. . .of Cinqueterre".  Someday, someday hope to go there.  Anyway, I loved the way it looked like a real old painting.  I put a different scene in the back and the inside of the purse.



This one is my "Voyage on the Orient Express"  cigar box purse.  It is a fun purse with a shoulder and suede chain and a lot of Hollywood glamour.



This one was done in response to someone who saw the previous one I had created and wanted their own.  This one is called "Trip of a Lifetime".  As usual, it is not exactly the same, but it is another version of the other one.



This  one was a first in that it was my first cigar box clutch, called "Postcards from France".  The shape of the box dictated the idea for the design.  This one ended up being quite popular on Etsy and got a lot of favorites.  It was fun too that the box was so well constructed it pretty much remain closed on its own.  The fit was that tight.  I showcased the beautiful wood on the sides and only decoupaged the sides.



And this is the latest attempt.  I had all these great images and stickers of the Eiffel tower, so naturally, why not another French influenced purse.  This one also has a lot of maps, and postage/mail related images, which led way to its name "Love Letters from Paris".

So there you go, a little nostalgia, some old maps, and you too can end up with a vintage travel theme box or purse.  Perhaps you could do one with your favorite vacation spot, or a place you are dreaming of visiting one day.

If you are interested in finding out what items I currently have for sale, please visit my HandArt Design Studios Etsy store.