Liz Gini: Cigar Box Purses

BY JOAN S. PECK

Although I think of Liz Gini each time I view the purse in my closet, which she created several years ago, it was nice to walk through her front door and see her smiling face in person. It didn’t seem possible that so much time had passed since I’d seen her last. Surprisingly, as soon as we began to talk, it seemed like it had been only yesterday. We’d originally met more than 10 years ago when she first began to create her cigar box purses to sell.

Once I walked through the door and looked around, immediately I was drawn back to that time when I’d struggled amid so many choices to pick out the purse that I have now. Cigar box purses were everywhere—different sizes, different shapes, different mediums, different colors—each more intriguing than another—all beautiful. I wanted them all! That’s why Liz’s purses are in demand, and it becomes so difficult to walk away with just one.

I sat down to keep me from running from one cigar box purse to another and pulled out my phone to record her journey of creating a successful cottage industry.

Why cigar boxes?

LG: I made them as purses when I was a child. My dad smoked cigars, and I used the boxes as my purse—just without the hardware that is on my purses today. Although the original cigar boxes have its closing slide hook, it has no handle.

Why cigar boxes? Because they are sturdy, come in different sizes and shapes, are beautiful, and can be very valuable, depending upon the maker and seal. The most wanted ones are those with four-color foil stamps on the exterior and or inside. I preserve the stamps on the inside but the outside ones I usually cover because one side of the box is always not finished well. Did you know that a four-color foil strip is the most expensive way of advertising per square inch?

Cigar boxes are great to use. Usually, the worst thing that can happen to one of my purses (unless you leave it on top of your car and drive away as I did) is having it scratched. But no worries because I can sand it down and easily repair it.

What about the lining?

The lining is a bit more difficult to do, but I made up templates for the different boxes.

Where do you get your boxes?

LG: Friends or people who saw my work would invite me to look at what they had saved in their garages, so I’d get some for free. But it became harder and harder to find them until I became friendly with several cigar lounges in town. Many of those places throw them out, and some of the boxes I’ve saved have been very beautiful. Periodically, I hold shows at some of the lounges where I’m able to sell my purses.

What made you get started in this business?

LG: I certainly seemed like an unlikely candidate, that’s for sure. I’d spent 25 years in the legal profession and before that 20 years in the hospitality/hotel fields.

Although I am more right-brain, left-brain jobs such as hotel management, court clerk, paralegal, real estate investor and newspaper columnist provided for my family. They fed the body, but not the soul.

Then after 35 years of marriage, I went through a sad divorce. Like many others who go through any kind of transition, whether by choice or not, there was a shuffling around to discover who I was and what I wanted to do in life. One of our strongest identifiers as a person is based upon what you DO, and after spending so many years in the world of business I had to start all over much as I had in the past.

Had you ever done art before?

LG: I have a daughter who is a valid art teacher and was artistic from the get-go. I didn’t know how to relate to such a creature since I couldn’t even draw a straight line! But we did crafty things—tried anything that came up.
How did you learn to paint?

LG: When I asked my daughter to give me painting lessons, she wished me luck, saying I was hopeless as did anyone else I asked. But in 2007, I persevered and attended an art class taught by Linda Hilderman at Michael’s store. She taught the Donna Dewberry One Stroke way of painting, which was easy enough for me to handle. That is where I learned to paint my flowers. Now I can also paint birds and faces.

What did your first box look like?

LG: Liz laughs. “I took a picture from an Architectural Digest Magazine of an oriental rug to decoupage it onto the front of the box. It was very popular.

What is your number one best seller?

LG: Far and away, it is Marilyn Monroe with her saying, “Well behaved women rarely make history.”
A close second is a purse with Audrey Hepburn and her saying, “Elegance is the only form of beauty that never fades.”

I also love the cat and other purses with the saying, “Got wine?”

What is your most endearing art form?

LG: My painted flowers. I’ve gotten better with shading them, and my clients love them. They’re especially popular in the spring and the summer—perfect as a gift for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

What are you working on now?

LG: Two things. I’ve done a bag to celebrate our new hockey team Vegas Golden Knights. They are doing very well.

I met a photographer, Susie Magit, who specializes in exquisite photos of hummingbirds and flowers. We are collaborating by using her photos on my cigar box purses. Even though we’ve only been working together for a short time, we already have experienced great success with the most popular photo being the hummingbird. You can see it on the cigar box purse I’m holding in my hand.

Do you do special orders?

LG: Yes, I do. A lot of special orders are for dog owners with pictures of their dogs and owners of ladies’ businesses. I’ve worked with Dale Cooper and her business, “A Little Bling,” as well as having my creations in several boutiques. My dear friend, Jazzee Hastings, and her boutique was such a help to me when I first started. Today, my unique purses can in found in Las Vegas galleries and hotels, and California wineries and shops.

Before I left, curiosity got the better of me, and I couldn’t resist asking Liz what her daughter thought of what she was doing now.

Liz smiled happily. “My talented daughter is very supportive and compliments my work.”

No surprise there! Her cigar box purses are fabulous. Want one? Go to her website. I wish you luck in being able to pick out only one!

Contact Information:
702.257.6668
www.pursesbylizgini.com
Facebook: Purses by Liz Gini