During the holidays we receive a lot of special orders for custom board bags. We're always happy to do whatever we can to make a unique gift for someone. After all, Chapman at Sea got started because we wanted special surfboard bags for ourselves, so of course we want everyone else to be able to have that too.

This year The Sailor was the most popular style by far, but in all sorts of different colors and shapes. It was nice to bring some deeper tones into the mix, like forest green and deep blue. If you have an idea for your own custom Sailor just get in touch. We love trying new color combos. It has 4 stripes and each one is a chance to do something original.

Late last summer we heard some really exciting news. Akemi Kan and Mina Soma from Anna Magazine were traveling the east coast working on a special issue, The Explorers : Road Trip USA and Chapman at Sea made the list of places they wanted to stop. Of course we were happy to welcome them into our little space, show them around and talk about what we do.

The photos and interview are out now in the latest issue of anna magazine and we're so stoked to see it! Pick up a copy for an inside look at where we work and how each bag is made.

Congratulations to Chapman at Sea family member Shane for making it into the cast of Big Brother Over the Top on CBS!

Shane is Joe's younger brother (or rather Joe is Shane's actual big brother) and he's always been really supportive of what we're doing here with Chapman at Sea. He recently joined the cast of BBOTT and we're super happy for him. This season of the show is completely unique because we get to watch the houseguests 24 hours a day on CBS All Access.

Like a good brother, one of the first things Shane said when he found out he was going was that he wanted to wear his Chapman at Sea shirt on the show but of course BBOTT production doesn't allow that. Still we're excited to see him getting out there and making the most of all the experiences and opportunities that come his way.

Shane currently works full time at his family's roofing business in Western North Carolina. Before that he did some modeling for a couple years and lived in California. It's been fun watching the BBOTT fans dig up his old modeling photos and share them around web. They're really thorough. They did a impressive job and pretty much found all his old modeling pics.

Here's some stuff they won't have found though - a few family shots. This little clip is from the summer when we were all together in Florida. Shane had never been on a surfboard before, so here's his very first time on a board, first time paddling, first time catching a wave...

So there you go, a little extra Shane footage you won't find anywhere else. If you want to keep up with Shane you can find him on Instagram & Twitter.

Jaime in Southern California was nice enough to share these photos with us.  She used our classic rope leash in grey to walk her pup down the aisle at her dreamy wedding ceremony, held on the California coast earlier this year.

It looks like it was the perfect day. One of the main reasons we make our products entirely by hand and in small quantities is to offer unique items for moments like these. Thanks Jaime for sharing! All the photos were taken by Amanda Gallant. 

​If you have any shots of your Chapman at Sea gear "in the wild" and would like to be featured, send them to us - @chapmanatsea or info@chapmanatsea.com.

Here at Chapman at Sea we're big fans of recycled, repurposed materials. It's always exciting to see something old being given a new life, especially if its new purpose is something entirely different from what it was intended for originally. It was this love of reinventing things that led to our latest collaboration. Tasha teamed up with Mollie Makes magazine and came up with a plan to turn an old scarf into a brand new summer beach bag.

The scarf we used is our own design and features the Chapman at Sea "Surf Tribe" print on clean, fine linen.  What's nice about this idea though is that it will work with any large scarf, so choose something that fits your personal style. If you don't already have such a scarf, that can be easily fixed with a visit to your local thrift shop.

​So, how is it made?  To put it simply, the scarf is folded in half, grommets are set in each corner and a rope is threaded through to make a handle. It's an easy project that will have your old scarves living a new beach bag life in a very short amount of time.

For the complete details on the making of the bag pick up Mollie Makes Issue 68, which is out right now in the US. If you're not that crafty, just don't feel like making things or are interested in the bag shown here. check out our Etsy shop. The actual bag that appeared in the magazine is currently for sale there.

Mollie Makes is a lifestyle magazine for those who live creatively. They bring you the latest crafting trends in easy-to-follow how-tos, encouraging you to adapt and share your own crafty spin on things. They celebrate creative industries and give up-and-coming designers their first platform. They discuss hot topics in the design world with lots of insider tips. And above all, Mollie Makes aims to inspire you to live your best, artful life.

The latest issue puts the focus on our own creator, maker & designer, Tasha Chapman. The magazine is on sale today May 26 2016, in the UK.

Creative endeavours are more than a day job for the Mollie Makes team. From choosing gorgeous indie cushions and prints for interiors pages to learning how to take beautiful photos for the website and Instagram feeds; customising their clothes to making gifts for friends, MM is crafting along with us. They love trying new things and being inspired by what you’re creating, wearing and blogging about too.
The Mollie Makes community is supportive, lively and full of crafty knowledge and like-minded people. 

Readers can subscribe here: http://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/stitch-craft/mollie-makes-magazine-subscription/
​
Download the iPad version here: http://goo.gl/qzprk
​
And keep up-to-date with the blog here: www.molliemakes.com

We love to see our customers using our bags and gear around the world. Here are a few shots we rounded up from the last few months on Instagram.

Want to be included in the next round up?
​Send your photos in or tag them @chapmanatsea #chapmanatsea. 

Northcore™ is a British based European surf & board riding company that's all about innovation and design. They offer fresh, practical, quality products designed to meet a need for surfers and adventure sports. Northcore also strives to maintain a socially responsible company ethos, with the long term support of environmental and recycling initiatives central to its outlook.

Of course it's always a good time working with like-minded people and companies so not only were we flattered by the invite but we were more than happy to jump on board. For The Northcore Collective Chapman at Sea has created two board bags. They're modeled after our best selling bag, The Sailor, but in a special selection of colors and with a few details exclusive to this collaboration. There's also a bit of hand drawn artwork on each bag.

Like every Chapman at Sea board bag, these are designed to last a long time. They're available through Northcore only in both classic shortboard and retro shapes and they should be out for the 2015 holiday season. Visit Northcore for more info and while you're there check out all of their beautiful photos and films as well.

A new surfboard bag design in clean black and white. This bag falls somewhere in between The Lover and El Shorty Señor. It's done in our retro shape to fit just about any short board. Like the Lover it's made entirely of fabric, so there's no need to feel bad about using leather.  Like The Shorty Señor it's monochromatic and has a cozy striped blanket section in between black and natural washed cotton canvas.

The plan was to make a super simple modern bag but then at the last minute Tasha decided to draw anchors all over it. So this bag has a little of the Scribbs in it as well with hand drawn artwork, all over the top. It makes it a bit more interesting and gives The Mate it's name. This bag is one of a kind and will fit any board up to 6'2". 

A few photos, taken over the summer, that we felt like sharing.