Have you ever thought of carrying a chic handbag that actually comes from a sofa? Sounds crazy, right? But one Englishwoman has made this seemingly bizarre concept a reality by turning old sofas into chic leather handbags. To save the old leather from the landfill, Lisa Crick upcycles all the good parts of old sofas and couches into beautiful totes, handbags, luggage, and messenger bags, within just a week.

The Designer

Lisa Crick’s works have highly impressed customers and now they all donate their old sofas and couches for free to get customized leather handbags. Keeping recycling as her top priority, Crick tries her best to use all parts of the old furniture. She even gives away cushion stuffing free of cost for people to use as dog beds. The 53-year-old has aptly and cleverly named her business New Beginnings. While talking to the media, Cricks said that she has been conscious of the amount of waste we make each year, and that has led her to become passionate about waste management and recycling. Seeing people carrying the handbags she made always gives her a sense of accomplishment and pride.

The Journey

It all started in 2018 when Lisa Crick tried her hand at bag sewing. Her husband Dave asked what she was planning to do with the old curtains, which they had just replaced. As Cricks recalled, she just said that she would try to make luggage using them. She never thought “in a million years” that she would be here today, selling her bags and being loved by customers. Her handmade totes are for sale on a website and also in a pop-up store located in Dilton Marsh, Wiltshire, England. According to Cricks, the sofa handbags fly off the shelves more quickly than the rest.

With more and more people staying inside, it should come as no surprise to learn that people are coming up with more inventive ways to stay entertained. The world has been rearranged, and we’ve come to accept a ‘new normal,’ but it seems as though famous celebrities are now playing their part in this rearrangement. In fact, Star Trek and Shakespeare legend Sir Patrick Stewart is now reading The Bard live on Twitter.

A Famous Face

Sir Patrick Stewart is one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood, and while the Trekkies out there will forever consider this man to be Captain Piccard, there are others who have been entranced by his work within the Royal Shakespeare Company. As a member for almost two decades, Stewart has lived and breathed sonnets and plays for much of his life. It seems as though he now wants to give back some of what he’s learned.

The First Sonnet

March 22nd, 2020 — Patrick decided to share a video of him reciting Shakespeare’s famous sonnet 116. Fans were immediately struck by the talent and the voice of the man they had seen on their screen for so many years, and they inundated his social media profile with compliments. According to the actor, the response took him by surprise. To follow-up on this initial tweet, Stewart provided his fans with a little story.

A Sonnet a Day

In a heartfelt tweet, Patrick noted that when he was a child back in the ’40s, his mother used to tell him that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” So, the actor wanted to change this up slightly and adapt that phrase to, “A sonnet a day keeps the doctor away.” He has since been sharing them every single day since, and he’s even had some visitors along the way — including his cat, Glenn!

It’s time to follow Sir Patrick Stewart on Twitter.