Mushu’s colorful wooden throwaways are transformed into dazzling handbags that turn heads wherever you go.

"I make one of the few women's accessories that men think are cool," Wong-Doutaz says with a chuckle. "Men are not afraid to stop by, pick up a cigar box purse, look inside, and even comment 'this is great!' I love it." In fact, Mushu Treasures has more male customers now than she did when she was a commercial retailer in women's accessories.

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From dump to funk. From funk to fashion.

Entrepreneurs throughout Puget Sound turn their crafts to cash as the fair season enters full bloom.

It sounds idyllic, but getting into festivals isn't easy: It takes a very early wake-up call for nonmembers to sign in for a spot at the Fremont Sunday Market, and there's no guarantee vendors will get one.

But unlike selling their merchandise to shops, public markets give crafters a chance to witness customer reactions to their work and their prices, for better or worse. Plus, they get to hang out with other artists.

That boxy look

The idea of lugging a box around may not sound appealing. But Marlene Wong-Doutaz has at least made it look appealing with her glittery cigar-box purses.

She began selling purses made from used cigar boxes about three years ago at the Fremont Sunday Market and has expanded to the Issaquah Public Market and boutiques.

Initially, she bought the cigar-box purses wholesale from several designers around the country and resold them with her company, Mushu Treasures. She decided she could make better purses herself.

"When I was in college I tried one and got really sick. I decided that probably wasn't the vice I wanted to keep up. I just think they're beautiful boxes."

"I'm a faux-fur type of person," said Wong-Doutaz who enjoys the process of designing the purses in her basement as a creative outlet from her job as a contract office assistant.

Finally, the purse goes on sale for $125 to $250 depending on the value of the cigar box used (Mushutreasures.com).

"I don't have to cut down any more trees to get the wood to make my cigar boxes," said Wong-Doutaz. "There are some places that sell you a cigar-style box and then decorate it, but I'm actually using the recycled box."

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Asian or retro?

For flashier reversible wares, cyber shoppers may have to look to the Left Coast. Marlene Wong Doutaz, designer/owner of mushutreasures.com, makes a series of what she calls Mushu-style reversible totes. Mushu, in this case, refers to the family mutt, who was named after the Chinese dish because the lab-retriever mix is also part Shar-Pei, a Chinese breed.

One side of the tote features traditional Asian fabrics or retro-style prints, dotted with images of Dalmatians to dim sum. The other side is a subtle solid color.

The totes are available in two styles, also named after furry family companions. The 14-by-10 inch Bailey comes with natural or black bamboo handles. The BART has 1 1/2 inch polypropylene web shoulder straps. It measures 18 by 10 inches. Bailey and BART are also mixed-breed canines. Both styles are available in an Asian print or a retro design.

The company also makes a micro-fiber “Mushu” tote, which has black on one side and a blue or brown animal print on the other side. It comes in two sizes. The full-sized measures 13-by-11-inch tote. The mini measures 7 1/2 by 6 inches.