IS AT ITS FINEST. IT IS THE GREEN. ONE WAS A BANK AND THEN THE BLUE ONE WAS AMAZON PRIME 99% OF THE TIME AS YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO TELL WHAT IT CAME FROM JUST BECAUSE THE BILLBOARDS ARE SO BIG. LEAH MURPHY IS IN THE BUSINESS OF TAKING BIG BILLBOARDS AND TURNING THEM TOUGH TOTES. YOU WOULD NEVER EXPECT IT WHEN YOU’RE DRIVING BY LIKE ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY LOOKING UP AT THE BILLBOARDS. SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE REALLY SURPRISED BY THE MATERIAL AND ALSO A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED AT, YOU KNOW, THE FUNCTIONALITY BEHIND THAT MATERIAL SO IT’S NOT JUST UPCYCLING FOR UPCYCLING SAKE. IT’S UPCYCLING, BECAUSE THIS MATERIAL MAKES A REALLY GOOD BAG. MURPH’S NH BEGAN WHEN LIAM DECIDED HE WANTED TO MAKE HIMSELF A BACKPACK. AND SO I MY MOM’S SEWING MACHINE OUT OF THE CLOSET AND I STARTED TO, YOU KNOW, TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS BACKPACK AND I REALIZED HOW HARD IT WAS TO MAKE A BACKPACK. NEVER ONE TO SHY AWAY FROM A PROBLEM. LIAM, NOT ONLY MADE A BACKPACK BUT QUICKLY REALIZED HE REALLY LOVED TO. SO I WANTED TO MAKE PRODUCTS AS ETHICALLY AS POSSIBLE, THAT’S KIND OF MY WHOLE THING. SO I WANT TO MAKE A REALLY HIGH-QUALITY BAG THAT INCORPORATES AS MUCH MUCH RECYCLED MATERIALS POSSIBLE AND UPCYCLED MATERIAL. THIS HERE IS LIKE, ARE WHAT I USE FOR THE HANDLES IN, THIS IS JUST OFF SPEC SEATBELT WEBBING. SO THIS IS THE WEBBING THAT DIDN’T PASS TESTING TO BE USED IN CARS, BUT IT’S PLENTY STRONG ENOUGH TO BE USED AS A HANDLE ON A TOTE BAG. THIS IS PART OF A BILLBOARD. USUALLY WHEN WE GET THEM THEY’RE LIKE 48 FEET LONG IF TO ROLL THEM OUT IN THE DRIVEWAY AND IT JUST TAKES IT TAKES A WHILE AND WE HAVE TO REALLY SECTION THEM UP. SO THIS IS A SECTION OF BILLBOARD HERE. BIG TOTES LITTLE TOTES TOTES WITH ZIPPERS. THE MURPHY’S NH LINE IS GROWING. THERE IS A SUBSET OF PEOPLE WHO JUST LOVE THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE MADE OF BILLBOARDS AND HAVE THESE CRAZY DESIGNS ON THEM. BUT THEN THERE’S ALSO A PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A SUBSTITUTE TO THOSE CHEAP GROCERY BAGS, YOU GET AND OR LIKE THE CHEAP IKEA BAGS, WHERE IF YOU REALLY LOAD THEM UP AND YOU TRY AND PICK THEM UP, THE HANDLES JUST PULL OFF. LIAM HOPES TO KEEP UP CYCLING HIS WAY INTO. HOMES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I DON’T WANT TO STICK TO JUST THE BILLBOARDS OR THE SEAT BELT. I WANT TO CONTINUE INNOVATING FIND A BETTER UPCYCLE MATERIAL. I’M GOING TO USE IN THE BAG. I WOULD SAY OUR GARMENTS ARE FOR THE FREE SPIRIT. SOMEONE WHO LIKES ORIGINALITY AND WHO LIKES ONE-OF-A-KIND, THINGS LIKES TO WEAR THINGS THAT NOT, ANYONE ELSE IS GONNA BE WEARING. THESE ARE MY FAVORITE ONES. MARGARET CASPER STARTED MOUNTAIN GIRL CLOTHING, 15 YEARS YEARS AGO WITH HER GRANDMOTHER’S HAND-ME-DOWN I’M SEWING MACHINE IN HER KITCHEN. I GREW UP WITH A LOT OF WOMEN, CRAFTING AND SEWING, AND QUILTING AROUND ME AND I THINK I AM MORE ATTRACTED TO ACTUAL TEXTURES AND FABRICS MORE THAN LIKE, THE DESIGN, WHICH I THINK HELPS ME IN THE UP CYCLING PROCESS, BECAUSE I’M NOT REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT THE PIECE IS. NOW, I CAN SEE IN MY HEAD, WHAT THE PIECE COULD BE IF I WAS TO TAKE IT APART IT. WHILE MARGARET WAS STUDYING FASHION, AND TEXTILE DESIGN AND COLLEGE THAT THE IDEA FOR MOUNTAIN GIRL WAS IGNITED. I WAS IN THE THRIFT STORE ONE DAY AND I WAS GOING THROUGH THE AISLES AND JUST KIND OF SPARKED IN MY HEAD. THERE ARE SO MANY PIECES OF CLOTHING ON THESE RACKS AND WITH SUCH COOL DESIGNS AND TEXTURES AND PRINTS AND PATTERNS AND THEY ALREADY EXIST. HER GRANDMOTHER’S SEWING MACHINE IS STILL KICKING AND SHARES THE COMPANY OF MANY OTHERS AT THE MOUNTAIN GIRL STUDIO IN MILFORD. RIGHT NOW, I’M WORKING ON A BIG COLLECTION OF MUSIC INSPIRED PIECES WITH VINTAGE FABRIC DETAILS. SO THIS IS LIKE A BLACK CROWES T-SHIRT BUT, YOU KNOW, I’LL PUT LIKE SOME. I THINK THESE WERE CURTAINS THAN NOW THEY’RE NOW THEIR SLEEVES. THIS MOUNTAIN GIRL, STILL LOVES TO THRIFT GOING A FEW TIMES A WEEK TO FIND MATERIALS AND INSPIRATION FOR HER PIECES. EVEN IF I SEE SOMETHING OUT OF THRIFT STORE, I CAN THINK OF, YOU KNOW, PIECE OF FABRIC WE HAVE HERE AND I’M LIKE THEY GO TOGETHER. THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE MARRIED. SHE ALSO FINDS INSPIRATION OVERSEAS. ONE OF MY FAVORITE FABRICS TO WORK WITH. NOW, THE CONCEPT OF FABRIC AND THAT IS IT’S A RECYCLED. SORRY FABRIC. THAT IS STITCHED TOGETHER. SO THE MATERIAL IS VINTAGE BUT YOU CAN YOU KNOW COMES IN THIS BIG, BIG QUILT AND YOU CAN GET A LOT OF MILEAGE OUT OF ONE QUILT. THE INSIDE IS ALWAYS DIFFERENT FROM THE OUTSIDE. AND IF YOU WERE TO OPEN IT UP, YOU’D SEE EVEN MORE PRINTS AND PATTERNS. THIS HOMETOWN GIRL HAS SEEN HER UPCYCLING DREAMS. COME TRUE. SHIPPING MOUNTAIN GIRL CLOTHES AROUND THE GLOBE. I THINK MY FAVORITE PART ABOUT MY JOB AND MY BUSINESS IS THAT MY LOVE FOR IT, AND MY PASSION FOR IT. IT NEVER DIES AWAY. SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED IN LIFE, BUT THE ONE THING THAT STAYS CONSISTENT AND THE ONE THING I KNOW, I CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON IS MY LOVE FOR UPCYCLING AND CREATING CLOTHING. BECAUSE EACH AND EVERY PIECE TELLS ITS OWN STORY. ITS PRE-LOVED AND THEN IT GETS MADE INTO SOMETHING ELSE AND THEN IT GETS TO GO LIVE ANOTHER HAPPY LIFE.