The chances are good you won't see any camouflaged patterned purses in the windows of local Coach or Brighton stores this holiday season.

But that doesn't mean they don't exist.

Army spouse Stephanie Turner, a Puyallup resident, makes custom purses out of old ABUs and sells them through her Facebook page "Diamonds and Dogtags."

The 25-year-old started doing it several years ago while her husband was stationed at Fort Stewart, Ga. Turner started making them at first just for her mother and sister, but then expanded to selling them on the website Craig's List after getting positive feedback from other Army spouses.

"It's very custom ... no two bags are the same," said Turner, who grew up Wenatchee and recently moved back to the South Sound while her husband is in the midst of transitioning out of the Army.

Turner comes up with all the designs and makes all the patterns herself.

"I love walking through the mall, looking at something and being inspired," she said.

She routinely incorporates in different fabrics to compliment the ABU material, often adding ruffles, pleats, bows or even a Servicemember's nametag.

"I'm always willing to try new and different things," the mother of two young boys said.

While Turner comes up with many of her own ideas, she also routinely meets with customers and helps them come up with a custom design, tailored especially to their likes.

"A lot of spouses want to use their husband's old ABUs to make the purse," she said. "Then it represents something that they love, and they can carry a piece of him around every day."

Custom bags cost anywhere from $50 to $80, and the pre-made bags are priced from $35 to $40.

To view the gallery of bags or set up an appointment with Turner to make a custom bag, visit www.facebook.com/diamondsanddogtags or email diamondsanddogtags@yahoo.com.

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