Terry Putz’s longtime position as personal assistant to actor/director Orson Welles ultimately led to her present career, manufacturing and designing cigar-box handbags.

“Orson loved his cigars, and he would always leave the empty boxes on my desk, which I would use for storing pencils and all sorts of things,” recalls Putz.

Years later, the idea to design those boxes as handbags came to Putz in a flash. “I was with my son in a cigar store when it just came to me. I brought them home and voila,” she says.

Putz has honored her former boss with an “Orson-inspired” collection and impending Web site to be called “Orson’s Place.” Her “Baby Os” are small hand-held clutches priced at $90, while her “Magic Collection” consists of larger rectangular clutches sans strap, with ceramic fruit on top, priced at $100. The “Shadow Knows” collection consists of varnished bags, also available in designer colors, with a shoulder chain and tassels, at $160. And the “Rosebud” crystal collection features an array of Swaroffski-crystal symbols for each bag, with choices like palm trees, flamingos, stars, flowers, feathers, storks, dragonflies, boots, cacti and more, priced at $190.

They’re catching on with the Hollywood set; Melanie Griffith has half a dozen of the bags, including one given as a gift by actress Angelina Jolie, who owns nine. Sara Michelle Geller, Natasha Henstridge, Sally Fields, Louise Mandrell, Shakira and Connie Stevens also carry Putz’s bags.