Decorating With Vintage

I find a lot of really great vintage items for my Etsy shop, but some times it can be difficult to look at a piece and realize its potential!

Here is an example of a great piece that does double duty. 1) It looks great and adds a pop of color.  2) It hides all those pesky cords that seem to multiple every day!

This is a vintage candy tin.  It holds a whole collection of cords out of sight, but within easy reach.

This candy tin is for sale in my shop here - Roses Tin

The chunky candle holders are also for sale - Wooden Candle Holders

Unscented Goat's Milk Soap

This is such a beautiful soap!  I had so much fun making it :)  

It has a really creamy, luscious lather.  And it is really, really moisturizing!  I had my hands all suds up for that photo at the top - yup that's my hands! - and my skin was so soft and felt great after the photo shoot.  And they were covered in suds for a long time.....it took a surprising amount of photos to get one that wasn't blurry!

Before cutting.

Video of the whole process!

Cut bars.

This soap is unscented and uncolored, but it has a sweet toasted almondy scent just from the yummy goat's milk and the heirloom honey I added.  I think I get to call it heirloom honey, because it's honey from my Grandpa who was a beekeeper.

I did get some partial gel even keeping it in the fridge for over 24 hours.  I think it looks beautiful!

For sale in my Etsy shop KiyiKiyi 

Fair Ivy Finalist!

Wow!  I'm still in shock!

My soap was selected as a finalist by the Soap Queen team for the Fair Ivy Contest.  Check it out here: Soap Queen 

As they say in show business, I'm just honored to be mentioned.... among such an amazing group of crafters.    Wow!

So surprised and happy!

I entered, because I like contests.  I'm a terrible procrastinator, but if I have a very firm goal in mind I will work obsessively until I think it's perfect :P   Contests are a good push for me to try new things and be creative.  I didn't think I would be a finalist!  

I almost missed the deadline for submissions, because I couldn't get my label template to cooperate.  In the end I just used an address stamper to add my name and address to the back of the label, because I couldn't re print the labels again at the last minute (my Dad prints my labels on his fancy (expensive) printer and I trade him labels for soap LOL!) and having name/address on your label was one of the requirements for entry.  It was right down to the wire and I paid extra at the post office just to make sure it would be delivered on time.

Now I wish I had taken a picture of my submission before I sent it off!  

I designed and sewed little clutch type bags that folded like an envelope to hold the soap.  They had ribbons sewn in to tie them closed.  I thought they were really cute :)

I even made my own pattern  - although it isn't that complicated a pattern LOL!  Just the shape of an envelope.  

I don't think that I will win the final contest - there are a lot of REALLY gorgeous entries and mine looks kind of plain by comparison, but there is always next time!  And it was an honor just to know someone liked my soap and my sewing :) 

Goat's Milk and Honey Soap Tutorial With A Mica Swirl

I am participating in the Great Cakes Soap Challenge for the first time - even though it is week 3 of the challenge :P

I decided to make a goat's milk and honey soap with an oatmeal, honey and milk fragrance.  And I made a video tutorial!  Don't laugh too hard LOL!  I was nervous!

The challenge part was the mica swirl and we could do whatever we wanted inside the soap.  I love this goat's milk soap!  It turned out really nice and creamy!  I included some honey in this recipe.  The honey was from my Grandpa, who was a bee keeper, so it's a very special soap :)

Keep going to see pictures of the cut soap....

Ta da!  I thought it was great!

I used coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil and castor oil.  It should have great fluffy lather and be very moisturizing.  I can't wait to try a bar!  I plan on making another one tomorrow, but it will be unscented.   

They have some honey comb texture and swirly mica tops AND then I added a bee hive stamp with more mica on the front of each soap.  

So creamy.....

Yum!  The scent is amazing!  Sweet and a little bit almondy.  I can't stop sniffing it LOL!

These bars will be for sale in my Etsy shop in a few weeks :)  

Kiyi Kiyi Etsy Shop

Having Fun and Keeping Busy

I am having so much fun with my Etsy shop!  I have had such great customers!

Today I sent off these vintage clogs to their new home in CA.  I think they will like California :)  It's a lot warmer there!

I will have to take a picture some time of my wrapped up packages.  I like to make them look cute, so when they (customer) opens the package it's like getting a gift!  It's fun :)

Earlier in the week I sent this cute little poodle book off to it's new home.  It was such an adorable book!  I really enjoyed sewing it.  I hope they liked it!

I sewed these cute little rattles this week.  Stuffed toys are one of my favorite things to make - even though they are kind of tricky sometimes.  These rattles are still waiting to find their perfect home!

I finally finished this party crown.  I have been working on it for months, but I couldn't decide on how I wanted to finish it.  When I finally made up my mind it turned out perfectly!  It's SO pretty!  I think it looks even better in person - I had it on display in my work room while I was waiting to photograph it and everyone that saw it thought it was gorgeous.  

I finished this book a couple weeks ago.  This is the only copy of this book that I will ever sew!  OMG!  It was so hard.  So many little pieces and the pattern was very complicated.  I've made a lot of soft books - this one took soft books to another level.  Who knew you could make a baby book complicated LOL!!

The Rest Of The Baby Shower Gifts

I forgot to post the rest of the gifts I made for my baby shower gift!

I made her a Hello Kitty pacifier clip.

She really wanted shirts that said big brother and little sister.  So I made some!

They are appliques.  It was a perfect chance to perfect my technique cutting fabric with my Cricut.

The cotton fabric was much easier to work with,  The pink felt was hard to cut and it was fizzy, so it basically ruined my sticky Cricut sheet.

But I now know how to cut fabric with a Cricut!  Basically the secret is to go very slowly and cut twice.

Finally the quilt that I made!  I was very impressed with myself LOL!!

Not bad for someone that didn't know how to sew on a button 2 months ago!

It was big and heavy.  And fuzzy and soft and I liked it.  I have another one that I'm working on, but I think I need a quilt break for a while.  Then I might feel like I can do it again.

At the party!  I didn't get a picture of my cute package.  I put everything into a wooden basket with a pink bunny fabric liner.  It was so cute!

A Few New Things

Here are a few new things I have been working on for my Etsy store.  I think they are pretty cute!

You can find more items here in the shop - Khyi-Kiyi

I Made Little Shoes!

I'm pretty proud of myself LOL!  I made some little baby shoes and 2 bibs for a friend that is having a baby in a week.  I also made some other things, but that's for another post.

Aren't they CUTE!

Not bad for someone who just learned how to sew!