new hairpin color

Some exciting news this past week: I was accepted into the Bust Craftacular in NYC on Dec 6th!!!!!!! Wow! More about this later. I am so excited, and nervous...... But, I digress.. This little post is about some new flower hairpins I've been working on.. This color combination was so yummy to me, I had to take a photo.. Lovely teal, fuchsia tulle, crisp white, with berry colored beads in the center! It looked really good on my tray too...

Ad in Pinestraw Magazine

Yes, I'm so pleased with my photoshop classes! I'm showing off again, this time an ad I got invited to submit to the lovely Pinestraw magazine in a special Pittsboro Promo section. I can't even begin to say how exciting it was when she showed me the measurements, etc. to know that I could make something myself to fit!

basket of kitties

The other week I was having a conversation with my mom about something unrelated to crafting...like, banking, or something... and all of a sudden this image popped into my mind of a fleecy kitty that was filled with rice to be a heating pillow and new product for Vespertine.

This weekend we collaborated with mom sewing up the inner muslin bag filled with rice and lavender and I ransacked her polar-fleece supply to make the outer kitty shape.

When you microwave them for 3-5 minutes they produce a really moist heat that is wonderful for sore muscles and cramps. I can also see myself curling up with one some cold evening to keep warm, or draping across my cold feet..... Delightful!

new washi paper mini-magnets (with real packaging!)

The objects here are very very exciting to me because they represent two things: 1. my new mini button machine arrived and I've been cranking out one inch buttons and magnets and 2. this is my third week of Photoshop class with the lovely Emma Skurnick and I was able to put an image that I drew together with some text to make a label for these sets of Mini-Magnets.


This is my current store window that I am most proud of! Hot Pink everywhere with a lovely garland of butterfly stamps on baker's twine~ very fun to make, and i have several for sale at the shop.

new soap label

Welcome to my first foray into "outsourcing"! I commissioned these fabulous letterpress labels from the guys at Blue Barn House in Asheville, NC to replace my handwritten and goccoed label for Hannah's goatsmilk soaps.

I had a fantasy of saying to them "okay, I'd like an art nouveau style decoration, nature themed, with art nouveau style font saying this" and they would then email me something fabulous in a week. What happened was I was informed that that would cost $600 and that if I drew the design myself it would only be $100 for them to stick the font in. (sigh) However, it actually came out really well (I think) and I do actually still really like having a hand in the label.

I'm hoping they will be more legible and we won't get anyone else at a festival saying "Soup?" or "What is this?"; or, after they take a bit of a soap sample saying "Oh, this isn't for eating?". Granted, I don't think my handwritten label was responsible for *all* of that...

Also, my new way of wrapping affords more smelling room on the ends and also uses less paper, and is a more streamlined process. Very exciting!

empty bowls

Vespertine is hosting the silent auction items for the CORA Food Pantry "Empty Bowls" fundraiser. It will be a fabulous event held on First Sunday October 4th from 12-4 at the Courthouse Circle. Buy a ticket for $15 and have your pick of a beautiful handmade bowl donated by a local artist, then get it filled with delicious stew or veggie chili made by the Heads Up Therapeutic Riding program volunteers. Feed the needy and help little children develop better motor and communication skills (and a love of horses too, I bet!)~ can't get much better! And, stop by Vespertine to bid on Julia Kennedy's fabulous painting Empty Bowl #2 or my sterling silver handformed "empty bowl and spoon" necklace with vintage German glass. My colors were inspired by Julia's painting, it is really beautiful!

luxury soap

Hannah pulled a new trick out of her bag while making this batch! She stuck little sparkly glycerin stars into the goatsmilk soap to create a really magical "Three Kings" bar. It has Frankincense, Myrrh, and now, Gold (mica powder that is). I sliced them nice and thick and each one has a star and other golden shapes floating throughout.