Workbench Wednesday...making soap

Happy Wednesday.

The project I am sharing today you can find in the Spring 2016 issue of Willow and Sage.

I figured I better share it before the summer issue comes out.

Last summer I spent a morning making melt and pour soaps.

Looking at the pictures, I can almost smell them.

Complete recipes and directions are in this issue of Willow and Sage.

The great thing about melt and pour soaps is how easy they are to make.

And you can use just about any container for a mold as long as you treat it to release the soap.

Once the soap is made, the best part is the packaging.

I wanted my soaps to have a rustic look.

This is the Gardener's Delight bar.

Off to the woodshed for a log....

Then to my husband's garage to use his saw.

I ended up using his drill press too for the holes.

His suggestion and it made the process much easier and faster.

All the rest of the packaging details came from my studio/garage.

Sometimes the prettiest pictures take in the tiniest details.

I gave a bunch of these soaps to my dear friends at work at Christmas time.

Looking at these photos makes me long for summer days.

They will be here before you know it.

In the summer, anyplace is a work area for me, especially outside.

Our days are getting longer.

It is not warm enough consistently to feel like spring is definitely here to stay.

But there are other signs...

Our grass could use a cutting.

In the morning I can hear the birds singing.

Some flowers are coming out and blossoming.

And the fish in our pond come lazily to the surface and swim about.

We are almost there...

To finish the packaging, I made tags for each kind of soap with polymer clay.

I love the way the tags turned out...

I used the silicone molds from a former workbench Wednesday.

And then I just stamped them with tiny alphabet stamps as well.

I used a bit of watered down black paint in the letters to make them stand out.

 And rubbed the tags with some DecoArt Metallic Lustres.

They are among my favorites because I use my fingers and get dirty when I use them.

So, before it is no longer available on the newsstand, run out and pick up ma copy of Willow and Sage Spring 2016 issue to see how to make these and many more fabulous bath and body products.

Linking up with these great blogs.

Faux Bone Sculpey Clay Bracelet Stacks

Sometimes I make something that I immediately fall in love with.

Enough to want to wear it all the time. 

 That is how it is with these bracelet stacks.

I used some of the faux bone polymer clay pieces I made in these.

I combined the clay with two of my favorite materials: wire and silk.

My husband and I worked for a couple nights balling the wire with his torches.

Then I brought them inside and wrapped and created.

I love the combination of textures.

They, along with a few other bangle bracelet stacks were featured in the Winter 2016 issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine.

Thanks for stopping by...

Linking up with these great blogs.

Surprises on a Monday Morning...

Good Morning!

I hopped over to the blog to see that I had scheduled a post with the Taking Home the Tree Ornaments several months back.

I completely forgot it was going up today.

What a nice surprise.

And I have a nice surprise for you...

The winner for a free issue of Haute Handbags magazine from Stampington and Company.

It is a great issue.

Without further delay, the winner is Jennifer Vincent.

Jennifer, you can leave me your email here. 

That way I can get in touch with you for your address information.

Now that is a great way to start the week.  

Stay tuned tomorrow for a chance to win an issue of Jewelry Affaire.

And just a reminder, you can sign up to receive our blog posts delivered to your email inbox so you never miss a post or sign up to add them to your Blogger reading list.

Just check the side bar...

Thanks for stopping by....

A Look Inside Haute Handbags...and Another Giveaway

I hope you are not getting tired of the chance to win something from me.

I believe in spreading good things around the internet.

And who does not love a chance to win something?

What's in it for me?

I feel good about sharing a publication that I adore.

I get to brag just a little.

I get to feel great that I am giving you a chance to see the issue for yourself. 

 So, I get a lot too.

Have you ever looked at Haute Handbags?

It has been one of my favorites for years.

It has a great combination of artistic bags.  

They range from purchased bags that are altered in some way to bags completely created from scratch.

The materials they are created from will have to reassessing everything for potential handbag usage...

Karen Valentine has such a sweet style. 

 It totally appeals to me.

I would so carry this bag....

Chantal Johnson made this, and another gorgeous bag.

Jana Holland transformed a vintage bag into this piece of art...

Colleen Davis takes knitting to a whole new level and truly elevates it to an art form.

How gorgeous is this?

There are some beautiful bags incorporating  vintage laces and doilies from Grace Bachmann.

And then there are those pieces that are just perfect.

Where someone takes something simple and utilitarian and turns it into art.

Bo does that with these painted change purses.

I love Sarah LoCascio's shopping bag...

She actually has me thinking of a few new ideas myself...

And then there is this little needle felted owl bag.

This one is mine.

I made to enter in the fair.

It was a fun little bag to make.

It is fun to carry too.

So, on with the giveaway.

This giveaway is open to continental U.S. residents.

For a chance to win, tell me in the comments about your favorite handbag.

Why was it your favorite?

I always love hearing your stories...

I will choose a winner Sunday. 

 Good Luck!

Linking up with these great blogs...

Thanks for stopping by...