Bittersweet and the little soap company

More Burlap Love

 

  

I have been making new stuff for the September Market showing at Zona.  Thinking more Fall thoughts and loving the robin egg linen against the natural colored burlap. These Burlap Sacs gather with a vintage grosgrain ribbon that matches the floral linen. I guess the reason I'm fond of this design is because of the natural fibers, love those natural fibers!

I also made a round burlap table cloth. I'll be working with lot's of burlap while designing. I can't wait to show you more!

Enjoy caring and sharing days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Input-in-it

I need your help dears..

Would you be so kind as to offer me your favorite label input on this new Bittersweet product.

 

Oh I can't wait to see which one you like!!

Thank you too.

Enjoy caring and sharing days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Parden me, may I ponder some vintage thoughts?

You know it's funny, matter of speaking, how I prepare for a showing of my items, products. I run around here, back and forth ideas floating here and there, even waking me up at night, the thoughts of designing and prepping and preparing.

I'm working on some new product tags and really into the old-time look at the moment and thinking to myself how much my designs reflect some of my favorite periods. Sometimes I dream I'm living during those times and looking through a crystal ball only to see more modern approaches to those days gone by hand-made Bittersweets.

Yeah, I guess that's usually how I design. I'm influenced by old designs and making them new!

  

Don't you just love the old photo?

 

I wanted a large tag for the Sassafras, something that shouts out sassy!

 

A little Summer Surprise awaited me this morning in the garden, sweet and tender so simple but yet so very beautiful.

Enjoy caring and sharing Summer days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Burlap Market Bag number ?

 

One more burlap market bag made, this one lined with goldenrod 1970 sheets from my collection. I remember these sheets! I always like them and still do.

I'm trying to get a variety of market bags made for the show in September, which by the way is scooting its way closer and will be arriving sooner than I think, always does!

I also plan to have a few BMB's for the web site. If you're interested in one, would you please drop me a line, I kind of need to know how many to make and what to expect for Autumn production.

I'm going to start lining the burlap bags with the retro sheets, they make great liners and the patterns are perfect. 

Planning on sewing today and then my six month trip to the dentist for a cleaning and check up. 

Have a caring and sharing Monday.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one) 

Two Burlap Market Bags, lonely and need a good home before Saturday..

The plan was to have more Burlap Market Bags made by now, but that plan just hasn't progressed, but I do have two bags available and since I only have two and since people have been asking me when the bags will be on the web site I'm going to list them here.  I've named them, just because I like to name stuff I make and hopefully make it easier for ordering.

The Burlap Market Bags are fully lined and have a piece of plastic in the bottom for extra sturdiness. When they get dirty, wash in cold and lay flat to dry. They fold flat for easy storage when you're not using the bag. I have to tell you I carry mine most everywhere and keep it hanging on the summer porch. Oh, I almost forgot the important thing..

If you would like one of the two Burlap Market Bags, just send me an email and tell me which one you would like and I'll forward a Pay Pal invoice to you along with shipping charges.

As soon as I get caught up making other Bittersweet, I'll make more bags, just don't know exactly when that will be, hopefully soon.

  

$48, no pleats in "Sally Ann"  bag, I like it's shape. SOLD, thank you.

 

$48, Amy has front and back pleats. SOLD, thank you.

Enjoy caring and sharing Summer days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

 

 

Mo-Jo back, thanks..

Well I do believe the Mo-Jo is back! So many projects at once, head spinning, but they're slowly morphing into finished projects, yeah! Above, fresh batch of old but new, Black Cherry Lip Balm.

   

Doesn't this soap wrap have Spring written all over it? Love the Spring packaging, it's my favorite packaging to work with!

 

A glimpse of newly created tent cards for the upcoming show. Instead of pricing everything, I prefer displaying these little cards next to the products.

 

I love muslin bags, always have. I thought they needed some Spring too . Simple, but a favorite Bittersweet accessory, little bags.  

 

Adding some Spring touches around the home too, but you'll have to wait to see those.

The cookbook is coming along nicely. I spoke with the publishing company and lined everything out so that there are no surprises. Providing I get the recipes loaded into the computer, which I'm not real fond of sitting at the computer lately, but that can change, looks like a late Spring printing time-line.

Remember, some of you are getting a signed copy!

Enjoy caring and sharing days.

Happily,

Jill00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Fall Fluff

 

I've been adding some Fall fluff to my stuff!

I have also been multi tasking as I often do with Bittersweet.

I'm beginning to receive the annual donation requests. 

October is well known for donation time in retail. I donate locally often, because I believe that's the way it should be when you own your own business. Give back as much as you can, I say. I don't have a lot of capital to give away , so I share from the fruit of my hands and it always seems to be equally appreciated by folks.

Yep, multi tasking away.. I made new gift certificates and wrapped up the production line for room sprays.

New Autumn burlap bags adorned with linen trims are hanging in the studio and on the web site. I love the "Vanilla Pumpkin!"

If you are one of my Bittersweet Patchouli soap fans, the Patchouli soap will be ready by October 15th. I'll have it back on the web site by then. I'm excited about that, because Patchouli is my favorite too!

For all you Bittersweet Holiday Soap fans... I am behind on holiday soap manufacturing, but catching up quickly, and the beginning bunches of soap will be available no later than November 1st. Remember the holiday soaps go fast! I'm making extra this season to help accomodate supply and demand, but will run out as I have each and every holiday for the past ten years.

I will also be putting together some Festive "Soap Wrapping  Kits."

I've already got the festive wrappings planned for "Cranberry Spice." I'm thinking ooh, la, la!

Enjoy caring and sharing Autumn days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

 

A 'Modern Milly' Soap Wrapping Kit

Since I like kits so much and it seems I'm not the only one,  I designed another Soap Wrapping Kit. Just like its sister kit, the 'Vintage Milly', the 'Modern Milly' kit comes equipped with all the pretty little wrappings for adorning your moisture rich bars of hand-milled soaps. If you're interested in the kits, you will find them both here.

I have also been working on some packaging re-designing on "Soothing Heat Pillows."

It will soon be cold and we will be hunkering down for winter. " During those cold winter nights, my family will be racing each other to the oven to warm our pillows. Just as they did in the olden days, we toss the warm toasty pillow into our beds and pile on the quilts to keep us warm and snug. 

    The production continues right along as I'm whipping up fresh batches of everything.

Enjoy a caring and sharing Autumn day.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Soap, soap and more soap!

Do you remember the paint my numbers scenes? I see them every once in awhile while out flea browsing.

You could become an artist in minutes when you followed the  easy directions inserted in each box of paints and canvas. Not only did it come with all the handy equipment for building your masterpiece, it was a kit, a vintage craft kit. I love kits!

Soap production begins this week and will flow into next week too. In between, I'll be fulfilling store orders and making new stuff. I'll be building the "Modern Milly" Soap Kit too!

   

Enjoy caring and sharing Autumn days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

If you're interested..

My new web site is FINISHED! I began realizing how many products I offer once I began to list them on the new site. Whew, lot's of repetitive motion there! I'm glad it's finished too. I guess you would say it's a mix of Bohemian, Retro and Vintage, and me of course, hopefully.

If your pondering the thought of building your very own web site I would highly recommend using this company.

You can have them host your domain, list your site, and even offer merchant solutions at around $11 a month. That's a pretty good rate compared to most.

I've noticed some web site templates can go for as much as $1000 dollars just for the template. I believe that's a little pricey, and when you're first starting out I wouldn't suggest going in debt to build a web site. I would highly encourage you to build your own and give it a try. Once you begin, you'll soon realize it's not really that difficult. They even help assist you in getting your site out there on the major search engines, which by the way, is the most important thing, otherwise no one will know you have a wonderful new web site.

When I recently built "Calico Petals", I used a ready made template from the company I mentioned above.

With Bittersweet I used a bit more complex ed program, but still offered through the same company. I already had my domain somewhere else, so I left it and just transferred it over to my new server, or the company I mentioned above.

I'm not fond of "Pay Pal's" shopping cart graphics. So I used my own. Really easy to do, just follow the directions on the pay pal web site.  Once you get your account set up and you site up and running, you'll get emails notifying you each time you have an order.

I also have a merchant account and have a credit card processing machine that I purchased through my bank.

NEVER purchase the machine on line or set up a merchant account with a processor. I use the machine for phone orders and at the Saturday Stuido. Let me re-word that. I would not recommend purchasing a merchant account on line. Been there done that, and I believe it's a racket business. The bank offered the machine to me FREE, and the monthly fee is minimal. I would suggest calling your bank to get information on your new merchant account rather than anyone else.

On the exception of some of the ready made merchant solutions that you simply cut and paste into your new web site, those are OK, but will still cost you more than setting up your own.

I hope these brief tips help you to get off and running on building your new web site.

Just so you'll know, I knew nothing when I began, just kind of learned as I went along. Looking back, I'm so glad I did. If there are ever any problems, issues, I know what to do, and how to fix them, and believe me, if I can do it, so can you!

Enjoy caring and sharing creative days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)