Bittersweet and the little soap company

Pinnie Tree, Paquets, and Special Packaging

 

The Saturday Studio is filling up with new pinnies, bundles of soap, and pretty Spring packages of soap.

Several people have contacted me wanting to know it the Vintage Wallpaper Paquets will be available on the web site, yes, hopefully by next week, I'm waiting on shipping tubes. The VW Paquets are $7.99 a bundle and I will let everyone know once they become available on line @ Calico Petals. 

Some new Spring packaging on the Savon Paquets. I used rice paper to wrap the soaps bundles.

Aren't they bright and cheery? Three different kinds of savon wrapped in individual papers. I set these these out for overnight guests, or use to fill hostess baskets.

 

Oat's & Goat's Soap is one of Bittersweet's best selling soaps. It's actually a complexion bar filled with ground oat's, spring water, and goat's milk, very rich and moisturizing. No fragrance, making it ideal for soft delicate facial tissue.

 

This is a shot of the studio as you're heading in the door. The shelves are beginning to fill with new Spring.

Enjoy a caring and sharing Spring day.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Little flea market finds

 

I spotted this picture from afar at one of the antique booths. I was drawn to it for some reason. Taking a closer look, three woman, their dresses divine, especially the middle one. Check out the little buttoned shoes, boots on Aunt Mabel, and her pretty necklace. Yes, the photo was labeled on the back so I know who is who.

I get sad thinking about all the wonderful old photo's that get discarded when family members pass. I don't have a large collection of strangers vintage photo's but attracted to particular ones every now and then, such as the one above.

   

Then I spotted this 1920's cookbook. Aren't' the graphics wonderful? The recipes are good too. I'm hanging it in my kitchen as it has a little tassel for that purpose.

I had walked the large room of vendors and then decided to backtrack as I often do, just so I don't miss anything. I had walked by a crowded booth earlier and passed it up from the crowd. I went back and saw this.

 

A very retro spool of some three-hundred yards or so of ribbon from the fifty's, sixty's with bird love all over. I knew when I spotted the ribbon what I was going to do with it.

I was going to make these.

 

Little Lavender Bird Love Sachets..

Then I made these...

 

Pouches to hold the Lavender Bird Love Sachets.

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Sun-Day

 

Yes, the sun is shining bright and it's melting away the snow! I'm very happy about that!

So many things to share, my list is long, and I can hardly wait to show you the goods.

Julie and I went flea shopping yesterday morning and I found unusual vintage pieces for use in creating some new Spring Bittersweet and Calico Petals designs.

Enjoy a caring and sharing day.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than none)

Saturday Studio will open at 1 p.m. today, March, 28th

The Perfect Shade's of Pink

 

Well, as you can see by the picture, the new soap transformed itself into the perfect shade of pink. The color will deepen a bit during the curing process, kind of a rosy mauve. It smells so good!

 

While I'm on the subject of pink. Don't you love this new rosy pink pinnie? Sophie's making her debut at Calico Petals. Only beginning to list the pinnies and making more assuring the Pinnie Tree will once again be filled with shiny new aprons.  

Speaking of shows and pink again.. This is the first of three shows I'll be participating in next month.

I drove outside of town to pick these up and am getting more excited after seeing the lay of the land and how pretty it was.

If you're lucky enough to live close by, consider indulging in a Spring day at "Art on the Hill!"

Don't forget to stop by and say Hi!

 

So many more Spring tid-bits to share with you, coming soon!

A blizzard is heading our way. Yes, a Spring blizzard with lot's of snow and wind. I believe I'll hunker down in front of the sewing machine and make more pinnies.

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Paper Flower Spring

When I was a kid I remember making gobs of paper flowers. Having always been a fragrance girl and flower girl, making the paper blooms made me happy. 

During my shop owner days, and being on a limited shop owner budget, I made huge pink tissue flowers and stuck them throughout my boutique. Everyone loved them and some commented on how they remembered making the accordion folded tissue flowers when they were growing up, but had forgotten about making them until then. A huge smile would appear on their face as they were instantly taken back when they saw the flowers.  

My fondness for folding paper, pretty paper, and paper in general continues today.

I thought the little tent cards needed a splash of "paper flower Spring."

When I was growing up my Dad and my family went through our CB Radio phase after "Smoky and the Bandit" came out. My handle, that's CB talk, was "Paper Tiger." I never talked too much on the CB, always felt weird talking to people I didn't know, but enjoyed listening to the other people talking. I guess today I would be called a lurker, huh.

The soap I made yesterday, "Pink Grapefruit & Geranium" is heavenly. I haven't looked at it, it's still sitting under the blankets, but I can smell the fresh citrus and geranium blend, it's almost more than I can take, it's smells so nice. I'm hoping its hues are light pink, but as I poured the grapefruit into the pre-soap mixture I couldn't help but notice the orange grapefruit color. I believe it will be a light shade of pink, but I have been surprised so many times when making a soap for the first time, so we will see. I guess that's part of the fun part, not knowing, and that chemistry stuff is so cool!  Also, my plan was to make this soap round, but again, the first time around is always a tester batch. The round molds are finicky and I did not want the aromatic soap to be stuck inside the round molds, hate that!

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than none)

Making Stuff

    

The table is beginning to fill with Bittersweet hand-made. Working on May Day invites, new soaps, pinnies, sachets, journals, and check these out,

 

Vintage wallpaper paquets for scrap-booking, soap wrapping and creating unique charm in your astuciuex projects. Carefully tied with antiquité ribbon and embellished with vintage music pages, embroidery trims and a paper flower. The papers were very fragile and needed special care in handling while preparing them.  

  

Hand-made fabric journals dressed in pretty flower jackets. These will be available at Calico Petals.

Loving the creative break from home work and garage sale prep.

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one) 

Creative Flowing

Ah yes the power of creating, it offers zen like effects similar to those of the old "Calgon", take me away commercials, remember those? The lady comes home from a hard day at the office and draws herself a bath, and then exclaims, "Calgon, Take My Away!"  That's how I feel about creating. "Creations, Take My Away!" 

It's been so long since Bittersweet has participated in any shows. I'm realizing the preparation is very similar to when I had the shop, although instead of planning and making things to stock the store shelves for a few days, I'm  making arrangements to have ample wares for one day.

Since I have two shows within a couple of weeks of one another, and in between those the May Day Celebration, I'm making lot's of stuff.

The new creations are taking on a different twist. A mix of some of my favorite looks. Creamy toned essentials mixed with soft Spring hues.

What would Spring be at Bittersweet without new fresh packaging and new soaps? Well it just wouldn't be Spring!

I'm considering Pink Grapefruit, Rose Geranium, and Lavender as a new Spring Soap. I haven't played around with the three essentials yet, but I believe they will produce a lovely scented soap.

   

 The "Two Bricks", 2 bars of soap in new wrappings.

The old metal bucket and vintage trim I found at the recent flea market show made a great allumette, and perfect for showcasing the newly wrapped soap briques.

The birdie ideas are floating along side the Robins that dance outside my kitchen window each morning. 

  

The Newest Creation.. Fabric covered Bird Adobes.

Listen up peeps, these are very difficult to work with, and I haven't got a technique down,  yet. It took me half the day to make the polka dot roofed house! The shabby glittered house was much easier and faster.

Lot's more coming up! I'm spreading out the show and tell in upcoming posts. I don't want to show you all the eggs in one basket! 

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)    

A happy little yellow flower

 

The beginning of Spring just wouldn't be complete without these happy little yellow flowers.

 

Lennis brought home a couple of bundles home and every time I gaze at them I can't help but be anxious and excited about Springs arrival.

Julie and I had fun at the flea market show. Lot's to see. I purchased a few things, an old metal washing bucket for displaying laundry powders at the upcoming Spring shows, and Julie found the cutest little shabby table.

We carefully placed the two fairly large pieces atop one another in the back seat of her Volkswagen Bug. Although skeptical that we were going to be able to get both into the small car, we did!

A busy week planned. A break from house stuff and working on only new creations and Spring Soaps and packaging.

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Special Announcement, Julie's Shop, and More Flea Market Traveling..

 

My special announcement above.

It's time again for my pal and I to travel West to the annual flea market show. The Saturday Studio will open the following Saturday from 12 - 4, thanks..

As promised pictures of Julies shabby vintage shop. If you see something adorable in the pictures that you just must have then give Julie a ring at her boutique, she'd be happy to give you a price and send it your way. There is a link to her shop on my left sidebar too. 

 

  

 

 

 

Later, I'll have an exciting NEW CREATION to share, but first I must make some!

HINT ~     

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)