Notebook Project

One of my recent projects at the famous Polly's Paper (www.pollyspaper.com) is this cute little notebook. I am always jotting down notes and ideas, things to do and things to remember. So, I decided to make myself a small notebook to keep all my notes together. I started out with a little ringed chipboard book, added some of my favorite new paper from Polly's, and some ribbon, and voila! Sits right here on my desk where a good portion of my note making is done. :)

Re-Use Challenge #2

More ways I'm finding of using paper to make things new! This was a (ahem) dog food can in its previous life, but I thoroughly washed and then sanitized it. Used some pretty papers and stickers, a bit of glue, and voila! A pen holder for my desk. Loving it!

Orange Crochet Openwork Handwarmers

My husband thinks I'm obsessed because I've made a lot of handwarmers/fingerless gloves this winter. I have made a few for friends and family, and a few for myself. They are just so "handy" and I love wearing them while at the computer. My hands DO stay warmer than his while we are in the home office, so much so that he even reduced himself to trying on one of my pairs. ha! Now he gets it. So, when my sister recently taught me how to crochet in rounds (some things like this are just better learned in person), I decided to try a pattern for a pair of handwarmers worked in rounds. They worked up quickly and easily. I love the way they turned out, and wearing them right now I can attest to their power to keep my hands warm. yay! I might have to make a few more of this pattern....ok maybe I'm a wee bit obsessed. If you are looking for a great handwarmer pattern, here is the one I used this time: http://creativeyarn.blogspot.com/2008/02/crochet-openwork-handwarmers.html

Sugar Scrub Cubes~New Product!

Soap and Sugar Scrub all-in-one! I just love a pampering bath or shower, but usually there is so little time. These make it easy to feel pampered while keeping to your busy schedule.

My solid sugar scrub cubes are made with moisturizing sweet almond oil, gently scrubby fine sugar, and an all natural glycerin soap base to give you the ultimate exfoliating shower scrubbing experience.

These first-in-the-line-up cute little cubes are scented Ginger Orange. Freshly squeezed oranges spiced up with refreshing ginger. A clean, crisp, delicious blend. More scents to come soon!

To use your scrub cubes, simply smoosh a cube in your wet hands and scrub over your body.
Check them out at http://soaprehab.etsy.com

Re-Use Challenge

My friend and I decided to challenge ourselves to make cute gift containers by re-using stuff we already had around the house. I started with an empty oatmeal container. Using paper and supplies from her super fabulous paper and craftiness supply store: http://www.pollyspaper.com I turned it into a very festive gift box. What do you think? Are you up to the challenge?

Happy Thanksgiving And a Sale!

To celebrate the season, I'm having a special Buy One get One Half Off Sale this weekend! Friday, November 26 through Monday, November 29 (Black Friday through Cyber Monday) each item in my Etsy shop is Buy One get One Half Off (with the exception of Gift Sets). I will promptly refund through Paypal your lesser priced item(s). Happy Thanksgiving! http://soaprehab.etsy.com

New Holiday Soaps are ready!

I have a few new additions to my Etsy store especially for the holidays:

~Gilded Sugar Cookie smells like freshly baked sugar cookies with vanilla buttercream frosting. I topped each bar with a light dusting of golden mica for a festive shimmer. It's yummy!

~Peppermint Stick was made with pure peppermint essential oil for a crisp, clean, refreshing mint. Smells like cheerful candy canes and peppermint sticks and it's perfect for gloomy mornings or too much holiday shopping.

~O Christmas Tree soap is an exclusive blend that my husband helped me mix together (so he'd have something in the shower for HIM he said). It's a fresh, crisp green mix of real blue spruce, cedar, and fir essential oils warmed up with just a hint of woodsy sandalwood. Smells just like a forest of evergreen trees. Even though he helped design the blend, it's a wonderful green unisex scent.

http://soaprehab.etsy.com

Body Butters are Back!

Just in time for cooler weather! When skin gets dry and flaky, it is a result of both water loss and loss of your natural skin oils. By adding water in the form of a lotion, you add back essential water to your dehydrated skin. With the addition of butters and oils, you keep that water locked in, keeping your skin hydrated and preventing further water loss. That's why I include both water and nourishing butters and oils in my body butter formulation.


Scents currently available:

~Cuppa Chai- tea, vanilla, chai spices
~Punk'in Pie- pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg
~Hot Apple Cider- apples, cinnamon, orange peel
~Pineapple Crush- juicy pineapple
~Fuzzy Navel- peach + orange
~Tiny Bubbles- fruity champagne
~Bohemian- patchouli, sandalwood, spice
~Pure Rehab- unscented
~Caramel Latte- sweet coffee with caramel
~Island Pear- juicy pear + vanilla
~Hawaiian Orange Guava- Satsuma orange + guava

The finished blanket

My first big crochet project...finally completed! Here's the original blog post when I first began: http://soaprehab.blogspot.com/2010/02/crochet-project-2-blanket.html So, that took a lot longer than I had imagined, but I'm very happy with the finished product. It has a nice, soft feel and drape and is lighter than I thought, which makes it a perfect year round blanket. I think I'll work on a few smaller crochet pieces next, though, before I go launching into another big item like another blanket. It's very satisfying to use something you've made, yourself, don't you agree?

Crocheted Blanket Project-Phase 2

Half a blanket! Very exciting! It's coming along well, and I think I've got the hang of these pretty shell and V stitches. It's going to look so good on the bed. I like how it drapes and is cozy but not too heavy. I also learned how to change yarn when my skein runs out. woot! That feels like such a huge accomplishment. Now I'll be able to change colors for my next project, if I so choose. I'm already thinking ahead to all the things I want to make next. I warned my husband that our house is going to turn into Crochet Land. I'm thinking soapy related things next like washcloths, soap saver bags, and dish towels. Fun! Here's a photo of it draped over the white chair for contrast:

New Shea Body Butters

Now reformulated! With even more shea butter and now with aloe juice, this body butter has been amped up! The whipped texture is thicker and richer to soothe that dried out winter skin. Apply to your entire body as needed to hydrate and nourish your skin. Especially helpful to apply right after showering. Pay special attention to hands, feet, elbows, and other areas that are prone to dryness. Keeps them soft all day. Also great to use as a night cream.

Hair Rehab Conditioner- New Product

New at Soap Rehab--Rehab for your hair! Revitalizes out of shape hair, leaving it tangle-free and silky smooth without weighing it down. A great conditioner for all hair types. Formulated with excellent conditioners as well as jojoba oil for dry ends, sweet almond oil for happy hair vitamins A, B, and E, and wheat protein providing amino acids to strengthen hair. Just work thoroughly through damp hair and rinse. Leave in 3-5 minutes for extra conditioning. The hair softening properties also make this great to use as a shaving cream. I give this product double duty in my shower as both conditioner and shaving cream. It works great on my fine hair, and on my testers' thicker hair...straight and curly alike.

The Crochet Hamburger Dress

Browsing around some of my favorite sites and blogs looking for some crafty crochet type things for a certain yarn loving sister of mine, I came across this Crochet Hamburger Dress. I love this! So creative and fun! Joy Kampia O'Shell is the artist behind this dress. She also has an Ice Cream Cone dress and a Sundae dress in her line up of fantastic wearable art. Check out all of her delicious and fun creations at her website: http://joykampia.com/

Byhand.Me

Byhand.Me is a community for artisans. It's free to join, and it is not a selling venue. It's a group of artisans coming together for networking, support, and promotion. As a participating artisan, you have your own profile with links to your shop(s) and blogs. There is an artisan directory to help others find you or for you to find others. There are Clubhouses to help you get together with other artisans bound by some kind of common ground to discuss anything and everything. I *love* the wishlist feature! You can put together your own wishlists of handmade goods from a long list of selling venues. So all in one place you can have your favorites from Etsy, Artfire, 1000 Markets, etc. Never forget which site you saw that "must have" bag! Another fun feature is the Spotlight. Create galleries of your own work, or others, in any theme or non-theme you'd like from a combination of selling venues. To me it's like creating a treasury on Etsy but without the endless waiting and competition for a treasury spot to open. There is also a very supportive Forum where you can ask questions, comment, wax poetic, all in a comfortable environment. Because it isn't a selling venue, it has much more of a community feel, like we are all in this together. Check it out at http://www.byhand.me/