Black Grapefruit Vegan Soap with Jojoba Oil

This black grapefruit vegan soap has a wonderful scent that is very clean and uplifting. Thyme and pink grapefruit oils have astringent properties, and make this soap great for oily or combination skin. I have been washing my face with it, and it really does seem to keep oily skin at bay. Jojoba oil is moisturizing, so your skin never feels too dry. Mica powders give the soap its color. No harsh chemicals or dyes were used, only natural ingredients.
I really love this soap! The smell is very intoxicating. It's not one of those ovewhelming type of musks, either. It's rather subtle, but then as you smell it more, it becomes deeper and more complex. The pink grapeftuit oil is my favorite essential oil so far, and I didn't think that I would like it because I don't like to eat grapefruit. It smells nothing like the fruit that it comes from, however. You have to smell it to believe how awesome it is! The scent is a bit sensual, and it would work for both men and women.

Adventures In Soap Making

Relax and unwind with this soothing lavender glycerin soap! Extra virgin olive oil was added for extra moisturizing, and gently crushed lavender flowers provide soothing and gentle exfoliation. This soap works into a creamy lather, and it will leave your skin soft and smooth with just a hint of lavender fragrance. No artificial colors have been used.

Lavender is said to aid in sleep and relaxation, and lavender oil has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that are perfect for soothing skin.

I had so much fun making this soap! I am very excited to make more soaps to add to the shop later this week. I've become very interested in making soaps with all natural ingredients. I am learning how to get beautiful colors just by using things found in nature, and it is really fascinating to see what can be achieved using simple spices and herbs. My mom and I have been using this lavender soap since I made it, and we both can't stop using it! I was surprised at the rich, smooth lather of the soap, and it has made my hands so soft. It doesn't irritate any scratches or cuts, either (because sometimes cats don't know how to play nice!). They smell really great, too! I gently crushed the lavender flowers with a mortar and pestle to release more of their scent. The lavender flowers also provide a gentle exfoliation that leaves your skin feeling smooth. The lavender scent is also very light on your skin.

Be sure to check out my Etsy shop for more soaps to be added very soon!

Siam Red Key Earrings in Gunmetal Black

I LOVE these earrings!

Gunmetal plated skeleton keys are adorned with Swarovski Crystal rhinestones in ruby and Siam red. A matching Siam red Swarovski crystal rivoli stone is set in a gunmetal plated bezel. Ear wires are black niobum, a hypoallergenic metal which is great for people with sensitive ears. Hypoallergenic earring backs are included to keep your earrings in place.

I think the Siam red stones really shine against the matte gunmetal finish of the earrings. I can't even come close to capturing the sparkle of the crystals on film. They glimmer brilliantly in the light, and you really have to see them in person to see how much they sparkle! These look great with any formal or casual attire. They are elegant enough to wear at a wedding, and funky enough to wear to prom!

Angel wings and rivoli settings are gunmetal plated brass. All components are lead and nickel free.

Earrings measure 2 inches (5.1 cm) long.

Handmade with love and good karma. ^_^


Sunday Scenery: Mossy Rocks and Tall Trees

Just finished listing some new hair pins, a new ring, and a cute little pair of earrings today. It couldn't be a more beautiful day, although the wind was kicking up pretty good at times. At one point, it became rather difficult to take item pictures because the trees were swaying so wildly I had to wait until the perfect time that the sunlight shone through to snap the picture. It took a few tries (about 84 pictures for 4 items) but I finally got some pictures that were to my liking.

Some people may wonder where exactly I take my outdoor item pictures (or maybe you have better things to do than wonder what that is in the background, but I'm going to tell you anyway!).

It is actually a lovely little mossy rock that is right in the front yard. It sits below the little gnome garden that my mother has created, and I think it adds a little extra charm to the gnome's tiny village. When I decided that I needed to take better pictures for my Etsy shop, I knew that in order to have pictures that were bright enough to see the jewelry that I was gonna have to go outside. So I stepped outside and looked for a suitable place. Since Spring has only begun, there's still a lot of dead leaves and such around, and not nearly enough greenery for a "pretty" picture. That's when I saw this mossy little rock. The sun was hitting it just right that day, so its fluffy bright green-ness jumped out at me among all of the other boring rocks. I am very interested in botanical illustrations, and I oftentimes find myself studying these tiny little wonders of nature up close. Moss is very dense and kind of soft, so it is the perfect place to take pictures of my jewelry. It's like a miniature little forest if you look at it closely enough. There's lots of these mossy rocks around here since I live in the middle of the forest, and today was so beautiful that I set out on foot to if I could find some more of these neat moss beds. Here are the ones I found today:

This one's just starting out.

This one has become a little brown, but I like the interesting terrain of the rock itself.

This one is my favorite. It looks like it needs a haircut!



This moss bed has overtaken the entire side of a hill!

If you aren't yet amazed by moss, you should really check out this blog post about a unique art exhibit that features moss!

Tulip Tree

It was such a nice day to spend outside. The thing I love the most about living in the woods is being able to walk out of the front door and see nothing but nature. I've been looking for signs of Spring all around, and I finally spotted some blooms on our tulip tree. It is actually three trees, but they share about one foot of trunk at the very bottom. I can only imagine what kind of tragedy struck the tree when it was young that would cause it to split that way, but it gives the tree more character that way. I guess that nature does some designing of her own.
So, if it's a beautiful day wherever you are, I encourage you to get out and enjoy it before it's gone!
Angel kitty would agree: