{ The Saga of the first month }

 

A cup of coffee to wake myself up in the morning, and a cup of tea to make me go to sleep!

As I mentioned on my last post, literally a month ago, I took on the adventure of going back to school. I thought: You know, I'll do school work Monday through Thursday, make nice soaps on the weekends, update my blog and my Etsy shop on Sundays along with my usual "cleaning day" and life would be busy but great!

Wrong! I was totally wrong.

School is great and yes, I'm learning a lot of good new things...but let me tell you I was not expecting to have "brain pain" like I do every night!!! It literally hurts when you have to think so much and so deeply into details of every single thought you have.

So yes, I haven't had a life, and not even 5 minutes to write a quick blog post, nor read one from any of my favorite blogs list, which is kinda sad. But I hope it's all for a good cause, and that in the end it'll be very rewarding.

A couple of great things that did happen last week in school: 1) I found THE MOST  beautiful typography book of all times, and it's called "Phillips Old Fashioned Type Book". I took a few shots with my camera to show you guys some of the old type that back then was drawn by hand. It's 250 pages of pure art. I could just stare at these pages for hours looking at the details. Just beautiful...

    

2) I got to go to the Cooper-Hewitt to see the "Why Design?" Exhibit.

"Inaugurated in 2000, the Triennial program seeks out and presents the most innovative designs at the center of contemporary culture. In this fourth exhibition in the series, the National Design Triennial will explore the work of designers addressing human and environmental problems across many fields of the design practice, from architecture and products to fashion, graphics, new media, and landscapes." 

If any of you that is reading this post right now live in New York, you HAVE to go see this Exhibit. It is probably the most intelligent show I've seen in a long time. The level of thinking that goes behind the development of each item or material is absolutely incredible.

I couldn't resist to buy these beautiful Japanese masking tapes at the museum store. They will look beautiful on my holiday cards!

 

I can't decide which one I like the best!

 

This is a special collection that Cynthia Rowley designed for Band-Aid that was also being sold at the museum. One dollar from the sale of each tin will go to Design Ignites Change, an organization that engages high school and college students in design and architecture projects that address social issues in their own communities.

 

It is a beautiful collectible item!   

So stay posted because I really hope to have a little more time to share what I'm learning with you all, since I haven't been making much progress on my business side!


Have a great weekend everybody!
xoxo

Yes, I do!

Gift basket for my friend's wedding

Here you can see their names on the products

An improvised basket that turned out pretty nice!

Since I started selling at Etsy, and by that I mean really selling, and not just having my shop name registered, I've been asked by a lot of people if I make gift baskets. YES, I DO!!!

I love making those. I can custom make them, and print names on the packaging as well, which makes it feel even more special.

The picture you see above is the first basket I put together for my friend's wedding (see pictures of the wedding bellow!). I was in Brazil and because of that I didn't have all the resources I have here. I bought the heart shaped tray/basket at a local market and just finished it with some of my mom's supplies. The lotion's packaging had to be improvised because I couldn't print on fabric there since I didn't bring what I needed with me (you can see the final lotion's packaging at Etsy). But overall, this is one idea for a basket. I'll be working on some new ones for a couple of orders that I already have (from friends) and I'll post new pictures as soon as I have them.

I just started school yesterday and I'll be overwhelmed with the projects I already have and The Studio, but I'll make sure to share it all with you.

The Wedding ceremony

by Marina Lomar (the website is in Portuguese, but you can see her beautiful pictures)

Love!

Enjoying the party!

Dessert table

Very special friends

Bride . Me . Groom

Have a great week!

xoxo

4th of July treats

So last week was pretty intense at work(bar) and that lead me to "no energy and time" for much soap and candle making.
I did come up with these little party give away, all natural Melt & Pour soaps, for the 4th of July celebration. They'll be on my etsy shop hopefully by the end of this week (that's the plan!).
Again, they can be done however you want it, in the shape that you want, for your perfect party.

Speaking of 4th of July parties, I was out for a few hours this past Saturday and I took a peak at Club Monaco's new summer collection, for those interested in fashion, and I have to say how much I love every piece. The all white outfits were extremely elegant and crisp, perfect for a summer party. If you think you can get away with it at a barbecue and not get messy, go for it! Otherwise save it for a nice cocktail party (or use one of their spring looks still available online).

Spring look

The Beginning

THE STUDIO CREATIONS was born inside my soul a long time ago, but it's doors opened in January of this year (2010).
The idea when I started the project was to diversify my Graphic Design portfolio and be able to get some freelance work while I tried to go back to school and finish my degree in Packaging Design.
The "problem" in the process was that I started having too much fun with it!

For as long as I remember, I've making "things" with my own hands. My mother is an incredibly talented crafter and I learned a lot of the basics with her.

I began making my own soaps a few years ago when I started to concern myself with what goes in and on my body. There are too many chemicals out there these days and I didn't want any more of it on my skin. I went a step further and started studying the power of Aromatherapy. This way, not only my products would smell good, but also BE good for me and all my friends and family (I didn't think of it as a business back then).
So at first, I'd give these handmade treats as gifts, along with a greeting card I would design. The response was always so gratifying that I felt I could probably try and turn this passion into my full-time job.
That's how THE STUDIO was created.
I absolutely love to learn how to make new things, and I love spending the time and making every single piece a unique one, be it a candle, a soap, a lotion or a card. The more I make, the more I wanna make. My Studio has endless possibilities of creations. I feel like I never want to stop!
Everything is made in my little kitchen out in Brooklyn Heights, NY, with a lot of care and love. (My neighborhood is definitely part of my inspiration!)
I hope you enjoy the bits of our lives (The Studio and me!) that will be posting here and please be a part of it! Your feedback is very appreciated!

Love,
The Studio Creations