Finding Joy

Sometimes you just need a reminder...

The Finding Joy Movie

It's Time to Celebrate! 500 Fan Giveaway

This giveaway has ended.  And the winner is.....

Linda Sheppard

Congratulations Linda!  You should have an email from me soon!

Christine & Company is so happy to announce that we finally have 500 Facebook Fans!  We appreciate each and every one of you and to celebrate, we've put together a pretty awesome giveaway valued at approximately $150.  One lucky fan will win the whole shebang!  And it's so easy to enter...just follow the directions below.  Everyone will have lots of ways to enter.  But first, I'd like to introduce you to some pretty special folks.  All of these very talented artisans have contributed something from their shop to be included in this amazing gift basket.  Take a look!

 

Christine & Company

 This two piece set including a quilted cosmetics bag and coin purse key ring, is donated by Christine & Company.  They are a part of a new wholesale line that will be launched in the fall.  Pssst....one of these sets is on it's way to HGTV's Genevieve Gorder!
  Retail value:  $30

Emerald Coast Boutique

Aren't these pink and crystal drop earrings by Emerald Coast Boutique lovely?  

www.emeraldcoastboutique.com
Retail Value:  $10

Bowz by Sheila

These funky bows and headband are donated by Bowz by Sheila

Retail Value:  $18
www.bowzbysheila.com

Beautiful Ewe

 Adorable!  
Beautiful Ewe is giving away a $20 shop credit!
And if you visit Aimee's Facebook page and tell her Christine & Co. sent you,
she's offering FREE SHIPPING in her Etsy shop! 
www.facebook.com/ewearebeautiful

www.aimee216.etsy.com

Jewelry by Toni K

This beautiful butterfly lamp work necklace and earring set is contributed by
www.jewelrybytonik.com
Retail Value:  $18

Tiny Dancer Designs

Tiny Dancer Designs is offering a Custom Tutu in your choice of colors (up to size 4T)
Retail Value: $25

Brina's Bowtique

 Check out this unique Bow Bucket by Brina's Bowtique.  

It includes 5 flowers, a snail, ladybug and bee.  Each of these is an adorable 

hairbow that can be removed for use and then put back on the stems for display.  

Retail Value:  $25
http://www.brinasbowtique.weebly.com

Posey Handmade

Posey Handmade donated this fun little pendant
Retail Value:  $18
www.poseyhandmade.etsy.com

To be eligible to win, pick 3 items that are your favorite and comment below.  And check all the shops...I wouldn't want you to miss a single thing from any of these great shops!  Plus, there are lots of other ways to earn EXTRA entries!  So, get to browsin'...this giveaway ends at midnight on August 8, 2012.  Good Luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

*giveaway only open to residents of the US.

Another great celebrity gifting opportunity

"The Coastal Collection"

 

 

 

 

Raise your hand if you watched "Trading Spaces" on TLC.  Come on...you know you did.  Trading Spaces was one of my guilty pleasures...I loved how the contestants could turn an ordinary room into something amazing with just a little ingenuity and a small amount of cash.

One of my favorite designers was famous for her bare feet, fresh design and...her moss-covered wall!  Have you guessed?

Christine & Company is proud to announce that through The Artisan Group, we have yet another opportunity to send a gift to the lovely Genevieve Gorder of HGTV's Dear Genevieve.  We are sending a couple of pieces from "The Coastal Collection" a new wholesale line that we are launching in the fall.  The collection features quilted totes, backpacks, cosmetics cases and coin purses in fantastic coastal-themed fabrics.


Many people want to know why I would send something FREE to a celebrity who could clearly pay for the item.  I consider it a marketing expense.  Will Genevieve ever be a spokesperson for Christine & Company?  Maybe...maybe not...but it sure is fun to dream!


Christine
www.christine-company.com

Lessons learned from my first craft show

Whew!  It's come and gone (in a flash, I might add)...my very first craft show.  Christine & Company participated in their first craft fair this weekend, a fundraiser for a local high school.  Although sales were dismal, I may be hooked!  I met so many amazing people and made plans for many more future craft fairs.

Christine & Company

 I shared my space with Jessica, from Laura Jane's.  She creates amazing pet beds from found objects and turns them into works of art.  Everyone was blown away by her creativity!  Here are a few of her beds.

Small petbeds and travel mats

Luxury Pet Bed made from Antique Chair

I also met Toni from Jewelry by Toni K.  She has beautiful (and affordable) jewelry...perfect for Mother's Day!  All of Toni's jewelry is made from natural stone.  I love this turtle necklace and earring set.

Turquoise Turtle Necklace and Earring set

Sharon from Posey Handmade had adorable crocheted hats and fun necklaces and bracelets.  

She also makes amazing Amigurumi creatures.  

I am going to have to have a couple of those little dino hats for my little guys.

Posey Handmade

These are only a few of the great booths I visited while at the MHS Fundraiser.  But I learned so much in preparing for and participating in this, my first, craft fair.  Here are some tidbits to keep in mind.

• Don't wait until the last minute to get all your product ready. (my middle name is procrastination)
• Make sure you have enough product.
• Meet your neighbors, you'll make new friends and make contacts for future shows.
• Support the craft fair organizer as well as the other vendors.
• Reach out to your contacts after the show.  I met so many wonderful folks and hope to keep the lines of communication open.
• Pick up a business card from each booth.

These are just a few tips that I learned while at the craft fair.  Here's hoping for many more successful shows in the future.

Christine
www.christine-company.com

"Ray of Hope" for Rachael Ray's $100K Charity Challenge for the ASPCA

"Ray of Hope"

And here it is! My special gift for Rachael Ray went in the mail today. It's a burlap foldover clutch trimmed and lined with an amazing turquoise and orange paisley cotton. This clutch will be a limited edition item and I'll be taking pre-sale orders until Ms. Ray receives her gift, then I'll officially add them to the shop for sale!

The best part is that a portion of all sales of the "Ray of Hope" foldover clutch will be donated to my local Humane Society (or a shelter of your choice) in Pensacola, FL in honor of Ray's $100K Charity Challenge for the ASPCA.

If you are interested in reserving your very own "Ray of Hope", please email me at christine@christine-company.com

www.christine-company.com

Christine & Company to gift Celebrity Chef Rachael Ray

As Christine & Company celebrates its first year in business, we are proud to announce another amazing opportunity. Through the efforts of The Artisan Group, Christine &Company has been selected to provide a gift for the super-fun celebrity chef Rachael Ray!

American television personality, Rachael Domenica Ray is a businesswoman, celebrity chef and author. She hosts Rachael Ray, a daytime television show that has won two Daytime Emmy Awards and three Food Network series, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and $40 a Day. Ray has written numerous cookbooks and has her own magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray.

Rachael Ray is known for her Rachael Ray 'isms...

*EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
*Yum-O!
*Delish!
*Good to Go.

And the one that describes this opportunity to a T...

"How Good is That?"

Stay tuned to see what Christine & Company sends to Rachael Ray!

Christine
www.christine-company.com


Click Here to Visit My Etsy Shop!

Ask the Expert - Creating Natural Perfume

Amanda Feeley of Esscentual Alchemy

Please welcome Amanda Feeley of Escentual Alchemy as our Day 3 Expert.  Amanda has been into natural scents her whole life, having grown up on an Iowa farm.  She left the farm, to attend college, at Simpson College, in Indianola, majoring in music.  After that, she used her musical training to have some fun as a stay at home mom, to four wonderful children.  In December of 2010, she discovered natural perfumery.  The rest, as they say, is scented history.

A Brief Tutorial on the Art of Creating a Natural Perfume

 I hope you find this short tutorial interesting and informative!  Natural Perfume is a fascinating and amazing subject.  One of the best parts about natural perfume as a hobby, is that you always smell divine!  Without further ado, let's begin.

The word perfume, comes from the Latin 'per fumum' meaning ‘through smoke.’ Ancient civilizations utilized aromatic substances in religious ceremonies.  The art of making perfumes, began in ancient Mesopotamia, and Egypt.   It was expanded upon by the Greeks and Romans.  The French further refined the art form.  Perfumes have been in use as far back as 7000BC.

Perfume is composed much like music, and is often described in terms of musical adjectives.  Each one is composed of chords, which are made up of notes.  There are three types of notes: Head, Heart, and Base. 

Head notes are perceived a few seconds after initial application of perfume.  Head notes are also called top notes.  Head notes create the scents that forms a person’s initial impression.

Heart notes are the essential character of the composition.  Heart notes, or Middle notes, form the main  scent theme, and act as a transition from the top notes.

Base notes bring depth and solidness. Base notes are the foundation, and give structure.  These fixatives are used to support the top and heart notes.

Previous to the mid 19th-century, natural essential oils, absolutes/concretes, enfleurage, and tinctures were the only implements of the perfumer’s art. Today the perfume industry relies mainly on synthetic/petro-chemicals; natural essential oils and absolutes are used only in minute quantities.

For example:  Roses have over 200-300 scent molecules that make up what you smell when you sniff the flower.  Large perfume companies, take a few molecules and synthesize them in the lab, and declare it is “ROSE!”  This makes for an extremely narrow, horizontal smell.  Natural essential oils or absolutes provide a vertical and broad olfactory experience. 

Natural Perfumes also have an aromatheraputic quality to them, because of the high concentration of essential oils. In addition to being chemical/synthetic free, they also work on an emotional level when you apply them.

Supplies

·         5ml amber bottle

·         essential oils

·         carrier oil

·         disposable pipettes

·         fragrance tester strips

·         paper towels

·         notebook to write down your formula, and notes about your chords

Each perfume composition, is built upon three chords.  This is also called a formula.  The formula is the math of the composition.  Each chord in a formula contains a dominant note, and supporting notes.  The dominant note will make up around half of the chord, and the supporting notes make up the rest of the chord.  Each formula has two components:  the perfume concentrate, and the carrier oil.  For this tutorial, I have created a ratio as follows:  1 part head chord, 1 part heart chord, 2 parts base chord, and 1 part carrier oil.

It's extremely important to keep track of which pipette you use for each oil, because you cannot use them for more than one oil.  Using pipettes across more than one oil, will result in contamination of both the oil, and your perfume.  Some pipettes are marked for volume, and some aren't.  When starting out, it's easiest to transfer oils by drops.   In this tutorial, one part is equal to 40 drops.  To transfer oils, suction the oil from each vial by squeezing the bulb.  Measure by drops into your perfume bottle, and return the remainder, if need be, to your main vial.  Set aside on a paper towel.  It's sometimes helpful to write on the paper towel which pipette you used where.

An example composition, might look like this:

Head Chord                                                                1 PART

Lavender                                                                     10 drops

Rosewood                                                                   10 drops

Blood Orange                                                             20 drops

                                                                        Total:  40 drops

Heart Chord                                                               1 PART

*Rooibus                                                                     10 drops

Jasmine                                                                        20 drops

Rose                                                                            10 drops

                                                                        Total:  40 drops

Base Chord                                                                 2 PART

Benzoin                                                                       20 drops

**Hyrax                                                                      40 drops

Frankincense                                                               20 drops

                                                                        Total:  80 drops

Carrier                                                                        1 PART

Jojoba Oil                                                                    40 drops

*Rooibus is an absolute that comes from an African bush.  It is a sweet and berry/fruity note.

**Hyrax is a substance used to obtain a musk scent, without harming any animals.

To create a perfume formula, you should test the chords before mixing your oils together.  Open the vials you have chosen for each chord: head, heart, and base.  Drop a single drop onto a tester strip.  Paper tester strips are helpful for figuring out the dominant note for each chord.  Once you have figured out the dominant note for the chords, then you can finish your chord.

Begin blending your composition, by transferring the base chord into the perfume container.  Repeat this process for the heart chord, and head chord.  Your composition will change as you blend the chords together.  This is one of my favorite parts of the process!  Write down your notes, and amount of each oil, for each chord.  Don't depend on your memory, as this can cause sadness when you realize you forgot something!

After you have finished blending your chords, and final composition, add the jojoba oil carrier to your perfume, just like you did for the chords.  Transfer with a pipette to your perfume bottle.  This is called is dilution.  Essential oils must never be worn undiluted, as they can cause skin sensitivity.  It's time to seal up your bottle, and put your perfume in a cool, dark place.  The next step is to age your perfume.  This is the hard part!  Your perfume should age for 1 week, at the bare minimum.  One MONTH is recommended.  Depending on how complex a natural perfume is, it can take many months for the aging process to finish.  Do what you can to forget the magic happening in your bottle!  It takes time to create beautiful wines, and creating a beautiful perfume is much the same process!   

After your month is up, apply your perfume anywhere you would like to be kissed, as Coco Chanel once said...

I wish you many beautiful and scented journeys!

Please take a moment and visit Amanda's shop, Facebook Page and Follow her on Twitter

SHOP || FACEBOOK || TWITTER

Thanks so much Amanda for providing this fantastic tutorial on perfume making.  If anyone is interested in trying this and needs more information, please comment below.  Amanda has a comprehensive list of suppliers for high quality essential oils, bottles, pipettes and vials. And I know she would love to answer any questions you may have!

Enjoy!

Christine

www.christine-company.com