friday feature arts and crafts – Magical Mystical Mimi

Good morning folks! Thank you all so much for being so encouraging and receptive of my new Friday feature! If this is your first time here my “Friday Feature – You Gotta’ See This!” is simply a day to showcase the amazingly talented people I see around me or come across online.Last Friday it was my pleasure to showcase Miss JoJo from ‘Tahoma Beadworks and Photography.’ She is multi-talented in multiple mediums. A rare find to be sure. If you missed the post you can read it here.This week I’m showcasing another talented woman.
Dawn Johnson, owner of ‘Paisley Soap Works.’
Dawn has been crafting handmade, all natural soaps for nearly 40 years. A craft she says she learned from her grandmother.

Q&A with Dawn from ‘Paisley Soap Works.’

1.) When did you start making soaps?

Dawn – I have been making soap since 1979 when my grandmother showed me the basics. When my son was born, he had rather sensitive skin for a time and I was so glad I knew how to make my own soap.

2.) How long does it take to make a bar of soap?

Dawn – I make soap using the “cold processed ” method so it takes about an hour to regulate temperatures, 24 hours, to rest prior to unmolding, another 24-48 hours to allow the soap to cure before cutting, and finally 5-6 weeks to fully cure. A long time but totally worth it.

3.) What is the difference between handcrafted soaps and store bought?

Dawn – The difference between handcrafted soap and the bars that you get from the grocery store is that the bars in the store aren’t soap at all…they’re detergent in solid form. Handcrafted soap is made from 3 simple ingredients : fat/oil, water, and lye…no worries, there is absolutely no residual lye in a properly made and cured bar of handmade soap.

Dawn’s personal favorite soap?
“It’s so hard for me to pick a favorite but I think “All Buttered Up! ” would be the one… it has lots of moisturizing cocoa butter, creamy shea butter, and exotic mango butter…yummy!”

Mimi’s personal favorite?
Based solely on the name…
Dragon’s Blood – “A rich and spicy scent likened to the fragrance of Dragon’s Blood resin. The scent is a luxurious blend of amber and myrrh with rich sandalwood and earthy patchouli and is made with Dragon’s Blood resin infused olive oil.”
This is a busy time of year for Dawn as she is attending several festivals throughout Michigan.
If you’re in the area please be sure to stop in and see her!
**June 25th & 26th you can find Dawn here.
‘Log Cabin Days.’ Located at the Fish Hatchery Park in Waterford MI
**August 6th Dawn will be here.
‘Annual Highland Games’ at Greenmead Historical Park in Livonia MI on Saturday, August 6th.
To place an order for Dawn’s wonderful, all natural, handmade soaps you can contact her on her Facebook page, ‘Paisley Soap Works.’ – Be sure and hit the like button while you’re there!
OR
Visit her at her website, ‘Paisley Soap Works‘ to place your order there and learn all about the art of handmade soaps, lotions, body butters, body polishes and scrubs. Bath salts, bath oils, perfume oils and more!
Here’s a lit’l look-see of Dawn’s products.
The “Good Morning” bar. – “A crisp, energizing fragrance with may chang, orange, lime, pink grapefruit, rose geranium, and neroli. Accented by colorful swirls reminiscent of a perfect morning sky with bright yellow, sky blue, wisps of cloud white and sunrise pink.”

Lemongrass Shea – “The wonderful moisturizing benefits of shea butter combined with the freshness of lemongrass essential oil. Swirled with yellow and green.”

I really love the look of this one.
Honeycomb – “Contains pure wildflower honey that draws moisture to skin and a sweet floral honey scent. Natural color, loaded with pure honey with a honeycomb design.”

I love the artistry of this one too.
Dawn does phenomenal designer, custom order bars as well.
Full Moon Over Sand Dunes
‘Peacefest 2016’ – Waterford, Michigan

Before being sold out!I know this Friday Feature was a bit lengthy but when artist/craftsmen/women have turned their talents into a marketable product I turn into a carney shouting, “Step right up, step right up!
“Ya’ Gotta’ See This!”
Thank you, thank you, thank you, to Dawn for allowing me to showcase ONE of her many talents.
And thank all of you for reading along and being a part of shining a light!
I appreciate you all!
Now, get on over to ‘Paisley Soap Works‘ and show some love!

I’ve decided to add a Friday feature to my blog called, “You Gotta’ See This!”
The theme of each feature will change every month.
For the month of June, the feature theme will focus on arts and crafts.
Every Friday this month I will be showcasing someone that I feel oozes talent and creativity in various mediums, some of them in multi-mediums, i.e., the written word, photography, sewing, needlework, painting, etc.

I will ask 3 questions pertaining to the theme – for this month, arts and crafts. –
I will ask them to pick their favorite craft to showcase, and I will choose my favorite of their crafts to showcase as well. They don’t know which one I’m picking, just FYI.
Why am I doing this?
Because we have a lot of talented people in this world that I believe should be seen and heard.
Because I’m tired of bad news and want to contribute something fun and wonderful, if only for 4 days out of the month.
And because, why not? Why not shine a light on someone and applaud their place on this planet and in our lives.
And because it’s my blog and I can.
This month I am showcasing JoJo from ‘Tahoma Beadworks & Photography.’
JoJo is one of those rare creative souls who is multi-talented in multiple mediums. She tells me this started in childhood.

Q & A with JoJo from ‘Tahoma Beadworks & Photography.’

1.) How old were you when you first started crafting?
(Please elaborate beyond kindergarten.)

JoJo – I have been making things as long as I can remember. As an only child growing up in a rural part of town, I didn’t have any other children to play with. I used to get craft kits of all kinds when I was little, for my birthday and Christmas, and during summer vacation. Makit Bakit, paint by number, Chip-It, basic beading-on-styrofoam kits, Christmas ornaments, etc. I’ve always loved beads and my grandmother used to attach beads and sequins by hand to gowns and blouses that were sold in fancy boutiques in Manhattan.

2.) MUST you craft every day?

JoJo – I do try to work on something every day, but sometimes life gets in the way and I don’t have time or am too tired. But I can get projects started, or at least do some needlepoint or cross stitch.

3.) What is your favorite craft to do?

JoJo – Hard to decide what’s my fave craft to do. I enjoy altered art, making jewelry but lately I’ve just wanted to do needlework.

JoJo’s favorite personal craft: “Hard to pick just one fave craft that I’ve done, but I guess my most recent fave is probably the potions cabinet that I made earlier this year.”
I have to say, this is also one of my favorite crafting projects that JoJo has done. It’s a magically, cool piece and you can read all about in her post, here.

Mimi’s favorite JoJo piece??? I have to tell you. It was incredibly difficult for me to pick. I had so many tabs opened to JoJo’s blog it took me all night just to narrow it down to three and then another hour to pick one! But if I have to pick just one….
Drum roll please….
“Ya’ gotta’ see this!”
ISN’T IT COOL???? JoJo made that!!
If you go to her post here, you can see other bottles that she’s made, and keys and a fairy garden and if you follow her blog you’ll see how incredibly talented she really is in ALL mediums!
It’s amazing, SHE is amazing!
I hope you’ve all enjoyed this lit’l visit with JoJo, and please do go over to her blog and sprinkle some love to let her know how talented she is.

Many, many thanks from the bottom of my heart to JoJo for sharing a piece of herself with me, and all of you. I do so appreciate you JoJo, and really, you deserved to be showcased because you truly do ooze with talent and creativity.
Thank you again..
Happy Friday folks. Go on out and lift somebody up. Tell somebody you appreciate them and the gifts and talents they have to offer and share.
Peace.