a pieced and quilted life

my 1st giveaway!!!!!

be happy giveaway prize #1: mini hillside bag, set of 3 hankerchiefs (i made) and a handy leather notepad 

"oh yeah...oh yeah...oh yeah" -mykey's happy dance song

i'm really excited...after a number of years of blog residence i'm finally "throwing" my first giveaway!

soooo...i really wanted to find away to say thank you to all you faithful quejimenez followers (lurkers included) who read my words. i tell myself that i do this for me...but really...you all are my community (tear) and i just want to say thank you...simply put.

also...i have the best customer's on etsy...really i do. wonderful, kind hearted...and spirited women (and a few men buying for women). i wouldn't do what i do...if it wasn't for you special souls (that get me).

so again...this is how i'm saying thank you...

the mini hillside bag, aqua 

thank you to all of you who reached out to me during my time in mourning...through email, facebook, the blog...you name it. i cannot express how much it meant to me. 

so let's get on with it!

for the rest of this week...the comments section is your space to "throw your name into the hat" and enter to win a little something something from me.

share what makes you happy and i'll enter your name into the grand big pool...on friday night, i'll close up the comments section...and saturday i'll ship out the prizes to the two winners.

yeap...two.

all made by my hands!  

winner #1:

receives...the mini hillside bag, a set of 3 handkerchiefs (3 is my fav #) and a mini leather notepad...to write happy thoughts...

  neapolitan handkerchief color-way..and a mini aqua notepad

winner #2 (because i wanted to have a runner-up):

receives....the same set of 3 handkerchiefs and a mini leather notepad.

why handkerchiefs and notepads?

its the two things i always wish i had in my purse, that i never have...and i never buy...i'm sure i'm not the only one here...who has sneaky allergies...and always thinks "i'll remember that thought, number, website, etc."

i hope you'll enter. i really want to send someone or sometwo something nice.

have a wonderful day...and most of all:

be happy!!!!

love and peace, ki

***pass it on...tweet, facebook...blog...help spread the word!***

new bags!!!

  

the traveler bags are finally here! find more information on my website here!

hope everyone is having a lovely day!

also, stay tuned...i'm doing a giveaway this week...i'm working on it as we speak!

be love!

ki

a certain kind of purpose

 

 granma, circa 1978 

i've noticed a certain kind of purpose in me...

a purpose defined by the life that she lived...the legacy that she left...and the woman that she was. 

i find it just like her to turn my sadness, my grief...my mourning into something beautiful, something purposeful, something productive.

so...

i'm being purposeful...i'm being productive...i'm working on the "pocketbooks" she loved...i'm starting again...i'm finding purpose...i'm healing....i'm melancholy & happy

i've been working at re-lauching quejimenez...its coming soon...real soon...and i've got some new things, some changes...and all the old stand bys too.

stay tuned...i'll be trickling in updates during the week...

eagle eyes...may be able to spot them already!

sigh...i love her and miss her so.

be peace, ki

creating today.

alto.

i well up 

   digging in with my toes...while perching myself on my tip toes

feeling...

    feeling the fly of "in love"

i happen to stand on my tip toes when i'm cold....excited or in love.

i reach up tall 

    vertabrea...after vertabrea

to kiss u

alto.

my toes make me soprano...climbing up to notes perched high.

whilst on the tip of my toe bones...sun kissed and wind burned

 high in magenta blue backgrounds and white cumulous cloud props

u 

over whelm me.

i settle in.

point my toes out

and write soliloquies in the yellow sky.

------------------------------------------end poem---------------------------------------

i'm in the studio, creating...and it all feels good. the smell of leather...the rush of knowing how you want to say what you feel...finding truth in your hands. understanding purpose. feeling joy.

<3 ki

studio companion

i've gotten a new studio companion....

technically she's an assistant...but right now...we seem to be more like friends.

e thinks she's a bit scary at night...the kids, particularly ya-ya have taken to her quite quickly...she's a lot like me...but lil yosef says she'd be more like his mommy if she had clothes...e says the pea head resemblance is quite uncanny....

i think she's a little unsettled to be quite honest...she flew in from the east coast around 6 last night. unfortunately for her she's had to take up residence (at least temporarily) amongst a bit of a muddle. i didn't realize she'd be so prim, i'd have straighten things up for her a bit.

but nevertheless, i think she'll loosen up once she sees how creative i am...people have the ability to accept chaos a little better when they know its a part of creativity, you know. a chaotic studio is much more romantic than a tidy one.

 

 i think her name is margaret ruby. 

i'm so happy my mother (yes u woman) talked me into getting her...(love u mommie) she simply said "all this hard working you've been doing...have you treated yourself to anything?" she said books don't count. and of course my e..."i support you 100%." so i treated myself.

if i can be honest, i've been wrestling, most times rejecting this idea of me being a "designer." but lately, i've been learning to not push against where life is taking me. 

the support from my mom, my family...is just over-explicable, even my brother...who once told me i was "too smart" to be majoring in art...is pushing me to go to school for fashion design. my heart is so full...i actually believe i can do anything.

so me and margie are going to get right to work...her first business of the day was to model my 40th bag. 40th! that's right...i just finished up my 40th bag...and its shipping express international to the western part of australia today. it'll be a gift for a creative, passionate and thoughtful daughter (who loves to garden, owns her own gift shop...and has great taste as her mother tells me). i can't wait to wrap it up all pretty for her!

next up for margie...is helping me with my first self-drafted pattern, a t-shirt. i drafted the pattern tuesday...and hopefully, now that the shop is officially on holiday...i can do some pleasure, self-indulging work.

so i'll be busy, busy, busy this holiday...me and the kids have some crafts we want to do...i plan on baking and sending cookies to my family...i plan on getting to know margie better...me and e are entertaining the thought of making tamales (by ourselves...not just the ones we make with his mom)...and i've already stated strongly....i'm eating cupcakes all day christmas. the way i pigged out on sweet potato pie for thanksgiving?....yeah that'll be me christmas day...i fell asleep telling e i wanted cupcakes for breakfast, lunch...dinner and desert...lol

(i had to tell him bacon in a cupcake wasn't my idea of a breakfast cupcake either)

okay...i'm signing off...gotta go tackle the post office this morning...

peace...ki (& margie)

this and that...that and this...let's play catch-up!

i cannot believe its already mid December!! I've taken to writing love letters to my fleeting lover time! as he is truly evading me these days..

its like i'm in a long distance love relationship with time...he comes...fleeting into my life...only to leave me hanging and longing for him to stay around longer.

one day i'll marry time!...until then...i'm happily very busy!

so let's get down to business...what the heck have i been up to to stay away for...i don't want to know how many days?

1. homeschooling still...going well...kids are amazing

2. started going to acupuncture...and its working!! thankfully...

3. wonderful holiday rush, more orders in a couple of weeks than I've ever had (thank you wonderful customers!!)

4. finished up a 3 quilt, quilting commission

5. looking at schools, and wondering when and which way i'll finally finish my degree

6. creating my facebook fan page, won't you join please?

7. tea staining fabric 

8. creating artwork for an upcoming gallery show (February, 2010) on: play

9. and finally creating a bag and writing a corresponding article for haute handbags magazine (woohoo!)

let me be honest here...even though it gets "hairy" sometimes...i crave being busy...i crave it like i crave kisses and hugs from my lil loves...and do-nothing, veg-out time with e...its just better to have something to do..than to sit with idle fingers...staring back at me holding nothing.

now that i'm caught up with shop orders, and i think my holiday rush has passed...i'm happily getting excited and working on all sorts of things...

i'm really excited about the upcoming art show...as i'm going back to cloth...working with art quilts...and falling in love all over again with quilting. this time i'm changing it up...working in smaller dimension...and doing it all by hand (except for piecing some seams).

i'm also excited about the upcoming article in haute handbags...i just sent my article out this morning...and will wait with my fingers crossed, eyes closed and breath held till it comes out. i've been told its coming out in april, 2010...but sometimes these things are held over to another publishing...so we'll see. nothing is set in stone...till its well...set in ink. ha!

the month is almost over...i'm so freaking excited about the holidays i really can't stand it...but i'm excited to get started baking and crafting this week...i've got plans...and plans...and plans...lets see how many of them we i can get done.

I've decided to put together a little picture stroll...of everything that's happened in the past few weeks...what's a post with out tons of pictures?

let's go!

yummy food

vegan cornbread...for my dressing....so tasty!

simi-vegan homemade thanksgiving dinner...only non-vegan item is the chicken (e will not go totally vegan...), this is e's plate...so the candied yams were missing.

p.s. i did make 2 vegan sweet potato pies ( i ate an entire one by myself that weekend...no joke) and a vegan pecan pie...which the boys ate...they were too devoured for pictures...the other sweet potato pie is in the freezer, vacuum sealed (so that I wouldn't have eaten two in the weekend by myself)!

shop stuff:

beautiful tomato red petal bag made for a lovely customer jenn...i ♥ her!

 

front...

back...

inside...

pencil cases...

inside pencil cases...

this lovely set of goods and zakka was made for a wonderful customer's 3 year old daughter. these are some old deer-skin hides from her deceased father...that i made into bags for her (earlier in the year) and now for her daughter...with accompanying pencil cases (2 for her, 2 for her brother)...

this was one of my favorite projects...i channeled my 7-year old self...and designed from things i remember drawing at that age.   

new moo cards...love the new case..though i love the old ones too.

my 3 designs...

 

yogi tea bag tags i've been saving... 

i've been organizing all my embroidery floss as a productive "unwinding, vegging out" project at the end of the evenings...

thanks to a promotion with verizon fios (and good cyber monday sales)...we got a new laptop...for almost free...its not a mac, but i and e have loved using it during the evenings...this means i can finally get his large desktop out of my studio (yay!!!) and have more storage space...and the room officially to myself! 

my only wish for it being mac is so that i could use photoshop on it...so i could blog from it...i have elements...so i'll install that eventually...it is already loaded with eq6 and this!

my side of the bed this morning...and last night...while working on my article...i kept taking breaks to look at the new books i've gotten recently...and brush up on my sewing techniques. i'm being very ambitious in the new year...making all my clothes! stay tuned!

 

i got this wonderfully beautiful card friday night...just because, from the boy...look at the worm in the lower left hand corner...and the lady bug in the sky amidst the falling colored snow...and aren't i cute in my pink dress? that's charlie our bird on the tree limb in case u were wondering...this was the greatest gift!

we decided to homeschool in my studio today...like we did before the kids started kinder...this is today's lesson books that we had to cart upstairs...see why i'm so busy? one day's worth of lessons!

my sweet boy...getting ready for school this morning...in his guitar p.j.'s that he's been refusing to take off until santa brings him his electric guitar...sigh...gotta love childhood...

 

my lil lady...who always comes to class dressed...and accessorized...while me and the lil guy look like bums...she wants to start designing her own clothes...wait till she sees what "santa" brings her to help her with those ambitions!

art work in process...more later on the kikasa blog...

my latest collection...weaving yarns...can't wait to have time to weave again! my towels are already stained up from much use at the dinner table!

 

and finally...a sneak peak of our christmas so far...we got our 2 trees a couple weeks ago...decorated one of them...and will be decorating the other tonight...can't wait to share more christmas pics!

so there...this is the jest of what i've been up too...of course there were wonderful meals that i didn't get to snap pictures of, holiday cookies...and gingerbread dough...rain and hail storms...

its been a rush, these last few weeks...i'm so excited to bring in the new year...to celebrate the holidays...i literally can't stand it! i've never been this excited about a new year...like now!

i'm excited to see what wonderful things the universe and i dream up together!

peace...ki

p.s. i hope to stop this binge...purge..blemic posting schedule that i'm on...but truth is...i can't make any promises...when i do post...i'll make it worth while!! i know i'll be back soon...something special is coming in the mail wednesday...i wonder if you all can guess...one of the pictures gives a good clue!

thanks for accompanying me on this journey...thus far...we're almost 3 years strong!

p.p.s my sis is back! pay her a visit over at www.neosewmama.typepad.com she's had some amazing life changes...wonderful...go tell her hi!
        

coming soon...

i started making bags because i love them...i loved coach (the old coach) before monogrammed canvas and trendy looks outweighed classic leather...simple designs and brass hardware.

e found my first coach bag my mother bought me (when i turned 18)...a simple, small, black backpack purse...it's nicely worn...the edges are tattered...its soft...and it still smells like coach leather...

eventually i grew tired of the trends, seeing countless girls in the mall with my same bag...and i wanted something original...something classic, something simple...real leather...inspirational...

so i decided to make my own....

its been 3 years since i started my apprenticeship of leather working...and i've finally feel like i've turned the corner...and can now draft almost any bag that i could think of (within reason).

i've learned that i *love* working with thick, premium hides...

a flat hide that i can then take, manipulate and create wonderful designs...that'll last a lifetime...that'll be original..unique...simple and timeless...

coming soon:

wallets, belts, keychains, mommy & me/sister & me collections, briefcases, laptop bags, boxes & jewelry

for now...here's a sneak peak at whats coming later this week:

 

 

the wallets and belts...are awaiting...

i've worked two 10+ hour days this weekend...saturday & sunday...and stayed up all night last night stitching bags together...the wallets are painted...and awaiting...the belts...really waiting...

there is nothing like working till your feet hurt...till your hands are calloused...till your brain is tired...but your still full of hunger...passion and heart...

i'm ready for the holidays...ready for the new year...ready to create!

peace...ki

new in the shop!

i've spent some time this summer finding new bag shapes and new materials to work with...i've finally made the leap of faith to painting the leather which i love so much more than dyeing...the colors are richer and more saturated...i have a rainbow of colors ready to mix for custom colors...and most of all it makes the leather more element proof...not to mention...i have a thing for painting things...

i love these new designs...they truly reflect me...and their names will give you some idea what i was dreaming about when i created them...

take a look!

the dreamcatcher, suede

this bag is full of dreams...i created it while dreaming of possibilities...i wanted something earthy, ethnic and something i felt could truly be a "vessel" to carry my dreams in...

it is made of heavy suede, vintage african trade beads, fish vertebrae, and cowrie shells. there is so many things to love about it: it has motivational tags, a medicine bag, a talisman charm, and a dreamcatcher...

i made this for me...and i love it!

the dreamcatcher, hide:

this is the same bag as above, but it is made out of cowhide...it features a heart and a hand carved dowel to hold the bag closed...i wanted to try a different method of keeping the bag closed..and work with new materials...

the petal, braided strap:

here's the petal bag again, but this time i incorporated a braided strap...and cross-stitching details on the handle...the goal with this bag was to make a bag that was entirely made of leather...no rivets, no glue...just leather and my fingers...

the petal bag, heart closure:

again another chance to play with the design of the petal bag...this one features the same heart/dowel closure as the dreamcatcher above...

the painted bags:

ahh...my love affair with paints...finally i combined it with my bags...turns out its a wonderful marriage of techniques and materials...i'm thinking...i'll be phasing out the dyeing...turning more towards painting...and dyeing only upon request...

the cupcake bag:

i wanted to make something sweet...who says saddle bags and saddlery can't be sweet, chic, and girly? something about this design...makes me think of cupcakes and bakery windows...icings and frostings...i'm sure its the scallops. a simple change...but what a difference it makes.

the forever learner tote:

this bag...so simple but man did it take hours and hours...if not days to perfect the pattern...a lesson to me that we are all forever learners...this is the perfect book bag...the perfect tote...the perfect everyday bag...that'll last you forever...its simple and timeless...so it'll never go out of style!

the mini petal:

i wanna say this is my favorite...i love the size and shape of this bag...it is so chic...small and to the point...enough but not too much...it is a purse...not a handbag...a purse...the color? i hand mixed this color...i love it! probably my favorite (next to marigold)...

the petal...in lilac...

 the simple bag:

...in pacific ocean...two colors made and "blended" together...you'll see turquoise and greens...the same way you do when you look over the pier at santa monica into the pacific ocean...

i'm so excited!

peace...ki

"not all who wander are lost"

"not all who wander are lost"

what a beautiful, truthful and simple idea to remember and keep close.

this past week i had the wonderful opportunity to make a bag for a lady out in chicago...it was a beautiful opportunity for me to stretch and grow a bit...and to do some things that i'd been contemplating doing but just hadn't got to yet...

she asked for an adjustable strap, with a buckle...and a simple little owl to be painted on the back...she supplied images of owls she likes...and we took off from there.

as i worked on her bag...i kept repeating the quote to myself...again and again...and i thought how fitting for me...

i seem to wander around many artistic endeavors...finding myself crafting or creating this or that from one week to the next.

i imagine its like i'm a bee...and the artistic world is a garden...i hover and float from one bloom to another...seeming haphazardly...but always...some how making sense to me. in the end...i'm always left with something sweet and beautiful...

....to the gardener in the garden...or the innocent bystander....the bee seems to aimlessly flutter around...no rhyme or reason...just another flower to visit...

but...

there is something to be offered up at every flower...a different pollen...a different flower...a different flavor...

if you've ever tasted blueberry honey, clover honey, orange blossom honey...avocado honey...you'd find yourself like me...thankful for all those seemingly aimless trips bees make...

old african trade beads, turquoise, pink and red coral, bone, shell fish vertebrae beads

i have new products in mind....

always feel free to wander....

paz, ki

around the studio this afternoon...

self portrait...4/22/09

this morning...i finally finished up the itty bitty bags that i started last week...i love the way they came out...and have already decided i have to make me one...and a matching one for my little lady...well the thought of her's came first...then mine. i think it'll be so cute to have matching mother daughter bags...i'm thinking i'll even offer some mother daughter combos...

mini bags...

i'll be putting these for sale in the shop sometime between this evening and tomorrow morning...

i've been trying to reserve my evening free-time for creative work...and my mornings for "other" work...i.e. shop stuff, homework...the necessary work.

i find that in the evening...i can tune everything out...e's home and i can really create...during the day half of my brain is on the kids...and all the things i need to get done...so i'm only "so" creative. 

i will say i'm absolutely, hands-down the most lucky art mama ever...my lil ones are very respective of my creating "time" and will happily create or entertain themselves while i'm zoning out. 

i'm considering doing some new things with my product pictures...thinking of putting more "me" or personality into my shots...make them more "livable" and less "catalog." 

the truth of it all is that i do this because i love to...my hands yearn for creating and making things...it keeps my mind creative...it helps me afford to be an artist...and hey...i happen to love purses...

i don't do it with the hopes of being a "brand," etc...and so i do want my pictures to reflect my love...and my heart.

we'll see.

plus i love to see pics of other people's spaces...and i'm guessing everyone else is no different...we all want to see the soul, the spirit...the human behind the art we're buying.

don't you just love spring?

my favorite scents this spring...

the scents, the sounds...the feel of the warm air passing over your skin...the sound of the leaves rustling on the trees and the chirping of the birds...life is always blowing in the wind in springtime...

the one year anniversary of my grandmother's passing just passed, easter sunday. and though i worried how sad i'd be...i found peace in all the life sprouting around me...i found myself carrying her spirit with me...and trying to fill a little of my soul with those qualities of her soul that i learned to admire and respect. 

beautiful women come in so many forms...i'm learning to gather what i can from all the beautiful women who grace my life...

spring will always be my time for reflection of life...growth...and the woman in me. 

...peace and love -ki