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

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

a grand opportunity!

do you follow me on twitter?

i'm not so sure that i mentioned it here...but i'm sure i mentioned it on my twitter feed that there may be some good news...some grand 'ole news coming down the pipeline...

and its finally a go i'm sure...

i'm going to have the opportunity to show my bags at a wonderful gallery!

Grand Central Art Center...GCAC

the gallery is celebrating 10 years and having a 10th anniversary exhibition, which will be the same time that i "launch" my bags in their shop.

now i say "launch" very softly...because i'm not "launching" in the traditional sense of big 'ole fan fare (outside of my mom and e) but more like a debut of my bags...

either way...i'm excited..beyond words...at another opportunity to share a little of me with the world...and i'm most grateful for any opportunity that allows me to be me...artist...bag artist...

i'm really thinking about doing some new things for this venue...we'll have to see how it goes...in this venue i can be as "funky" as i wanna be...as "arty" as i can get...let's hope i can get "funky!"

and here's something else....

if you happen to live in so.cali...and want to brave the rains (if it rains again) saturday night...i'll have some work in galleria rustica, downtown pomona, during their arts walk. 

the theme of the arts walk is valentine's day (if i'm not mistaking)...

if you live near pomona i highly suggest heading out to this art walk...and going to galleria rustica, ana has put together the most wonderful shop...that's full of really interesting and beautiful things. all of her furniture is made in mexico, she brings it and lots of other really wonderful mexican "artifacts" here. when we got our first house...i furnished a room with some of her furniture...which we still love and use. she also (and this is what i really love about her) shows local artist...and uses some of her store space as a gallery...i can go on and on about this...but i'll save it for another time.

check out this to get a feel for her space: click here.

the pomona arts walk is really great...its what we've modeled our arts walk after. so it would be a wonderful valentine's date...if you ask me.

i'm signing off...and getting back to work...but just wanted to share some of what's going on in my world...

be grateful today...and flex your creative muscles!

paz...

ki

**special thank you to anjelica...all artists needs friends like you! mucho gracias chica!**

my first treasury!!

what an amazing day!

to be apart of a beautiful treasury...special thanks to mariterecr of totart for creating a beautiful treasury. check it out! hurry it ends sunday @ 11:33 pm.

in case you don't have time...here's a screenshot:

the petal bag, mulberry...second photo, first row.

wanna know something kismet? i was admiring this and this by her this morning...forgot to heart the items...and somehow...life brings me back to these wonderful images!

have a kismet day! full of beautiful things and wonderful connections!

paz,

ki

becoming tucy

tucy /too' see/ noun, beautiful mother, best friend, motivator, hustler...my mother.

my mother's nickname is "tucy" and everyone in the family calls her this, her sister, her brothers...nieces and nephews...and in true fashion my family has even shortened it to "toos." the same way i'm not kiandra, or kiki anymore but "ki."

let me tell you about tucy, and maybe it'll explain to you where i've been for the last couple of weeks.

my mom is "a hustler." now hold on and understand me when i say this. i'm not talking about a thug, a criminal or anything sinister...she is a hard-working, resourceful woman. she makes it happen. she always comes through. 

lets take for example today.

she works from 7:30 am to 4pm (her day job), and has an hour to head downtown (her night/weekend job) to get to the next job which she will not leave until 10pm, which means she'll get home at about 10:30 only to get up and do again (during the weekdays).

her day job is filled with belligerent, and rude customers, finding ways to help people out of defaulted loans, helping people find loans, and other loan officer tasks. her evening job consist of more customers, generally more happy, and running up and down stairs for at least 3 hours straight...making their "sporting event" a happy one.

she's been doing both of these jobs since i was about 14...i'm 31 (and 3/4). she works hard. so hard her knees are aching every night these days. 

but...she still works...and hard.

she's strong, she's a hustler. she knows that if she wants it...she has to work for it.

i've been becoming tucy.

i've been working hard. spending as many hours as i can in my studio working towards a goal. a new line of bags. i've been frustrated, i've cried, i've dyed my hands purple (almost black), yellow, green and two different shades of pink. i've cut my fingers, broke most of my nails down to the painful stub, and developed calluses on two of my fingers. i've gotten angry and thrown a bag almost across the room out of frustration and pain (dropped a metal tool on my toe), and i've hammered one finger about 5 times.

i've also found myself extremely hopeful, inspired and motivated. i've screamed with joy at minor accomplishments, jumped up and down and danced to a special playlist...to keep me going. i've discovered the tucy in me.

the hustler. the hard worker.

and so i decided, instead of just talking about it....i was going to be about it.

i was going to do the darn thing. and not open my mouth...take a breath, or stop working until i did it.

and i did.

i've created something i'm so proud of, so inspired by that i feel it is a true expression of love. i'm so happy and fulfilled...so motivated.

i'm so happy to be alive...and to be doing what i love...

i love the "tucy" in me...the drive, the hard worker...the hustler that's going to go hard or go home.

i've learned one thing. 

apply continuous and constant pressure! keep pushing...you'll eventually break through!

cultivate, discover and become the "tucy" in you!

she's beautiful!

paz,

ki

thank you for being patient...and waiting for me to come up for air! i'm back, ready to work it and ready for the holidays! 12 days of cookies anyone?

look for a post of the new "line" tomorrow or sunday at the latest! if you can't wait, head on over to my etsy shop!

contemplating and charting new directions...

i've been a blogging bum. i know. but after a week or two of some heavy html coding...i needed a break! good news? i got an a in my web design class...yipee...and i did get an a on the website i had to create from scratch....what was it called? fromscratch. and yeap it featured my wannabe, one day, maybe, if ever, dream of opening a bakery.

but enough about that..

i'm feeling so inspired lately! so full of hope and ideas...

here's why:

i'm considering charting a new direction (not necessarily different) business wise. i really believe in myself...i believe that i can do something...substantial..feel sort of like i got something wonderful (at least to me) bottled up inside waiting to be thrown out into the world.

and, i believe so much...i want to put my name on it. if i give it my name, i'm giving it all of me. i'm giving it me. i can't abandon me. i have a few ideas of names that i'm pondering...one in particular that i lurve! but i'm going to wait before i share it...make sure i really want to do it.

so what's the new direction?

well...

first- i want to continue with making bags...yeah i get frustrated with it a lot of times...but i always return because i truly love making bags. period.

hand-stitched leather bag, "my art my truth" this is a standard "tooled leather" handbag pattern, so if this goes into production in my studio...i'll have to make it my own. there are some things i'd like to 

change about it, though i think its a cute little classic bag shape.

but, i think since i want to take it up a notch...i'm going to take it up a notch. i think i'm going to stray away from the quilted bags and focus on all leather bags. i love the vegans, heck i want to be one myself one day but, although i hate to admit it (because i am so sensitive now to animal rights) i love working with leather...it is a truly remarkable medium to work with...and i can't get around it.

i rationalize it in my head with the knowledge that the leather i purchase is a by-product of the meat industry. so the leather doesn't come first...the meat does. i feel using it in some way gives more gratitude to the animal that was sacrificed...by me making it into something beautiful. in one of my anthropology classes we studied north american indians and learned how much reverence they had for animals...yet they still used the leather...they saw throwing it away disrespectful...and i guess i take that view too. 

i've been working on some designs...and playing around with ways of coloring the leather that's outside of the norm. i got a ways to go..but that's okay...i've got lots of scraps to play with.

experimenting with painting leather...i want rich color! that i create/blend!

the large dr.'s bag...i'm obsessed with this particular shape of bags..my hands down favorite! i would make one and own one in every size...this is a large size, i'm going to make a small one too.

this is the "taco" bag till i get a proper name...its shaped like a taco..and soo roomy!

*this is a window into my designing process...make "muslins" in automotive vinyl (my f.i.l. is a car upolsterer and loves to give me big, gigantic, oil smelling rolls of vinyl, that are taller than me!...and some times scraps of leather...and heavy duty tools sometimes too!). the vinyl in a lot of ways mimic leather, but just lacks the structure that the veg tanned leather that i work with has...so these have no shape/structure...once made they'll be just like the leather one above...stitching and all! 

second- i've been smitten with shoe-making. true i've only made a pair, but i got as much pleasure out of making those boots as i've gotten from making bags...and painting. since that first pair, i've been looking at shoes in another light...and i've been able to visually see and understand how they're put together...and man does it make my heart skip a beat. like falling in love.

some of my shoe sketches...some for women, some for girls...or heck both! mother/daughter shoes anyone? can you tell i love mary janes, t-straps, flats and such? 

so i'm seriously, well more than that i'm setting out on a journey of making women's shoes and children's shoes. especially shoes for little girls. i'm so excited about the possibilities that i've not been able to sleep through the night...dreaming of was i can soul, protect and decorate feet. funny thing? i hate feet. no foot fetish here...not at all...maybe that's the thing...i want to cover them up.

and third- i'm realizing that it's nothing wrong with being an artist (painter/fabric artist) and artisan (shoemaker and bag designer). in fact i believe its just awesome. and while i'm at it...i may make some clothes too. i've come to the point that i see myself as my own one-woman boutique! if you walk into a boutique wouldn't it be awesome to see  many different "notes," many different things to ponder and consider...to appreciate?

golden paints...the bees knees of acrylic paints if you ask me. i've gotta do a post on this for all you acrylic painters out there...

the daniel smith 8-color quinacridone set...these colors will rock your world, i highly recommend them for your palette!

my collection of paints, cheap and expensive organized in this buffet drawer (which lives in my room). i use the "cheaper basic" paints for my gesso...i paint on all wood hand made panels...made by me!

a lot of you beautiful women (you know who you are!) that i've gotten to know love, here through blogging have got many different talents too, and you know what? i'm calling you out! your a walking boutique too! drop the fear, and do it all! it doesn't matter if it sells, if your not an etsy top seller, if you struggle getting it off the ground...none of that matters!

do it and do it all!

do you love it? do it!

does it make you feel good? do it!

does it make your heart sing? do it!

are you scared? do it!

are you unsure? do it!

just do it!

me and my sis, have been talking and as we always do...we've been pumping each other up...supporting and encouraging each other...and we've got an idea. we're holding each other accountable, we're keeping ourselves honest, we're making sure we stay focused, we're going to support, encourage, and promote each other...and guess what?

we want you!

we want you to join us, what are you trying to do? what's your dream? what's your goal? what's knocking in your heart trying to get out? well...now is your time to get support...to get held accountable, to be supported, encouraged...and promoted! 

all you beautiful women trying to reach a goal...join us!

what ever your goal...

school, home, work, entrepreneur, life, religion...whatever! what every you need support with we want to be there...we're thinking about creating a *small blog group sort of thing...where we check in to share our progress, get support, encourage each other, hold each other accountable, and encourage each other. a weekly or bi-weekly post that expresses where your at, what you need and how we can help. something simple. just a way where we can network, support and encourage each other. nothing to stress about, just a way to surround ourselves with the abundance of beautiful women out there believing in themselves.

so let's talk about it...let's discuss it...and let's get going ladies. we can do it!

(i know i'm corny)

but really, let's make it happen!

paz,

ki

(grey's anatomy is on...i gots to go!)

i *heart* easy e

i know...i'm suppose to *heart* my dh, but...

this morning i wake up to

this

he has been so deligent in helping me get my website up and running. he has committed to it, and has worked on it a little bit every day without any "honeydo's" from me.

i love him for it.

yesterday, i informed him that he will be my official manager/bookkeeper/acccountant/web publisher...
he happily agreed.

i love him for it.

i feel really good about where we are headed. from the first day i meet him, he's always told me his lifelong dream is to own and run his own business. i thought he'd be happy when i announced that i wanted to start que jimenez...but he wasn't really interrested in it. he has zero to negative interest in crafts and arts...outside of what i create i should say. so he has always told me this is your business ki, i'll help you with whatever you ask...because i'll help you with anything...but this is not the business i invisioned running...and honestly i have no interest in arts and crafts.

well, i think i am slowly winning him over.

i think i am getting him to see that this is our business...i may be the one creating the products, but together we create and run the business.

i cannot express to you how happy i am to have him on my team. since our begining year of dating...to marriage...and up to now...we are most happy when we are working together.

we absolutely love working together, and are a very good team. very good. very, very good.

we'd be the perfect couple for the amazing race, except for my sensitive stomach...and the fact that we will not leave our kids with no one.

can i tell you again how happy i am to be having him as a partner?

i invision many nights, weekends, and days with us working together...

okay...i'll stop driving home a mute point. you get it already.

about the website:

currently there are no things to sell, but that is only because i am working feverishly to get some things up and at them.
while not being able to sleep for about two hours in the wee morning, i know this cause i had to recylcle my heating pad...it cuts off after 90 minutes, i thought about how i am going to manage everything. and i had an ephiphany:

i need to view each location/vendor as its own store, with its own products.

let me clarify:

if i choose to sell on etsy, the stuff that i sell there will not be stuff that i sell at thurs. nite market. and vice versa.
if i choose to have a shopping cart on my website, those items will not be listed or available anywhere else but there, unless i change my mind of course.

in other words, i realized that i cannnot cross vend, or sale. each "vendor, i.e. etsy, market nights, brick and mortar store" will have its own products.

i can however, cross promote! ala' marthatstewart

i know this might seem like a duh thing...but it was really an aha moment...so to say.

when you think about trying to sell products in multiple places...including e-commerce, its easy for things to get complicated.

for instance, i was thinking, what doesn't sell thurs. night i can place in my etsy shop, or on my blog, or some other place....

wrong!

that would be a nightmare, constantly trying to move things around, and keep track of this and that.

on to other news,

i also figured out two other challenges:

1. business cards, and
2. what the hell to do with my gocco

lets tackle number one first;

i have business cards, but don't want to hand out my cellie digits to all of riverside...but i do want them to go to my website, or to email me if they are interrested in my products. challenge was that my business cards had my cellie, an email address i don't use, and no mention of my website.

solution: moo cards (sorry i'm too lazy to put in the links) through flickr, i will create moo cards that i can hand out on thurs. nights, and also place with future shipping orders. love it! (dragon tales voice). i can put the info i want...the picture i want...and they are cheap to boot! 100 for 19.99...

and number two;

i got all geeked up and asked for a gocco (again sorry for the lack of link...look through feb. archives) for my 30th b day...tried to make a four screen print...got all dirty and inked up...and hated the process...and felt i had wasted *alot* of money on a machine i didn't like using...and that i really had no purpose for. at least not at the time. i kept thinking about all the other things i could of bought with that money. *sigh*

solution: hangtags...and custom inside bag lables...and eventually custom quilt lables. i knew i could do these things when i bought it, but for some reason, i couldn't really see it because i hated using it so much. well, i realized that there is surely a difference between trying to do a four screen print...and a one screen simple print. *sigh*

i know this was a bit long but there are two reasons for this:

1. i need to keep a record of my thoughts because there are so many i loose track with what i am doing or suppose to be doing at times. so this is like my record.

2. i hope that this information, or some of the solutions i've figured out will help someother crafty moms trying to start a business...or just wanting to sell some stuff somewhere for the hell of it. i've received so much inspiration from the world wide web...its bought time i shove some back...and i'm glad to!!

in other news, if you are thinking about trying this week's breadclub recipe...try at your own risk...mines failed miserably...and i don't got the time right now to figure out why...

okay, so back to work i go...i got nine bags to finish up...and lots of hang tags and lables to create.

thanks for listening...and here's hoping you'll create something grand this week!

lots of love

paz,
ki