BKD Signature to Contribute to Exclusive Celebrity Gift Bag for Genevieve Gorder

Brianne Durkin, founder and owner of BKD Signature, in association with The Artisan Group, was recently selected to gift her premium handcrafted products in an exclusive collaborative gift bag prepared for celebrity TV designer Genevieve Gorder.  Ms. Durkin specially made Ms. Gorder one-of-a-kind pieces: a heart pendant necklace and a pair of rectangle earrings, assembled by Durkin using handmade glass tiles and beautiful Asian Chiyogami paper.

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Durkin has been a huge fan of Gorder’s for many years.  “I first saw Ms. Gorder when I was twelve, while watching the first season of Trading Spaces in 2000,” explains Durkin.  “Over the next eight years, I crossed my fingers before each episode hoping that Ms. Gorder would be one of the featured designers.  I love her design style, and think she has an amazing personality.  I dreamt that one day I would have the opportunity of meeting her or somehow connect with her.  I am absolutely ecstatic that my dream has come true twelve years later.”  Gorder will be receiving a heart shaped glass tile pendant necklace featuring the Whimsical Bubbly Flowers in Red and Gray Chiyogami paper and a pair of rectangle earrings featuring the Blue Bamboo Shoots Chiyogami paper.  Ms. Durkin feels the bold and colorful palette in these papers beautifully reflects the vibrant and soulful personality of Ms. Gorder.

Through The Artisan Group, Ms. Durkin gifted actress Kaley Cuoco an one-of-a-kind Chiyogami heart pendant and a Blue Winter pendant from her famous Love in Bloom Collection in July 2012.  In April 2012, she gifted celebrity chef Rachael Ray her Love in Bloom Collection, Kitties in Love pendant, and a Birthday Cake soy candle.

To learn more about BKD Signature’s glass tile jewelry and eco-friendly soy candles, or her participation in The Artisan Group's celebrity gifting initiatives, visit her Etsy shop at www.bkdsignature.com, her Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/BKDSignature, or email bkdsignature[at]gmail[dot]com.

Brianne Durkin, BKD Signature's sole proprietor, is a resident of Sacramento, CA, but is currently spending her time in Chico, CA while attending graduate school at California State University, Chico.  She established BKD Signature in February 2009, but has been crafting her whole life.  Her work can be found on Etsy at www.bkdsignature.com and Craft Café at http://craftcafe.co/shop/bkdsignature/.

  

For press inquiries regarding The Artisan Group, please visit http://www.theartisangroup.org or email press@theartisangroup.org.

Review of New Farm Hussy Scents

I was recently asked to review some newly released and yet-to-be-released scents over at Farm Hussy.  Now, if you've been following my blog and Facebook, you'd know how much I LOVE to gush over her products.  They are simply the best lotions and lip balms I've ever tried.  I've got several boxes full to make up my stockpile.  I am always eager to share her good products, and have gained several new customers for her.  I don't have to do much talking because these products speak for themselves!  Therefore, obviously, I was ecstatic to leap at the opportunity to test out some new scents.


It is important to note several things when reading reviews about scents, especially in handmade items.  First off, my sniffer may be very different than your sniffer.  The notes that your sniffer detects may be different than mine.  It may detect some notes more strongly than others, which may be different than mine.  Secondly, my body chemistry is certainly different than yours.  It will most likely change the affect the scent in a different manner than yours does.  Thirdly, these are simply my opinions, just a little something to keep in mind when purchasing.  There are several notes I do not like (patchouli, for example) that may in fact be your faves.  Feel free to take what you want from my reviews - they're for informational purposed only.  The bigger goal is to achieve happy sniffing! :)


Flower Child - Lovin' everyone under the sun is your motto.  Fresh cut lavender infused with patchouli, sandalwood, ylang, amber, violets and powdery tonka notes create your themed summer scent you'll remember forever.
My review: This is a new fave of mine (add this to Cherry Cow Chip and Gift Hog).  This smells like sandalwood and baby powder/floral to me.  Sandalwood is one of my fave notes - it's actually a scent memory trigger for me.  Ages ago, my family and I went on vacation to Seaside, CA and stayed at Seascape Resort.  I absolutely loved that vacay.  Not only are all the bath and body products in the resort scented sandalwood, but the beachside cliffs are full of it.  Now, I always associate the beach with the scent of sandalwood.  Added to that, I don't know why, but to me, hotels smell like cleaning and sandalwood.  That's what this scent reminds me of and I love it.


Chevre Noir (Black Sheep) - This delicate fragrance stands apart from the herd, with its lime/citrus top notes blended together with lavender, rose, wisteria and hyacinth and a soft dry down of powder and green apple.
My review: This is definitely one of my new faves, too!  This evokes scent memory for me so of course I gravitate towards it.  This smells like that favorite grandma or aunt you love seeing at the family gatherings.  A gently classic scent that stands the test of time.  I normally don't like citrus notes, but in this case they are balanced beautifully with the floral notes.  No one note outshines the other, but they complement each other nicely, sharing the stage in a wonderful symphony.


Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Jasmine - *Fresh type Pink Jasmine Precious pink petals sparkle with romantic notes of sweet blood red orange, floral blends of white lilac, magnolias (not steel ones), peony, freesia and tiare flowers kissed with peaches and marshmallow.
My review: There is actually a Star Jasmine plant at my house so I know what the flower smells like and it can be very pungent.  In the jar, this has some very strong floral notes and I wasn't so sure about it knowing what the plant is like.  But I knew I needed to try it before my final verdict as body chemistry has influence.  The scent ended up settling in much more softly on my skin, not overwhelming like I thought it'd be.  I very true smelling Star Jasmine scent without the pungent-ness (yes, made up that word).


A Pocketful of Posy's - This soft rose scent is brought to full bloom with petals of lily, ylang, gardenias and a hint of sandalwood and musk to create the perfect posy for your nosey!
My review: In the jar, this smells like sunscreen to me.  For some reason, when gardenia and ylang-ylang are blended together, that's the scent my nose picks up.  I have no idea why.  It smelled much nicer on my skin as the sandalwood and lily took more prominent roles.  I can attest this lives up to its name, a nice powdery floral scent, but this isn't much of a fave for my sniffer.  If your sniffer is a fan of wildflowers, this is a good one for you.


Butterfly Garden - A summer flutter of fragrance, dusted with magic wings of cherries and strawberries, sprinkled of lavender and roses, hyacinth and violets floating on a cloud of soft musk.
My review: I was really excited by the name and had high expectations.  Unfortunately, my sniffer didn't find this scent to be what it wanted.  The hyacinth and violet take center stage with the lavender and roses trying to squeeze in.  I can't smell the cherries or strawberries, which kind of saddens me because I think those notes would add a nicely sweet twist to it to make it perfect for my nose.  My sniffer is not really a fan of this one either, but perhaps your sniffer will be.


{{I still have more scents to review, but wanted to publish what I had so far.}}






Discloser: The opinions in this post are completely my own.  I received the product mentioned above so I could try it out and share an honest opinion with you.  The best way to find out if these scents work for you is to buy some samples and try them out yourself! :)