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Archive for the ‘In The Soap Shop’ Category

Country Home Crafts

Posted in In The Soap Shop, tagged , on October 30, 2009| 6 Comments »

Country Home Crafts Display

This week I restocked gift sets in a retail store where I sell products, Country Home Crafts in Hillsboro, Ohio. 

In July I posted photos of my soap making studio here and here, today I want to share with you photos from the retail shop.  Much to my disappointment the camera on my phone was being stubborn!

Country Home Crafts is a wonderful rustic/country shop.  They make primitive furniture on the premises, made to order, with many pieces on display as well.  In addition to the furniture, a handful of crafters, like myself, place their beautiful handcrafted handbags, candles, and linens.

The top photo in this post is located on the left side of my display.  Notice the Christmas gift tags on the sets.  I am adding a few additions for the holidays to my packaging this year, such as, red and green raffia, Christmas gift tags, and in some cases red or green tissue paper.  Very simple, pretty.  Want a laugh? I am horrible with tissue paper! I am much better with excelsier and pretty bows and ties! When I use tissue paper in a gift set, I stand back and look at my work and wonder, did a 5 year old do that? Not my cup of tea!

The next photo (below) is the hutch I originally started my product display in, and still do. 

 Goat Milk Soap Display

Below is the right side of my display area.  My products are worked in with quaint hand towels, quilted and heritage printed linens, and rustic/country bathroom accessories.  A bit messy in this photo…but the holiday switch over (decorating) is under way as I write.  I love the rustic bench, crates, and enamel dish pans. 

Country Home Crafts Display II

I thought you might enjoy seeing my section of the store.  I have been at this retail location now for 9 months.  It was the first place I wanted to get into, and am very proud to be a part of their shop.  It is rustic, quaint, country, and beautiful.  Love it.

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Confetti Handcrafted Soap

Posted in In The Soap Shop, Products, tagged , on October 27, 2009| 6 Comments »

Confetti Soap

Handcrafted Confetti Soap

 
I have been having fun with soap bases.  What are soap bases? Ready made soap.  The crafter cuts and melts the soap, adds their own touches, and pours the soap into a mold(s).  Shortly thereafter bars of soap are ready to use.
 
Honestly, I am having a difficult time wrapping my mind around the idea that I am experimenting with “melt and pour” soap.  I treasure the idea of making goat milk soap from scratch, watching it transition from a harsh formula, to one that is so mild and beautiful on the curing rack.  Crafting soap the old-fashioned way.  I will not be giving that up.
 
So, why am I working with a pre-made base? First, to create affordable soaps, focused on the holidays.  Secondly, for the fun creativity.
 
The confetti bar is an excellent quality shea butter soap (unscented) embedded with goat milk soap chips (cherries and berries, lemongrass poppyseed, and a touch of peppermint and juniper grass).  The soap lathers well and smells terrific.  The scent does not pop out at the first sniff.  Start lathering, the terrific scent is released! And it is pretty!
 
I have been testing the confetti bars.   My main concern was that the chips would loosen from the bar of soap.  Test results:  the goat milk soap chips remain embedded in the soap as the bar is being used.  Yes!
 
Additional photos of handcrafted soaps (soaps to be added to my online store by the end of this week):  
 
Handcrafted Soap

Handcrafted Soap (Confetti, Tangerine Grapefruit, Tutti Fruity)

It has been busy on our farm.  I am happily stirring up goat milk soap in the shop.  And, my husband and I continue building the base for a small business that will utilize his hard-earned skills.  For very brief moments I have felt weary, but…I take a deep breath, appreciate life, relax the shoulders, ease the facial muscles…and…find that life is beautiful, such a gift! I love it.  We are blessed.

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind  your own business, and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of  outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.   1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

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Goat Milk Products For Troubled Skin

Posted in In The Soap Shop, Products, tagged , on October 22, 2009| 4 Comments »

Confetti Goat Milk Soap

I am listening.  People are telling me that skin problems, such as dry and sensitive skin, and eczema, have improved greatly since using my goat milk soaps and lotions.  

I cannot claim that my products clear or improve a skin condition.  If I did so, I would no longer be selling bars that are considered soaps, or lotions that are considered a cosmetic.  Instead, I would be selling drugs or medications.  I do not want to step down that path.

So, relying on word of mouth, testimonials (from clients and a physician), unsolicited feedback, there is definitely something to be said about my goat milk soap and lotions. 

The most popular items for extremely sensitive skin have been honey oatmeal goat milk soap and any of the unscented goat milk lotions.

Word of mouth, worth its weight in gold.  And I thank you!

By the way…the soap in the photo is something I have been experimenting with.  The photo was taken early yesterday as the sun began to stream through the window.  Pretty? I think so.  Smells wonderful.  I cannot disclose details yet.  Soon!

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Busy In The Shop

Posted in In The Soap Shop, tagged on October 8, 2009| 4 Comments »

Hello!

I have been working at keeping the ball rolling in the shop, at the retail location, and in the office. So far, I have it in the bag!

Regarding the blog…I have had a real sorry case of, “What do I write about?” Thankfully, when that happens I know better than just to slap on a post!

Today I added new soap gift sets to the website. I plan to offer holiday packaging in the next several weeks. My retail location asked me to hold off until the last week of October. I am planning everything around that.

Anyone else suffering from major allergies this season? My last major bout was in 2001. The husband and I are both downing the Allegra this season!

I am hopeful this post and the attached photo publish. I am writing from my phone. The rain clouds are heavy enough to block my Internet signal! Glad to have the opportunity to at least phone-write!

The fall rainy season has arrived!! Do you love hearing it too?

pic 0103

Goat Milk Soap Set

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De-Cluttering The Soap Shop

Posted in In The Soap Shop, tagged , on October 2, 2009| 7 Comments »

Whoa...don't order more boxes!

Whoa...don't order more boxes!

Please do not tell the U.S. Postal Service…oh, oh…I am broadcasting this on the Internet, too late! Snicker.

The packaging area of my shop was becoming way too cluttered.  It had reached the proportions of not knowing what types of boxes I had on hand.  The priority mail boxes have now been sorted.  Way too many on hand is the conclusion I drew! But now I can package orders very well again.  The old storage system was no longer staying organized. 

But wait…

More boxes???

More boxes???

I found more boxes.  Flat rate priority boxes.  See what I mean? The US Postage Service might be putting me on hold.  The boxes are free, and I will eventually use them, but something tells me I have enough. 

It feels good to have the shipping area organized again! I can ship without wading and sorting through oodles of crates, boxes and packages.

On to prettier things…

Goat Milk Soap Curing

Goat Milk Soap Curing

I had not taken one of these pictures in a while…one of the curing racks, smelling and looking great.  I see rose, patchouli blend, sandalwood blend, honeysuckle, honey oatmeal, and cedarwood blend. 

And still to come…

 

Soy Votives and Wax Tarts

Soy Votives and Wax Tarts

I am preparing sets of soy votive and wax tarts, soon to be placed on the website.  I will definitely make an announcement here when the sets are ready.

So…that was my day, I made soap, fed the goats, and then I came back and organized the shop.  It felt fantastic to find new space!

Have a wonderful day!

”Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.” –Thomas A. Edison

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How We Process Scent

Posted in In The Soap Shop, tagged , , on September 24, 2009| 12 Comments »

romantic_perfume www.sxc.hu

I recently did a study on scent.  I thought I would learn additional fragrance blending methods, taking the skills to the shop with me.  I picked up on more than that.  Very interesting!

How does a person detect scent? We breathe in tiny molecules that carry scent.  The molecules travel through our nose, landing on receptors that are on a direct path to our brain (our olfactory system).   No other sense is detected directly by the brain as is the sense of smell!

We are constantly alert to scent, we live by it.  We smell food cooking and we get hungry.  We smell smoke and we instantly think danger! The nose is always at work. 

Scent is closely attached to memory.  This experience can be good, and for some, a particular scent brings forward memories that they might particularly want to bury.  From a very early age, our memories are glued to particular scents.  This, in turn, directly affects our moods!

Walk into a pristine drug store.  Have you noticed the scent that wafts past your head as you enter the doors? It is piped in…piped in to make us feel comfortable, taken care of, creating a mood that makes us feel good about buying products from that particular store.

But…scent isn’t just about what our nose smells, nor is it all about memory.  It can also bring forward exact physical reactions within our bodies.  Essential oils contain types of molecules that our bodies easily process.  We breathe in the scent directly from an essential oil, picking up the molecules.  The molecules travel to our lungs.  A physical process transpires as our lungs begin to absorb what we have inhaled.  As we absorb, the physical reaction that occurs is related to the properties of that particular essential oil.  Take lavender, for example, calming and relaxing.  A safe calm, without drugs.  It makes a person think! It also brings forward a good reminder, when working with pure essential oils, know your allergies and special medical conditions.

And lastly, speaking of scent, how does an animal detect our thoughts (such as fear)? They can smell it! Yes, they can.  Our noses, as humans, cannot detect subtle hormonal or adrenalyn changes that are released (the odor of our body changes) when we become frightened or excited, but an animal can detect the tiniest of change.  When we say animals have a sixth sense, literally, could it be that they simply have a keener sense of smell? It is definitely something to consider!

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Fragrance Blending

Posted in In The Soap Shop, tagged , , on September 10, 2009| 11 Comments »

 

Fragrance Blending Supplies
Fragrance Blending Supplies

Did you know the human sense of smell is 10,000 times stronger than any other sense we have? Amazing fact! And we love to savor our world with our noses…from our fresh brewed morning coffee, to our dishsoap, shampoo, hair spray, cleaning supplies, and it even extends to the delicious aromas of the food we consume. 

As I waited for the oils to cool down for the goat milk soap I made today, I satisfied my love for scent by working on some fragrance blending.  I am NO master perfume blender! I am self-taught from reading piles of books.  I have fun with blending.

My fragrance blending supplies consist of:

Blotter paper, glass eye droppers, essential oils (fragrance oils as a last resort), and alcohol to clean the droppers (to prevent contamination from bottle to bottle).  If I do not have blotter paper on hand I cut up coffee filters.  Yes, inexpensive coffee filters!

The Body of a Perfume or Fragrance Blend:

When describing a scent or blend, perfumers often use the term “notes.”  Notes are directly related to the evaporation rate of a single fragrance (or a group, or bouquet of fragrances that bond) within a blend. 

The base note, for example, can last for hours (or days) on the skin.  A base note evaporates very slowly.  Base note fragrances are often dark and thick, like patchouli or sandalwood.

The middle note can last up to 3 hours.  The middle note normally rounds out, or binds the fragrance blend. 

The top note is very short lived.  It normally lasts about 30 minutes.

How I Blend:

When I decide what “mood” or thought I am trying to project, I select oils that compliment the “painting” (ex:  juniper-sweet or musky, lavender-relaxing and clean, orange-uplifting).  I called it “painting” because the creation of fragrance blends does feel very much like artwork!

I begin by adding my base notes to the blotter paper.  Depending upon the intensity of the essential oil, I add a few drops at a time.  I then move on to the middle note.  Again, adding a few drops at a time.  Once I have obtained the desired effect, I move on to the top note, adding a few drops at a time.  I always take notes…notes are a must!

I end up carrying the blends with me throughout the day.  It is a good way to know whether I will love a blend, or be sickened by it! Today, in my left pocket (fragranced blotter paper wrapped in wax paper), is my holiday blend.  It contains a little cedar, vanilla, frankincense, orange and juniper.  In my right pocket is a lavender, citrus, cinnamon and anise blend.  I smell pretty aromatic today! The blends are getting the benefit of my body heat, helping the scents to bloom.  And, I enjoy checking the blend throughout the day to see how the notes change, and they do!

So, there you have it, basic perfuming 101…Mary Humphrey style!

I wish you had sniff-a-vision!!! These blends make me think about the natural potpourri that I used to find in a little shop in Nashville, Indiana.  Talking about scent and memories…another blog post!!

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My Interest In Soap Began Here

Posted in In The Soap Shop, tagged , on September 1, 2009| 16 Comments »

The Conner House

The Conner House

This is the exact place where I fell in love with soap.  The Conner House, located on the Conner Prairie Farm, in Fishers, Indiana. 

I was 7 years old, on a grade school field trip.  I was mesmerized by the house, the farm, the outbuildings where hand dipped candles and other items were made, including the smokehouse and blacksmith shop.  I especially loved the large hearths in the house that held big black kettles.  And, the imperfect glass panes in the house windows were beautiful! Before my group left the farm (and it was sad for me to walk away), we visited the farm store, where my souvinier money was carefully spent on a primitive hand formed ball of soap.  The soap balls were displayed in a metal wash tub.  The type of tub people would take a bath in, or perhaps people would hand wash their laundry in.  From that moment forward, I started collecting soap. 

A collection of soap as a child? Yes! Moving forward in time, visions of me at 16 years old, still buying bars of soap here and there.  It might have been Avon soap, tar soap, cucumber soap, oatmeal soap, it did not matter.  It was soap, and each bar was unique!

Conner Prairie, based on the pictorial I just looked at, is quite the tourist stop now.  It is not as quaint as it was when I was in the 2nd grade! I remember a garden, a house, and a few outbuildings.  From what I can see, their amenities now include a modern museum, and even a Facebook page.  I will ignore all of that and stick with my memories! 44 years later, Conner Prairie is embedded in my being.

I am glad I stuck with soap, and that something so beautiful inspired me.  I have always wanted to step back into the pioneer days.  I am not sure I want to live there permanently, but the fascination is definitely a part of who I am.  I suppose that is also why I am so dead set on making soap the old fashioned way, with lye, and with having to wait 4-6 weeks before the bars are cured.  And I am so dead set on testing the bars myself to make sure they are soothing to the skin, enjoyable. My soap either passes my expectations, or it doesn’t get sold.  It means a lot to me to provide quality products! And those products come from a very long love for soap (and visions of the past), and I am still very much inspired!

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Tuesday’s Soap Menu

Posted in In The Soap Shop, tagged on August 11, 2009| 4 Comments »

 

Lavender Rosemary Goat Milk Soap

 

In today’s soap pot was lavender rosemary.  

This soap reminds me of the first all natural soap that I bought for myself! It was yellow to tan in color and the smell was to die for.  Just by the looks and the scent I knew goodness was spilling out from those bars! Essential oils do something for me.  It is as if they spark my energy and my thought processes, and always my memory (but I cannot quite place it).  I absolutely love working with essential oils!

Apron I

Have I said that I also love to sew? I wear this simple apron in the soap shop, and sometimes in the kitchen.  Of course, I had to use funky country fabric, and red ric-rac on the pockets! It was not difficult to make.  It loops over the neck and ties at the side.  The pockets help me with carrying keys, the mobile phone, or anything else that I like to keep close at hand. 

I do not sew often.  Sewing is one of those projects where I throw the hands up and say, “What can I do in my life? What do I really have time to do?” Sewing is not something that I can fit in easily.  I love to cook as well.  When I cook from scratch I toss in a little of this, a pinch of that, and generally it comes out pretty darn good.  I would love a gourmet kitchen (even though I am tickled and satisfied with the one that I have), but again, we only have 24 hours to a day and only so much time to devote to the things that we elect to do! 

 

Apron

A side view, simple ties, simple lines.

Enjoy your day!

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Wax Colors and Scents

Posted in In The Soap Shop, tagged , , , on August 4, 2009| 3 Comments »

Tarts and Candles 002I cannot say this enough.  I have always loved fragrance, but I am not sure I have said how much I love color.

My home is filled with muted colors such as greens (my kitchen is a muted olive green), cranberry, and tan hues.  I have a starters collection of Fiesta dishes (some antique, some new straight out of the box).  Again, beautiful greens, dark reds, blues, and golds.

I took art classes through my high school career.  When the teacher asked for something creative, I sculpted a huge tooth.  A tooth? Well, I liked it.  I did a lot of  “wow man” posters too.  A lot of bright color involved.  I loved the mosaics, and one day, I just have to try my hand at stained glass!

As I grew older I wanted to paint with oils.  I tried oils and watercolors, no real talent erupted from that endeavor. 

I have painted a small bit on country type of wood pieces, using the small bottles of craft paint.  Loved it.  Mixed colors, loved it.  In fact, I have a string of hearts and stars, painted in a rustic manner, hung across my kitchen curtains.

What am I getting at? I am mixing and matching candle dye now.  I am so excited, no matter how tired I am I find myself experimenting.  I experimented with colorants in the soaps, and I still use some, but I like it more in the candles.  The soaps can have other skin-loving creativity added, we will keep most of the color ideas for the hot wax!

The scents today are lilac, yuzu, lily of the valley, honeysuckle, and cherries &  berries (to match the sister soap).  And the colors are much more muted.  I like them, especially the periwinkle blue (which was going to be lilac, but love the outcome).

I need to pick up a few new fragrances.  Essential oils are not usually a good mix with candles.  I need to find good matches to some of my favorite essential oils.  Lavender will be a lovely candle!

Kathy, I thank you for your gift set idea.  I am rolling around with some thoughts very similar to what you suggested.  Kathy has recently made some beautiful bottles of infused lavender oil, you need to visit her blog today, Spot On Cedar Pond, to see how beautiful they are!

Back to thinking about candles and packaging…

Have a wonderful Tuesday afternoon!

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