More Texture

You guys know, a photographer, I'm not, but here are a couple more pix of textured tops. This one was from a silicone mat that is supposed to be used for wedding cakes, I love the intricate detail. I then brushed the top with some mica to make the details stand out more.

The next one was inspired by an awesome soaper out of Africa, she does the most gorgeous work! Anyhow, some of her work inspired this one. I bent a wire into a heart shape, dipped it in mica and then when the soap was the right consistency, gently dipped the wire, and it left these sweet little raised pink hearts!

And last but not least, this pretty top that was simply mica in olive oil and gently swirled when the soap was just poured.

I've been having a lot of fun playing with textured tops, not done yet!

few changes

I have a couple of soaps that are not performing up to my expectations so they will be getting discontinued, so fair warning for lovers of Luna, Eucalyptus Mint and Hoopla. The good news is that I will now have room for Bella Rose, which has been a Limited Edition a couple of times and you guys love that one, so you'll be delighted to see it soon! It's a blend of Rose and Lavender with a pretty swirl of color. Changes, gotta make 'em, but it's a good thing!

McCauley Display

I just delivered some soap to McCauley Olive Oil and this is the display they are using for our soap now. I love that it's so easy to see all the different kinds of soap and they're really easy to grab, it's very colorful and I love that it's so close to the checkout area too! Isn't it cute?

Meeting a new "soap sister"

One of the things I love best, about what I do for a living is the people involved in this way of life. From the crazy vendors I work with (we are really group of traveling gypsies! But we are also family) to the customers that become friends over the years, to the other people that are also soapmakers. The thing that I always think is so cool is that, by and large, it's more of a sisterhood/brotherhood, than a cut-throat type of existence. We will often share sources, or go in on supplies together to get the best price, and most of all, we are there for one another through the successes and failures. There are truly no real failures, because everything is a learning experience, so you still get to take something away. So today was great fun because I got to meet a new soap-sister! (Hey "C"). She's at the begining of the journey and I am so excited for the road ahead. I know she'll have so much fun discovering new techniques, favorite scent blends, suppliers and all the other good things that come with being a soapmaker. One of the things she'll get to decide, is if she wants to sell her soap online, venues like Etsy, Meylah or any of the others, there are so many out there. This leads to my hgelpful hint of the day. If you sell online, taking good, crisp pictures is imperative. Your customers can't touch or smell what they're looking at, so your pictures are all they have to go by. Here's a cool site that will help you edit your pictures. www.fotofuze.com You can see from this picture, the background has been removed and it looks pretty cool! Another fun one is www.picmonkey.com and you can do all sorts of neat stuff with that one! So after 14 years of doing this, I am still loving what I do, and loving that I can share information with my new "sister". Any of you that are thinking about making soap, DO IT! And welcome to the family!

Before Picture

New Labels

I love to design labels for the soap when I get some extra time. I am loving the new Murray label. I also did Red Clover Tea and Black tea and Rose, I love anything vintage and this is reflected in these labels. Murray is my fave though!

Texture

So you guys know the way I make my Honey Shea Bars? The top looks like honey comb? I thought I'd do some other expiramenting and used some Texture Sheets and they came out pretty cool. The pictures are less than perfect as my camera didn't want to focus, but you can see the cool affect I achieved. All I did was cut the Texture sheets to fit the bottom of my mold and when the soap is done, the bottom is the top! I will be expiramenting with some other textures, fun to try new things! By the way, you can get your own texture sheets at clay/pottery type stores.

Newest Banner

It occured to me that the banner I am using doesn't mention the Soy Candles and just having it there can make a difference. People are funny, they don't want to get too close to see what you have, it's like they're commited or something, anyhow, this will draw the lovers of amazing fragrance over! I hope you can see all the detail. By the way I had it done at Fastsigns in Antioch and they were great!