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A Soap A Day Project: Day 22

I had so much that I was going to say and I forgot it all because I am in a food coma! It makes me a little ashamed just to say it. Consuming large amounts of food with friends and family always seems like a good idea on the holidays and then I think about the ever growing waste line, and waste in general in Rich countries and I get a little upset at myself! Oh well! I will just have to do some hard manual labor in the next couple of days to justify the 200g + of protein I ate today. Next year I am going to take it easier on the eating and focus more on the patriotic songs and parades and being thankful that I have my loved ones and my freedom!

I also think that I am getting sick (may be cause for the sarcasm). The throat is feeling a little scratchy and the ears are a bit sore. Bleh! A friend of mine just had his gall badder removed. He looks like hell (sorry friend) and is in serious pain, not to mention he can't pick up his 4 month old baby for 2-3 weeks. I think I can deal with a little cold and will try to not feel sorry for myself when it starts getting worse!

So, in lighter news, I am happy with this soap! I have been struggling with how to achieve the concept and ended up wrecking a cheapo basic square mold to get this done - totally worth it! The execution isn't perfect and will be revisited, but the proof of concept was a success!

 Hooray for Helvetica!

A Soap A Day Project: Day 18

More on the Mother of Pearl theme! I actually made these little embeds in Washington and brought them back on the plane with me! They are in clear soap and it is double sided!

I like the subtle pastel and white in clear. It reminds me that I have been wanting to do some white on white compositions in oil paint! I have a few statues, vases, plates, and decorative objects in white so maybe this weekend I will set up a still life and get to it!

White on white compositions always interest me! You really get to see how light effects color and depending on the source, white on white compositions can be in shades of grey or have other hints of color. I just love the pallets you get!

A Soap A Day Project: Day 16

Leftover soap CP cupcakes. I am taking the recycling to the extreme!

So Tired! Going to bed!

Annoyed that dew is forming on my soap INSIDE of the shrink wrap! Bleh!

A Soap A Day Project: Day 15

 

Soap From Friday! This actually took the weekend to make. The reason: I was making it in between other production so I only had time to pour one color each hour. Making just one soap like this is actually more difficult than making a whole loaf. In a loaf mold this would be a cross section, but because this was the flat top of one soap, I had to pour the color, then cut a strip and pour color next to it, then cut, then pour, then cut, and so on.

So, the whole time I was making this I was thinking about how inefficient it was to create. Efficiency is not the point of this project so I wasn't worried about that, but all weekend I thought about ways to make my processes more efficient so I can produce more with the same or fewer resources, including less man power, simpler but equally as gorgeous design, less time, and less packaging. I especially focused on packaging and resources as they are my little hang up with making soap.


Water: I think I can save 75% - 80%!
Water is a HUGE concern for me. We are so wasteful with potable water! I live in a dessert and people here want to make it look like the UK with all the grass and other water sucking plants that we maintain. My husband and I rent a house and it has a lawn which makes me a little sick. REALLY! There isn't much I can do about it except let it go brown and dormant during the summer, which I do, and which annoys my neighbors. Oh, well, I am not wasting 100 gallons of drinking water a week to maintain a lawn that I don't use and that shouldn't be planted here anyway. When I see hug complexes with rolling emerald patches of lawn it hurts me inside. REALLY!

I currently use too much water to wash soap making dishes. How can I run the water less?
1) Soak, melt and pour melting containers immediately when the soap is still liquid. Run the sponge over them to clean with the soaking water and then rinse quickly! Or, let the soap set up a little then peel it out of the container so there is less to wash.
2) For Cold Process, soak the utensils in soapy water and again, clean off with the soaking water then rinse quickly.
This is all to prevent me running the water as I am scrubbing with the sponge.
3) For the Cold Process pots, let them sit overnight until the soap sets up and then scrape most of it off. They can then be soaked and cleaned with the method above, but I can do it outside over the lawn and ornamental plants. I have done this before when soaping in 5 gallon buckets and the soap doesn't seem to harm the plants so I am just going to to this with ALL of my CP batches. I am going to say this will keep the tap off 75% - 80% more than it currently is!

This will take more time, and I will need more pots and containers as some will have soap setting up in them when I need a pot for a new batch of soap. Saving potable water is worth a little extra time, but I can still be productive while pots and containers are soaking. As with everything it will be more efficient in an assembly line fashion so I will just make washing an assembly line task!

Packaging is the next task to overhaul! I am moving towards all biodegradable and less less less! Stay Tuned!

A Soap A Day Project: Day 14

When I was a kid I thought I was so smart! All of the smart people on TV, and grown ups at my grandparents house knew how to play chess. I was saying some arrogant little kid thing to an adult about how I knew how to play chess and that made me smart, and I forget who had to break it to me that I was actually playing checkers! It was a cruel day!

A Soap A Day Project: Day 13

I like working with all clear soap and brightly colored embeds! Gotta LOVE clear M&P!

Ok, I have officially lost track - I have random bars of soap laying around that I have to take pictures of! Not that it is that hard - the pics are all pretty standard! This is the soap I made for Wednesday so I guess I am only a day behind.

This soap really made me mad! I had thin little delicate strips of soap cut and I could not for the life of me get them to stay upright in the mold so they all fell over! My big clumsy fingers got in the way, I tried tweezers but my hands weren't steady enough. It could be that it was about 2 hours past my bedtime once I was finished with this. Also, once I poured the clear soap all the embeds moved out of place. You probably can't really tell but there should have been thinner stripes and more of them, very carefully placed in straight rows. I am going to try this one again for sure!

So I am a day behind and I find myself working on things for too long, in order to get a result that may not be better. This is a pattern! I spent a really long time researching new packaging yesterday rather than filling my last order for the week so now I am going to have to work for part of tomorrow. I don't NEED to redo my packaging but I NEED to make soap for my customers! I was just more interested in the packaging at the time! Silly me! FOCUS FOCUS!

A Soap A Day Project: Day 8

I was fortunate enough to be able to continue this project while on the road visiting Bramble Berry and Otion! It got a little banged up in transit home! The inspiration is pretty self explanatory - traveling!

A Soap A Day Project: Day 7

I am doubling up on soap posts today since the light went down yesterday and I couldn't get my pictures taken! I do all of my photos in natural light so if I don't do it early the light gets lost! This is a visual representation of the all day headache I had yesterday. :) WARNING: Don't stare too long! I definitely got out of my comfort zone with the bright neon colors but I like it!

 I love how the backing pink color creates a neon glow in the white soap dish!

NOTE: I am traveling until Monday but hope to still do my Soap A Day but I may have to post all of them when I get back. I will try and post quick pictures from my phone on my Facebook page!

A Soap A Day Project: Day 6

Monday was more inspiration from home decor!

A Soap A Day Project: Day 5

I took Saturday off and found it hard to get the energy to take a picture of yesterdays soap! Mondays are always a bit of a drag for me! I was pressed for time after my helper left and production was complete, but I did get to visit one of the shops I had on my list and I left my business card and a price list. The clerk had no control over ordering and said she would send the info to the owner of the store but she was nice in the brief chat I had with her. I had to fight hard to make contact but I did it and feel a little bit better about going around to more shops! Here is the soap for Sunday. I was inspired by my shower curtain of all things! :)~

A Soap A Day Project: Day 4

Today is all about facing some fears. My BIG plan for the day was to go around town visiting some boutiques to get a feel for what they are selling, what people are buying, and to target potential retailers. This soap I made yesterday was all about me (little blue dot) breaking out of the fears and distractions. I sit in a comfortable little place all cozy, filled with soap to make and scrubs to whip up but unless I want to become a soap hoarder, I have to break free and sell, sell, sell.

After a night of hanging out with friends I got up late, made a list of boutiques I want to visit and then, made a bird bath, read a little, watched some TV, and took a picture of this soap but did not go around town as I had planned.

I realized that I have a big fear of talking to people. My hubby and I had a really great talk about this today and I realized that I am so afraid that people won't like me that I either don't talk to them, or I am totally fake when I do. (Just a side note, my husband is the smartest person I know and he is a wonderful person to talk to for advice so I may give him cred a lot.) Ok, so I either don't talk, OR I try to make witty remarks to get a laugh, or I interrupt people to draw attention to myself, or I just talk about myself at length with no gaps. Again, that may not be the consensus that others get from me, but in my own head that is what I do. I have thought long and hard about where this behavior comes from but that is another story. So, you can imagine my mind set having to go into an already nervous situation like talking about my products or casually mentioning that I have some "product that I think would be a great fit for your store". I am a wreck! I don't think I am alone in this. I am sure most people would have fears about it.

I have regrouped and the plan is to attack it Monday when there will be better parking if I have to go back to get samples and promotional materials, and I will feel less intimidated in shops teaming with customers and employees who have more pressing things to attend to than someone trying to pimp a product.

My mantra for this task:
Just be yourself
You have awesome products
You are ok with rejection

If anyone has had and experience, good or bad, approaching retailers please share! I want to know how you did it and what fears, if any,  you may have had and how you overcame them!

A Soap A Day Project: Day 3

Loving the neon green with the dark peach color combo!

I tried a new technique with this one and it isn't what I visualized in my head but that is ok! I am not sure what I was thinking with the strips in the background. Sometimes I just don't know when to stop and have to learn to let things be! The technique I used on the first two would have been better so I will switch back to that and keep this in the back of my mind for when it is needed.

This just reminds me that I have to focus on what I am good at! I strayed last night and tried making some bath bombs and I was having a hard time with the press I was using. (The recipe was fabulous though!) Mind you, I am going to get it right eventually and add them to my line eventually but I can keep the project close and bring it out when I get a marketing strategy in full swing! I have a little adventure to find some local retailers I am embarking on tomorrow and I will tell you all about it!

Do any of you have a technique for approaching Local Retailers that you would like to share?

In the mean time I am trying to do one thing a day to promote my business and am trying to get better at my customer service! Those of you who get an email back a week or two later know what I am talking about!

A side note - there is a reason I have suddenly started stressing about my business but I will tell that story later. :)

So far these posts have gotten a great response! I hope to keep em' coming!

A Soap A Day Project: Day 2

 

These circles are so small that the were about the size of my finger tip!

I already almost failed! This soap, supposed to be finished yesterday, got finished this morning because I really had to get to bed last night. I was just too tired! I did stay awake for another hour reading one of my Dresden novels. When I closed my eyes I wondered if I could have kept going with the soap and was just lazy, or if stopping was the right thing to do to give myself time to wind down. We can't always work at 100%, 100% of the time. You will probably be more productive working at 100% in short bursts and then giving yourself sufficient time to recover.

New soap available and on sale!

Just a quick note - the new Bathtub Brew and lavender Lime Soda are now available and on sale until July 10th for $5.50 per bar! Click here to buy!

I also sent out a newsletter with an exclusive sale for subscribers - be sure to sign up by July 10th to catch the sale!
( see sign up form on the right side bar)

The Art of Soap - a book by Debbie Chialtas of Soapylove

I am constantly amazed by how much people love soap! I get emails, chats and posts on my Facebook fan page from lovers of soap, users with new appreciation and budding soapmakers looking for advice, all praising the idea of soap and the process of making it. Since its invention soap has been here to stay. Soap, that utilitarian staple of human cleanliness (modern usage also for cats and dogs), that modest brick in standard scents like “Dove” and “Irish Spring”. After entering the world of soap making almost four years ago, I felt like I was stepping into the beginning of a soap revolution. I have watched soap making evolve into an exploration of custom fragrances, exotic and ancient ingredients, and wild to mild colors, with soap makers pushing the boundaries of artistic soap design, each with a unique visual perspective – an intimate expression of themselves. After all, as soap makers don’t we all dream of making what we ultimately would like to bathe with?

Soap is no longer modest but is screaming to be front and center.

A woman at the forefront of this soap revolution is Debbie Chialtas of Soapylove, a good friend and a master artisan of glycerin soap. She has conceived an idea in the process of fruition. A book dedicated to the varying aesthetics in soap and the stories behind the bars. Simply: The Art of Soap. When she asked me to photograph the book I didn’t hesitate.

Follow the progress of the book here: http://theartofsoapbook.blogspot.com/

You can see Debbie's amazing soaps here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/soapylove/

Debbie's blog: http://soapylove.blogspot.com/

Castile soaps are back!

Soap made with 100% Olive oil is a most gentle soap, is a hard long lasting bar and has a creamy soft silky lather! These soaps get praise from my clients so I am once again offering the Unscented Castile and the Lemon Geranium Facial soap in addition to my Tea Tree facial soap. All three are made with Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and are 100% natural.

find them in my shop!

For oily skin I recommend the Tea tree soap or the Lemon Geranium
For normal/combination skin I recommend the Lemon Geranium or Unscented castile
For dry skin I recommend the Unscented castile

 Traditional Castile Soap

The Geranium facial soap has been revamped to include ground oatmeal ground calendula for a gentle exfoliation and lemon essential oil to brighten the skin. I also added honey, a humectant, and pink clay to help draw toxins out of your skin.

 Lemon Geranium facial soap

For the face I recommend to lather the soap on and let it sit for a minute before rinsing so the ingredients have time to do their magic! Be sure to wash your face with cold water. Hot water will strip moisture from your skin. To finish apply two drops of extra virgin olive oil to a cotton pad and smooth over face. Use your fingers to rub it in!

Tea Tree Facial Soap

Olive oil has been used for thousands of years as a skin ointment and modern science tells us that indeed olive oil is beneficial for the skin whether applied or ingested. Olive oil is rich in antioxidants including Vitamin E, Vitamin A and Hydroxytyrosol, said to slow the aging process by stabilizing the cell plasma membrane with can break down as we age*.

Though I do promote these as facial soaps they are wonderful for the whole body! Enjoy!

*sources

Shave Sets are back in time for your Sweetheart!

Just a quick update - The Men's Shave Sets are back! Heather at Muds Evolution Pottery has outdone herself again with this newest batch of mugs in a variety of rich colors! You get the shave mug shown in the listing, your choice of shave soap in tart Grapefruit, Kumquat, Sandalwood or Wasabi, and a boar hair shave brush all in a gift box!  $35.00 at Naiad Soap Arts

Stamp Happy

I did say I wasn't going to do any work Sunday. Oh, come on, I just got this new custom soap stamp from Soap Impressions, I had a box of soap fresh off of cure, how could I not do any work on Sunday!

Soap stamps are a great way to let your customer know where they got the soap they love so much (or hate so much I suppose) after they have recycled the packaging. Your stamped soap will show for a few washes giving the customer time to remember your company name. Also, I think they make the soap look professional and complete. (and the more stuff that has my logo on it the better! I swear I stamped everything yesterday - anything malleable)

Joanna at the Soap Bar has a great post about this with some beautiful pictures of stamped soap:

Personalized + Stamped.

Soap Impressions sell already made soap stamps, ph strips, and also make custom soap stamps to your specifications! Mine is a 2 inch stamp and it cost $79 with shipping (you get a discount if you provide high resolution artwork!) There is a 4-6 week turn around - mine shipped in exactly 4 weeks and was at my door three days later!

 

 The ordering process was easy - email them your artwork, they email back with a price, and payment option, you pay and the soap stamp shows up 4-6 weeks later!