What??? It's August 31st Already???

Where did this summer go? I don't remember June at all. July is a blur, and August is hanging by a thread. With all the kiddies back in school, my commute has been extended by 15 minutes which feels like an hour. If I don't get on the road by a certain time, I'm screwed. There's an apartment complex about a mile from where I live that must have about 30 kids who all catch the same bus! It takes them at least 15 minutes to board them all, and I am cussing out 8 years old at 8 am! No wonder my blood pressure is so freakin high!

Anyway, back to the subject at hand. It's August 31st, and although we still have another 3 weeks of summer left, September 1st is the beginning of fall for me. I've always felt that way for some reason. Autumn is my favorite time of year, but I also love summer because I was born in the summer. As a child, there was no school in the summer so I was free to stay up and sleep late, and hang out with my friends all day. So, to keep the summer party rolling, I made this soap: Indian Summer. It's a blend of blackberry with bergamot and grapefruit essential oils. The ingredients are rice bran, coconut, and palm oils along with mango butter. It's a good thing...

Taking Care Of Me

Okay, this is the first time I'm revealing this. I don't like getting too personal, but I may be MIA soon (not posting as frequently, etc.), and I want to give all my buds a heads up. I've been suffering from hypertension (or high blood pressure as us plain folk call it) for years, and it's getting worse. It's hereditary, but I've also neglected my health for years-call it denial, "I'm too young for this crap...", whatever, but the fact remains that it's gotten pretty serious as of late. My pressure is dangerously high, and I've got to chill and take care of myself. That means eating healthier, getting enough sleep, and working out consistently (all of which I admittedly have not been doing.) Old habits die hard-even ones that could kill you! So, I'm going to start changing my eating habits, getting enough rest, exercising, and stop stressing over EVERY LITTLE THING!

I'll still be around, but maybe not as frequently. I'll be the silent stalker until I feel well enough to resume my hectic pace. I'll use this time to regroup, recoup, and prepare for the holiday rush. You'll see some posts throughout the coming weeks that I've prepared in advance because I love my blog too much to let it just fall off. So, I'll see you around more consistently in about 3 weeks (maybe longer) feeling refreshed, renewed, and ready to conquer!

Can I Offer You A Blueberry Muffin?

Okay, you really can't eat it, but boy, does it smell like the real deal! I have been dying to make cp soaps with my new silicone muffin pan, and I think these turned out pretty well. I used Blueberry Muffin from WSP, and this soap was yellow when I un-molded it. Now look at it! I only hope it doesn't get so dark that you can't see the blueberries once they're fully cured.

Because I didn't know how these would turn out, I made this batch real simply: olive, palm, and coconut oils. The blueberries are glycerin embeds. I really want to bite into this one!

Happy early weekend! By the way, I'm having a BOGO sale in my Etsy shop. Check it out!

Just In Time For Halloween...Caramel Apple Soap!

Before I became a "retailer," I never understood why they advertised Halloween stuff in August. I still really don't, but I guess it has something to do with embedding the thought of "YOU MUST BUY THIS NOW" into our brains. I'm jumping on the bandwagon and letting you know "YOU MUST BUY THIS SOAP...WHEN IT'S CURED!"

I've been holding on to this green apple scent from Wholesale Supplies Plus for months not knowing what to do with it. I didn't think it would hold up in CP soap, so I used a little more than I was supposed to, and boy, was I proven wrong! This green apple is the bomb! It smells just like a jolly rancher. So where does the caramel come in? That's the brown part of this soap. I scented it in Sugarcane, so while it's technically not caramel, it smells sweet and gooey like caramel. It's a really nice contrast: the tartness of the green apple and the sweetness of the sugarcane. This soap is LOADED with cocoa and mango butters. Can't wait for this one to be ready!

Branding Revisited

A few months ago, I blogged about the importance of branding and how your packaging helps to define your business. Well I've taken it a step further by investing in a soap stamp! Not only will your customers know who made the soap, but it's a cool way of watermarking your photos without watermarking your photos.

I got my stamp from Print Letter Press on Etsy. It's not mounted (which I plan to do at some point), but it makes a cool impression on my soaps. In my opinion, the stamp works best on a hard bar of soap. I tried stamping a few half-cured bars, and when I pressed on them, they began to crack somewhat. I am gonna have so much for stamping up my soaps-but I've got a lot to do!

Not One, Not Two, But Three Treasuries!

Oh, how sweet it is! I'm not talking about to be featured in a Treasury, but that someone finds value in what you do! Sometimes, I get so down because I feel like I'm doing this for my health-well, I kinda am. Making soap has been so therapeutic for me, I can't even begin to put it in words. It's gotten me through some rough periods when I thought I wouldn't make it. It keeps my mind and my creativity sharp. And it keeps me from blowing my money on wasteful things LOL!

Anyhoo, I'm featured in 3 great treasuries today. Check em out while they last!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=65748

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=65748

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=77765

I Don't Wanna Wait In Vain....

Whenever I make a new batch of soap, the song Wait In Vain by Bob Marley always comes to mind. To me, that's the downside of making cold processed soap: THE WAIT. The wait can take anywhere from 4-6 weeks or more depending on the ingredients you use. I really have to try hot process soap making. I just don't like the way the soap looks though.

Anyway, I thought I'd make a collage of all the soaps I have curing. I've been pretty busy huh?

Score This Soap!

If I'm writing this post, then it must be Saturday! This week's score comes courtesy of The Soap Guild on Art Fire. Click the pic to be taken directly to the listing. Happy scoring!

Ann's Lotions & Potions



Mama's Little Monkeys



In A Lather


Bollandi




(Sneaky, aint I?)

I'm A Glutton For Damn Punishment!

Remember a couple of months ago I lamented about this damned soap? I ended up calling it The Damn, Damn, Damn Lemon Chiffon Soap? Well...it's baaack-bigger and better than ever! Who knew it would be such a hit?! I call these The Big Damn Lemon Chiffon Soap!

This time I made a 3.5 pound batch of it, and I colored the center yellow so that it would have some yellow in it. I didn't scent that part in hopes it will stay yellow, but we'll see. It smells like a slice of lemon pound cake. I mixed in some poppy seeds. I've upped the ante in the moisture department too. These bars are packed with cocoa butter and mango butter-just in time for cooler days ahead! These babies will be ready mid-September. I expect these soaps to be damn-near black when they're cured...LOL.

New Soap-Milk & Honey

(This is a pic taken right after I cut it. It's much, much darker now!)

Actually it's Oatmeal, Milk & Honey, but Milk & Honey sounds sexier don'tcha think? I think just about every soap maker has this scent in their arsenal, and if you don't, GET WITH THE PROGRAM! This is probably the most comforting scent I've ever smelled, and it's my first time using it in soap believe it or not. I got mine from Brambleberry, and I can't stop smelling it!

I garnished the top with instant oats. I knew that canister would come in handy for something! I made this batch with olive, coconut, palm kernel, and castor oils along with cocoa butter. I'm getting low on oils and need to hurry some quickly. I'm doing a few shows this fall, and I need to make sure that I have plenty of goodies on hand.

Happy Birthday To Me....

Yes, today is the anniversary of my birth! I was born on a Wednesday (time? don't know) thirty-eight years ago today. Where has the time gone? I remember celebrating the big 3-0 like it was last year. I can't believe I'm 38. It sounds so dang old (sorry if you're over 38, but it does!) I guess having much younger cousins who constantly remind me of this doesn't help (young sh*ts-just kidding.) Sometimes I have to pinch myself because I can't believe I'm an adult! I live on my own. I work. I own a car. I pay rent and bills. It's really surreal sometimes.

Famous people celebrating with me today:

• Malcolm Jamal Warner (Theo from The Cosby Show)
• Robert Redford (umm...not a big fan, but he's cool)
• Edward Norton (loved him in 25th Hour and American History X)
  

Anyway, I plan on doing NADA today. I'll have a little cake and ice cream with the fam later. I'm just so thankful to be on this earth another year-healthy in mind and body. Talk to ya'll soon!

Beautiful Autumn-Themed Treasury

And I'm not just sayin' that cuz I'm in it! Okay, maybe a little..heehee. But it is lovely nonetheless. Check it out!

New Soap-Night, Night, Sleep Tight...

"Don't let the bed bugs bite!" My mother used to always say that to me when I was a very small child. I clearly remember having to go to bed at 8:30 sharp on school nights. My mom and I would play Pitty Pat (Do ya'll remember that card game?) while I watched Happy Days. Oh how I miss my mom! Anyway, I digress. Let's move on to the soap, shall we?

I briefly talked about this soap in my last YouTube video, but I love it so much, I'm gonna talk about it again! This was the soap I put in my cylindrical soap mold, and it got stuck, so I had to let it set in there for 3 whole days! That's like a junkie staring at a crack rock and not being able to smoke it. Okay, that was a little extreme, but I had to give you a visual about how serious my addiction to soap making is!

The scent is an essential oil blend of lavender and vanilla that I got from Wholesale Supplies Plus. I first used this fragrance about three years ago in melt and pour soaps, and at that time I was really new to soap making. You wanna know something funny? I don't recall that soap ever turning brown, and I used no vanilla stabilizer. Heck, I didn't even know what vanilla stabilizer was! Anyway, here's the soap. I used lavender buds I won in the giveaway that I won courtesy of Nuria. I love the rustic look of it. It smells like comfort and security if that's a good description. Can't wait for this one to be ready! What have you been up to???

Score-This-Soap!

Happy Weekend!

This week's score(s) comes courtesy of a couple of my team members from the Etsy SAFE team. I'll let the photos speak for themselves:-)

The Pig and The Peacock

Pink Parchment Soaps

Lily Pond Soaps

A Breath Of French Air

Bubble Tub

Latest Treasury: Interpretations

Staying on that Black Raspberry Vanilla kick, I created my latest treasury in its honor. I even sneaked on of my favorite people in there. Give it some love please!

Ittttttt's Back!!! Well, Sorta.....

Remember a while back (last summer around this time to be exact) I made a little old soap called Neapolitan Shea Butter Soap? It was pretty successful. Tammy over at Milk and Cookeez loved it, and when I sold out of it, I told myself I was done. For some reason, I tend to have that attitude towards all my soaps. When they're sold out, I don't make another batch, I'll move on to something else. Orrrr, I'll reinvent the soap like I did the black raspberry & vanilla. Here's the latest version of the Neapolitan. Thee are a couple of notable changes. One, the shea butter's gone. I'm in a slight recession, lol. And two, there's a 4th layer-a yellow layer. This was a beautiful accident. I underestimated how much soap to cut for my layers, and when I was finished, I was left with a very stubby-looking soap. I needed some height so I added the yellow layer. I call this magnificence BANANAPOLITAN! Here are the scented layers: chocolate fudge, mango coconut, strawberries & cream, and banana kiwi. I l-0-v-e this soap! I'm sending a bar to a very nice customer named Stef whose order of the old neapolitan got lost in the mail. She's been such a good sport, that I'm going to surprise her with a bar.

This is a limited edition soap. I'm only listing it in my Etsy shop. When they're sold out, they're gone again til next summer!

Win A Bunch Of Stuff From The Etsy Bloggers Street Team

My latest team, The Etsy Bloggers Street Team is having a major giveaway. I mean MAJOR! The total value of the giveaway is around $300!! Here's the link to check it out. Good luck!

Soap That's Fit For A Queen!

You don't have to be a royal to enjoy my latest batch. We're all queens in my eyes. I bought this scent Black Tea & Rose from Southern Soapers many moons ago, and I didn't know what to do with it. I'm not a floral lover, but this one intrigued me because of the black tea. True to form, when I took a whiff of it, I was not in love-or even like for that matter.

Fast forward to this week: I had a bunch of dried rose buds from Nuria that I didn't know what to do with, and I had this unique fragrance that I didn't know what to do with. So I decided to make this two-layered soap. The fragrance oil seized on me! By the time I was ready to pour the black layer, The pink layer was hard as a brick. I had to move quickly! The black layer had been setting for about 10 minutes and was starting to stiffen. I don't think I should have insulated this soap because it super-heated. That's why it's all wrinkly on the top, but I'm pleased with the outcome. Ingredients: olive oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, castor oil (probably helped contribute to the seizure), and cocoa butter.

So Much Going On!

(workin' on that zit on my cheek too)

I think I've over-extended myself as far as joining teams and guilds and such! I'm 'bout to lose my mind. I'm going to have to re-evaluate which are more important to me and possibly scale back. I want to be an active participant, but at the same time, I have to make time for creating and having a life outside of crafting.

First up: Cleaning up my "studio". Clutter stifles my creativity and my ability to think, plan and organize. You know it's a sad state when you have to leave your home just to think clearly! I'm taking one room at a time. I've got stuff everywhere! I'm also squeezing in a few more batches of soap. I also need to get back on my candle hustle. I was commenting on Misty's blog, Burnt Mill, that I haven't made a candle in I don't know how long!

Well, I hope to unveil a new soap tomorrow. Meanwhile, I've got a lot of cleaning up and thinking to do!

Wicked!

I can't believe this is my 3rd batch of this scent, and each time it looks drastically and intentionally different. The scent is black raspberry & vanilla, and it's one of my all-time favorites! Not only has its appearance undergone an evolution, but so has its name. I have nothing more to say. I'll let the photos speak for themselves!

Version 1: Berry Creamy

Version 2: Black Raspberry & Vanilla

Version 3: Wicked!

Not One, But Two Treasuries!

Thanks to the EtsyTwitter Team, my Yarn Soap Trio and Cranberry Fig soaps are featured in two Treasuries! Thanks to Dorset Hill Beads and Salon D'Arte for featuring me in their team treasuries. Here are the links to get a closer look.

Spreading The News

and
Reds of EtsyTwitter

Score This Soap!

Okay, I haven't done a score in like for-freakin' ever. Now that I'm part of the Etsy SAFE team, I've been handed soaps on a bubbly platter. So who's the score o' the week? I just moved my mouse over a name from the blog list and l landed on.....

Bubbles Variety Shoppe

This shop reminds me of...my shop. I don't know why, it just does. I couldn't pick just one soap because I found two that I really like:

Miss Firecracker

Rock Candy

Enough of my bellyaching, go score!