11.26.07
Posted in Everyday Journal at 12:09 pm by admin
As part of my effort to upgrade Anna’s EsSCENTials soap line through the Kentucky Platinum 10 Program, I finalized the recipe I’ve chosen for my new salt scrub. I’ve tried a salt scrub before, but only half-heartedly. This time I wanted to get it right.
While there are both salt and sugar scrubs on the market, I decided that for my niche, which is health-oriented handmade body products, salt makes sense and sugar does not. With salt at least you are getting minerals to absorb. What health benefit could sugar possibly bring to a body scrub?
Anna’s EsSCENTials Hawaiian Alaea Salt Scrub — Aloha and mahalo.
I chose Hawaiian Alaea Sea Salt as my primary salt. It’s a beautiful, naturally-colored orange-red salt high in minerals, and also, Hawaii is my favorite place in the world, so that’s enough reason right there. I also used Dead Sea Salt and several oils known to be easily-absorbed by the skin. I chose a combination of skin-care essential oils including clary sage and peppermint.
Lots of people have never used a salt scrub. At the recent Larkspur Press Open House & Holiday Sale, I should have given customers a way to try it with a demonstration. I’ll figure that out for next year. But everyone who tested it for me reported that they absolutely loved the way their skin felt after using it. I was happy with the recipe and intend to order containers with self-sealing lids that I hope will help with leakage.
For a peek, see the photo in the following article from my table setup at the holiday sale.
Sharon
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Posted in Everyday Journal at 12:02 pm by admin
Anna’s EsSCENTials “Ultimate” Mango-Shea Skincare Bar makes its debut. Notice also the new Hawaiian Alaea Salt Scrub to the right.
Anna’s EsSCENTials’ new Ultimate Mango-Shea Skincare Bar has made its debut! And it was a great hit. All my worries and fretting were for naught. The scent combination was commented on favorably by almost everyone, and when they heard the concept of putting together the “best of the best” including berry seed oils, mango and shea butter, aloe, olive oil, calendula and all the rest, they seemed about as excited as I was.
Actually, I think I sold about half the first batch already at the Larkspur Press Open House, and I have another show next weekend. It looks like I’ll need to get back in production with this soap soon. Now there’s a good problem to have.
Note the new black “minimalist” label. The Platinum 10 group wanted me to leave EVERYthing off except for maybe one word. I couldn’t do it though. I got my Anna’s EsSCENTials logo on and the soap name. Everything else including ingredients and address info is printed on the inside of the label.
Sharon
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Posted in Uncategorized, Everyday Journal at 11:12 am by admin
Leslie printing bookmarks at this year’s Larkspur Press open house and holiday show.
One of this season’s great pleasures is the holiday show I am privileged to do at the Larkspur Press Open House (www.larkspurpress.com). Always on the Saturday and Sunday following Thanksgiving, it is a venue I thoroughly enjoy. People come from long distances sometimes, but local people support the event as well. There are only a half dozen or so artists invited to participate, and each offers a skill that carries forward elements of the past.
This is one of the beautiful things about Kentucky. In many areas of the state, those who honor and maintain parts of history are acknowledged as much as those searching out new ways to the future. It has been here I’ve learned to see beauty in the old as well as the new.
This is the Larkspur Press workshop, housing several old letterpresses that produce beautiful books and broadsides. This is a place to see if you ever get near Monterey, Kentucky.
Gray Zeitz is the owner of Larkspur Press, which publishes works of Kentucky authors on letterpresses with handset type. In these days of desktop publishing and high-tech communication, it is a joy just to be near these skills. I began a career in typesetting just at the end of the “hot type” era, so I especially appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship of what Larkspur Press produces. The books, broadsides and cards printed here by Zeitz and his assistant, Leslie, are acknowledged as collector’s pieces wherever they’re sold.
A few years back, Zeitz built the ideal workshop/studio space on his farm outside Monterey, Kentucky. It’s beautiful, both inside and out, and I am envious. (A building like this would make a great soap studio too!) Once a year he clears back the printing paraphernalia and invites us in for this show.
Handmade beads from Mark at Fred the Shed Glassworks
Dara’s handmade tapers and silk scarves
Teresa’s wreaths and flowers from Hazelfield Farm
Leslie’s handmade journals
In addition to his hand-set books, there are handbound journals made by Leslie; wreaths, greenery and flowers from Teresa at Hazelfield Farm; hand-dipped tapers and hand-died silk fabric from Dara; handmade beads and silver work from Mark of Fred the Shed Glassworks; and of course, handmade olive oil herbal soaps from Anna’s EsSCENTials.
Anna’s EsSCENTials Bodycare table—a little crowded but well-received.
Another great part about this show is the food. I will never be a cook, but these people always put out a spread of the most yummy handmade stuff around. (I bring the crackers and store-bought stuff.)
This event is actually part of a county-wide tour, which includes stops at two other places, Elk Creek Vineyards and Seigel Pottery. It provides tour-goers with a whole day of events and a variety of artwork from which to choose … and even more great food to munch on. Everyone has a great time, and there is a growing group of people for whom this show is so important, they cancel everything else to attend. It’s just the best. Thank you to Gray, Leslie, Dara, Teresa, Mark, Jean and everyone with a hand in this outstanding event.
Sharon
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11.13.07
Posted in Uncategorized, Everyday Journal at 7:46 am by admin
Those of you who’ve read much of this blog know how complimentary I am to those individuals in Kentucky state government who organize and put forward wonderful programs for the state’s artists and craftspersons. In my experience, the programs are unique and quite valuable.
This week I attended another session of the Platinum 10 program. The state of Kentucky choses 10 of its respected artists each year and tutors them on product development and marketing techniques. Anna’s EsSCENTials Bodycare is one of the “chosen 10” this year. Each of the artists is involved in a different venue, but there are many similar problems to discuss. There is a long stretch between creating a product or piece of art and getting it to market, and an even longer one if the artist or craftsperson hopes to make a living doing so. The Platinum 10 program addresses those issues, and also brings in a well-regarded consultant from New York, Keith Recker, whose insights seem to jump-start and focus conversations. Nancy Atcher heads up the program and keeps us all on our toes and organized. We come away with much to think about and new optimism for future development.
Attending with me are a fine artist (oils), a collage artist, a jewelry maker, a paper maker, a woodworker, a furniture maker, and two photographers. Basically everybody’s problem is the same — it is very difficult to make a living in the art world.
The 2007 Platinum 10 class. That’s me, second from the left, in very fine company indeed!
Keith Recker made several comments at this meeting that were meaningful to me. He commented that he spends a great deal of time working with product development and identifying trends in the New York and national markets, but he has a special interest in working with small, entrepreneurial situations such as our artists in Kentucky. When one of the attendees spoke about how hard it is to attend shows and do the “sales talk” to customers, Recker strongly advocated that we try to lose our “shyness.” He said we each have unique, quality and very marketable products, and that we can stand proudly with them. That was nice to hear.
Feedback for a soaper
When it came my turn to describe Anna’s EsSCENTials product developments and business challenges, it went much smoother this time than at our last meeting. I was much less nervous, first of all, and happy to report on the Farmers Market soaps and the new “Ultimate” Mango-Shea Skincare Bar. At an earlier meeting I had reported on the wine soap series developed last spring. This time I took a new bar of Ultimate soap and showed it around the table. The group suggested I try a black label instead of the red/purple color scheme I’d developed, and that I lose all the verbiage on the label (put info on the inside). Someone also suggested using an embosser or hot wax with a stamp to fancy it up. I also showed the three-pack of farmers’ market soaps, which were a smashing success. (I also took a couple printed copies of this blog to show my approach, so if you’ve commented on an article, you were there!)
The group suggested emphasizing certain themes in my literature including: fresh soap; no preservatives necessary; chemical- and detergent-free; food grade ingredients; and developing a shampoo for sensitive skin. All of these I’ve experimented with, but it was interesting to hear that these themes are becoming more central in people’s thinking. And probably it’s time to go back and look at literature again with that in mind.
As soon as holiday selling is over, we’ll be turning our attention to the Kentucky Crafted trade show in Louisville the first weekend in March. This will be the theme of upcoming get-togethers, and I’m happy about that. I’ve done the trade show four or five years in a row, and I’d like to upgrade my booth and display. There are specific problems in doing a trade show, and I’ll try to cover some of them in future blog entries. If anyone out there would like to make comments about their experiences, I’d be happy to incorporate them in this blog.
In the meantime, with holidays straight ahead, I hope you each find rays of sunshine and bliss amidst the celebrations.
Sharon
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11.06.07
Posted in Uncategorized, Everyday Journal at 1:58 pm by admin
Jessie and Ellie share the duties and stir the pot at a recent soapmaking get-together.
One of the great pleasures of soapmaking is when we come across others with the same fascination or maybe I should say obsession. Our skill is of interest to a few, ignored by many and romanticised by others. Soapmaking classes are welcomed by the community when I have time to offer them, and it’s a nice way to encourage those with the time and desire to try it themselves.
I live in a rural county in Kentucky, and although I love the area, it’s the people who hold me here. I’ve found that it is still possible to experience the gift of community and a support network in an area like this where people depend so much on each other for basic, everyday things.
One of the greatest of these treasures is the young people. Sometimes I see in them a sharp clarity of spirit and integrity of mind, and often I find myself awed by their energy, vigor, joy and compassion. This isn’t to say everything always runs along smoothly. There are bumps on the road. But these young people certainly give me great hope and confidence for the future.
Recently I have had the privilege of sharing the soap studio with young friends, some of whom have helped me at heavy production times in the past. We got together again to make soap and share the experience with a new friend who was interested in learning the skill. Is this one way skills get passed between generations?
I did not learn soapmaking from my parents or grandparents, but I did learn important lessons that have kept me moving, when sometimes I’d rather sit in a corner. So I guess that’s the reason why, when it came time to name Anna’s EsSCENTials Bodycare company, I chose my grandmother’s name. She was an inspiration to me, and I am ever-grateful she was a part of my life.
Earlier this summer I traveled to a family reunion in her hometown, a tiny “town” surrounded by corn and soybean fields where my parents lived when I was born. It is all of about four square blocks in size, but the grade school my father attended as well as the old bank building and church are still standing, just as he saw them growing up. My grandfather, who had been a coal miner but at that time co-owned a small grocery and dry goods store, died just months before I was born. I’ve often been told the story about how my grandmother and my father kept the grocery store running, and how she would sit outside the store when it wasn’t busy and rock me in her rocking chair.
At the reunion, a family member was kind enough to take me to the spot where the grocery store stood. It’s an empty lot now, with only a small concrete slab remaining. What was that slab? Was it an entry way or a rear exit? Was it even there when the store stood on the lot? I swear there were ghosts everywhere in my imagination.
History plays tricks, and I think it’s important to pay attention. A good friend of mine used to tell me it’s what’s ahead that’s important, and the past is past. Still, I’m glad to be part of a tradition that is so rooted in the past and taking advantage of yesterday’s knowledge, while adding what I think is the best of today. And I’m especially grateful to Jessie, Esmee, Ellie, Sayward, Patty, Teresa, Veronica, Debra and all the other good women around here. We stand on the shoulders of many who came before us, and hopefully will pass on skills enough to enable those who come after.
Sharon
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11.05.07
Posted in Everyday Journal at 11:23 am by admin
This is a 17-lb. block of “Ultimate” soap before being cut. Note, if you can see, the gorgeous pattern on top … pure accident. It looked like a bouquet of flowers with stems, leaves and blossoms. Couldn’t have done that if I’d tried! Hated to cut it but, oh well…
Hi everybody! I have finished what I’m calling “Ultimate” Mango-Shea Skincare Bar. As I mentioned before, I planned on pooling my ideas and skills and coming up with that very top-of-the-line soap that does really cool things for your skin and helps you drop 10 lb. as well. The only justification for the latter is that maybe, if your skin is warm and glowing, you will feel like doing more stuff which could even include an increase of exercise and thus, 10 lb. left behind as well as all those chemicals from commercial soap. A stretch? Well, sure. But the soap will be great anyway. At least that’s the plan.
I’ve been mulling over this project, looking for another extra-special ingredient, something to set it apart. Emmy, who writes the From Nature With Love (http://www.naturalbeautyworkshop.com/) blog, gave me a great idea when she wrote about berry and fruit seed oils from FNWL. Now these are not inexpensive, and the issue is whether it’s worth it to put them through the difficult saponification process and whether in a soap they would be on the skin long enough to utilize their remarkable qualities, which include being extremely high in anti-oxidants among others.
I’m sure I will NOT have the definitive answer to that question, but in the end, I decided to add them anyway, in relatively small proportions, to a recipe full of other wonderful ingredients. It included mango butter, shea butter, aloe, calendula blossoms and other good stuff.
I also consulted with my good soapmaker friend, Charlotte, who surely has the best soap company name in the world, Laughing Rabbit Soaps (http://www.lrsoaps.com). Thanks for the input, Charlotte.
And here they are … Anna’s EsSCENTials Mango-Shea Skincare Bars … cut and ready for the drying racks. Note the flecks of calendula petals scattered in the soap.
Scenting an “Ultimate” soap
Scenting this soap was an issue I thought about too. Recently I made a muscle/joint cream and used an expensive oil from Thailand called Plai, which has had centuries of use in that part of the world and is known for its ability to ease pain, swelling and inflammation. I had combined it with a few other essential oils I thought might be useful and the combination not only worked well, it smelled great. No camphor and medicinal smell.
So instead of the essential oils I’d been thinking of, I decided for the first attempt to go with a similar combination in this soap. They’re all excellent for skin care and I wanted to see if I could duplicate my results from the muscle cream. (If it didn’t work, I could regroup for the next batch.) My uncertainty came from the fact that the end result did not smell like any of its main ingredients.
I realized that this is a new level (for me) of scenting a product. Until now I’d planned on making one or two of the essential oils in whatever combination I chose a primary part of the fragrance. In other words, if I wanted to blend lavender and rosemary, I would do so in percentages so that one or the other would be the dominant note.
But blending several oils together so they create something entirely different from any one of them in particular requires a great deal of knowledge and experience. I have to admit at this point that my original blend was some kind of happy accident. I am nowhere near that skilled. But not many people I know are either. This is a whole art and science unto itself. However, accident or not, I am claiming the results and knowing that a whole bunch of years went into getting to the point of allowing happy accidents like this to occur.
So, bottom line, I did duplicate it and the soap smells wonderful. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s a happy, fresh, uplifting fragrance, slightly complex but not overly so. I haven’t had a chance to get input from others yet, but I like it well enough that I’m not overly concerned. Right now I’m waiting to see how well the scent holds over time.
At this point the only thing I’m not happy with is the shape of the soap. I’d wanted a larger bar given that I want to charge more for it and I want it to be a good buy for customers. With my scheme of molds and cutters, my only alternative was to make a wider soap, which I did. What I really wanted was a taller soap. I’m still considering this.
The final touch — a label to match ingredients
And finally, the label. Marketing is everything . . . don’t let anyone tell you it isn’t. I needed a label that would communicate the value of its contents.
My creative method isn’t very sophisticated. I rely on images that come to me when I ask them to, and I pretty much accept what arrives, with a few tweaks during production. That has worked for me, generally. What it lacks in focus groups and committee recommendations, it makes up for in efficiency and lack of angst.
What developed in my mind this time was a way to solve the problem of providing more info than the cigar label gives opportunity to include. I could see a color pattern of “royal” colors, which are different than anything else I’ve used. It would be a blend of rich, dark colors, with gold text. Then I envisioned a piece that would fold over the front of the label and include exactly the information as on the label on one side, and on the inside, a “blurb” talking about the ingredients in this “Ultimate” soap, why they’re included and the wonderful things they do for skincare.
I wasn’t sure if this would be too complicated or not . . . or even whether it would work. But it turns out it worked like a charm and isn’t too complicated to put together. So the final product looks like it has a flap on the front and if you lift the flap, you read stuff I want you to read, but before it’s lifted, the info on the front of the label is all there. Having that flap there just invites you to lift it and read it . . . I think it’s almost irresistible.
I wouldn’t want the extra work of putting this together on every soap I make, but for an “Ultimate” soap, you have to make a little extra sacrifice, right?
Sharon
Now that you’ve struggled through trying to understand this labeling project as described inadequately in words, you can quickly get an idea of what I was really trying to say!
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