10.10.09
Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal, Tips for Beginners at 2:33 pm by admin
Note how thoroughly the darker brown swirl continues through the Green Tea soaps. Contrast that with the more typical swirl of Lavender Mint at the bottom.
Since I’m very cautious about color in soap, I lean toward lots of swirls using natural spices or minerals. Making a good, artistic swirl is a problem, however, when you’re trying to do them with a 27-lb. batch poured on its side. With a little practice, anyone can do it with tiny batches poured on their backs in the mold. I’ve had to content myself with spots and blurs of color, and the occasional happy accident of course, since moving to my larger, more professional molds.
Basically, there are two ways to get a good swirl … either in the mold or in the pot, and they each have a different look. What I developed with my most recent batch of Green Tea Mint soap was unique to me, and I haven’t read about it being used by other soapmakers using molds of this size. Now maybe it was a fluke … we have to leave room for that possibility. But I loved the results and was totally surprised at the quality of the swirl throughout the entire 96-bar batch.
A New Technique
In this case, I had used green tea in the lye water to lightly color the basic batch in the soap pot. I poured about 2/3 or 3/4 of the batch into the mold. Then I added some vanilla to the remaining soap still in the pot. As all soapers know, vanilla will darken your soap quicker than anything, but in this case, it was OK … the effect I was going for was a light tan base with a darker swirl.
I poured the final 1/3 or 1/4 with the added vanilla into the mold, moving it around as I poured. I took my spatula and did a quick north/south and east/west pull through it all, which creates the swirl-look, and walked away. The next day when I cut the slab I was surprised to see how well the swirl continued throughout the slab, and was not just on the top. Something worked just right! This is my best guess at the technique, but I’m anxious to try something similar again. I’ll report back on it when I can.
Sharon
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Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal, Farmers Markets at 2:27 pm by admin
Three times during the summer/fall, we have night farmers’ markets in Owenton where I live. They’re always big-festival events, looked forward to by the whole community, who turn out in droves. They bring lawn chairs and sit out on the courthouse lawn to hear local musicians and have supper catered by several local caterers. Sales are good for market vendors so they like it too. All in all it’s a “good time had by all” kind of event … usually.
Last night was the final night market of the year, and it rained all day. I think we got 4 or 5 inches in the past 36 hours. Normal people would assume the market was cancelled. Well, about 5 p.m. the rain died back to a drizzle, and when I looked out my soap studio window (across the street from the courthouse), the apple guy was there and a veggie vendor was there and the bread lady was unloading. I ended up going outside with them in spite of misgivings. Soap does not do well in the rain!
The musician for the evening did not show up, nor did the food (supper) vendors. It was only five or six regular vendors, and of course almost no customers. Who’d have expected us to set up in all that rain? However, by dark, I had made $31, and the veggie guy $50, and everybody else a little bit too, so it wasn’t a total loss.
Mostly the vendors all sat around and had a good time. Somebody went home and got lunchmeat, and the bread lady opened a loaf. Somebody else had a bottle of wine in her car, so we sat and drank wine and ate chips with homemade salsa and sandwiches on the courthouse lawn (in a dry county).
I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, and I expect the stories will grow after being retold a few times. Well worth it!
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10.07.09
Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal, Farmers Markets at 11:36 am by admin
Notice the colorful, natural leaves scattered through this handmade paper. Wonderful!
Soapers are well into thinking holi-daze, and I do mean daze! In the midst of fall festivals, we’re frantically trying to think about gift packaging (gotta be new and sparkly) and whether we have enough of that favorite soap to last through the end of the year (probably not).
This fall’s gift packaging takes advantage of my spring Thailand trip with some handmade mulberry paper bags, ribbon and tissue. They’re gorgeous! They have natural leaves and colorful bits scattered through them…really spectacular in person. The only downside is the paper will absorb moisture (no plastic in these babies) and can get beat up if you use it for display for months at every farmers’ market like I have.
I also found some perfect clear acetate boxes and pretty bags which are new and different. Oh, and some gorgeous sheer ribbon that doesn’t hide the soaps. So the last couple weeks I’ve been wrapping as well as soaping, but am not near to being ready for gift season. I hope you think these are as pretty as I do.
Sharon
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09.07.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:26 am by admin
Just a note…I added Anna’s EsSCENTials Bodycare to Facebook today. Please become a fan if you’re interested. What I’ll try to do is let people know where I’ll be or new products when they are finished. Here’s the URL if you need it:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Annas-EsSCENTials-Bodycare/261607955466?ref=ts
Sharon
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08.18.09
Posted in Uncategorized, Blogroll, Everyday Journal, Farmers Markets at 12:09 pm by admin
This weekend I take our newest soap to market, “Moments of Happiness.”
And here it is … representing my fondest memories of my Thailand family including new granddaughter Eva, and of beautiful Thailand itelf … presenting my newest soap, “Moments of Happiness.”
It turned out to be a beautiful soap … a soft golden color with a lovely dark red/orange swirl, and the scent is (I hope) a good Asian one too. It is slightly “exotic” with a fresh, uplifting touch of lemongrass to finish. I wrapped it with gorgeous handmade mulberry paper brought back from the outdoor Thai market and a label of optimistic sunrise colors of the east.
The soap cntains a good amount of sesame oil, as well as shea butter and, of course, rich olive oil. And this week it makes its debut. Today I created a small sign announcing our newest soap, which gave me a chance to print a couple of my favorite Eva photos too (one on each side).
A new sign with a pretty little girl’s photo as a bonus
I hope this soap is loved even a tiny bit as much as what inspired it.
And, by the way, I got to spend another couple hours online (via Web cam) with little Eva this morning. I saw her turn over and sit up by herself for the first time! Also, she got her first two teeth last week and has learned in two days how to zip around the apartment in her car (or walker), crashing into furniture and shrieking with delight as she does so. One thing I can say for sure is that this child is loved.
Sharon
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07.29.09
Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal, Farmers Markets at 2:21 pm by admin
After three months of waiting, today is the birthday of “Moments of Happiness” herbal soap.
It’s been most of the day in the soap studio with my hands in the soap pot and finally, finally, after three months of planning, deciding, rejecting and replanning, it’s done. “Moments of Happiness,” inspired by my amazing trip to Thailand and my beautiful new grandaughter who lives there, is complete.
I couldn’t help myself. Here are two new photos of Eva. One is with a big yawn, ready for bed, and the other is discovering her toes … best toys ever.
Some soaps are so easy to plan and create … it seems as though they appear in your thoughts full-grown. This one did not. Well, there was a lot to consider for it … a gorgeous baby girl and an exotic Asian culture with more adventure, laughter and new awarenesses than I ever expected to experience. My universe shifted a lot this year, and I probably will not be the same again. All that had to settle a bit, and then I tried to transfer my feelings to my soaping passion.
The first and easiest part of the soap was its name. That did come to me full-blown one day as I cast my eyes on another fantastic view of tropical Thailand. I noticed that sometimes Thai businesses or items have very descriptive names, often including the impact they hope to have on people who encounter them. I figured when “Moments of Happiness” popped into my mind, it was Thailand’s gift to me and my soapmaking quest.
The second part of the plan was to include sesame oil in the formula. Sesame is a staple in Thailand and I was pretty sure I wanted to use it. Turns out sesame oil is recommended for psoriasis, eczema, arthritis and rheumatism. Since the therapeutic side of soapmaking and aromatherapy are important to me, I figured I had a good start going.
Then came the crucial stage of a scent combination, and here’s where I waffled. I wanted an Asian scent that I thought my family who live there would like. I considered several rather “spicy” formulations but decided to go a different route, at least for the first try. I ended up with a combination of sandalwood, ylang ylang, black pepper, ginger, vetiver and lemongrass. Sound good? I hope so. I won’t know for sure until I’ve had a chance to live with it for a while, and also see the reaction when that steady flow of people stop by my booth and pick it up. It won’t take long before it’s very obvious whether it’s loved by a few, by no one, or by lots of people.
I know I can sell the soap … it has great oils including the sesame, as well as shea butter. I fixed a beautiful swirl in it, and I intend to wrap it in a glorious wrapper of a special mulberry paper I brought back with me from Thailand. But whether or not this is the final version of the scent combination remains to be seen.
And Also…
Moments of Happiness right next to Cucumber Basil Mint…a good day’s work I think.
In addition, the summer vegetables are at their freshest right now, so my second batch of the day was Cucumber Basil Mint. Of my three farmers’ market soaps, this was the big hit last year, so I recreated it with no changes. It’s a beautiful soap, a pretty light green, with flecks of cucumber, cucumber skin and basil leaves running through the soap.
People have actually been asking for this soap. One customer likes it so much she refuses to buy anything else. She stops by my table every few weeks just to check. Well, I guess that’s a good thing.
So Far This Summer
I wonder how other soapers are finding sales this summer. Last year I expected sales to be down but they weren’t. I attributed that to a growing consciousness about buying fresh, locally-grown farmers’ market produce and other locally-produced products such as soap combined with the desire among some rural areas to support locally-owned vendors and businesses when possible. This year, however, as the economic downturn grinds on and people continue to search for ways to cut back, I think I can feel the pinch. My sales are holding strong, but they did not grow this year … they are very near what they were last year and a little down at some points.
Still I feel fortunate and grateful that I can continue to explore this passion for healthy, handcrafted soap and body products.
Does it get any better than this on a July afternoon? I think not!
Sharon
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07.20.09
Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal, Farmers Markets at 7:38 am by admin
Jamison chose her bean and held onto it at Saturday’s market.
I had a visit from my most favorite farmers’ market customer (and her good mama) Saturday. Little Jamison Elise was born in October in Frankfort, and she’s the apple of many peoples’ eye around here. She’s made it to nine months and is fearless, funny, inquisitive … and she bends in half at the waist and dives for the floor just when you think she’s safely nestled on your lap. Well, I’m onto those tricks now, and Saturday, we both headed right for the ground and played there while her mama watched my table.
Right away we needed some “props” because there were lots of less desirable objects of interest on the ground. We quickly came up with two green beans (fresh from the garden, of course) and a yellow summer squash. Now Jamison has sprouted two small teeth on the bottom of her mouth, and when she chose one of the beans, it turned out to be just the thing to gnaw. Before she left, she had neatly removed the top quarter of that bean and had a great time doing it. We walked over to the Ayres’ Orchard booth and ordered the reddest apple Larry had in the baskets. He did a search and we came up with a great one. I made the first dent, but after that Jamison wouldn’t let that apple get far from those little teeth. She loved it! Her mama, Jessie, told me something I did not know … that babies don’t develop taste buds for the sour flavor until later, and that Jamison will suck a lime slice dry.
The perfect summer bean
Well, we had a great time, and as I watch Jamison grow, I often think of little Eva who is four months younger and far away in Thailand. I visited with Eva via web cam last week and watched her get up on her knees with the intention of going somewhere. She was not sure how to coordinate the top half of her body with the bottom half though, so she lunged forward instead, bonking her head on her favorite toy … the wipes box. Oh, there is so much to learn in these first months!
My day is better, my life is richer!
What a privilege to share experiences with these two beautiful little girls. My deep love goes out to both of them. And here’s a quote from Picasso that Jamison’s mom sent to me last week … something we might all want to remember.
“To be young, really young, takes a very long time,” said Picasso. “It’s not easy to hone your ability to see the world fresh over and over again. You’ve got to work for years to immunize yourself against the millions of people who think they’ve got everything figured out. To cultivate an ingenious and fully awakened innocence, you have to continually shed your temptation to rely on habitual responses, never ceasing from the effort to greet every experience with a beginners mind. This playful approach to life goes against the grain of almost every ideology and political system, which means only the fiercest individuals with a highly developed sense of self can summon the courage to do it.”
So here’s to a renewed sense of wonder, to two absolutely precious little girls who light up my heart, and to the artist in all of us.
Sharon
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07.13.09
Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal at 11:29 am by admin
Kitchen soap has ingredients especially good for preventing poison ivy.
As much as we love summer, 2009 has proven to be problematical in terms of poison ivy, mosquitoes and other pests. We’ve had lots of rain, and although it is truly beautiful in this rural area in Kentucky, there’s also plenty of poison ivy as well as our share of summer mosquitoes. Anything we can do to fight back is welcome. I thought we might turn our attention to our specialty handmade soaps which, because they’re made with care and in small batches, are likely to be both effective and safe … certainly safer than many of the commercial products on the shelves.
I developed a two-fold approach to poison ivy, and it seems to be working well. The first step is to be sure all the oils from the plant are washed off the skin as soon after exposure as possible. For that I recommend Anna’s EsSCENTials “Old Fashioned Kitchen Soap” which I developed to absorb cooking odors a few years back. An added benefit is that the coffee grounds and poppy seeds in the soap are slightly abrasive and appear to do a superior job of removing those offending surface oils. Often, this step alone is enough to prevent an allergic reaction to poison ivy.
The second step helps after itching and bumps appear. Anna’s Rhassoul Clay soap is especially good at removing toxins in the skin, and those who have used it on poison ivy report it speeds the drying and healing process. Essential oils also help reduce swelling.
The combination of these two soaps has become popular this summer as a preventive and healing aid to poison ivy outbreaks. I’m not willing to infect myself to test it out, but I can report good results from the many people I meet at soap tables.
Bugs Away
And then there are the flying pests. I’m one of those individuals particularly vulnerable to mosquitoes, so you can imagine when I realized I could make a soap that helped keep them away, I went for it big time, making Bye Bye Bites soap. Always a doubter, I did not have a lot of hope for success. With research to scout out essential oils the creatures don’t like, I came up with a soap that very quickly got the attention of a lot of moms whose children really wanted to play outdoors at dusk, or kids heading for camp … that sort of thing.
When this soap began selling in bundles of five or six, I began to take notice. One evening I decided to use myself as a guinea pig. I took the dry bar and rubbed it lightly over my exposed skin, took a deep breath, and headed outdoors at the peak of mosquito season. It took only seconds for the first wave to head for me, and no one could have been more surprised than I was to see those blood-thirsty critters swoop toward my bare arms, do a sort of double-take, and change their minds! What a glorious sight to see them flying away from me instead of toward me.
I have to tell you, this was a thrilling moment! With no chemicals, DEET or other insidious poisons, I could safely go outside and survive the onslaught. Since then, many people have asked me if this soap will work for chiggers and other awful creatures. Once again, I am NOT willing to use my body to test with chiggers, having been awake many a night with ice packs on swollen places, but I will say that when I go into the tall grasses of my hillside now, I’m always covered with a coating of Bye Bye Bites as well as a very light amount of commercial bug spray, and it works. I also shower or bathe immediately after finishing my gardening or other work.
Summer is for fun
I love summer. And I’m tickled to feel like these products help me enjoy more of it!
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06.30.09
Posted in Uncategorized, Everyday Journal, Farmers Markets at 11:43 am by admin
For a quiet, rural county in Kentucky, things have really been popping around here, both literally and figuratively.
First of all, Elk Creek Hunt Club was selected to host the U.S. Open of shooting sports, and over 1,200 shooters from all over the world tested their skills June 23-28. If that wasn’t enough excitement, many of those competitors brought family and friends with them, and a few were looking for other interesting things to do while they were here.
First Annual Sweet Owen Arts in the Park
Owen County organized several interesting events including a historical tour of the city and its homes along with a carriage ride and progressive tea that wound up at Friday’s farmers’ market.
A carriage tour through historic Owenton, complete with storytellers, ended at our farmers’ market and courthouse.
In addition, the Owen County Arts Council (including your friendly soapmaker) planned an all-day “Sweet Owen Arts in the Park” on Saturday, the first of what we hope are annual events. We invited local artists to set up and were pleased at the response from them. We had 32 artists including many potters, jewelrymakers, fine artists, photographers, a broom-maker, gourd artists, and many more. There was an all-day lineup of really great music, and plenty of good food too. We had exhibitions of old-time forging, spinning and printing. We also had exhibits of childrens’ art from the schools.
I have to say that planning for this event was daunting. There were so many details and of course not enough money to take care of everything the way we’d like. We ended up hand-lettering a number of signs, and using our labor to stretch funds. The event was sponsored by local businesses and organizations, but it still took plenty of old-fashioned elbow grease.
Ron DeVore brought his dulcimer along with fine art and entertained fairgoers near his booth.
Count It a Success
Crowds were moderate … there just aren’t that many people who live in Owen County, but we advertised in surrounding areas as well and that helped some. In addition, we did have some visitors from the Elk Creek U.S. Open. Festival-goers seemed to unanimously have a great time.
The event took place at the Owen County Fairgrounds, and some artists were inside a display building while others were set up in tents outside the building. It turned out to be a super-hot 90-plus degrees with sun beating down. I myself came away with a supreme sunburn and a promise not to leave home without sunscreen again. There were too many UV rays bouncing around inside my tent, and what was I thinking anyway?
This was my tent. Note that I’ve put Anna’s EsSCENTials Bodycare across the front of the tent. I also brought some of my hooked rugs to help decorate and draw attention.
Nevertheless, by 9 p.m. that night, as we emptied garbage cans and stored chairs and picnic tables, the arts council members felt it had been a success and a credit to the community. In a small community, it takes a lot of volunteers to get anything accomplished. The fine women I worked with on the arts council were some of the best and most resourceful you’d ever want to meet. Already we’re evaluating and planning for next year. That Sweet Owen Arts in the Park festival is planned for late May.
And on to “Moments of Happiness”
As for me, I’m glad for a break where I can begin to think soap again. I’m still mulling over my next anticipated creation which I’ve mentioned before, “Moments of Happiness” soap, inspired by my trip to Thailand and my beautiful new granddaughter, Eva Leilani. I have come up with a tentative essential oil combination for it and am about ready to begin tests. More reports on that to come.
Sharon
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04.28.09
Posted in Uncategorized, Blogroll, Everyday Journal at 12:37 pm by admin
It was a 28-hour flight but at this moment with little Eva, worth every minute.
I’ve just had the adventure of a lifetime and my mind is spinning with images of a sweet baby girl and the magic of Ali Babba fairytales.
I just returned from a trip to Thailand where I got to visit with granddaughter, little Eva Leilani, for the first time. She was exactly two months old when we arrived, just a slip of a thing, and it was magical to hold her in my arms. I’d just completed a 28-hour flight but one look at that pink mouth and long fingers and it was all well worth it. Her mama and daddy say she doesn’t sleep nearly enough and she needs a lot of attention. They are pretty much worn out. But on our taxi ride home, she could not have been more perfect. She never closed those eyes though, in spite of its being 1 a.m.
This is “Good Eva.” I didn’t get as many pictures of the baby her mama calls “Bad Eva.” Didn’t matter though…she is perfect!
I had nearly two weeks with them, and we’re in danger of my telling long and boring grandmother stories here. I’ll try to keep it to a minimum except to say Eva liked the mobile I took her after her daddy fixed it with more brightly-colored stuffed toys to watch. And she also liked the swinging chair we got. She watches Baby Einstein videos, and we have mixed feelings about that. Her very favorite thing is to be ensconsed on her “throne,” which means sitting in one of her daddy’s hands while he holds her upper body with the other one and pumps her up and down. It takes more biceps than I can muster, but her daddy has worn a path down the hallway outside their apartment where he walks her and swings her up and down until she literally falls over in his hands. She has an uncanny ability to tell when she’s headed toward bed though. We’re pretty sure things will be easier for this alert little girl when she can distinguish more of what she sees and can entertain herself better. For sure she’s the most beautiful baby ever.
This is the famous floating market.
Nid at a wonderful cultural show demonstrating how rice is tossed in a basket.
About Thailand…it is all you have heard and more. Fantastic architecture, glittering tiled buildings, enormous Buddhas, fantastic food from street vendors, great open markets where everything in the world is sold at very low prices, tourist attractions and destinations, incredible beaches, the amazing floating market, elephants and snake charmers…all this and much more. Most importantly I’d like to say something about the Thai people. This was the most gracious, warm and open people I’ve ever met. In spite of recent political unrest, which I never got a good sense of, I felt safe and cared for the entire trip. Partly that was due to little Eva’s mother, Khannita or Nid as she is nicknamed, who helped us negotiate in Thai. But it also is due to a culture which laughs a lot, plays some, and has not yet been caught up in the commercialism that has permeated ours.
One small part of the Grand Palace, an enormous walled city.
Me being utterly amazed at the detail and workmanship at the Grand Palace.
A very impressive elephant who turned out to be pretty friendly too.
Oh, and about soap…because of the heat and humidity, the type of soap I make which is very heavy on olive oil, is perhaps not the best. Olive oil attracts moisture all the time, and in a humid, tropical climate that can have drawbacks. I did see one soap vendor at the market but did not have a chance to talk to her given the language barrier. Her soap was wrapped in plastic. Ingredients looked good although I couldn’t get them all. The label did say they were all vegetable. Also, at the Grand Palace there was one booth with soaps that were brightly colored and molded in shapes. They were beautiul and I made a mistake not buying some to bring back.
Very fancy carved soaps for sale for 100 baht…about $3.50
The one thing I did buy to bring back was sheets of mulberry paper for special wrappers (not sure what yet), two sizes of bags made of mulberry paper, and some beautiful ribbon. There were a number of paper vendors at the open market. What a joy it was to shop there. I could have gone back again and again, just to see what was there.
Now I’m home and trying to outsmart jetlag (not doing well on that one!) and get caught up on work here. Markets have already begun and I’m the late arrival. But when I take those grandbaby pictures, I’ll get no argument from anybody.
Sharon
Eva loved her turtle and tried hard to stare it down.
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