12.19.08
Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal, Trade Shows at 8:29 am by admin
Our treasure chest full of holiday goodies for this year.
I’m sorry to have been slow to update this blog. My dear friend nudged me…said she had checked the blog for a Christmas update…so on this very gray, rainy day, I’m putting everything aside, mostly to wish friends, readers and fellow soapers a warm, sudsy holiday.
It’s actually been slow here. I had one fantastic holiday show, caught a memorable head cold that kept me in bed for days, had to cancel (or risk infecting half of Frankfort) another show I was looking forward to, and have been only now regathering strength. I’m way behind on soap production. This has been an excellent end-of-year for Anna’s EsSCENTials Bodycare, and I should also thank all those people who made special efforts to put our good olive oil soaps in Christmas stockings all over Kentucky. I’ve had a steady stream of people up here in the studio, and I tried to do more “gift-y” things this year, although that is definitely not my forte!
Finally this week I got back in production. I’m completely out of a few favorite kinds, and I try never to let that happen. I also have a couple new ones I want to get into serious production. The Rose Clay Cleanser (an olive oil bar with rose clay and shea butter) was warmly received when I did a trial run this fall. My next target date is Feb. 19-22 in Louisville, where I will attend the Kentucky Crafted trade show. Given that soap cures for a month before going out to shows and shelves, that means by mid-January I have to be all caught up with production.
With the bad economic news everywhere, next year may be a true challenge. I’d like to hear from other soapers about their plans. Right now I’ve not made any changes beyond watching sales carefully and considering cutting the number of kinds of soaps I make.
But for now, let’s just kick back and enjoy what we have, including wonderful friends who keep our spirits up by prodding us to update blogs. Happy holidays, everyone!
Sharon
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11.18.08
Posted in Uncategorized, Blogroll, Everyday Journal, Farmers Markets at 9:26 am by admin
Sharon and I, with layers of sweaters, in our booth at The Autumn Drive Festival.
As I said last month, it’s festival season. In mid-October, I traveled to northern Illinois, just south of the Wisconsin border, for a big festival, a new one for me, called The Autumn Drive Festival. It’s north and west of Chicago, and my friends, Sharon and Steve, moved there last year. Sharon is an amazing artist…one of those people who can do just about anything, and right now her passion is carving and decorating gourds with lovely, intricate natural scenes. She has one “Fairy Garden” gourd that draws you in and has you searching for the tiny people and all their garden friends.
Anyway, we decided to do this show together, and it turned out to be an adventure, but great fun. The Autumn Drive Festival offers a couple miles of places to stop and explore, with hundreds of vendors. One of the delightful parts of doing festivals is that you never know for sure what you’ll find when you get there…and it’s always different from what you expected.
In this case, it was 80 degrees when I left Kentucky, about 60 when I hit Chicago, and 40 with a brutal wind when I got to the festival. I had left home wearing flip-flops, throwing in pants and a heavy sweatshirt because I do know Illinois fall weather. The next morning, when the show actually began, the temps had fallen again and misty rain was in the air. I had worn every piece of clothing in my travel bag, but that was no match for northern Illinois wind chills. We were headed for three 9-to-5 days of even colder weather, falling temperatures and bitter wind sweeping down across the great plains. Sigh. The life of a crafter.
Coming to my rescue was a wonderful booth near us called “Ginger Blossom” that sold hand-knitted sweaters made by a women’s cooperative in Nepal, big fuzzy socks and hats that pull down over your ears. Before the weekend was over, I became their new best friend!
Ups and Downs
As some crafters can tell you, it’s not uncommon to find little irritations growing to big irritations in situations like these. Nobody’s comfortable…not vendors, shoppers, kids or pets. The mood of everyone becomes tinged with unease, purse strings contract and you look for the nearest hot chocolate vendor, who does really well.
I was no exception. After driving so far and standing on frigid feet for three days, I was not exactly polite to the “gentleman” who wanted to know what was in my soaps (I was HAPPY to tell him because that’s what I’m proudest of), and after hearing about all the great ingredients, turned up his nose and made a rude comment. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t a soap shopper, just someone looking for an argument.
On the other hand, the weather problems also made for lots of fun conversations with people who were able to laugh at them. And what better time to talk about a skin-saving product when you’re standing in a 20 m.p.h. wind sucking all the moisture from your body. All I had to do was mention olive oil, and customers’ eyes would light up.
Setup Thoughts
I have to thank my friend, Sharon (Northwoods Art), for organizing and sharing this weekend with me, and her husband, Steve, for helping us with construction, corn stalk-gathering, take-down (always the hardest part), and encouragement. And I’d also like to mention that sharing a booth with an artist like this has definite advantages for a soaper. Sharon had gourds of all sizes and prices, some of them show-stoppers. Her art caught the eye of many people on the tour who stopped by look at it. This brought people into the booth who might not have stopped otherwise. And likewise, there were people looking for handcrafted bodycare products who found true art in our booth. In the end, I think we both thought the arrangement worked well.
Sharon’s side of the booth, with some of her exquisite gourd art.
We decorated the tent poles with corn stalks tied with wide, country-style ribbon, and had tables along three sides. Sharon had found some pretty dark orange felted fabric which worked as table coverings and drew the table setup together. The only thing I’d change was to have more signage for Sharon’s artwork, but overall I thought the effect was pretty much what we were going for.
A little of the soap display as well.
Upcoming Festivals
So, it’s on to the Thanksgiving and Christmas festivals. I have a new one this year in Frankfort, and a couple old-friend festivals that I look forward to every year. After the holidays, the task will be to get ready for the Kentucky Crafted trade show in February, and then there is a little time left to rest up before starting over again in the spring.
So let’s lift a toast to having survived this year and to new opportunities ahead. “Play it again, Sam,” and happy holidays, everyone!
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10.31.08
Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal, Farmers Markets at 12:49 pm by admin
My booth at the Sweet Owen Festival in front of the courthouse on the square.
It’s the season soapers both love and hate … that wonderful time of fall festivals. Between now and through the holiday season, we hope to make up for all the markets we’ve missed, all the mistakes we made in taking a chance on a new venue, and all the just plain ole lousy sales days.
On the good side, we know that the season is winding down, and we’re all pretty tired of having no weekends and little free time. On the not-so-good side, we’re already tired but are making a major push to attend and set up for a flurry of festivals and holiday bazaars.
Recently, we held the Sweet Owen Festival here in Owenton, just outside my soap studio window, actually. It was a lot of fun. For a small town, we really turn out in numbers. The Sweet Owen Festival gets bigger every year, with more vendors, food and music. People come and spend the entire day, walking around the square, perusing the displays of vendors, loading up on food, chatting with neighbors, and listening to the sounds of plenty of local musicians. Dancing in front of the courthouse adds to the festivities. There’s even a little soap sold on that day!
I really enjoy the Sweet Owen Festival. It’s a time when friends and neighbors, young and old, get a chance to lay aside work and daily cares and relax with each other. And it reminds me that I’m very happy to be an accepted part of this community and this event. It’s a chance to give something back to my community, and I’m happy about that.
Crowds at the Sweet Owen Festival. Plus you can see Anna’s EsSCENTials studio windows…second floor of the brick building in the background!
Here’s my friend and mail carrier, Wanda, tripping the light fantastic on the courthouse walk with good, down-home music in the background.
A sales philosophy
Years ago, after listening painfully to the woeful tales of another (name withheld) crafter who constantly bemoaned the fact that his sales were never good enough and the community didn’t support him in the manner to which he felt entitled, I took a private vow. The vow was that if I ever felt frustrated because my customers, friends and neighbors were somehow at fault for not improving my financial position, I would quit. If I ever got to the point of feeling “entitled” to sales and measuring success in terms of financial growth only, I would definitely quit.
That vow has probably changed the way I do business, but in a way I feel comfortable with. When I attend a market or festival, my attitude is that I believe I have a special product that will provide solid benefits to the users, and I appreciate the cost for that product is higher than commercial soap. I hope to make a positive difference in the health and well-being of my customers. But I am not in business to pressure people to buy soap from me until they feel it is worth it for them. It’s been a slower way to build a customer base, but I have to say it’s more satisfying and also I have some loyal customers.
I have friends who want to help me sell soap at tables and booths, and I’m very selective about who I invite to do so. One friend does very well and understands my philosophy. But occasionally I’ve had people who delighted in selling soap, even to the point of using semi-hard-sell tactics. I probably go too far in the other direction, but it really bothers me to see this near arm-twisting sales technique happen at my table.
To follow this method of sales, I have to support myself doing other work, and it makes for some long days. But given the choices, I am sticking with this one. It’s satisfying and I think I’ll look back on it and be glad I did.
Sharon
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09.23.08
Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal at 12:10 pm by admin
Christmas in September! This year’s special soap in the mold.
This is one of those days that are so much fun for a soaper, you smile just thinking about it. I’ve been pondering some new soaps, each with their own particular challenges. Today I finalized them and they’re in the mold or on the drying shelves.
First is this year’s “Christmas Surprise.” I dug deep into my shelves of colorings, things I get tempted by at conferences, buy, bring home but do not use. I’m very cautious about color in soap, but it’s Christmas, and I thought it was worth it to splurge and have fun. I found some opalescent green and opalescent gold to go with the rose clay I love. These would be great for a three-color soap I hoped. To ensure a distinct swirl, I removed soap from the pot for the green swirl and pink swirl, and put the gold opalescence in the base. I searched through old notes and recipes to come up with what I hope will be a great Christmas scent…slightly spicy and slightly sweet and all celebration.
This soap is in the mold, and I cannot wait to see it tomorrow!
Kentucky Moonshine
How in the heck do you scent a moonshine soap?
I’m pretty serious about my soap, so I don’t do a lot with humor. My hope is that everybody gets a great product and appreciates it. But recently, my neighbor at the Frankfort farmers’ market suggested I make a “Moonshine Medley” soap. I wasn’t sure what a Moonshine Medley was, but the name stuck with me and I threw it out to friends for feedback. Even among teetotallers, they had a good laugh, and I decided to press ahead. I have developed a “Kentucky Series” of soaps, all with romantic names like “Kentucky Sunrise” or “Kentucky Home.” I thought it fit and would be fun.
Then came the challenge of deciding what scents should go in to remind someone of moonshine. (Naturally, I figured it was a total waste to put moonshine itself in the soap.) Now I have to admit that very occasionally here in Kentucky, I have run into some old-fashioned moonshine, or at least that is what I was told. I’m not sure because as I sipped it with the greatest possible caution, I did not have any of those responses you read about such as your throat seizing up, turning red in the face, breathing fire or whatever.
Anyway, I put the problem to you. How would you scent a moonshine soap?
I finally chose a combination after consulting with soaper friends and others. It too is in a mold. I’ll let you know later what I think.
Sharon
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Posted in Uncategorized, Everyday Journal at 12:05 pm by admin
A new experimental soap
Today is a day for experimentation. At the recent Texas Soapmakers Conference, I came across a new essential oil and finally got some in the shop. It’s called Owyhee, or Peach Artemesia. It has a slight fruity fragrance, and I loved it in combination with Bulgarian Lavender.
I decided to combine it with the lovely rose clay I brought back from the conference, which gives a beautiful rose color to the soap while it adds lots of nice clay features.
It’s on the drying shelves now, just about ready to hit the street. My picky lavender-loving daughter said she likes it a lot, although the round piece she has reminds her of a slab of turkey lunchmeat. You gotta love your kids who tell you what they really think!
Sharon
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08.15.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 6:37 am by admin
Here they are … the Farmers’ Market series on the curing racks
I’ve been waiting all summer for this! We had such a cool, wet spring and early summer, and all our great Kentucky vegetables have been late coming on. Finally last week I felt the “really good stuff” was out there at the farmers’ market. I gathered up great produce, including wonderful heirloom tomatoes and organic cucumbers for this year’s Farmers’ Market soap series. This was a group of soaps I produced last summer made from locally-grown vegetables, and they were very popular. In fact, they were sold out by Christmas, and by that time all the good vegetables were gone. I’ve been waiting all year to get these soaps into production again, and this time I made a double batch.
What’s prettier than a red, ripe tomato?
They’re all shea butter soaps, so of course I started with that and olive oil. Shoppers are becoming more savvy at the market and seeking out heirloom tomatoes. We have several heirloom tomato growers around here, and I came home from last week’s market with three beauties. They got mashed in a blender, and I used the entire fruit, skin and all, deducting that weight from the water phase. They were enough to color this soap batch a bright orange color … no artificial color needed here! Heirloom Tomato Rosemary soap is now on the curing shelves.
Cucumber Basil Mint smells like a fresh, Kentucky morning
The Cucumber Basil Mint soap is lovely as well. When you sniff it, you just want to keep on sniffing … it’s as fresh as any Kentucky morning. Plus cucumbers bring that cool, calming quality to skin care.
This got me to thinking about the amount of locally-grown products I include in my soaps — everything from honey (Petzinger Farm) to tomatoes (Hazelfield Farm) to carrots and cumcumbers. Then there are other additives not locally grown but helpful to skin care such as oatmeal, almonds, Rhassoul and Rose clays, corn meal, green tea, spices and dried herbs.
Being able to create these soaps reminds me of how grateful we should be to the good farmers and gardeners willing to bend their backs to their task every year, and to the land itself that gives us good harvests again and again.
Sharon
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Posted in Uncategorized at 5:58 am by admin
Anna’s EsSCENTials Bodycare (that would be me) got interviewed for about five minutes at 7:15 a.m. this morning on a Frankfort radio station. They were doing a series on farmers’ market vendors, and the host, Stacey, called yesterday and asked me to do it, which of course I did not want to do. I’d rather be hit with a sledgehammer than speak in public, but that’s part of this industry too. Those of us who make soap must also be educators in a sense, because there are very good reasons why our handcrafted products are superior to commercial ones.
All in all, it went pretty well I think. It started with a short history of my company and why commercial soap isn’t so good for you. I managed (I think) to squeeze in a little of my philosophy of making excellent products available at reasonable prices affordable by most everyone. Also, this week I finished my farmers’ market soap series for the year so I got to talk about that, and Stacey asked me about my new Ultimate line which I described in detail, listing ingredients such as mango and shea butters, pomegranate seed oil, aloe, calendula and all the rest. I also remembered to get my Web site address in (www.annas-soaps.com), thanks to my son reminding me last night to do so.
Well, I’m glad that is over since I didn’t sleep very well last night just fretting about it. Tonight is our second evening farmers’ market here in Owenton, with one more to go in October. Can it really be August already?
Sharon
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08.02.08
Posted in Everyday Journal at 11:53 am by admin
I just returned from a soapmaker’s conference in Texas. Sponsored by the Texas Soapmaker’s Association, this is one I look forward to attending each year. The registration fee is more reasonable than some others, the agenda is top-notch, and I get to spend time with my best soapmaking buddy who also makes the trip.
That’s me in the red shawl, freezing to death in a Texas hotel meeting room, and Charlotte (Laughing Rabbit Soaps). We may look a little goofy, but we’ve been listening to serious speakers and seminars for two days and we’re having fun!
This year I came back with some fine new information and several things to think about.
For example, there is a new essential oil I cannot wait to get my hands on. Called Owyhee (which for people who care about things like this is the old-fashioned spelling of Hawaii), it was developed by Jeanne Rose, a well-respected aromatherapist who also spoke at the meeting. She gave us samples of the oil combined with a California lavender and I thought it was luscious! To me it made the best properties of lavender even more pronounced, adding just a touch of a “fruity” note. Its therapeutic properties are impressive as well since it appears to be a substitute for expensive Roman Chamomile.
Another new product that struck a note with me is called Olive Squalane which also has a number of therapeutic properties. Additionally, there is no greasiness to it, and it permeates the skin quickly. It can be used in either lotions or soaps. Originally squalane came from shark liver, but this is a totally vegetable product and is highly stable.
Purple carrots anyone?
There were others. Anyone ever hear of Black Carrot Juice? The truth is that carrots should be purple! That is their original form, and purple carrots contain 50% more beta carotene than orange ones. How did they get to be orange, you ask? Well…remember from history class the “House of Orange”? They were a royal family line in Europe who, the story goes, decreed that all their vegetables should be orange! The mutation to orange carrots grew from that time, and purple carrots are now almost unknown. I think farmers market vendors should seriously think about growing purple carrots. For myself, I am interested in using them for the color and beta carotene they bring to a soap.
Other products discussed were neem oil (great pesticide, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, pain suppressant, etc.) and caffeine powder, which is being used in creams and scrubs these days, promising a little “lift” along the way. The lift part is not studied yet, but I have to say it smells good.
Big Batch Soapmaking or How to Make a Business Out of a Hobby
I was grateful to hear several speakers focus on moving from a small, one-person operation to more serious business models. It is not an easy jump to make, and many of us are not sure we want to anyway. But generally we all feel we want more income from our efforts, especially in times like these as we see our material costs skyrocket.
To be honest, one of the things that bothered me as speakers talked about this subject was that, with a couple very stunning exceptions (keynote speaker Sandy Maine and Jan from Round Top Soaps), examples focused on grabbing market share with products I would not choose to make. They used artificial scents and colors and looked to me like a junior version of Bath & Body. I won’t get on that soapbox again, but I really want to see more soapmakers opting for products that add serious healthcare benefits.
Interesting facts
Did you know there is a mention of lavender in Arabic and Muslim literature some 3,000 years ago?
Keep your citrus essential oils in the refrigerator. Also all blue oils.
For every 2 ounces of essential oil distilled from plant material, there may be about 200 quarts of water, or hydrosol, produced. That hydrosol also contains properties of the plants and could be very useful in our products.
Beekeeping and cheesemaking equipment can sometimes be useful for soapmakers (cutters, thermometers, heat tapes, pots, etc.)
For efficiency’s sake, it is possible to pre-blend pigments and solid oils and use them as necessary.
If Proctor & Gamble used natural lavender essential oil in their products, they would use seven times the total supply of lavender the world produces!
I thought this shelving idea was a nice one. A vendor at the conference brought shelves like this, with a slanted front allowing for a sample soap to sit.
Enough for now
That gives you a taste of this year’s conference, held in Austin, TX (which I thoroughly enjoyed). We went looking for Willy but didn’t see him. We did, however, enjoy some great Southwestern food, and then about sunset 750,000 bats took off right on schedule from beneath a big bridge while we tourists stood on top watching in awe.
Thanks to all the conference organizers. I know it’s a huge task, and it’s only done for love. And once again, thanks to Charlotte and Dan of Laughing Rabbit Soaps, who shared the weekend with me and made it a joy.
Sharon
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07.30.08
Posted in Everyday Journal, Farmers Markets at 4:12 pm by admin
That’s the title appearing on the front page of The State Journal, Frankfort’s daily paper. Frankfort is the state capitol of Kentucky, and I attend a Saturday farmers’ market in the city, traveling about 30 miles from my own space here in Owenton.
Recently the paper decided to do a feature story on one of the Frankfort market’s vendors each week with the idea that market customers would like to know a bit about the background of those who bring produce and crafts to each week’s sale. The series has been very well received, and it appears that market sales are up as well.
This photo appeared with the article.
My week
A reporter and photographer visited my soap studio for an interview and photographs, and on July 16, an article about Anna’s EsSCENTials Bodycare products appeared in The State Journal. If you’ve ever been interviewed, you’ll know what an uncertain experience that is. You do your best to answer questions and provide the most pertinent information, and then you leave it in the hands of the interviewer. Later you wring your hands remembering the important stuff you forgot to say…such as your Web site address and blog address! Oh well.
Ashley Trosper was the journalist who interviewed me, and Hilly Schiffer did a great job with photography, especially given what she had to work with…me and a relatively messy studio.
When the article appeared, I held my breath. However, I can’t tell you how pleased I was. When I talk to people at a market, mostly I feel like a walking advertiser and I do not like it. I try to get across my special interest in health-giving products, but generally feel pretty clumsy at it. Ashley, however, was as smooth as silk in her article. I’ll quote bits of it here.
Here’s another photo used in the story, showing salts used in salt scrubs.
Excerpts from the article
“They call her the Soap Doctor. Sharon Lombardo, creator of Anna’s EsSCENTials, says making homemade soap combines science and artisanship.
“…It is her infatuation with skin care that motivates Lombardo to use natural oils from plants in a highly concentrated form.
“…Her soap formula has an olive oil base, which Lombardo said is extremely beneficial for the skin. She also uses sunflower, almond, coconut oils and various herbs.
“ ‘It’s partly about the fragrance,’ Lombardo said. ‘But it’s also about the healing properties.’
“ …‘You have to research a lot,’ Lombardo added. ‘It matters to me to know I’m always looking for the best things for your skin.’ “
The article goes on for a couple more columns and uses three photos. I guess it doesn’t get much better than this! Oh, and at last week’s market, I made a number of sales to people I had not talked with before. It occurs to me that this concept of writing articles about market vendors might be applicable for farmers’ markets in other areas as well.
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06.27.08
Posted in Everyday Journal, Farmers Markets at 12:15 pm by admin
Here’s my soap tent at the recent farmers’ market held on the state capital grounds sponsored by the governor’s wife, Jane Beshear. Customers are Shirley Hardin and Aaron Fisher.
This is the year to combine politics and soap I guess, and I had an interesting day I thought you might enjoy reading about.
Our Frankfort, KY, extension office, in conjunction with state government, held a special farmers market sponsored by Jane Beshear, the wife of Kentucky’s governor.There was a bill signing at the same time, with lots of press coverage, that had to do with supporting Kentucky’s markets and farmers. It was a well-coordinated event, and I was invited to set up, along with other vendors, on the grass outside the state capital building.
I went, not knowing exactly what to expect. I decided to take a good display however, and was glad I did. Because about 11 a.m., people began pouring out of the state office buildings, and I think even those who hadn’t expected us to be there were pleasantly surprised to have a full-blown farmers market (probably about 30-40 vendors) on their front lawn.
I say this was well-coordinated because planners had lots of helpers there to unload each vendor, supplied tents and assigned spots that separated like-vendors, and even provided box lunches. They were also there to help us pack up after the event. These thoughtful services made an impact on all of us, especially since many of us had taken off work to be there.
On the other hand, I have to say, it’s been a long time since this soapmaker has been in the midst of so many suits and power-dressers! I’d almost forgotten the atmosphere (and do not miss it!) Thank goodness for my sandals and casual clothing. It helped me through a 90-degree day, even wearing my “Soap Doctor” smock. I actually felt sorry for the women in heels and form-fitting dresses and the men in the ridiculous number of layers they must wear.
After the signing ceremony and all the speeches, politicians and others milled around and enjoyed offerings of fresh vegetables, flowers, baked goods and SOAP. At one point I looked up to see an attractive woman in a bright red dress greeting me. It was the governor’s wife who came by my booth and told me she had heard about my soaps already (REALLY???) and that she wanted to change out the soaps in the governor’s mansion and use mine instead. Well, you coulda’ knocked me over, so I said, “Okay.” (I hope everybody is impressed with my intelligent response.) Anyway, I was pretty complimented.
The good thing was getting to talk to new people who don’t ordinarily make the Saturday farmers market. I had a pretty good day, although with all the money I felt was floating around there at the moment, it was not spectacular. But a good day is a good day.
Sharon
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