Sample Bags

I am going to a networking function this week and they are passing out 200 welcome bags that we can put information into....a lonely little business card just doesnt feel right, so we decided to add a sample of our products with our card...but 200 is a lot!

So first I needed to clean my area to work with...


Then gather my supplies, had to run to Walmart for more little baggies. To each baggie along with a biz card we added either a lip balm, lotion, or guest size bar of soap.

And here we are halfway through. Baby girl will finish up in the morning, and The Hubs will run them over to where the function is held for them to add to the bags.

Quite a job and a lot of worth here, but I really feel it is a better thing to give than just a plain ol card....what do you think?

Sale through 2/14/11

All items in our Etsy Shop are 15% off if you use the coupon code SWEETLOVE2011

Sweet Love Giveaway

Valentines Day is just around the corner...how about gifting your love with a soapy version of "Sweet Love".

A lovely heritage sweet pea fragrance with hints of tangy rhubarb that help make the sweet pea floral bloom!

Buy It:
Sweet Love Soap

Win It:

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Soaping and Cooking...

...do not mix!!

So I made 2 small batches of soap and put them to bed in the oven as I always do...anyone who knows me knows that I do not use it much beyond rare batches of brownies or cookies. So it is a good safe insulated place for my soap, plus it holds 8 logs.

Well I decided to be a good wife and actually make supper for The Hubs...and MMM biscuits sounded so good to go with it. So I preheat the oven....I NEVER preheat the oven. Lazy? I dont know I just dont. So I am cooking away when ...hmm...that is an odd smell....YIKES! My soap! Thankfully it was maybe 2 minutes in so it was a quick save and thankfully just 2 little containers to pull out instead of 8 logs.

So I learned my lesson...no preheating...WAIT, scratch that...maybe I will just give up on cooking again!! lol

New Guest Sized Bars

I bought a new system to make guest sized bars with. What a fun new toy. It was so fun I forgot to take in progress pics until the last mini log....basically I make a square of soap, then use the log splitter to cut it into 4 logs, and then cut each of the logs and create 72 guest sized bars in practically no time at all. It was so easy our grandson even cut a log.

Here is the cutter



Here is the bar size in comparison to a regular bar. I think they will be perfect for samples and variety/trial packs.

And our grandson thought it was so cool....this is what happens when he was left alone with the cutter and a bar of soap that happened to be nearby....not sure how he thought that was going to get by us and we wouldnt know that was him lol.

Liquid Soap

I have made liquid soap several times, although I have never sold it. I'm not sure why since I have had a lot of requests for it. But now I feel is a good time to finally make a batch to sell.

This process is an almost 4 hour process.

Here we have our melted oils....

Then we stick blend it to trace...

You can see it thickening here...

Now it is getting hot and thick...BUT...can't walk away just yet...

For me the first 10 minutes are always scary because it puffs....

And puffs!!

But if you stir and stir....

It calms down. :)

This must be what they call the vaseline stage, because as soon as I took the lid off the pot that was my very first thought.

Now we are getting close. It is really cooking down and getting to the translucent stage.

Now it is time to dilute....wow-wee look at that boil when I poured in the water.

It has calmed down, and now comes the hardest part of all...wait! I have a styrofoam cooler I will put the pan into for the night to keep it insulated while the paste dilutes into hopefully some great soap.

Gorgeous Flowers!

Just look at these beauties!!!

They belong to my daughter (given to her on a date).
They were just pods when she brought them home, but just look at what has bloomed....so gorgeous!!
But sad to say I had to move them to her bathroom....the smell although soooo wonderful, was filling up the kitchen and aggravating my allergies which are in full bloom of their own...so I will enjoy the photo instead. :)

Hot Process Soap...

...I have to say...not really a fan.

I like the process of it, and to me it really seems a lot like the process for liquid soap. I do hate though that each time I have done the hot process method it has boiled over in my oven no matter how much I hover over it. Not a lot, but enough that will stink and smoke your house out when you forget to clean it out and your daughter comes unknowingly behind you and heats the oven up to cook pizza...P...U!!!!

What I dont like is the end result. I will just say it right here..out loud...I am a soap snob and I love cold process soap...period.

So here is my result, I really dont like the uneven feeling texture. Now yes on a previous trial in a log mold I did get a more packed soap than this one that was poured into a slab mold and smooshed down as best I could, but it just feels different....



The top of the soap which was packed into the bottom of the mold is smooth enough....but the bottom of the soap is just not finished enough for my taste...

...And I am just not a fan....so in the free bucket at work these go.

Card Making Class Take 2

We had card making class again. I loved it and had fun, but 6:30 - 10pm makes it so late for me, I start to really tire by the last card.

Here was the first card.....

A lot of cut outs and a little busy, but I think it works nicely together making it a very cute card. There is even a little heart button glued onto the heart at the top right, and a dot of bling in the O of Love.


This card is the opposite of the above, a very simple card, yet still a very cute card. The hole making to weave the ribbon through I think will take work to get even, I suggest starting at the middle, not an edge like I was shown, that way it should be more evenly woven across.



This glittery love card was my least favorite to make. I think it looks great and it was a lot of fun....until the glitter part. I am not a fan of glitter....and we had it everywhere! But thankfully the end result is great!

This was the last card I made, I was getting pretty tired by now....but this ended up being my favorite card, so I am glad it ended up being the last, I really enjoyed making this one and think it is the cutest of the bunch! You stamp the little girl and then with these special water color markers using your ink pad you color her in. And I love the texture on the heart behind her.

Loads of fun!! My friend will be having her own first card making day in a couple more weeks....cant wait for more card making fun!

Coupons

I really think I must have an over obsessive nature. I cannot seem to like one thing at a time...and then I cant just "like" them...I have to obsessively jump in. So my newest on top of bath/body and card making is coupons!

I looked at couponsense.com, and signed up for the $4 trial month, but The Hubs reasonably explained you are trying to SAVE money here. So after checking it out for the month I did go ahead and cancel as I have the basic gist of the concept.

There are many places to get coupons, the Sunday paper being a main source....but did you know those coupons are online?? Just have to know where to look.

Also...did you know...you can "download" coupons directly onto your store savings card? The first one I have tried is Frys, used it today for the first time and it worked GREAT!! I did also have some other coupons that I had clipped...and the bonus savings is buying products while they are on sale.

So here are examples of the best savings on todays trip....

Cascasde -
Price 8.99 - In store savings(3.00)- Extra Coupon (0.50) - Total Cost 5.49

Wisp toothbrushes 4 pack
Price 2.39 - Extra Coupon (0.75) - Total Cost 1.64
(the 2 packs were on sale for $1 ea, this 4 pack came out cheaper than if you bought 2 of the 2 packs)

Oatmeal
Price 3.29 - In store savings(1.30)- Extra Coupon (1.00) - Total Cost 0.99

The following 4 were buy 4 save $4.00
Dawn Foaming Action - Total Cost 0.99
Price 4.29 - In store savings(1.80)- Extra Coupon (.50)- Bonus (1.00)

Crest - Total Cost 0.50
Price 3.29 - In store savings(.79)- Extra Coupon (1.00)- Bonus (1.00)

Aussie Shampoo - Total Cost 1.99
Price 4.79 - In store savings(1.80)- Bonus (1.00)

Aussie Conditioner - Total Cost 1.99
Price 4.79 - In store savings(1.80)- Bonus (1.00)

The following 2 were the best deal of all today. I had a coupon that if you bought an Aussie or herbal essence product, you got a styling product for FREE. Did you know...because I did not until today...they take off the ORIGNAL PRICE?!

Aussie Gel - Total Cost (1.20)
Price 4.19 - In store savings(1.20)- Bonus (4.19)

Aussie 3 Minute - Total Cost (1.20)
Price 4.19 - In store savings(1.20)- Bonus (4.19)

Thats right, the last 2 items they actually PAID ME! WOW!

So my total trip
Cost $85.92
In store savings (24.72)
Coupons (17.93)
I paid 43.27!

Stay tuned for more shopping trips and where to find these coupons...

Newest Toy

I have something new to play with and "dress" my soaps up a bit. I got a new soap stamp. Now each bar of soap will be stamped with our company name.


Although there is a learning curve...

• the right amount of pressure, not to soft not to hard


• making sure you get even pressure, sometimes the bottom row is deeper than the the top


• and also at what stage to stamp, the soap cannot be to new or to cured

So here are a few of the better ones...I wont show the goof ups. :)

Prickly pear...stamped a lil crooked, but still looks good.

This one is our lilac soap, both of these are our best sellers.
I love my newest "toy", although I did just learn that my buying one for myself ruined a surprise gift...our son was attempting to get one made for me...oops. Luckily he hadnt completed the process (thanks to me forgetting to email my logo to him)....would have been an awesome gift from a very thoughtful son.