Luster Canyon - Handcrafted Bath & Body Products

New Soaps Coming Soon...

2012-02-10T13:14:00.000-08:00

Newly made soaps waiting on the curing rack....

New Vitamix

2012-02-02T06:12:00.000-08:00

I got a new toy...a vitamix mixer. And yes I HAD to get the red one! lol
Now how to use it?? I googled a couple of recipes and then just decided to wing it.

For 3 of us I blended
1 c orange juice
1 c unflavored yogurt
2 c frozen fruit mix
1 banana
1 packet stevia in the raw

The end result was pretty tasty!!

January 2012 Card Class

2012-01-23T15:25:00.000-08:00

Had another great card class...is there ever a bad one?? lol

This month we learned some new tricks...like this rosette. A lil tricky to get it turned, but I think when you do a few of these it gets easier...and the result is very pretty! We used the new Designer Rosette Bigz XL Die.

This was a nice simple card with coloring...Cathy made this one for us. It used the letterpress which I think is another tricky thing that takes some practice.

I love this birthday card and its "frosted" cupcake. This Sweet Cake will be a must have stamp set for me. :)

This was an easy Valentine card using the new framelit set...and I love the pleated ribbon.

Cathy made this birthday card...I guess she did all the coloring ones for us lol. This card used the new edgelets, which take some time to do it right...but the end result makes for a great card!

I love this new Elegant Bird Bigz Die, he makes for a great card, and with using the new labels framelit in the back with a brad....

It makes a fun and unique card!!

Now this card I LOVED! Looks like a movie action thingie....

And when you open it you find a pocket to insert movie tickets....We used the cupcake punch to make the popcorn.

2012 Arizona Winter Conference

2012-01-22T17:07:00.000-08:00

Spent the day at Soapies Supplies where they hosted a fabulous conference filled with demos, food and FUN!

There was a great turn out on what started to be a cloudy day, but right on schedule with the conference...the sun decided to come out and play. A couple of windy moments peppered throughout, but nothing to ruin the day!

Our event was hosted by the Princess herself...Miss Kelley!

She gave us a lot of hands on demonstrations....look ma...one hand! :)

You did not leave the conference empty handed...OR with an empty stomach. First lets talk food...wish I had thought to take a picture of the fabulous array of food provided by Cherie...that girl can cook! She made the most wonderful soup and there was a huge salad buffet, fruit and of course dessert! THANK YOU CHERIE!

Goodie Bags...they were loaded with fun stuff from various suppliers. Brambleberry, Day-Star Candle and Soap Supply, Candlewic, Elements Bath & Body, Bitter Creek Candle Supply, Lotioncrafter, Scents & Sensibility, Design by Cherie and of course Soapies Supplies!

There were even raffle prizes...I won aroma beads from Elements Bath & Body!!!! And we all got to take home a gorgeous plant from the centerpieces!

There was also a product swap...an added bonus of fun at a gathering is making items to take and swap with other makers. We received a wonderful selection of items - Soaps, lotions, room sprays, whimsical owl, and tarts.

Now you are probably asking did we learn anything?? OF COURSE! Abbie Sewell from Scents and Sensibility...who even though she couldnt physically make it...she skyped in and shared a wealth of knowledge with us.

First up was embedding cold process soap into MP soap, soy candles, lotion, a body oil (which is my favoritest!!!!), bath bombs, scented sachets and then Kelley capped off the night with scoop and soap.

Cathy and I had so much fun...and we are hoping this becomes an annual thing!! Thank you Cherie for all the food (and even doing all those dishes)...thank you Bronson for packaging some lye for me at the last minute and lighting the bon fires...thank you Abbie for sharing so much with us...and thank you Kelley for being such a great hostess!

Bad Valentine Gifts

2012-01-20T18:03:00.000-08:00

I have been lucky enough to never have received a horrible gift for Valentine’s Day…but I know a lot of people haven’t been as fortunate. I can tell you the following are what I think would NOT be good gifts to give…

A bathroom scale…NO…not even if she asks for one!

Workout clothes or a gym membership…otherwise you night as well have given her the scale…although she may hit you with it.

Raw meat expecting her to cook for you….c’mon…make reservations and take her out!

Stuffed animals, unless you are teenagers…but grownups don’t have much use for a stuffy.

Do not even think about giving her a small jewelry box if it contains anything other than a diamond ring…finding earrings over an engagement ring is not a good feeling…for either of you.

And lastly…no gift at all is worse than all the above combined!

So tell me…what was the worst Valentine gift you have ever received…and I will pick one lucky winner to receive one of my Valentine themed soaps. (so be sure to leave your email in your comment so I can contact you)

Color Change I Like

2012-01-17T14:10:00.000-08:00

I have blogged before about how unpredictable color can sometimes be in soaps. A good non bleeding Christmas red is hard for me to achieve...sometimes my pinks morph to orange...and well this time I had some different color changes...that I actually really like. With that said...I bet I never am able to achieve it again. lol

The scent is cucumber cantaloupe, and after we made a batch of soap I had some of the green and orange left over...and I have such a hard time throwing away good soap. So for some reason my sunflower molds were on the counter...and I poured some of each color into 2 of the molds...and I got yellow in the end result without trying.

As Forrest says with Life...somedays I feel soap is like a box of chocolates...just never know what I am going to get. These are smaller than a regular bar so they wont be for sale, but maybe after they are cured some lucky shopper will find them in their package. :)

Card Making Space is Back...

2012-01-15T12:08:00.000-08:00

Well sort of. It is a work in process still but the gist of it has begun and that is all I need.

I had one of the bedrooms as my card making room and also it held all my containers...and then life threw us a curve ball which we gladly accepted without a second thought. With no notice my special needs cousin came to live with us, so everything was thrown into boxes so we could get her settled. I think we are now all settled and I am missing my card making as it is very calming and enjoyable to do. We have this alcove in the livingroom...and it is plenty of space for me! As Baby Girl said...this is a crafty home, it wont look out of place here...and besides I reminded myself...we never get company, so unless the cats mind...and no sign of that...my new crafting space has hatched!!

Uninvited Guest

2012-01-14T18:39:00.000-08:00

I have a bag of notebooks I keep on the floor by my desk. My Lily Girl kitty has been tearing it up today. I thought it was odd because she is the one kitty we rarely see...and here she is hanging around playing with a plastic sack?? So finally she has all of the notebooks out of the bag and strewn all about the floor...by now I have had enough and went and took the bag away from her...what a fright I got at what was staring back at me?!?!

Yes in the photo he is pretty cute...but in the house when I am not expecting it?? Well not so cute! Pretty much chaos ensued...my screaming freaked the kids out, freaked the cats out...who took off running into the water dish which spilled all over Baby Girls shoes, everyone staring at me like I am nuts...until the one brave person took charge of the lil guy and showed him his proper place in this house....OUTSIDE!

And the winner is.....

2012-01-13T16:42:00.000-08:00

Lisa Smith said...
Daily tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/lisadsmith86/status/156935100771213312

Lisa you are the winner of our bath and body giveaway!!!!

Congrats!!

Fortune Teller Soaps

2012-01-12T05:44:00.000-08:00

What does Penelope see in your future? Some new vividly colored soaps. How fun are these beauties?!

I have printed an image onto water soluble paper and then embedded that into the soap....

Yes there really is a layer of paper in there, but it will dissolve away with use.

Currently we offer 4 different fortune tellers....what other pictures would you like to see?

Loofah Soaps

2012-01-09T18:34:00.000-08:00

I decided to try something new here. I bought these loofah pieces a year ago...I am really bad on impulse buys and usually sit on things for a while trying to choose a project...then what scent to use is just as hard.

The soaps all each have a loofah piece inside, giving you exfoliation while cleansing.

One side will be scrubbier than the other...until the soap has worn down more after some use.

It is a pretty easy project actually...just set your loofah in the mold, melt, scent and color your soap base....and pour over the loofah filling the mold.

I chose to represent the entire rainbow...makes for a prettier display...

Pink - Cherry Blossom

Red - Sweet Love

Orange - Arizona Sunshine

Yellow - Lemon

Green - Rosemary Mint

Aqua - Sea Kelp & Agave

Blue - Blue Raspberry

Purple - Lavender EO

Time Capsule in the Wall

2012-01-07T05:32:00.000-08:00

The Hubs took down the paneling in the front room...and although puzzled to find not one single piece of insulation in the room...no wonder it was always so cold in that room lol...just look at the treasure he found....

An Arizona Republic newspaper from February 1971!!

It only cost .10 cents...and check out the chuckle of the day...pretty sad it is still a "weigh" of life for most hehe

Inside of the House

2012-01-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

Are you ready?? Boy what a site it was to find the house gutted out. :(

This is the kitchen...it was boarded off from the rest of the house....not sure why it was there....but it had to go...

This is the living room...with the front door we almost never used...we always used the side door and I guarantee I will probably keep that habit. lol

The living room has a great fireplace in it...just need to replace with a better pellet stove.

This is the front bedroom, which will be the guest room. We are going to take the paneling down and drywall which will really brighten the room up.

This was grandmas room, and the room I lived in when I lived with grandma, thankfully this room is in good shape...

As was Jenn's room as well.

So...we have our work cut out for us in the kitchen, and although that is the worst room in the house...bummer part is that is the most expensive to repair...but we are up for it!!

Valentine Soap #1

2012-01-04T17:07:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by a post from the Soap Queen making a peppermint soap. I love the colorful peek-a-boo middle portion, so I thought I would give something a try for Valentines.
I decided to use my new mini mold Cousin Al made me, and well with the first time using a mold you have to get your proportions worked out...so the base ended up being a lil taller than I would have really liked, but all in all I think it turned out great!

First step is making my layered embeds. When I think of valentine I think of victorian/shabby chic, so I love reds, pinks, white, lavenders and greens. So here I made 3 layers of red white and green...a lil watermelon looking at this stage, but I knew it would come together.

Then I cut them up into pieces...

Here you see the first layer poured. It is an oatmeal base scented with almond. The embeds are scented with cherry blossom.

Next I melted some clear base and poured over the oatmeal base adding my embed pieces as I went.

Then I added a white topper and sprinkled more embeds on top...I LOVE this mold and being able to see what my layers look like as I go.

Here is my completed log...

...and the finished product.

Each bar is about 5 ounces in weight, 2-1/4 inches wide, 3-1/2 inches tall and about 1 inch thick. $7 each and that includes US/Canada postage.

Claim your bar over at our Etsy shop now before they are all gone.

Clay Soaps Coming Soon

2012-01-02T07:34:00.000-08:00

I have so many clays already, but I just got some new clays in, and I thought I would do an unscented line of soaps colored with just clays. They have so many wonderful natural skin loving qualities...first up is the new clays I just got...Cambrian Blue Clay and Dead Sea Black Clay...

How awesome are these boxes?

Cambrian blue clay is said to be a rare clay from Russia with the most powerful detoxifying properties of all clays. It comes from the Siberian lakes and is known for its clarifying and blemish fighting properties, and is also thought to be good for anti-aging and anti wrinkle. It has a rich source of trace minerals, and although it is very good for oily skin, it may be to drying for sensitive dry skin.

Dead sea black clay works great to cleanse and is known to have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties and can refresh and regenerate the skin.

So now on to the soap making....we added olive and avocado oils to make the bar even more conditioning.

I used my new favorite molds. I LOVE these square molds, they make the perfect bar size, here is the blue...

...and the dead sea clay....

...and both beauties next to each other.

These will be ready in about 3-4 weeks. Also added to the clay lineup will be Rhassoul, French Green, Morrocan Red, Pink Kaolin, White Kaolin and Bentonite.

Time for a Giveaway

2012-01-01T04:19:00.000-08:00

January’s B&B Giveaway includes:

A Natural Sea Sponge
An 8 oz bottle of our lavender scented hand & body lotion
A Big “Beefy” Bar of green tea cucumber scented soap

Just leave a comment for each entry you complete…and be sure to put your email address in every comment you make so that I can contact you if you are the winner! Winner will be chosen by Random.org and will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond.

Mandatory:
Tell me what is your favorite scent.

Extra Entries:
Follow me on GFC (to the Right)
Follow me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Networked Blogs (to the Right)
Re-tweet this post (Once Daily)

Giveaway ends at midnight on January 13 and winner will be chosen on January 14.

The Rock House

2011-12-30T16:45:00.000-08:00

Here is the view of the rock house from the garage.

We call it the "rock house" ...well because it is made of rocks.

This used to house tools and junk...and when I was little I found it very scary! Now all grown up and all cleaned out...its a pretty cool place.

It's main purpose though is to house the pump for the well but it still makes a great tool shed and just needs a new tin roof put on.

Unplanned Absence

2011-12-26T17:57:00.000-08:00

Sorry to have just disappeared, but we had a crazy twist to our life as we end 2011. Wouldnt even begin to know where to start to explain, but short and sweet story is we have taken custody of a disabled family member, and as a bonus we "inherited" grandmas house.

I grew up in this house...my daughter grew up in this house. We were VERY close to grandma, my daughter called her Grandma Mommy all growing up... so this house is beyond special to us.

Unfortunately it wasnt cared for properly in the 4 years since grandmas passing, and so The Hubs and I have basically been gifted a project house....lets hope it isnt a money pit lol.

Here she is in all her green splendor! Cant tell you how many evenings we spent on that porch...we didnt get but 2 channels on the TV so back in the "good ol' days" we hung out on the porch rocking chairs until bed time.

The house was moved here waaaaay back when, that sure had to have been a sight to see an entire house moving down the road. Of course as a kid I never paid attention to the story, now as an adult I want to learn more, so I hope to find that out later on.

The house and garage sits on about an acre and a quarter, so plenty of space. The Hubs wants to make the 2 car garage you see there on the left...my soaping room...totally not going to fight him on that one!! LOL

Side view of the house...we will re-side with concrete siding in a couple years.

Not sure what was planned with these posts...but they are soon to be.... outta here!!

Back of the house, this door leads to Jenny's room which was added on at some point.

So...here is the house, we hope to restore it while keeping its old country charm...you wont believe what the inside looks like, I was shocked and saddened...but saving that for future posts...

Soap Mold Update

2011-11-08T10:47:00.000-08:00

Slid out like a dream........

I am one happy camper!!! Thank you Al for ending a huge frustration for a fraction of the cost.

So in about 3 weeks these gorgeous creamy white fresh linen bars will be ready for sale. :)

New Mold

2011-11-06T18:20:00.000-08:00

The Hubs has a special cousin that is fabulous in making things...like seriously fabulous...he should be selling some of his gorgeous items. He made my soap cutter which we use A LOT!

Lately we have been looking into molds. We currently use the molds The Hubs made me over 4 years ago...absolutely nothing wrong with them...except we have to line them. Coming up on 5 years with a larger production than our hobby stage...well its getting a little old. BUT...for the amount we need we are talking $1,000 buckeroos or so...well we are still too small for that cost just yet.

So dear sweet Cousin Al and his handy hands stepped in for a possible solution...look at the gorgeous mold he has fashioned for us to try out....

So here we fill in our first batch for a test drive...

No leaks...huge plus here....

He made these tops for bowing...but it didnt bow a bit...

So our first lil baby is in the oven...the true test will be at unmolding...if it doesnt stick...well Cousin Al best get to cranking more of these babies out for us...so cross your fingers and stay tuned.
(oh and the scent is Fresh Linen...we wanted a no frills scent to try out out, and this scent needs no colors)

Etsy Seller Spotlight - Jennie's Home Made Goods

2011-11-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

I purchased a cat nip filled cat toy from Jennies. My cats are pretty picky about EVERYTHING, but I thought I would take a chance here since the lil pup always seems to get surprises and toys all the time. So I threw it on their bed.....

Hmmm...what is this?????

Charlie is the first to claim it....

Yum!

Simon says "my turn!"

Smells soooo good!!

Tastes good too....

Awww, I think Simon is in love!!

Charlie....

2011-10-19T02:49:00.000-07:00

Hogging the water dish again. Mr Bills patiently waiting...again. :)

Diary of a Pumpkin Soap

2011-09-19T17:14:00.000-07:00

We make pumpkin soap only once a year, in the Fall. It is a warm and yummy scent perfect for the season. We use real pumpkin puree and then add a pumpkin scent that makes it smell good enough to eat. (but we wouldnt recommend that!)

Pumpkin tends to make the soap heat very fast and quite hot, so it is one of the few soaps I do not insulate. After a couple hours I realized that maybe this soap is not going to go through the gel phase after all....but I made that thought to soon and within a matter of minutes this baby heated right on up and went into full gel....

The dark spot in the middle is the gel phase turning the soap translucent....

And soon the entire log is in full gel.

And in the morning we find it cooled off and back to its original look....

And here is our finished product....Pumpkin soap with a line of cocoa sprinkled in.

Spotlight on Neem Oil

2011-09-16T04:26:00.000-07:00

Neem oil is a vegetable oil that is pressed from the Neem tree, which is an evergreen prevalent to the Indian subcontinent.

Raw Neem oil is well-known for its strong unpleasant odor, but aside from that it does have many positive attributes. Not only is it known to relieve and soothe dry and irritated skin, but it is also known to be antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and insecticidal.

Neem oil is great for use on acne, eczema and psoriasis. It isn’t a miracle remedy, but has shown to be very helpful with noted results. In addition, it is high in vitamin E giving it moisturizing qualities.

So how does Luster Canyon use it? We use it in one of our facial bar soaps, adding tea tree essential oil and activated charcoal to further compliment the bar.

To purchase a bar you can find them in our store in Prescott or online in our Etsy Shop.

A Dragonfly?

2011-09-14T05:51:00.000-07:00

When I let the lil pup in last night a moth flew in....or so I thought...just look what flew in...

...and is flying about tormenting the furbabies....
(I love it when Charlie does his chattering)

No worries though, with the help of a box and a sheet of paper, the dragonfly was safely caught and returned outside where he belongs.

Jumbo Lip Balms Coming Soon

2011-09-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

Now here is a gift for your favorite lip balmaholic!! Jumbo lip balms that are 3 times the size of our normal lip balms.

They contain over a half ounce of moisture for your lips...and well they just make me giggle! Plus they take me back to when I was a kid and had that jumbo bonnie bell soda flavored lip balm necklace...you know you remember those!

Our lips balms are made from scratch and contain avocado oil, cocoa butter and jojoba oil and feel wonderful on your lips.

They will sell for $5 each and I think they will make fabulous stocking stuffers.

Look for them to be listed soon.

ORANGE??? What Happened to my Pink??!!

2011-09-07T06:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when you cut a log of soap you get little surprises...sometimes wanted, other times not.

Like this fabulously unplanned, perfectly defined, crescent moon floating in my heart instead of the usual planned swirly blobs....this is cool!

Cutting my planned gorgeous shade of pink soap to find orange.....sooooo not cool!!!

But hey in soapmaking land this happens. I was going to use pink clay but opted for my pink mica instead. I went a little light on the coloring, and my first thought was it too light to withstand the high heat gel phase, so it morphed into orange....but what I am sure happened is my sample raspberry mica pack was mislabeled and is actually strawberry pop mica, which is known to morph to orange. It is still a pretty soap, but not quite the look I wanted for my egyptian geranium essential oil soap.

I tried a couple of new (to me) techniques. One is the spoon swirl....Baby Girl and I hand spooned each glop here. Takes a bit of time, and I obviously need more practice. Also I did my first soap curls and added on top because I love this look for florals.

All in all I think the soap looks great, and of course it smells wonderful....not quite what I was going for but the beauty of soaping is the buyer doesnt know what my intentions are, just that they ended up with a fabulous bar of soap. :)

I Made Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2011-09-05T03:27:00.000-07:00

OK...OK...so I cheated...I used a box. :)

But there was still assembling to be done. First off...the box does not come with pineapple or cherries, you have to get that separate. You melt butter and sprinkle the brown sugar around...makes quite a messy look....

Then I arranged the pineapple...I opted against the cherries.

Mix up the cake as normal with water, eggs and oil. Pour over the pineapples....I made sure I poured directly onto the pineapples until I created a base layer, otherwise the sugar was wanting to float to the top.

(I realized I spent time making sure I had the correct cake pan that had the lid that fit....forgetting that this cake doesnt stay in the pan....so a foiled cookie sheet to the rescue!!!)

Bake and turn out onto the pan....Look...One Piece!!!!!! Of course I needed Baby Girls help to flip as I was a bit unsure about it.

Pretty easy to make really, hope it tastes as good as it looks. :)

Big "Beefy" Bars...Coming Soon...

2011-09-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

What is a Big "Beefy" Bar you ask? Well not only is it a bigger heftier bar of soap in comparison to our usual size....but it contains beef tallow as one of the oils.

Why beef tallow when vegan/vegetable soap is more popular? We like to offer a variety of products to suit everyones needs, and there are quite a few people who enjoy Beef Tallow in their soap. It does makes a nice bar of soap with a rich and creamy lather.

Here is a size comparison to one of our regular bars...

Coming soon we will offer a few Big "Beefy" Bars in a variety of scents....pictured is Green Tea Cucumber...

...And Gingered Apples.

First Time Broiling...

2011-08-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

...and I think it went pretty well!!

I have never broiled before....well I think partially because it scares me a little bit....but I was making spaghetti and I realized I didnt buy any garlic bread...hmm how to improvise when your kitchen skills are....well pretty lacking??!!

I had some sandwich bread and this garlic festival brand garlic all purpose shake-on...

I also realized we were out of parmesan cheese....thank goodness we had some leftover packets from our last pizza run. I mixed some butter with the garlic powder, spread it on the bread and sprinkled my lil bit of parmesan...and...voila!!

I popped it into the oven on broil...you know how they say a watched pot never boils? Well I say a watched broiler never broils. I thought it would be much faster....but then me opening the door every few seconds probably didn't help it along.

All in all I think I did a pretty good job!! It was quite tasty!

Leftover Soap

2011-08-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

When making soap sometimes I have some leftover "batter". I really hate wasting it into the garbage can, so I thought what would happen if I just chunked it all into a mold? So this weekend I made 4 different batches of soap. One of the batches filled the mold perfectly, but I had some leftover of the other three, not much in 2 of them, but enough to add some splash of color.

Here it is poured into the mold...

Here is the bottom side where you can see the different batches more clearly...

And here they are all cut up and ready to give away as samples. Perfect way to use up the leftovers without it going to waste.

Happy Birthday to Baby Girl!

2011-08-25T06:28:00.001-07:00

23 years ago today I gave birth to an amazing person!

Last night we all drove over to Prescott and met the birthday girl at Chili's...was actually the first time The Hubs and I ate there....Yummo!! We had a great time and Ashleys big sis Cathy made one of her fabulous looking cakes, which sadly cracked on the drive over, but still tasted wonderful!!

August Card Class

2011-08-23T05:30:00.000-07:00

Friday night was the card class for August. I seriously enjoy going to card class and learning new techniques and gabbing with my friends for a few hours. So much fun!! So here is what we made this month.....

I love the symplicity of this birthday card. It was a quick and easy one to put together and sometimes less really is more.

How totally cute is this overall card. We "white washed" the navy card stock to make it more denim like and then hand drew the "stitches". Another quick one even though it looks complicated.

I am seriously crushing on any cards with a distressed look. The red paper we ripped and sprayed with water and crumpled up, also got to use a fun new tool that sprays the marker ink onto the card. Fun card!!

And here is my fave for the night....you know I always save the best for last. Learned a fun new (to me) technique to get the trees mirrored like it is the reflection in a pond.

See the glitter....everything is better when it has some bling!! :)

Grandsons Chipmunk Mission

2011-08-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

Our 7 year old grandson Orion has been on a mission the past couple of weeks. He has had his mind set on catching one of the many chipmunks that live on our rocky bank. So after being told he couldn’t shoot one he set his mind to figure out how to trap one.

He borrowed a no kill trap from his dad…and after agreeing to set free his catch we let him set one up. Problem is we knew it wouldn’t catch a chipmunk due to the large size of the trap and the small feather light chipmunk couldn’t trigger it. But Grampy and I allowed him his “fun” and the trap was set in front of my truck, a piece of peanut buttered bread put in for “bait”.

Yesterday I head out for work….empty trap….Today I head out for work…hmmm…what is that in the trap? Did he create a nest to make it more inviting? I take off my sunglasses for a closer look….something stands up….and look what greeted me….ACK!

Orion of course is over the moon with the fact that he actually caught something. I have told The Hubs that is now the end to the trapping…I never in my wildest dreams thought he would catch anything…let alone a skunk!!! (He was actually a cute lil guy!)

So The Hubs threw a blanket over the trap and opened the door and it ran free…of course yes it sprayed first but thankfully he did not spray The Hubs!

Cracked Glass Thank You Card

2011-07-23T03:00:00.000-07:00

I wanted to try a technique called "Cracked Glass" that I read about at Krafting Kreations.
I used Stampin’ Up’s “Sense of Time” stamp set and stamped the clock with crumb cake ink onto vanilla cardstock and then cut it out.

Then I stamped versamark onto the image…

Added clear emboss powder and took the heat gun to it…

See how it is bumpy? So I versamarked and embossed 3 more times…

Now look how shiny and smooth it is….

Then I put it in the freezer for about 5 minutes, and bent it so it cracked

I sponged a little crumb cake ink very very lightly over it to fill in the cracks a bit to distress it some…

Don’t use black or apply it heavy….no good :(!!...

I am happy with the results and I think it is a neat technique that has endless possibilities...What do you think?

Shampoo Bars

2011-07-05T03:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend I tried something new. Shampoo bars....solid shampoo. I like this concept and think it is perfect for travel and/or gym bags. No liquids with a chance for leaking. So I thought I would give it a whirl....First melt everything....

Then everything went fast to keep it at the right temp and into the molds, because once removed from the heat source it cooled down fast, and 10 degrees makes a big difference on keeping it more fluid and easier to work with....but I got it into the mold as best I could...

Check out the bubblage on clean up :)....

Here are the bars unmolded....

One thing I would do different next time is to keep the pan on the double boiler instead of removing it from the heat onto the counter while filling the molds...I think that would have bought me a little more time in getting the mold packed better for a smoother appearance??

I scented them Green Tea & Cucumber and tinted them with a smidge of green mica....I will let you know what my testers think about them. :)

Strange Tree Mutation

2011-06-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

I am trying to figure out what happened to my tree, and if this ok…or is this bad and we should chop the tree down.

Over 5 years ago we planted 2 Ash trees in our backyard. This spring when they started to bud we had a freeze, our one tree here as you can see came out nicely in spite of that….

….our other tree did not do anything and we thought it had died. Now here we are like 2 months later and it has sprouted some greenery….but something doesn’t look right….

The “leaves” are in tight small clumps on the branches and even up the trunk…

Is this a fungus?? Did my tree mutate to something different??

New bed for Charlie

2011-06-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

I wonder if I wish really really hard....maybe I can fit in my new box...

If I twist around here....

No Simon I do not want a bath right now...

Maybe if I try this angle??..

Ahhh here we go, yes...see I fit!!!!

Now time for a catnap!

Bath Time Fun

2011-05-28T03:46:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have made bath bombs...and it felt like time to make them again to add to the shop....and why not try a fun experiment while at it. I made 2 for my grandson to be my tester....even though he doesnt know it yet. :)

While at Hobby Lobby I saw these dinosaurs that grow in water, and I thought...how fun would that be to add to a bath bomb to surprise my grandson...

So I buried one into the fizzy...

And packed him all in...

Here is the finished product. I am hoping it is dry enough to not start activating the growth until it is plopped into the tub...will keep you posted.

And Here I Thought I Worked Hard....

2011-05-21T08:19:00.001-07:00

How would you like to carry something all the home home....

That is 10 times your body size....

And it isnt even food!!

Poor lil guy, it must be a lollipop stick and he is attracted to the sugar on it....such a hard life no?

Body Mists for Kids...

2011-05-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

New in stock are scented body mists for kids. Kids love nothing more than to feel grown up...and quite frankly.... it is never too early to start a beauty regime

Body mists are Paraben Free and formulated to leave your skin silky and smooth feeling.

Scents included - Strawberry Cupcake, Red Velvet Cupcake, Buttercream Cupcake, Chocolate, Cherry Berry and Vanilla Ice Cream.

Bottles are 2.5 ounces and they retail for $6.00 ea. Come check them out!

Chopped My Hair Off....

2011-05-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

...and I LOVE IT!

I have been in a funk and havent done much of anything with it for years, I have just been getting the ends nipped here and there...well it was time for a change.

Here is my before....

...and after....

A much needed improvement!

I even had some high/low lights put in, but hard to tell in the picture, but I just needed a small change to brighten it up.

Tuesdays Crush....

2011-05-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

This week I am crushin' on my new salad dressing from Olive U.

I picked out Pomegranate Balsamic....The Hubs picked out 18 Year Traditional (which is their best seller.) I also chose another....Organic Tuscan Herb olive oil.

They are great on salads or used as a marinade.... They are fabulous!!

Olive U is located on the third floor of Bashford court...and they ship!!!

Happy Lil Accident

2011-05-16T02:49:00.000-07:00

This past week we made more moon soaps....it has become quite a popular seller. We use a wonderful scent from Brambleberry for it and have a hard time keeping up stock. It is a 2 day process, we make the moons first, and to try to keep up we made a bigger batch and had some extra leftover....which I hate to waste so I just quickly poured it into a mold to deal with later.

The next day we made the night sky and embedded the moon, we also had some left over...and not knowing how it would work I just poured it on top of the other left over batch and threw the end cuts of moons on top...the end result?? I LOVE IT!

On the left you see our regular Arizona Moonlight soap...on the right was the leftovers all thrown together....I am thinking I will be switching over to this look on future batches...What do you think?

Cupcake Fun

2011-05-13T16:52:00.000-07:00

These gorgeous cupcakes made for us by Sassy Soapworks look and smell yummy....but dont be fooled. These are not tasty at all.....they are made out of soap!

Such a fun and unique gift for a young girl or that hard to buy for baker in your life.

We have various colors and scents in stock, they retail for $6.00 and they are a conversation piece for sure!

New Labels New Scent

2011-05-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

We have talked about changing our labels for 2 years now...but when is there ever a good time to take on such a project?? We decided opening the store was the perfect time, so we went to work on printing A LOT of new labels.

Really all we did was add a colored background, but that was all it needed to make it pop. The lotions are so white that unless you use colored bottles...you need something to add some oomph! We like them very much!! Now comes the hard part though....finding enough time to get photos taken and then switch out the new pictures with the old on Etsy.

We added a few new scents with the new shop as well, one of them is Raspberry Explosion...which I enjoy very much! We have it in soap, 8 ounce pump bottle lotions and a 2 ounce size which is perfect for your purse or bedside table.

Tuesdays Crush

2011-05-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

My Aquis Microfiber Hair Turban is this weeks crush. We carry them in the store and I got one for myself, but kept forgetting it on the kitchen counter.

Then a couple of weeks ago a customer came in and saw the turbans and said how awful hers was. She did quickly point out that hers was a different brand, but that she thought it was just awful and had ruined her hair. I notice her hair actually looks pretty nice, so I ask why? She said it flattened it and took the curl out and she needs to go wash it and get it fixed. So I say…well my hair could use some flattening, as I usually have quite large hair thanks to my natural wavy craziness…so that night I made sure to put the turban IN the bathroom where I was sure to use it after my next shower.

I have to say 2 weeks later I am not disappointed in the least. First of all my hair is not flat and has not lost any of its wave or curl…I see no difference in my overall end result. Where I do see the difference however is the weight on my head in comparison to a towel. This turban is so nice and lightweight….you don’t even know it is there. Its loop and button closure helps it fit nice and snug on your head staying in place…it doesn’t shift around like a big bulky towel.

It is incredibly nice and super absorbent. My hair is no longer sopping wet and therefore it does not take as much blow drying time as needed before, which I am sure is healthier for my hair.

I do not know how other brands stack up, but as for my Aquis brand hair turban….I LOVE IT! I cannot imagine going back to a towel on my head ever again!

We currently have 2 colors in stock…pink and white. The next order we put in I will be adding celadon green to the mix.

We sell the turbans for $19.99 each, but from now through Sunday May 15, 2011, if you come into the Luster Canyon store at Bashford Court to purchase a hair turban... just mention this blog post and you will receive 25% off your hair turban!!

Western Themed Cards Now in Stock

2011-05-09T04:35:00.000-07:00

We now have some beautiful western themed greeting cards in stock thanks to oldest daughter Cathy. She is incredibly talented and made some great cards for the shop....

Of course we cant forget the cowgirls. ;)

Happy Mothers Day

2011-05-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Mothers Day to all the moms and grandmas and great grandmas!!! I hope everyone has a special day! I have to say I have some pretty great kids and grandkids so every day we are together is a great one for me. :)

Here are some beautiful flowers from my grandsons and oldest daughter

How adorable is this tag!!??

Baby girl gave me some much needed card making supplies...

And strangely enough...this card is totally her! Love it!

I love my family very much!!

Cinco de Mayo

2011-05-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

Cinco de Mayo which is Spanish for "fifth of May" is a holiday held on May 5 to commemorate the Mexican army's May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War.

A holiday for Mexico, but it has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture in the United States.

Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day which occurs on September 16th and is the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico.

So how will you celebrate? For us it is Mexican Food for lunch. :)

Simon causing more trouble.....

2011-05-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

Charlie taking a nice nap....

What?

Simon I am trying to nap here...

OH! MY NOSE!!!!

*sigh* Simon is always looking for trouble!

Tuesdays Crush....

2011-05-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

What am I obsessing about this week?

Bobs Olde Timey Peppermint Sticks.

LOVE THEM!! I have gotten in the bad habit of having one every day...but at least I have been good at keeping it to just one a day. ;)
So far the only place I find to buy them is Cracker Barrel. I have seen the round mints at Wal-Mart, but I love the stick version.

Miles of Sunshine....

2011-05-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

Filled the oven with soap this past week.....

Sweet Pea, White Tea & Ginger, Cucumber Cantaloupe....

And Miles of Arizona Sunshine....

Earth Day 2011

2011-04-22T08:13:00.001-07:00

It’s Earth Day and what does that mean? Well it is a day meant to inspire and make us appreciate our environment.

Earth day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson on April 22, 1970 and went international in 1990.

So what can you do?

· Avoid buying bottled water and buy a reusable water bottle to refill from home
· Turn off the lights when you leave a room
· Recycle
· Carpool
· Start a compost in your backyard
· Lower your thermostat
· Ride a bike to work
· Utilize your public library instead of buying books
· Reuse plastic grocery sacks for trash can liners and/or doggie and litterbox poop bags
· Bring your own bags to the grocery store
· Do full loads of laundry
· Take a shower instead of a bath
· Run your dishwasher only when it is full

What are some of your Earth Day everyday tips?

Stamp Camp and Soaping

2011-04-21T18:09:00.001-07:00

I know I have been MIA for a bit....so much to do to keep up... I am in awe of those that can do it all....I am a work in progress for that.

The shop is going great, but we see we need to get going on soaping in order to keep up. We are closed Easter Sunday so we are planning that day to kick out a bunch of logs of soap, of course fitting in making a ham dinner for the family.

We made a couple soaps the other night...looking at it now you would think it was for a baby shower, but the blue is Arizona Sunshine, and the pink swirl is Black Raspberry Vanilla.

Of course I have to have some fun in here somewhere so I am having a couple friends over tomorrow night for our own stamp camp. We have each come up with a project to share with the others....here are the pieces of mine....

....whatever shall it turn out to be?? Be sure to come back over the weekend to see. :)

Tasks to Accomplish

2011-04-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

Day 1 of The Hubs working the shop alone….and oh how I have such high hopes of accomplishing stuff!!!

The shop closes at 5:30 and is an hour drive from home…I get off work at 4pm, so this gives me 2 full hours of aloneness in the house. When The Hubs is home, I for some reason accomplish NOTHING. I seem to be just lazy and unmotivated. So I am hoping to take advantage of no excuses of interruptions during the week and actually get things done. Now just what is on my agenda??

Well cleaning for one, I know....I said the dreaded yucky word, but I know I can do it.

Another big task I would like to do….WII Fit, this may be the hardest task to find motivation for….but I plan to try. Anyone do WII Fit?

Lastly I plan to cook dinners. Today I sent Baby Girl to the store with a list of items to be able to make a weeks worth of meals. Anyone have receipes to share for next weeks meals?

Stay tuned and lets see if I can manage to stay on track this week…..

Half of the store is completed.

2011-03-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

Almost ready to open. Still working on the bath and body side, but the bedding side is complete. Dont the sheets looks awesome on the displays The Hubs built....

Up top on the left are handcrafted cowhide pillows, on the right are maple bowls.

The Hubs also made from scratch a faux bed to display the sheets so they can be felt, and I think he did a fabulous job on it!!

Here is our newest member to the shop....the "goggles" threw us for a second, but great packaging idea really. And well what can be better than a good friend to help you put together your mannequin and have a good time with ya while they do it. :) Love ya my masked helper!!!

First Soapy Wedding Favor Order

2011-03-23T17:54:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I received my first ever order for wedding soap favors. They are now all cured and ready to package.... I hope the bride will be pleased...weddings are all about the bride ya know. ;)

New Cards for the Shop...

2011-03-19T12:36:00.001-07:00

Oldest daughter and I went to card class last night, and we made some really nice cards for the new shop....

Cathy made this beautiful Easter card that we think we will duplicate for Mothers day as well.

Cathy also made this Bliss card...this Bliss set is so classy and no matter how you use it the cards always look great!

I made this "Just for You" card...I love the color combinations.

I also made this Springtime Smiles card...I keep thinking I do not want to buy this stamp set, but this lil girl is so adorable I think I can no longer resist.

We both made Easter Basket cards...I love the polka dot texture in the background, and how cute is this lil chickee?!

We also both made this Southern Belle...which turned out to be our fave for the night...how gorgeous is she!!

I think we will have a great starting selction to fill our card rack!

First Candle Done

2011-03-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

The first candle for our shop is completed. Our oldest daughter does a fabulous job hand painting onto candles....and yes you can burn the candle. As the candle burns it melts down the center leaving the painted outer shell. So here is a sneak peek at one of the candles, with more to come. :)

Where to put everything...

2011-03-13T18:51:00.001-07:00

We are getting there...it feels like a slow process, but we are making strides.

Here is the start of the sheet display, kept plain because the sheets will add COLOR! Still need to add the base to the display and get the bed built...

Here is where the lotions will reside, hand painted candles in the corner unit...and lots of fun stuff planned for the island....

This is the planned kids section. We have some great things coming courtesy of Sassy Soapworks and I cant wait to get everything displayed....

We did a lot of measuring and list making today of all the needed items to complete set up, hoping this week to get things priced and over to the shop to begin the puzzle of.....Where to put everything....

Progress...

2011-03-03T14:02:00.000-08:00

....The walls are now painted and we are slowly getting the furniture over to the shop....I have so much more room in my house now. :)

Next up is to find a twin bed and headboard for the bedding display, and a trip to Phoenix for the slat wall is planned soon.

So much to do.....

New Chairs for the Shop!

2011-03-02T04:14:00.000-08:00

We were on a hunt this past weekend for a chair or two for the store. A sort of "husband" chair. a place the bored hubbys can sit while their wives shop.

We went to our local antique store and found these beauties sitting outside the front door like they were waiting for us. We walked the entire shop and as we went to leave to think about the chairs for a possible later purchase....we were told those chairs were being marked down to $10....SOLD!!

Looks like the kitties have claimed them...good thing I havent scrubbed them down yet. So no worries...the seat cushions are actually vinyl so they will wash up beautifully for the shop.

Pumping up Production!

2011-02-28T16:35:00.000-08:00

We have pumped up production for the opening of the new store. Why so much you ask? Well on one hand thinking positive on needing enough stock, then...if I am making a batch... a big batch is just as easy as a small batch. Lastly...this frees me up to be able to work my own store. I have a full time job which I love and want to keep, so weekends are where I make my goodies. Working through March making enough stock will let me be able to work my store when we open in April. Yes I am crazy, but I love it!

The Beginning!!

2011-02-26T16:00:00.000-08:00

If you havent already heard....Luster Canyon is going B&M. (Brick & Mortar)

We are planning for an April 1 open...so there is a LOT to get done!!

First up is painting....of course we want to keep our signature colors, so the existing colors must go...Here are the existing colors and to give you a sneak peek at the space...

And so we begin.....

Which kind of Scrub are you....

2011-02-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

We offer 2 different types of sugar scrubs to use for exfoliation.

First off...Why exfoliate? To remove dead skin cells that build up on our skin resulting in a fresher look and healthier skin. Exfoliate once or twice a week is a great treat for your skin.

Second...why sugar? Well you need something to add for a bit of "grit" to exfoliate, and sugar in my opinion is a bit more soothing than salt. (think freshly shaved legs, owie!!)

What types do we offer?
A handcrafted whipped sugar scrub made from scratch. This one is great for exfoliation with moisturization, and do use caution as it can cause your tub or shower to become slippery.
$10.00 per each 8 ounce jar.

To use, wash first with one of our olive oil based soaps, then scoop some scrub into your hand and gently rub over your skin, paying extra attention to any rough spots. The scrub will begin to emulsify and gently moisturize your skin while you exfoliate. When finished just rinse and towel off. If needed follow up with our great hand and body lotion for a special moisturizing treat.

Next we offer individual use scrub cubes. This type will exfoliate while cleansing and is great for travel.
$7.00 per jar, cube amount varies due to being hand cut, but contains at least 16 cubes.

To use take 1 – 2 cubes into the shower or tub with you. Moisten and flatten into the palm of your hand and rub over your skin, paying extra attention to any rough spots. The cube will begin to emulsify and gently cleanse your skin while you exfoliate. When finished just rinse and towel off. Again if needed follow up with our great hand and body lotion for a special moisturizing treat.

More Cards...

2011-02-21T03:04:00.000-08:00

Yes it was another great day of card making class...and I really think these are the best I have done so far.

This first one is so pretty with its Tiffany Blue hue, and texutrized vellum decorated with petite pearls and then laid over the stamped butterfly images to soften the look makes this birthday card a special one to give.

This thank you card is a great way to say thanks! Paired with a flowering plant with room to write a personlized note inside will brighten anyones day.

How fun is this lil guy!! Great for a boy or a man!

Yes of course...there is yet another owl. How adorable is this get well nurse owl??!! Sure to perk someone up who is feeling under the weather.

New Mystery Grab Bag

2011-02-20T06:58:00.000-08:00

Do you like mystery and adventure? Well this Grab Bag listing is for you!!

What is a Grab Bag you ask??

The dictionary defines it as:
1. A box/bag containing unknown objects that can be purchased for a fixed price
2. Something composed of miscellaneous or mismatched components

Luster Canyon defines it as:
1. A box containing a variety of our handmade items
2. Miscellaneous items, discontinued scents, items not scented as much as they should be, odd cuts, or scratch and dent.

Shipping within the US is included in this grab bag listing. All items will be in brand new condition…nothing wrong with them per say…just not items from our regular collection.

You don’t get to pick what is in the box and the amount of items sent is dependent upon the product and its size....whatever variety we can pack into a small flat rate box, is what you will receive.

Your box may include one or the more of the following: lotion, soap, cream, lip balm, and/or samples.

All sales are final on Grab Bag listings.

**You are basically receiving items we cannot sell at full price, so our loss is your gain.

Click here to purchase a Grab Bag for $15.00.

Line at the Watering Hole

2011-02-08T18:19:00.001-08:00

Our Charlie kitty likes to linger and hog the water dish. He literally will spend 5-10 minutes laying practically in the dish, drinking and resting.

Of course there are other bowls of water around the house, but you know how it is with kids, when one has something the other wants THAT one too. So lil pup here is trying hard to be patient and wait......

And wait.........

FINALLY!

Sweet Love Winner....

2011-02-06T03:01:00.000-08:00

Wow I had 56 comments on my giveaway....my best results to date! Thank you all for playing along and following my blog. I do hope you will continue to follow us.

Now on to our winner....
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and the winner is.....
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#54 Jayme!!!
Jayme said...
Daily Tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/jaymeborici/status/33161403611222016

Star Spotlight

2011-02-05T05:57:00.000-08:00

I am in with this wonderful group of "Stars" on Etsy. We are called the "3 Star BnS Team". We share laughs, stories, listings and sales. This weeks "star" in the spotlight is....

Independent Jewelry

Here you will meet Sarah, who loves making unique handmade jewelry.

A lot of her jewelry is inspired by her natural surroundings - trees, birds, rain, flowers, etc.

I love the look of this beautiful Flight of the Hummingbird Lariat

And look at this Hot Air Balloon necklace. It is on sale and has free shipping to a US address.

Be sure to check out Sarah's shop and tell her Luster sent you. :)

Sample Bags

2011-01-31T03:00:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-28T22:13:00.000-08:00

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

Sweet Love Giveaway

2011-01-27T03:00:00.000-08:00

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:

MANDATORY ENTRY:
Follow our blog publicly (On the Right Sidebar) (Be sure to comment even if you already follow.)

EARN MORE ENTRIES:
(Leave a separate comment for each entry you complete)

1 Entry: Visit our Luster Canyon Etsy Site and tell us what your favorite item is.

1 Entry: Follow our blog through Networked Blogs (On the Right Sidebar)

1 Entry: “Like” our Luster Canyon Facebook Page & Update your status with a link to this giveaway

1 Entry: Follow Luster Canyon on Twitter & tweet about this giveaway (You can do this once daily….and be sure to put the link in your comment)

1 Entry: Blog about this giveaway including a link back to our blog (please put the link to your post in your comment)

Giveaway will close Saturday February 5th at midnight

Winner will be chosen using Random.org & announced the following day.

Good Luck and remember to include your email in one of your posts or have it easily viewable on your profile so we can contact you when you win.

Soaping and Cooking...

2011-01-26T03:00:00.000-08:00

...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

2011-01-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-01-22T03:00:00.000-08:00

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...

2011-01-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

...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

2011-01-15T07:35:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-09T13:28:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-08T16:40:00.000-08:00

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.

Some Finished Cards

2010-12-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

I know....where is the soap?? Well it will return soon. ;)

In the meantime here are a few of my finished owl cards...I just love them!!!!

This one is actually a goof up....the green Merry Christmas is cleverly hiding it, hehe

This cute lil guy was a little too plain so I "blinged" him up.

These ones I did different with my swirled tree stamp...the one on the left is stamped in green, the one on the right is my "fancy" version where I embossed it.

A lot of work for something that may go in the garbage...but hopefully a few people will get a smile out of them. I have sure had fun making them....now on to Valentines.........

Now back to your regular soaping program. :)

Who tips at the Holidays?

2010-12-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

I usually struggle, do I tip or not at the holidays. I would like to tip my garbage man….but how do you leave them a tip? Tape it on the garbage can? Will they find it in the dark? Will someone else take it? Will it get thrown away??

What about the mail carrier, is giving them money legal?

I came across this handy guide of who and how you should tip. It suggests the mail carrier to receive a gift, not money, so that makes sense….but it doesn’t tell me how I should leave something for my garbage man….who I think deserves a tip! Any suggestions there?

Here is the guide I found, hopefully someone can find this useful…

Baby sitter………………… One evening's pay, plus a gift from your child
Barber……………………… Cost of one haircut
Beauty salon staff……… Cost of one salon visit
Day care provider……… A gift from you, or $25 to $70, plus a gift from your child
Dog walker………………… Up to one week's pay or a gift
Doorman……………………$15 to $80 or a gift ($15 each for multiple doormen)
Garage attendants……..$10 to $30 or a small gift
Gardeners…………………$20 to $50 each
Handyman…………………$15 to $40
Housekeeper…………….. Up to one week's pay and/or a small gift
Live-in help……………….. One week to one month's pay, plus a gift from you
Mail carrier………………… Gift worth less than $20; no cash, check or gift cards
Massage therapist…….. Up to the cost of one session or a gift
Nanny or au pair……….. One week's pay, plus a gift from your child
Newspaper deliverer…..$10 to $30 or a small gift
Package deliverer……….. Small gift in the $20 range
Personal trainer………….. Up to the cost of one session or a gift
Pet groomer………………… Up to the cost of one session or a gift
Pool cleaner……………….. The cost of one cleaning, to be split among the crew
Superintendent…………….$20 to $80 or a gift
Teachers…………………….. A small gift or note from you, plus a small gift from your child
Trash collectors……………$10 to $30 each

Making my own Christmas cards

2010-12-10T05:30:00.000-08:00

So now of course you know I am hooked on Stampin' up and I also am crazy enough to think I have loads of free time in between working a full time job, building my business and making loads of soaps and lotions....so yeah somewhere in there is enough time to MAKE my own Christmas cards....and well while I am at it sure I can get them out in time to arrive BEFORE Christmas 2010!!

So here is my start...I LOVE owls, so I saw this owl punch and it was love at first sight.
I have been punching owls out while watching TV in the evening....even took some to work to do while on my lunch time....

These are my lil guys in process....punch the brown body, then a colored belly, then the 3 layers of eyes. Then from another punch I punched out bird wings to add to some of my owls...I like them both ways.

I have bunches ready....now time to assemble the cards soon....

Some will need a branch to sit on.....

Who is Stampin' Up?

2010-12-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

I AM!!!

My newest obsession....it seems I always need a new one every now and again.

I took a card making class in October with my friend....well thats all that took to hook me!! I missed the November class because I had a show the same night as that months card making session so I missed out on that...but my friend organized this class making Christmas tags.

I almost think they are too cute to use!!! We also made the box to keep them in....

Where does the time go??

2010-12-02T17:01:00.001-08:00

I cannot believe I have been neglecting my blog for so long. I just dont know how people juggle so much. Maybe that should be my 2011 goal...figure out how to juggle everything properly.

Speaking of goals I just today completed my #1 2010 goal. Well the project itself isnt really complete, the process will take a year, but the ball is set in motion and now the waiting game begins. I have trademarked my company name. The name is so near and dear to my heart, that it would just break if I built it up, to lose it because I didnt do this one step. So my end of the process is now complete and it is officially filed....now I wait for approval. :)

I have been busy making fun goodies and selling at local craft shows. My coal soap is the big hit this year....so if you know someone that has been naughty...

We also have some other great soaps that are Christmas themed.

I have managed to accomplish a nice chunk of my Christmas shopping....so far I think I am in good shape. How is your season coming together so far?

Memorial Wall

2010-11-10T13:48:00.001-08:00

I went this week to the memorial wall in Sacramento California for firefighters who died while fighting fire.

We made the trip to see my fathers name, who died while fighting fire in his helicopter on July 23, 2007.

My Father Dennis Luster Davis...

Our escort Jerry.

We did a pencil etching of his name...

The memorial is in the park located at the capital building. It is a beautiful park and a beautiful memorial. We are very glad to have made the trip, to help put closure to our story.

I was sad to see the amount of space left, in anticipation of adding more names on there, because then other family members will be losing their loved ones, but it is a very lovely tribute!

I voted....

2010-11-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

…but it sure wasn’t easy. For some odd reason my husband and I have never voted at the same place. Don’t know why…we just show up where told and have just always done this.

This year we go to The Hubs usual voting spot, and they told him no, he doesn’t vote there and gave him a different address. So on the way to that address is my usual voting place…no signs of voting going on there…maybe we for once get to vote at the same place. No.

So at this new place The Hubs gets to vote. I am given a different address of where to go vote…nothing going on at that church they sent me to…so we just drove around and found a church with “vote here” signs outside…Eureka…I vote here.

I have to admit by this point I was pretty irritated, so I was glad we had made a list of how we were voting, because I wasn’t in the mood to read all the props….so my prepared list of how to vote came in very handy!!

So there you have it…I voted…did you?

SFC Wyatt

2010-11-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

Our son has been promoted to E-7 SFC…Sergeant First Class.

He has served 14 years in the US Army, going in straight out of high school. He has been deployed to Iraq twice and over the years has received a bronze star and a purple heart.

He is very humble in regards to his military career, but his family is extremely proud of him and his accomplishments!!

I Love My Computer....

2010-10-28T08:52:00.000-07:00

This card I found over at Wickedly Wonderful Creations Blog says it all. How true this is!!

I have decided to take on the challenge of making my own Christmas Cards this year using Stampin' Up products, so of course I am reading all the blogs I can on cards, and today I saw this one and thought what a sweet card!
I am creating great friendships here...and have never met most of them. Arent computers fabulous!! I LOVE my computer...and all my new friends!! :)

Cake Pops

2010-10-12T03:00:00.000-07:00

If you have not heard of cake pops...well then you have been living under the same rock as I have.
I always tend to run behind on trends, and I guess these were all the rage a couple years ago, ala Bakerella, who has a fabulous website.

I wanted to make some treats for my booth mates...(only a couple took some...hmm wonder if I will bake for them again!) :(

But my family and I sure enjoyed the left overs! I think my grandson ate the majority, they were just wonderful!! They are quite messy to make in the begining part, and I honestly think I will forgo the popsicle sticks next time. But it was a fun treat! I will be making more later this month for my co-workers....they at least enjoy my treats.

You start by baking your cake. Nothing fancy as you will be smushing it up to mix with a jar of premade frosting. Then you roll into balls...the messy part! We used Red Velvet cake and cream cheese frosting.

Then you put lollipop sticks in them...but I think I will skip this part next time and just make cake balls rather than cake pops.

Then you freeze for a couple hours, dip into chocolate to coat....and decorate as you wish! We used the candy melts to dip in, but I think next time I will melt chocolate chips down.

These are seriously yummy...and you cant eat just one!

Fun Fun Fairs!

2010-10-10T18:43:00.001-07:00

This was a big weekend for us...for the first time we did 2 shows on the same weekend! I did one in Camp Verde, and The Hubs wanted to do one in another town over. How to do this...hmmmm....

Thank goodness for Friday night set ups. So we drove and unloaded me and got the tent up, then while I set up The Hubs went and set his location up.

We both worked our shows and thankfully stayed busy, but mine ended early and The Hubs was going strong...and he had the trailer.

So Baby Girl helped me tear down and somehow got us all packed up in my lil Escape. There was NO ROOM left. We were PACKED!!

I rode with a display rack on my lap, but it's all good.

It was better than waiting 3 hours for The Hubs. Only bad part was that I couldnt reach my purse to get money to buy us a much wanted Starbucks treat on the way home, good thing the cooler with water was between the seats. :)

Internet Issues

2010-10-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

Booo, having net issues here...it is up then down....more down than up. Now we just had a bad storm and dont even have phone. No repair person until tomorrow....soooo....no blogging until I can get up fully.

I made a fun cake recipes and have pics...on my computer...so when I am back up I will get that posted.

Hope everyone is doing well, and I will get caught up on reading my fellow bloggers soon.

Pumpkin Spice Soap

2010-09-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a slice of pumpkin pie?! Well our version of pumpkin spice will not taste very good...but boy it sure does smell delicious!! This scent is a blend of Pumpkin, White Spices, and Maple Syrup AND the soap is made with real pumpkin puree.

This scent is perfect for fall, and also makes a great gift for friends, family, teachers and/or co-workers.

You can purchase the soap here, and the matching lotion is soon to follow.

Playing Around This Weekend

2010-09-26T16:39:00.000-07:00

I tried a new method this weekend. Normally I use the cold process method for soaps...this weekend I tried hot process...and I think I am in Love!! lol

I have been so intimidated by the method, but it was so easy compared to what I was thinking. I do think that previous experience with liquid soap helped in making the process easier.

The best thing about doing hot process over cold process, is that it has already completed the saponification process, and can be used as soon as it has cooled down, rather than the 3 week plus wait I usually do with my cold process soaps.

So over the weekend I made Rosemary Mint, and tried out a red mica coloring I have been wanting to try, scenting it with Peppermint Stick. MMMM minty fresh in our house this weekend!!

Working the Booth Today

2010-09-25T11:25:00.001-07:00

Normally my weekends are spent at home making product while The Hubs works our booth selling our goodies. This weekend though The Hubs wanted to do a local show, which means I get to work the booth.

Sometimes I have a hard time talking about myself and selling my product, I really prefer to be the faceless nameless person lurking amongst the background.

So while here I have internet to blog and facebook and check my etsy shop....guess I cant beat that. :)

So here are some pictures of our little booth...

The Bath and Body side...

The Bedding Side...

New Fall Soaps

2010-09-24T16:55:00.000-07:00

I am a little behind on getting my Fall soaps made and listed, but here is the first one ready.

Cocoa Mocha Soap

I got the idea from one of my favorite blogs, The Queen of Soap. Of course hers came out way better, but I think I made a very decent first attempt.

Some of my marshmallows did melt during the gel phase...oops didnt think about that part. So when I make another batch I think I will forgo the gel phase.

So come on over and enjoy a soapy version of a nice cup of creamy milk, cardamom, cocoa and a touch of nutmeg topped off with some soapy marshmallows!!

My Shows are Back!

2010-09-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

:)

I will admit it....I LOVE TV! I love a very long list of TV shows. The new season has started, so my shows are back...along with some new ones.

I really do not need to add a new show to my long list, but there was nothing on the other night, and I made the mistake of watching "The Event". Ah shucks, how is it I can get suckered in so fast....now I must watch next week to see what is going on.

Housewives of DC....still not sure about them...in fact I find them a bit boring, but the Atlanta wives are starting soon...I do like them.

Project Runway....really like this show and I am amazed at the creativity and talent. To whip up an outfit, without a pattern, in a day or two? Awesome talent!

Top Model....why o why do I love this show?? Seriously I feel I must see every episode of every season, lol.

AND TONIGHT........GREY'S ANATOMY! This show is my love. Starting back up tonight...so here I close to go watch it.

What is you favorite show?

Snake loose in the house....

2010-09-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

....and it is NOT a pet!!!

On Friday my daughter and niece found a snake in the house…Yes I said a snake…INSIDE…our…house!

It was just a lil pencil sized one…probably a king snake, but it was a snake, that did not belong indoors!

The girls got it cornered in the bathroom, and then THEY…not one…THEY BOTH went to get a cup to put it in to release back outside. When they went back to the bathroom…yes you guessed it, the snake has now disappeared INSIDE…our…house!

When I got home after work I did an initial search, knowing I was not going to spot this tiny guy unless he wanted me to. I did my best to not panic knowing it was harmless, and finding a tad bit of comfort knowing I have 3 cats that more than likely would see it as a fun new toy.

I let one of the cats sleep in the room with us that first night….just in case it surfaced I knew she would be on it. He finally surfaced in the living room on Sunday. I was seriously elbow deep in the middle of making soap (coconut milk soap) and we were getting it in the mold, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Miss Lily, our oldest and slowest kitty, and the lil pup Billy intently looking at something together in the living room, then Lily was pawing something….I knew instantly what was going on and I yelled LILY HAS IT - LILY HAS IT - LILY HAS IT, so The Hubs went to corral it while I finished getting my gloves off as quick as I could, and find him a bowl to catch it and get it outside where it belongs!

I wanted to run and grab the camera, but The Hubs thought that was absurd and that I should just help him and get the door open so he can get it out, lol.

I am sure you would much rather a picture of the soap I was working than the snake anyway….so here it is.

It is made with coconut milk and scented with coconut lemongrass.