Fire and Ice

Just Scents is to die for!

I agree! I go through at least 6-8 pounds of this sent every year!

Fire

I will always use them because of the scary ingredient.... lye

Oh I fully agree with you! I was just reporting what was said on another board by other soapers!

Fire

Thanks so much for the information and education.

Fire

As I have been studying and reading these boards and other sites like the Miller soap site, I wonder what sites or what persons soap creations inspire you every day when you make soap.

For me, it's the Chagrin Valley Soap and Craft Company in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

http://chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/

I will be ordering some of her soap after Christmas! Gifts from me to me!

I also love Brenda's creations at Briarlane soaps as well. Brenda's creations can be seen here too inb the soap gallery.

So many of you talented, wonderful people on these boards have inspired me to dive into this wonderful world of soap

Fire

I would do a search because I personally remember a link to a tutorial about making felt over soap. I read it and found it very interesting. There's a link around here someplace.

Fire

I certainly wouldn't worry about it because every year is different as far as what customers want.

Last year, I couldn't keep Amish Harvest stocked to save my life! This year, I can't give them away! They're not moving much but my new Balsam Fir sold out at my last show. It's an excellent one with a very strong scent throw, both cold and hot. I sold 12 last weekend but not a sigle Amish Harvest nor Spicy Pumpkin! Banana Nut moved some but not great. Orange Cinnamon and Cranberry Cinnamon both sold well as did Vermont.

Chin up and know that the public is a finicky bunch. They will sell closer to the holidays when people want to impress their holiday guest with the great smells wafting from a cozy kitchen:wink2:

Fire

How reliable are these strip in telling you the PH level of your soap? I've read on the Dish, that they are basically a waste of time and money. What are good numbers in PH in soap VS. out of balance PH. ( I'm talking basic CP soap with no goatsmilk or honey. Just a basic 3 or 4 oils& butters soap?

Fire

When I sell my CP soap next year, you can be sure I will have lots of scents and colors for MEN! The reason why is because I LOVE men's scents! Men need and love hand made soap too!

Very pretty! I'll bet it smells GREAT!

Fire:cool2:

VERY, very pretty soap! I love the swirl!

Fire

Thank You for the heads up! I'll get a copy of the magazine and read it!

Fire

Yep, just buy the SFIC bases in bulk, way cheaper than trying to figure out how to make your own, even if you did figure it out, still cheaper.

I use the SFIC bases exclusively, I really like them. I add all kinds of crap... errr ingredients to them and they work wonderfully!

I agree about the gloves, and think that people making ANY B&B product should be wearing gloves anyway. Always assumed (hoped) that everyone does-but that's just me and my hygeine phobia maybe???

Ilove to by directly from SFIC but howis the shipping on 400 pounds of M&P come out. Do they use UPS or freight it to you. I do plan to order the samples 17lbs of soap bases. I have a few tester who got a bar of my M & P soaps and they want more until I perfect the CP. I don't plan to sell it but what would the shipping be like? I would image the could UPS it. Just wondering...

Fire

Other than the CP, what's the research and development for? You said you will be using bases. They can be ready to go fast since you just add fragrance.

For one thing, I have to find the right bases. I refuse to just pick one and run with it.

I also have to ensure that ALL of my line is fully tested. MY customers want to see the paper work proving I know what I am doing. My products will go on someone's skin!

I had to show proof to people that my candles burn properly. I bring the proof to every show I do. I bring several testers burned to different points in the jars. I also, if asked can produce the tester sheets by my testers on each scent, each wax, each color.

With all of the people with overy sensitve skin issues and the like, I'd darn well better test out the wazooie! Knowing how to properly label everything is a another area that I must master! Third, I must be able to talk about EVERYTHING and be able to answer ALL questions. This will certainly be true for my CP soap. I always try to inform my customers about everything I product and why. It is best to know your facts.

Fire

WOW! Your pillars are absolutely beautiful!

I did a new, for me, two day show this weekend. The show is well established and brings in a very good crowd. I made some good sales and theres are mostly new customers for me. Some of them knew me from other shows but most didn't. Sales were pretty good but not great because I'm new in the show and I wasn't a regular. Still, I wasn't crammed into the tight hallways but placed in one of the gyms! (They have two of them!) I was able to operate they way I normally do with no complaints! ! I did 5X's my booth fee so I was happy. And I prepaid for next year as well because they explained that if I didn't, I would get bumped by anyone who wanted it, who'd done the show longer than me.

All in all I was happy. I just couldn't leave my booth much to search for the bathrooms! This school is HUGE! They have over 200 crafters!

Have a small one day show next weekend and then I am done! But I always do pretty well there so I will be happy.

Fire

It will soon be time for Research and Developement phase of my business. My last show is next week and then I will be investing some time and hard earned money into researching and developing a whole new line of Bath & body products in the fall of 2008.

CP Soap

Lip Balms

Shower Wash

Body spays

Lotion

Much of these will be bases that I add color and scent to but the CP soap will be my own. It may seem like a long time before debuting these products but I need to be absolutely sure of the products in the testing and development stages first. Testing IS the most important part! I'll test and test and then test some more. And the first thing I'll debute are the lip balms. These will come out next summer, maybe.

What are all of you doing this winter in research and development?

Fire

Please keep us informed and tell us how it went. I'm very excited for you!

Fire

Use the search feature on the boards. Type in Medium Trace and see what pops up!

Fire

Keep in mind that things like Lavender buds will look nice for a day or two and then go BROWN in the soap. It will make it look like mice turds! . Do a search on the soap section of these boards. It's not very attrctive IN the soap but fine on the finished bar tops. However, those too will go brown, just not as quickly.

Also consider that the Lavender buds will have to be cleaned off of you shower floor or out of your bath tub.:tiptoe:

There are better things to put in your soap but you need to research it. Go to some of the supplier sites and have a look through their exfoliants section. Also, read up on it at the miller soap site.

There are lots of options but YOU need to study them! Start with places like Oregon Trail and Southern Soapers. There really is a wealth of info out there but you need to go find like I did!

Fire

As I was researching the Presto pots, I noticed this problem was posted on the boards quite often. Hence, I never got a Presto Pot but order much larger container for melting wax the doubl boiler method. O can melt thirty pounds on my stove in less than an hour and while the wax is melting, wick the jars.

I hope to get two Surf an Turks for my new melters. I work strictly in my basemnt and the dog is not allowed down there. But I still need to clean it! twice a year!

When I get started making CP soap and lotions and such, the basement will be cleaned every day. But CP soap comes first.

Fire

It's still candles over clamshells as the big sellers but each years, the clamshells are growing a little more popular. Sales on them increase by about 2% each year.

Fire

I believe it is the law that if ANYONE records a phone conversation, they have to state that up front on the phone to you. Therefore, I seriously doubt they recorded the conversation. So they have absolutely NO recourse. They can threaten you all they want but they haven't got a leg to stand on in a court of law. They have no proof that you agreed. If they end up trying to sue to get the money, copy the BBB complaints against them and send it to them! When they know YOU know the truth about them, they SHOULD back right off.

If you get a lawyer invold, take a copy of the complaints by the BBB to him/her too.

Fire

I really love both of your soaps! Knowing that that pretty swirl is ITP swirl, gives me hope that when I make my first CP soap, it will be pretty too!

I like the brown soap as well! It will win it's customers by it's scent!

Fire

I got a huge roll of freezer paper at WalMart for less than $6.00. I read where you can use a HEAVY Duty trash bag too but it must be very heavy duty(constuction site four ply) and any writing on the bag has to be inside out! You don't want print on your soap! But you'd get wrinkles in your soap wouldn't you? Never knwn a trash bag to lay with no wrinkles.

Fire

I LOVE a great scrubby bar for my skin! I've used groud Apricot from OT in M & P base and LOVED it!! But then, I do some pretty nasty chores here like cleaning out wood burner chimneys and stove pipes. Kriosote does NOT come off you hands unless you REALLY scrub hard and it smells too!. I made the soap with a great deal of Apricot scrub it and the Kriosote comes off my hands, arms and face very easily. I use it on my whole body and I love it! I also use oatmeal scrubby and I love that too! Full oats as well!

I never knew about poppy seeds. Interesting.

Fire

Fire

WoW! That's an excellent price! What I need, but have to wait a bit on is a KitchenAid stick blender for soap making!:lipsrseal

Fire