Monday, November 17, 2008
Holiday Time!
Soap making classes have been going well. It's always so interesting to see what other people make! Sometimes the oddest sounding combinations can be the most delightful. Clove and tea tree??? Who'da thought??
As the holidays approach we are busy making Candy Cane Soap and Holiday Spice. Last year we made our first batch of Mocha Mint and that's been a hit. Soap that smells just like a Peppermint Patty! Coloring it was a challenge however since it tends to "tan" as a consequence of the mocha oil we used. You soapers who have used anythig with a vanilla base will know what I mean.
I recently went a bit wild with one of my oil suppliers and as a result we have some yummy new fragrances to play with: Raspberry, Ginger Milk, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Egyptian Musk and Myrrh to name a few.
I can't seem to bottle up Clove and Cinnamon fast enough and the Bayberry fragrance is going well too. I splurged and got some real Frankincense e/o, and a Tangerine e/o that makes my mouth water. Can't wait to try them out.
The price of Patchouli remains sky-high which is a drag because it works so well in cold process soap and blends with almost everything. I recently made a test batch of Patchouli with Grapefruit, Orange and Vetiver. I like it , but then I've been wearing patchouli for over 30 years. (Yikes! Does that date me or what!)
If you're making soap for Christmas gifts better get it on the drying racks NOW. Hand made soaps need to cure for at least 4 weeks before they are used. Like fine wine, cheese and women....soaps get better with age! I must be nearly perfect!
Be well and keep on soapin'
~sandy
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 2:33:46 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  Trackback
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Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Off to the Barter Faire!
Once a year when the leaves are beginning to fall with a vengence it's time to unplug, if only for a few days, from the business of making and selling soap. The Okanagon Family Barter Faire takes place some time in mid October and is a long weekend I look forward to all year. An event unlike any other the Barter Faire is a chance to get away from everything electrical. No phones. No screens. No power. Bring your own water. The gathering is huge. Bigger than one can imagine. Kinda of like camping with 10,000 of your best friends. The secluded site, a mere stone's throw from the Canadian border, is filled with camps of every description:motorhomes and trailers, dome tents, pickups and vans, dwellings constructed from tarps and tapestries. "Drive on the dirt. Walk on the straw." Leave your attitudes behind and for a few days immerse yourself in smoke and drums and the thrum of a village sprung from nowhere. The tribe is gathering. May we be blessed with dry weather and open hearts. See you in a few.
~sandy
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 11:55:59 PM (Pacific Daylight Time, UTC-07:00) Trackback
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Thursday, August 28, 2008
A Year Gone By? Oh No!
First, let me apologize for leaving the same boring rant on this site for a whole year. My bad! I promise not to do that again.
We've had a great time with our soapmaking classes this past year and have had fun experimenting with different coloring agents. We've used paprika, tumeric and curry to give our soaps some lovely pink and orangish hues. Cocoa powder mixed with a little raw soap and then swirled into the mold made some of the most interesting designs we've ever seen in soap. Add some pure peppermint oil and a coffee/chocolate fragrance oil and you've got Mocha Mint, a new soap that has been a real hit at arts and craft shows.
My daughter Camille got married this summer and I have to say she spent my money well...on food and champagne! In my book a mark of maturity is when your chief aim is to take good care of your guests rather than indulge yourself unnecessarily. She and her husband Willie threw a terrific, well organized, wedding and reception and I couldn't be more pleased with them all.
We've had a busy run of arts and craft shows this summer and were fortunate to have cooler than usual weather at each one. I'll bet that never happens again, but boy was I grateful!
Even though it's only late August we'll soon be making Candy Cane soap for Christmas shows. Since the soaps must cure for at least a month before we sell them, now is not too early to get a few batches on the drying racks. Holiday shows will be happening before we know it...or as the sign says here at the soap shop: WARNING! Dates On This Calendar Are Closer Than They Appear! Ain't that the truth! The kids are back in school, or soon to be, pickups are parked all over town with firewood heaped in the back and I see "Huckleberries For Sale" at pull-outs along the main streets.
My garden is a weedy, overgrown mess but the tomatoes are coming on strong and I have to make zucchini bread tonight! Either that or get a second refrigerator.....
Be well everyone and check back soon. Make me keep my promise!
~sandy
Friday, August 29, 2008 1:09:58 AM (Pacific Daylight Time, UTC-07:00) Trackback
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Friday, June 22, 2007
Happy Solstice!
Happy Solstice! As the mid-summer sun heats up here's a simple recipe for a spritzer that will help keep you cool.
In a spray bottle mix 1 part Witch Hazel (found in most drug stores) with 3 parts water. Add a few drops of your favorite essential or fragrance oil and shake well. The witch hazel adds a cooling evaporative element that will not dry your skin like alcohol can. Take your spritzer to the beach and spray your face, the baby's toes or the dog's belly. Can also be used as a spray to freshen bed linens.
Natural Bug Repellent
Use 4 ounces of an inexpensive oil like grapeseed or soybean and add 10 drops each of lemongrass, eucalyptus, tea tree, cedar and lavender. Lemongrass oil contains a type of citronella and will discourage bugs from bothering you. I like to keep my Bug Off Oil in a small spray bottle for ease in using. Just spritz and rub! No nasty chemicals and a heckuva lot better smelling!
In the Pagan world, Summer Solstice is the time for all those plans and ideas that were hatched back in the early days of spring to begin to blossom. Just as the seed that once shivered under the snow now stretches toward the heat of the sun, so can we reach to accomplish our goals.
This is a time of fullness, of watching our gardens and our lives swell with promise. Celebrate the abundance of life, feel the heartbeat of the Earth!
Friday, June 22, 2007 9:28:18 PM (Pacific Daylight Time, UTC-07:00) Trackback
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