Where Are You Angelskies???

We are looking for the winner of our "Name That Spice" contest. Angelskies where are you? We want to send you your 8 oz. of free shea butter!!!! You can contact us through our blog!!!

Friday Favorite Soap Pick

Skin.

bath and body - Taking great care to produce bath products that are healthy for your body, Skin. uses only the finest organic oils and natural ingredients. The simple, yet calming packaging prepares you for what is to come. From Cedarwood to Chamomile, these soaps are sure to nourish your skin and calm your soul, a true spa experience. Additionally, Skin. offers herbal body lotion, body scrubs, bath salts and bath teas. So, head on over to Skin. and start your spa experience now!

You can purchase their soaps and bath products at www.etsy.com/shop/SkinBathanBody

Soap On Skin.!!!

Corrugated Cardboard

Our bubblewrap madness got us thinking, what else can we use to create fun designs on our soap? We had some corrugated cardboard around the house so we followed the same procedure as our bubblewrap project (link) and lined our drawer organizer with corrugated cardboard. Below are the results!

NOTE: It was more difficult to peel away the cardboard than it was to peel away the bubble wrap. In a few places we had to wash away little bits of cardboard that got stuck in the soap but, all in all, it worked and creates a fun look.

Bee Happy Soap Recipe

Coconut Oilxxxxxi 25.8%xxxxxxii12.4oz

Castor Oilxxxxixxx16.1%xxxxxxnw7.7oz

Grapeseed Oilxxixx12.9%xxxxxmiq6.2oz

Hemp Oilxxxxxxxxx8.1%xxxxxxxw3.9oz

Beeswaxxxxxxixxxx4.8%xxxxxxmx2.3oz

Waterxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxiiiixxix18.2oz

NaOH (Lye)xxxxxxxxxxxxxiiixxxxi6.7oz

Make your soap following the instructions for Cold Process Soap (Tutorial)

At light trace add:

1.5oz of Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Fragrance Oil
1.5oz of Honey

Makes approximately 3lbs of soap.

Terrific Tip Tuesday

Bubblicious Soap Mold!

I really love cool soap molds and the other day when I was surfing the net I saw the cutest idea I knew I had to try. Thanks goes to Cathy Winsby over at www.soap-making-essentials.com for inspiring me with her Sweet Citrus Honey soap and her very creative use of bubble wrap!

Step 1: Cut two pieces of bubble wrap – one to fit the bottom of your soap mold and one to fit over the top of your soap once it is poured into the mold. Both pieces should be roughly the same size.

Step 2: Line your soap mold as usual. In this case, I used a Martha Stewart drawer organizer I purchased at Kmart as my mold and lined it with freezer paper.

Step 3: Place one of your pieces of bubble wrap in the bottom of your lined mold with the bubbles facing up.

Step 4: Make your soap and pour the soap into the mold.

Step 5: Place the second piece of bubble wrap over the soap once it is poured. Make sure you place it with the bubbles facing down. Carefully press the bubble wrap down so that the soap fills in the holes of the bubble wrap. Make sure you use caution as your soap will be very hot.

Step 6: Unmold your soap after 24 hours.

NOTE: It does appear you can use the bubble wrap over and over as mine came out clean and intact when I unmolded.

Buzz on over tomorrow for

our "Bee Happy" Soap Recipe!!!!

And The Winner is.........

"Angelskies"

Congratulations....Your 8 oz. of Shea Butter is on it's way....

well...will be on it's way when we can get in touch with you! ;-)

Soap On!

Friday Favorite Soap Pick

Virginia is for Lovers and Soap makers!

This week we are introducing...

Capricorn Soap Company

Nestled in the heart of Southwest Virginia this soap company produces soaps and bath products that are simply gorgeous! If you are looking for luxury and quality, this company uses the finest butters and oils ensuring you can buy with confidence. Featuring soaps, shave creams, butters and candles you will find products for both men and women and an item or two for the home. Capricorn Soap Company tips the scales with their packaging, wrapping their soaps and creams with sophistication and elegance. If you are looking for some wedding favors with a touch of class, you will want to consider Capricorn Soap Company.

Take a look at true southern charm and hop on over to www.etsy.com/shop/capricornsoapco and get a taste of Virginia's finest in handmade goods.

Soap On Capricorn Soap Company!!!

Terrific Tip Tuesday

Want to save some money? In this economy every little bit helps!

Starting out in the soap making world, I thought you had to use stainless steel pots to make your soap in because of the lye. Those pots would then be dedicated for soap making use only. That can get pricey! So make double use of your cooking pots!

Melt your oils and butters in any pot you have hanging around the kitchen, then transfer the oils into a heavy tall plastic bucket. You can then add your lye and soap away! Your pot is able to be used for everyday cooking and soap making.

You can purchase buckets at your local hardware store, but you can also get them from your local grocery store....just look in the freezer section for the largest container of ice cream, enjoy the ice cream and then Soap On!

Name That Spice!

It has been a little lonely blogging without getting much feedback so we thought we would have a little fun this week!

If you have been following our blog, you know that we recently posted about natural colorants you can use to color your soaps. We thought we would put this information to the test and experiment a bit this week. Below are four soaps we made using natural colorants fresh off our spice rack. Yep..each of the soaps in the picture below are colored with spices you can find in your spice cabinet.

Here is the fun part. We would love to hear your best guesses for what we used to color each of the four soaps below. Leave a comment with your best guess by 9pm EST on Saturday, Feb. 20^th. The person who gets them all right (or the most right) will win 8 ounces of refined shea butter FREE (including shipping) from us! In the event that multiple people get all four correct, we’ll randomly select the winner.

Let the guessing begin! Soap On!

Friday Favorite Soap Pick

Every Friday we will be posting our favorite soap pick of the week. There are so many beautiful soap makers out there and we want you to see their work.

Our first pick goes to....Ten Digit Creations!

Creme Brulee - YUMMY

Her soaps are GORGEOUS!!!! Eye Candy for the Cold Process Soap Maker.....

Look at her Woodstock soap! It is so beautiful you will want to get out your tie dye shirts and wear them in celebration! Her soaps are Vegan Friendly and are made with the finest oils and butters. Ten Digit Creations also sells candles, lip balm, lotions and much, much more.....

You can visit her Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/tendigitcreations

Soap On!

Lotion Bar

This lotion bar is made with mango butter and other moisturizing oils. Lotion bars are typically made in molds or in twist up/push up containers (like a deodorant container). When you rub the lotion bar on your hands, elbows, knees, heels, etc.. you body temperature will melt a small amount of the lotion.

This recipe makes 6 lotion bars if you use the 2.25 oz Lotion Bar Tubes we sell in our Etsy Store!

3.2 oz of Mango Butter

3.1 oz of Beeswax

2.8 oz of Sunflower Oil

1.1. oz of Coconut Oil

.3 oz of Rice Bran Oil

.2 oz of Isopropyl Myristate (IPM)

.2 oz of Cyclomethicone

.1 oz of Fragrance Oil

Melt the first six ingredients (everything but the Cyclomethicone and Fragrance Oil) in a double boiler or in the microwave. When all the ingredients have melted, add the cyclomethicone and fragrance oil, then pour into a mold or twist up deodorant container.

Let your lotion bar harden and enjoy!

Soap On!

**If you would like to buy a lotion bar kit, head on over to our etsy shop where you can purchase your premeasured kit for $19.99**

Terrific Tip Tuesday

Every Tuesday we will be posting a tip. It could be a soap tip, lotion tip, soapmaking tip or general life tips that we find helpful to our lives. Check with us everything Tuesday to see the tip of the day!!




Today's Tip......If you haven't worn it in over a year - get rid of it. Quit cluttering your closet with things that you probably won't wear again!

Adding Color to Your Soap - Naturally

If you do not add colorant to your soaps, your soap will naturally be anywhere from a pale white to a cream color depending on the oils you have used. There are two exceptions to this rule. If you use a fragrance oil that contains vanilla, your soap will be tan in color. Your soap will also be tan in color if you use a high perentage of milk (instead of water) in your recipe.

If you are interested in adding color to your soap, there are herbs and flowers you can use to achieve color. There are two methods commonly used to add natural color to your soap. You may add herbs or other colorants directly to your soap mixture at trace OR you can infuse the colorant directly into your liquid oils prior to mixing the oils with the lye/water. To infuse color into your oils, once you have melted your oils, add the herb or other ingredient of your choice to the oil and heat over low steady heat. Once the oils have taken on the color of the herb or flower, strain out the herb or other ingredient out (cheese cloth works well).

Your colors will appear darker and warmer when you first pour your soap into the mold than when the soap cures. Until you know whether you like something and how it feels on your skin, it is best to only add ½ to 1 tablespoon per pound of oil.

Suggested Ingredients and the Colors they Produce

Alfalfa – medium green
Alkanet – steep in oil first - deep purple to muted blue
Annatto Seed – steep in oil first - yellow orange
Bentonite (clay) – beige to green to grey
Calendula Petals - yellow
Carrots, shredded or ground - yellow to orange
Cayenne Pepper – salmon color
Ground Chamomile – yellow-beige
Cloves, ground – brown
Cocoa powder– brown
Coffee/coffee grounds - brown to black
Comfrey Root – light milky brown
Curry powder - yellow
Jojoba beads - come in many colors
Kaolin Clay - white
Kelp/seaweed - green
Paprika – light peach to salmon - can be an irritant
Poppy Seeds - Blue-grey to light black specks
Ground Pumice - grey
Sage – olive green
Spirulina/Blue-Green Algae – blue-green
Titanium Dioxide- bright white
Tumeric – gold to amber *start with ¼ teaspoon per pound of oil

We've Got That Loving Feeling.....

1 lb of Shea Butter with FREE SHIPPING for $12.99

while supplies last.....

What is Shea Butter?

African healers have used Shea Butter for thousands of years as the ideal treatment for dry or aging skin. Our Shea Butter is extracted from the shea nut and refined without the use of harsh chemicals. It is deodorized and discolored but is not bleached. Shea butter is extracted from the Shea nut and is a creamy white butter.

Why Use Shea Butter?

Shea butter is used in a variety of bath and body products including soaps, massage butters, lotions, lip balms, creams and body butters. High in Vitamin A and E, shea butter is believed to help repair skin damage and soften and heal creacked and aged skin. Its high content of non-saponifiables and unique fatty acid profile gives Shea Butter the ability to moisturize and retain the elasticity of the skin. Shea Butter also helps to protect the skin against the damaging effects of the sun while repairing cellular degeneration.

Recommended Usage: 


Soapmaking: 5 to 20%

Lotions and Creams: 2 to 20%

Lip Balms: 5 to 100%

Hair Conditioner: 1 to 10%

Shelf Life: 1 to 2 years

NOTE: Your Shea Butter will be shipped to you in a gallon freezer bag.

If you are interested in purchasing from us, please e-mail us and we will send you a paypal invoice.

We also have the following items available for sale in February while supplies last…

1 lb of Mango Butter with FREE SHIPPING FOR $13.99

1 lb of Refined Cocoa Butter with FREE SHIPPING for $13.99

Coconut Oil (76 degree Melting Point) = $4.00/lb (no free shipping)

Palm Oil = $4.00/lb (no free shipping)

If you would like to combine items, please e-mail us with your zip code and we will provide a shipping estimate.

And the winner goes to........

2010 press releases

Pantone Unveils Color of the Year for 2010:
PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise

Turquoise Transports Us to an Exciting, Tropical Paradise While Offering a Sense of Protection and Healing in Stressful Times

CARLSTADT, N.J., Dec. 8, 2009 –Pantone LLC, an X-Rite company (NASDAQ: XRIT), and the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, today announced PANTONE® 15-5519 Turquoise, an inviting, luminous hue, as the color of the year for 2010. Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise evokes thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing.

“In many cultures, Turquoise occupies a very special position in the world of color,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “It is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky. Through years of color word-association studies, we also find that Turquoise represents an escape to many – taking them to a tropical paradise that is pleasant and inviting, even if only a fantasy.”

Whether envisioned as a tranquil ocean surrounding a tropical island or a protective stone warding off evil spirits, Turquoise is a color that most people respond to positively. It is universally flattering, has appeal for men and women, and translates easily to fashion and interiors. With both warm and cool undertones, Turquoise pairs nicely with any other color in the spectrum. Turquoise adds a splash of excitement to neutrals and browns, complements reds and pinks, creates a classic maritime look with deep blues, livens up all other greens, and is especially trend-setting with yellow-greens.

In fashion, Turquoise makes a statement that can look elegant and dressy in fine silk and gemstones, or casual and fun in cotton and athletic apparel. Because of its versatility, Turquoise is a great accent color in jewelry, purses, shoes, hair accessories and even nail polish for women, and ties, shirts and sportswear for men.

For brides wanting a flattering choice for attendant apparel and accessories on their big day, Turquoise is now one of the nearly 200 PANTONE WEDDING Colors available from Dessy, a leading manufacturer of bridesmaid, social occasion and flower girl dresses, as well as destination wedding gowns under the labels Dessy Collection, After Six, Alfred Sung, Lela Rose Bridesmaid and Sandals Destination Wedding Dresses. PANTONE WEDDING exclusively from Dessy provides a collection of color tools to make it easy for brides to achieve perfectly color-coordinated weddings – from inspiration to “I do.”

Additionally, Turquoise is one of 3,000 colors available in Pantone’s line of superior-quality, eco-friendly paint. PANTONE Paints combine the accuracy of PANTONE Colors with the beauty of high-performance Dutch paints. Perfect for a powder room or bedroom, Turquoise is an evocative, spa-like hue that adds an undertone of warmth and excitement to any cool space. In the kitchen, Turquoise adds a unique flare to tabletop and appliances.

About Pantone
Pantone LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, Incorporated, has been the world’s color authority for 45 years, providing design professionals with products and services for the colorful exploration and expression of creativity. Always a source for color inspiration, Pantone also offers designer-inspired products and services for consumers. More information is available at www.pantone.com.

About X-Rite
X-Rite, Incorporated, is the global leader in color science and technology. The company, which now includes color industry leader Pantone, develops, manufactures, markets and supports innovative color solutions through measurement systems, software, color standards and services. X-Rite’s expertise in inspiring, selecting, measuring, formulating, communicating and matching color helps users get color right the first time and every time, which translates to better quality and reduced costs. X-Rite serves a range of industries, including printing, packaging, photography, graphic design, video, automotive, paints, plastics, textiles, dental and medical. For further information, please visit www.xrite.com.

Saving Lives

....One Bar of Soap At A Time

Did you know that 9000 children will die today? And, did you know that those deaths could be reduced up to 60% by the simple hygene practice of washing one's hands? Yep - That's right!

So, how can we help? The Handmade Soap Guild and Clean The World, Inc. have partnered together and are asking anyone who has some "not so perfect" or "ugly" handmade soap they are not using, to donate it to Clean The World, Inc. In turn, Clean The World will rebatch and purify the soap and send it overseas. For full details and mailing information click here

Please note - If you decide to make a donation - Clean The World, Inc. has moved. Their new mailing address is:

Clean the World
8026 Sunport Dr. Suite 306
Orlando, FL 32809

A Soapster's Wish Comes True....

LJCtree is one of our newest friends. Wandering around looking for soap making supplies she stumbled our way and decided to buy some of our oils and butters. You can read what she says about our products by clicking here

To see LJCtree's amazing Etsy Shop click here www.etsy.com/shop/ljctree

Happy Soaping LJCtree!!!!

Sugar Scrub!

The Best Sugar Scrub Recipe EVER!

Almond Oil 5 oz.

Avocado Oil 5 oz.

Glycerin .3 oz.

Liquid Soap Base 3 oz.

Sugar 21.4 oz.

Fragrance Oil or Essential Oil .3 oz

Directions:
Just mix everything thing together! What is so wonderful about this scrub you ask? The oils don't separate.

Yield: approximately 32 oz. of scrub or four 8 oz. jars.

Package your sugar scrub in these jars for a perfect gift!

Sugar Scrub kits  for the above recipe are also available. Your kit includes all of the above ingredients (premeasured) and jars for packaging. Check them out at our Artfire Shop!