Thursday, October 14, 2010

Simply Soap...


Who knew that soap making could be so much FUN and such a creative outlet?
Below are a few samples of what this shepherdess has been up to:

The lighter colored bars on the bottom left of the above photo are orange/oatmeal.  The darker bars in the front two rows are unscented, the reddish bars and hearts are cinnamon/clove.

I've been practicing with ways of wrapping my soaps for sale.
I like this 'plain' style with brown paper and a raffia tie.  Of course I'll have to make up labels with my shop name (what do you think of "Bluff Country Treasures"???) and ingredient lists.  All of my soaps will be all natural and animal friendly.

This is a sample of my Orange/oatmeal bar, wrapped and ready to sell.
It smells heavenly!  Just a light hint of orange and this soap is a skin conditioning bar with ground oatmeal (that I grind with a cup and pestle!), for a gentle exfoliant.  I love it!

I had all sorts of fun playing with some silicone molds for shaping my bars!

This recipe is for Coffee/Mocha hardworking scrub bar.
It contains coarse ground coffee (gourmet!) grounds that scrub even the greasiest, dirtiest hands and even removes oders.  I've added skin conditioning oils to soften the skin after scrubbing it clean.  The chocolate, coffee and vanilla, all natural essential oils give it a mouthwatering scent of Mocha!  I swear ~ I'm going to have to put a "do not eat!" label on this soap because it smells SO delicious!

The small, rectangular bars (about 2 oz) look like fudge.
I think the little sample sized Teddy bears are adorable ~ they're just under an ounce each.

Above, I have a teddy bear sitting on a "log"  that is actually a cylinder that I cut from a mold that I made from an empty toilet paper tube!

And of course I LOVE the little sheep!
She's the first one that I made and I sprayed the mold with "Pam/olive oil" but I think it would be better if I don't spray the mold next time.  I'll find out in a few hours because I'm going to MAKE SOAP this afternoon...

This photo of a full sized bar shows the coffee grounds that give this soap it's scrubbing power:

I can either sell the bars with the uneven textured top, or trim it off for a more 'traditional' looking bar of soap.  I may just offer them both ways.  You get a little extra with the rough edge, plus I like the primitive look of it.

I'm going to have to take time off from soap making long enough to work on a web site/page that promotes my new enterprise!  I was originally going to call my business "Bluff Country Bounty" ~ thinking that the products will be the bounty of the area that I live in which is known as the Bluff Country.  But, I'm not sure that people will really know what I mean by 'Bounty'.  Someone looking for homemade soaps or wool or yarn, wouldn't automatically click on a site called BC Bounty.  But I think "Bluff Country Treasures" more accurately describes what I'll be offering and people might be more likely to check it out.
What do  you think?

I would truly appreciate your opinions!
In fact, if you have any other name suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them!

Gonna go make soap now...

;-)

DREAM says...

Apparently, Dream isn't going to say anything today!  I've been fighting with Blogger throughout this entire post.  It won't let me download photos the way that I normally do.  Now, I can't get it to let me download a picture of Dream at ALL.  
:-(

Sorry Dreamer!

13 comments:

  1. How about Bluff Country Blessings? I like "Bounty," but agree that not everyone will make the connection, what with "bounty hunters" and all. And "Treasures" sounds more cutesy. I think getting to realize your dream is a HUGE blessing, and I think people will be blessed by your lovingly created products, so I'm partial to recognizing that!

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  2. Blessings or Treasures, by all means!!! They sound heavenly!!

    Nancy in Iowa

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  3. I like "Bluff Country Blessings" as well but my one concern would be that people might only think of it as religious connotations and not connect with the handmade gifts idea. Does anyone else have thoughts on this?

    Not that I have any problems with religion, but I get enough comments about that with my blog name "A Shepherd's Voice". I just want the name to be something that will draw someone looking for gifts to my website...

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  4. I understand what you are saying but I love the name - Bluff Country Bounty or Bluff Country Bounties.

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  5. I think that you'll have to have a Dream soap too...you know... in honor of someone? Tee hee.

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  6. Oh, Isobelle! That is a wonderful idea! I'll have to come up with a very special recipe for that one. Perhaps something extra luxurious and soothing. Something gentle and relaxing that a person would want to wash their face with before going to bed...so they'd have "Sweet Dreams"...

    I better start researching my herbs and essential oils!

    Thank you for the great idea!

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  7. Hello Nancy!! First of all, an apology for not stopping by my blog. You have been so kind and have left me some very comforting thoughts on my blog for the events leading up to our letting Sam go and afterwards. Thank-you for that, and thank-you for your friendship!
    I'm finally getting my bearings after another hectic week, and have so enjoyed catching up on your blog--I find my visits so relaxing and enjoyable! Whatever you decide to name your website, I promise that I will be stopping by!!!!

    I hope you've had a good day!! Thank-you again for your friendship!!

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  8. I like Bluff County Blessings as well. You have done an amazing job Nancy! Are you going to have a website where you are selling it??? Christmas is coming up. Let me know. Blessings!

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  9. Lavender essential oil is supposed to be relaxing and make you sleep well . . . for Dreamer's soap. Sorry, I have no suggestions for the name. I see the potential problems with bounty and blessings, and I think treasures is over-used for gift shops. I'm terrible at coming up with names, which you've probably gathered by reading my blog. I'm always asking readers for suggestions.

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  10. I've GOT it! Why not "Bluff Country's Gift Bag"? No confusion; hits your target audience on the nailhead! You're slogan could be "What's in YOUR Bluff Country Gift Bag?"

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  11. (And by making "Bag" singular instead of plural, there should be less confusion about whether you mainly sell gift BAGS, or what could go IN a gift bag. Although I bet you could make some wonderful felted/fulled gift bags, too!)

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  12. As I said in the email I sent Michelle, I'm not crazy about the sound the word "bag" makes. I know ~ it sounds dumb. But I really don't like it! Bag, hag, drag...that long, drawn out aaaaaa sound.

    But the suggestion gave me another idea: how about "Bluff Country Gift Basket" I have wicker baskets of all sizes, shapes and colors that I plan on using as props in soap photos and at craft sales. I also put my roving in a big basket when I'm spinning. That might work...?

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  13. Bluff Country Gift Basket sounds too long I think; but just Bluff Country Basket sounds nice. Otherwise I still vote for Bluff Country Treasures. Your soaps are so cute! I wasnt expecting that level of decorative-ness (i don't think thats a word, but work with me!) And I think the brown paper and rafia is perfect.

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