SoapDiva

Mmmm, looks yummy alright!

Do you add a preservative to that? Just curious, I played with adding honey to my lotion bars a while back, and found that the honey settled out of it. Maybe I didn't heat it long enough? Maybe the water in the honey cooks out?

:embarasse

I`m not sure why you are hesitant. They are pretty inexpensive (check SKS bottle) and you can do a lot with them. Monster sprays, body sprays, linen sprays.

I carry two, a lavender and a pomegranate and will make others on request. The lavender goes like stink among the older gals, Pomegranate among the younger.

Plus, you could put together special gift packs of the same scent and add in the spray to complete the look.

I used to pair up with a chandler and we did home parties, we would give a her 10% of sales towards her own purchase, plus a hostess gift. The gift usually had a value of $10.00 (in wholesale pricing). We would, during our presentation tell her guests what she receives, give her the gift and also let people know that if any of her guests choose to also host a party, she will receive an additional gift, AT the next party.

So, lets say the party brings in 500 of total sales, then she gets a 50 dollar credit towards her own purchase. If she loves your stuff so much, she'll be thrilled.

If I were you (I don't make candles) I would also include a little tulle wrapped tart or votive with a card inside for each guest, that way, if someone chooses not to order that night, and they take the freebie home, they may change their mind at a later time.

Good luck! Home parties are great money makers, but I really really hate them.

Ok. I admit it, I'm a recovering drama queen who had a relapse.

I'm not sure why I was so annoyed, you guys make a lot of good points. Maybe I was looking for someone to be outraged with me?

Anyway, now I'm embarrassed. :embarasse

You could try a negative swirl, but the swirled part will be unscented of course. So, you'd have tan soap with a pink swirl. Otherwise, I defer to the pros.

Carrie - You are right, I shouldn't be quick to judge. But this is a small community, I should have heard of her before now. I just found it odd that all of a sudden this person is teaching others to soap. I'm pretty confident in my own skills, but I would never dream of teaching someone else.

LL- I'm concerned from the safety side of things. Everyone that attends this workshop is being sent home with a soap mold and the soap that they make that day.

Maybe I'm just overly cautious.

My mentor spent years teaching at the community college where I used to live, and her courses were several weeks long. Not 6 hours.

I guess I was being unreasonable. :undecided My husband didn't seem to see why I was so irritated either.

Am I being unreasonable?

There is an aromatherapist in this area, who seems to have started to make soap.

This is a small, rural community. Being that I have been at every trade show, craft show and market in the last three years and the FIRST time I've seen her products is at the local spring trade show, last month, I don't think she's been at it long.

Now, apparently she is putting on workshops, teaching people how to make soap.

Um.

This makes me a bit nervous. Not from a competitors perspective, but from a practical one.

Can a person REALLY learn everything there is to know about soapmaking in 6 hours?

Considering it took me a YEAR of reading, and reading, and watching and researching and more reading before I took the plunge. I just find it hard to even CONSIDER being responsible for putting lye/water/oils and EO's in the hands of newbies. I would not want to be responsible for the potential fallout.

This woman, I know what her end goal is, she is trying to make herself up as a supplier. She tried "selling" to me, but she can't touch my other suppliers prices. I told her as much too.

Thats insane. You'd think they'd bar companies from TMing common names, like Buttercream Frosting, and Pina Colada.

Jaqua is a B&B company that propelled me into the business. I spent way way way too much money on some Buttercream frosting body butter.

I believe what you are looking for are called Malibu Tottles.

http://www.kangarooblue.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5_99

Good luck with that.

I had limited myself to 6. Then, I added Mango Madness, and am considering adding Love. My husband is going to kill me.

At least he dosen't roll my eyes when I make soap, I think I have 16 kinds right now and have plans on another 5-6 and we'll see what happens.

New directions is fast, I've never ordered flavor oils from them though.

http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.ca/raw-materials-flavors-c-13_39.html

Lynden House also has flavour oils, I buy from her because I can go into her store.

http://secure.mycart.net/catalogs/index.asp?category=300404&count=1

When I first started out, I used LeMelange, they are in Florida, and have quite an impressive selection.

If you are desperate and are close to a Micheals or cake making store, check out their oil based flavorings, they are used in icing and are food safe. I get many from there as well when I'm in a pinch.

Thanks so much Lyndsey, I figured that would be the answer, but I just wasn't sure.

I will have to look into those little microscrubbers. Although I do have jojoba beads that I can test it with!

Thanks!

I've been entertaining the thought of combining a lotion with sugar, to create a moisturizing sugar scrub.

Not an original idea I know, but I have a few questions.

Will adding sugar and perhaps a little more oil compromise the preservative that is already in the lotion?

Lemon Geranium is a nice one. Very strong.

Have you thought of wrapping them in some pretty, yet trendy paper?

http://www.thepaperelement.com/overview.html

I love that look personally. Then you can also add your string wrapper, and people will still be able to smell them.

From everything I've read, they say it can take 5 years before you see REAL headway being made.

You've made some big changes right? For the good, yet you still made 1.5 times more than last year.

I personally believe that as long as you are loving it, and are not beggaring your family in the pursuit of your dream, then do it.

But then, this is my third year. I don't tend to worry about the bottom line too much. Last year I doubled the profit from the year before. In the beginning there are always the "growing pains" costs that are a one time thing.

An update on my end in case anyone is interested.

They claim that the additional money they charged me (which was not broken down in their pricing, but was apparently outlined in their shipping policies) is due to handling fees. 12 bucks for handling fees. For printing an invoice, filling a box, taping it up, labelling it and taking it to the post office. Woo.

Hm. If they took 9 other orders to the post office that day, thats what...$120 bucks in supplies and time? Doesn't figure to me.

Strangely enough, none of the other companies I deal with in the US have these extra costs figured into their shipping prices. Perhaps like me they look at them as being part of the general overhead.

I would advise everyone to check out the shipping policies of every company that you spend your money at very carefully. And also remember to compare your way bills to the invoice to make sure the numbers match.

Here is a link to the Alberta School Boards.

http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/ei/maps/public.asp

The area I am in is the Buffalo Trails school division - I live close to Wainwright, in a very small town where the cows sometimes wander down main street. Quite a shock to a Toronto born girl.

Most school boards have their own websites and will post job listings. We've got friends who have gone back to school after being in the work force to become teachers and they have found better luck at smaller regions.

Sometimes it is best to send a resume straight to the school board that you are interested in, people are afraid of the "interwebs" in the boondocks.

You'll have to think about how far away from a larger center you want to be. In some areas it can be 4-5 hours to civilization. We are 1.45 hours away from Edmonton, some days it feels like a million miles. However, Wainwright just got a Walmart too. They're taking over.

Lethbridge is a great little community, about 50k people, housing has increased of course, there is a boom out here right now. My in-laws live there. They NEVER have snow. If they do, its gone within a day or two. They have some great craft show markets down there, between Swift Current (SK) and Medicine Hat and Regina it can be very busy.

You husband shouldn't have any issue finding a job, I always am seeing ads for Teachers out here. The key is going to the smaller communities, everyone wants to teach in the larger centers.

Lethbridge is booming, always building new homes and centers. They have a Costco, so that's a plus. LOL! If you do end up going there, let me know and I'll hook you up with some fabulous dining. Glen and I always escape the children when we go visit.

Taber is just 50 kms north of there, and they just got a Walmart, it was exciting for them! LOL!

Christina, have you tried your local hardware store? I am in a rural area of Alberta (2 hours from pretty much everything) and while it is cheaper for me to get Lye from my supplier in Edmonton, (10 bucks for 1kg) I can order it in bulk from my hardware store if I am in desperate need.

Where in Alberta are you moving too?

I'm in Western Canada, Alberta to be exact. My "local" supplier is Lil at Lyndenhouse (lyndenhouse.net). She got me started and completely addicted. She really should be turned in as a pusher.

I'll check out that other link. Slim pickings isn't a good thing for down east. The husband is military and we may be looking at a move to the Greenwood/Kentville area in NS.

Well, I e-mailed the company I recently purchased from, and am just waiting for the customer service to investigate and get back to me.

I'd like to think that this is simply an oversight on their end. Although, having it happen both times I've ordered from them seems a bit weird. I went back and checked my other suppliers and they have all been within a few dollars, or bang on what I paid for shipping. I don't mind it being out a few bucks, it's an estimate after all.

I think I will be more diligent in the future.

You gals got anymore Canadian Suppliers up your sleeves you'd like to share?

I've been to Canwax.

Some wonderful person dropped a link on my blog to a Canadian company that offers soaping supplies.

Anyone used them here?

Holy moly, their prices are very good. Of course, I have to remember shipping, but in some cases they are beating my local supplier by A LOT.

Wowsers! Happy shopping!

http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.ca/index.php

I think I will call them on it. That is just crazy, I know I got bilked last time as well. I didn't order nearly as much (the box was smaller and weighed less) but I still paid 39 bucks for shipping. I bet that they took an extra 10-15 bucks from me then too.

Oooooo.....I am so finding another supplier.

There should be a general thread in here somewhere about suppliers. :undecided