mountainmadness

I found them on Etsy (that was suggested above). I did send them a message 3 days ago and haven't heard anything back yet... I will keep you guys posted. Thanks! Jen

Thanks Luci. I will check Etsy and continue my mission.

Hi everyone. After years of ordering lotion supplies and never getting around to making it from scratch... I started my quest for a good base. I found one called 'Decadence Body Cream' made by Lindsay at Soapers Workshop. I know that she closed up shop and I know that she was selling her recipes for awhile... I was in the middle of a move and didn't worry about it thinking it would be around for awhile, well, I missed out. Does anyone have this recipe that they are willing to share? or does anyone know how to get a hold of Lindsay so I can purchase it from her? I really do not want to go on the hunt again if I can avoid having to purchase samples again... Thanks! Jennifer

Thanks everyone for your kind words! To answer some questions that you have asked: 1) The cupcake frosting is actually rock hard. It takes about 24 hours to set up. 2) I package them in frosted take-out boxes. Have a happy holiday! Jen

Hey everyone! It has been so long since I have posted I thought that I would share a few new ones..... 1) My favorite Christmas candy is Peppermint Bark so I thought that I would make a look-a-like soap. 3) Also, I finally have my frosting down for the bath cupcakes. I even found some gingerbread sprinkles for the top. Thanks for letting me share. Jennifer

I have a press. What size did you order? I think that the largest 'regular' size that they have that is not a special order is 70mm. You can just over fill the cylinder so the center is a bit longer if you want them to weigh the same as the 80mm ones. I haven't had a lot of time to play with mine with the store opening on Sat. If you had a recipe that you were using prior to the press I doubt that it will work. The concept is totally different. The first three batches with the press turned out beautifully then the other times that I have tried it was very frustrating. Now that I have enough product made for the shop I will take on the task of tweaking recipes until I can find the one that works the best for me with the press. Have fun! Jennifer

Granted I have only ordered once from them but the shipping was fast and I was very pleased.

Gorgeous! Beautiful presentation. :highfive: Jen

I think that look nice. It looks very cheery and spring-like. Congrats on the new wholesale account. Jen

IMO- must haves for me: Palm oil coconut oil castor oil (I use for shampoo bars) olive oil I have done a lot of price comparisons and Brambleberry normally has the best prices if you are not purchasing 50# of more at a time.

Most companies will give you a recommendation of the safe percentage to use in bath and body products. That will give you the safe maximum... you can adjust it depending on the FO. HTH. Jen

IMO- you will find what oils you like the best through trial and error. It is a personal preference. I really like coconut oil in my soaps.... coconut is what causes lather. I do not like to really work the bar to get bubbles. Most people use 15% or less because too much coconut oil can feel more drying compared to other oils. If you do not want to invest a lot when first starting out you can usually find some great oils at the grocery store for your first few batches... i.e. coconut oil, soybean oil (Crisco), olive oil, castor oil, to name a few. Have fun! Jen

My favorite... grapefruit and mint.. either peppermint or spearmint. It will smell like Wrigley's gum. Yummy. Jen

I have read A LOT of marketing books... Everyone of them has suggested that you set up so that people do not have to 'enter' into your booth. Plus, if there is a large crowd that is shopping at your booth people are more curious and tend to stop and take a look or come back by when you are slower. I did an experiment once at market and set-up on two Sat. in a row just like you have diagramed... My sales tripled when the table was out and people didn't have to walk in. Exact products, set-up, etc. just had the tables different. HTH. Jen

I am sorry that I misunderstood you. IMO- sometimes you cannot stop the gelling depending on your climate and most of all the FO that you use. In Alaska, esp. in the winter, it is a good thing that I like non-gelled soaps. Jen

After three years of perfecting products, two years of summer market and Christmas shows and still working 40 hrs. a week at the 'guaranteed paycheck' my day job ends May 18th. I will start with a seasonal store in our historic district. It is only open in the summer because the cabins/houses are not heated... I will decide on what I will do from there. Not sure if we want to have a year round shop or just work our butts off in the summer and think about all of the hard work while lying on the beach in Maui for a couple of weeks... I have to say that hubby has a great career and if I were to take the leap without being able to pay for health insurance for the family, retirement, etc. I wouldn't even consider it. My advise, do not jump in too quickly. Do a business plan and project where you want to be in the next 3-5 years. It takes a lot of sweat and tears to get to the point of full-time. The last two summers with market, I was working 40 hours a week and soaping/marketing for about 20 hours. Lots and lots of late nights...I refuse to soap before bedtime for the kids so midnight was an hour that I am accustom a little too much to. It also takes some discipline to have your sales no longer 'fun money' but extra money saved so when you have a lean month you are not having sleepless nights. Best of luck to you. Jennifer

Sweetcakes Pomegranate for B&B is awesome! I make it only at Christmas time....

Soap is soap... regardless if you force it to gel or not. It boils down to preferred appearance and consistency. I prefer the more natural, rustic looking soaps so I do not insulate.

Great job. Very cute.

Sorry you are having a bad day Lindsay. I was going to make some bath bombs tonight but maybe I should just chill. I hope that your market tomorrow makes up for it. Jennifer

Also, just using EO limits you to what scents that you can achieve. If you opt to use FO you can get any scent that you want. When you are first using EO there is a bit of getting used to... IMO- because EO are derived from the plant, flower, root etc. they can have that very natural, earthy smell to them. Some people like it, some do not. I think that a lot of us use both. I have some soaps that are scented with ONLY EO's and some with FO. It just depends on what you want and/or your customer base. Plus, some EO are VERY, VERY expensive because it takes a lot of the actual living plant, etc. to make the oil. FYI- just be careful when marketing EO soaps. IMO- never make a claim about the 'healing' powers, etc. Plus, it is debatable if you really get any kind of health benefits from EO when using them in soap because of the process. Welcome to the board... Jennifer

I would suggest that you read as much as you can about marketing. Marketing is an art and if you are good at it the sky is the limit. Also, you may want to join your local chamber of commerce. They usually have weekly meetings and this will allow you to partake in the business world and make friends that own businesses as well. Best of luck to you. Jennifer

IMO- You should be "legal" before you sell your first item. Normally it is against state guidelines to sell without a business license. I know that it is required here. Also, if you have any issues with your products due to lack of testing or unforeseen things (and trust me they come up) you will really be putting your neck on the chopping block without having insurance. EIN- is not always necessary depending on your business. If you are a sole proprietor you can often use your SS# but you would need to check with an accountant. HTH. Good luck. Jennifer

Very nice and clean. Your pictures are beautiful. It feels very inviting and like spring. Great job! Jennifer

I am a firm believer in the 'oil cleansing method'... you can google it or search for it on this forum. I know that it has been discussed. It works wonders! HTH. Jennifer