What or who inspires you when making soap?

[Fire and Ice]

As I have been studying and reading these boards and other sites like the Miller soap site, I wonder what sites or what persons soap creations inspire you every day when you make soap.

For me, it's the Chagrin Valley Soap and Craft Company in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

http://chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/

I will be ordering some of her soap after Christmas! Gifts from me to me!

I also love Brenda's creations at Briarlane soaps as well. Brenda's creations can be seen here too inb the soap gallery.

So many of you talented, wonderful people on these boards have inspired me to dive into this wonderful world of soap

Fire

[jbren]

There are many people I've met through soap forums who have given me much inspiration to try different things.

I've tried to make a 'style' of my own, but lets face it, I'm sure whatever I have done has been done before, somewhere...somehow.

Although I enjoy using my own soaps, I try to lend support to those soapers on various forums that have given me encouragement by buying their products. Variety is the spice of life!

Good thread!

[CBE]

I've been inspired by alot of people on this forum... everyone has their own unique ways and styles of making beautiful soap. For instance, Grandma Arial inspires me to think out of the box, and her natural, earthy soaps inspire me to use more natural things in MY soap... (Cheryl... the only thing I can't do is NOT add scent to my soap... LOL I just don't have the willpower... ). Maryann has inspired me with some of her beautiful soap creations, and wise words of advice. It's not just these two I mentioned... it's everyone! Alot of members on this board inspire me (even the ones who DON'T do soap... lol)

Oh.. and this person... www.sherrisscentsandsoys.com (aka CaliZona)

Her soaps are BEAUTIFUL. The first time I seen her soaps on her site... I was like... Wowzers!! Her swirls are to die for!! This is one very talented lady!!

[birdieluvr76]

I have yet to make soap, but I will be soon. I was inspired by the tutorials that were here that Eugenia and Grumpy Girl did. Also, LovelyLathers since she was so encouraging at the craft show.

Everyone here is inspiring, because everyone makes such nice soap!!

[GrandmaArial]

That’s a hard one. I have learned a lot from people here, and received a tremendous amount of encouragement. But inspiration… that’s different. Each type of soap I have come up with has a story behind it. What I would term the inspiration. Recently as I was assembling supplies and planning an experiment with soy wax and tomato, trying to think of something new to try with herbs… Donna inspired me to combine chai tea with rose petals with her love of Earl Grey and Lady Grey teas. BTW Donna, I really think this is going to be your scent, at least the scent of it. Of course you’ll want it a wee bit stronger than I make it, LOL. Jaybyrd’s crazy carrot soap inspired the 24 carrot soap I make. I had a dream about it… I had to try and it worked. Thank you Jaybyrd. Most of my creations have been inspired by memories though, from my childhood. An attempt to capture the essences of these memories.

I would have to say I have been inspired by people here though. Although I know I will never be able to make the beautiful colorful creations produced by people like euginia, Meredith, Scented, Donna, Gerry, and others, looking at the pictures, reading the results of peoples attempts with different recipes inspires me to keep striving to improve my product. To keep trying different oils and butters and combinations, different herbs and spices and even different techniques.

As jbren says, what ever we do it no doubt has been done before, but not quite the same I think. We each have differing qualities we look for in soap, so our recipes are different. That’s one of the things I really like about this board, the way we as newbies are encouraged to develop our own recipes to fit what we are looking for in our quest for the perfect soap. Yes… I would say that was inspiration… when I would ask “will this work” and someone would say “try it and find out”. That encouragement inspires me to try, to push the envelope, to test my own insecurities to fail, and fail I have at times. But the successes more than make up for the failures.

And Donna, thank you but if I have inspired you at all it is to look inside yourself to find what you want your soap to be. Your soap is just… so you. Do not tone down the scent for me, your soap is glorious as it is. The proof is in the pudding, your customers love it.

[CBE]

I think I'm ready for a group hug. I'm too emotional darnit!! LOL

[eugenia]

I think I'm ready for a group hug. I'm too emotional darnit!! LOL

Me too, LOL. I get inspired all the time! Speaking of inspiration, where the heck is Brenda?

e

[Fire and Ice]

Me too, LOL.Speaking of inspiration, where the heck is Brenda?

e

I sent her an E-mail from her site, Eugenia, but haven't heard from her yet. I hope she's okay. We haven't had her glorious designed creations on here in over eight weeks!

Fire

[Scented]

You know, I'd say about everyone on here has been an inspiration. My biggest inspiration would be hard to pick, so I won't

Some day I'd just like to be able to make what a ton of people on here make. All the way from packaging to presentation to seeing the swirls and using some soaps and the tutorials ... it's just all been inspiring.

No one really inspired me to make soap. I think they pretty much threatened me with my life to try it.

[Jadryga]

I haven't made soaps yet, but I want to!

I love Ida's (Chagrin Valley) and Brenda's (Briar Lane) too... then there's Biggs and Featherbelle... I love their soaps, and their packaging. Other than that, there's Purusha, this Jap lady living in NY, who makes really pretty soaps on Etsy. She's sold out of soaps at the moment, but I love her use of natural colorants.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5022810

[Fire and Ice]

I sent her an E-mail from her site, Eugenia, but haven't heard from her yet. I hope she's okay. We haven't had her glorious designed creations on here in over eight weeks!

Fire

I got an e-mail from er last night and she's okay. She says it's a long day teaching kids all day and that she has other chores at home. I guess she gets up very early in the morning.

She also said she was going to try to stop by this weekend to visit the boards.

I'm glad everything is okay!

Fire

[Brenda]

I got an e-mail from er last night and she's okay. She says it's a long day teaching kids all day and that she has other chores at home. I guess she gets up very early in the morning.

She also said she was going to try to stop by this weekend to visit the boards.

I'm glad everything is okay!

Fire

:wave: A big hello from a soaping slacker! Fire, thanks for noticing my absence and for your kind words about my soaps. Maybe I'll make up some soap today....or maybe I'll just cruise the gallery. Work and winter inertia is gaining on me, but my winter break is coming and I know I'll be soaping then.

On topic...I've found a wealth of inspiration from soapers on this board, both in the gallery of their great creations and their advice and questions for all of us in the other forums. I was making soap before I found this board, but I make better soap now, and that's the beauty of a great forum. Great soapers who are willing to share their expertise so all of our products improve! Thanks, everyone!

Brenda

[Crafty1_AJ]

I get inspired when I take walks in the country. I don't know why, but breathing fresh air and having some solitude for my thoughts does let me get creative and imagine new combinations and possibilities.

[blazerina]

I find that I am driven to create useful products as opposed to novelty. DH and I have discussed (argued) about how if I really want to sell stuff someday I should include novelty items. We're talking M&P here btw. But I feel that as long as I don't HAVE TO... like i'll loose my business or something... then why put something out that is not my 'style'. Stuff that I wouldn't even use for crying out loud, lol. I'm not so much against including a novelty item if it is exeptional to look at for instance, but I find it very hard to not try to tweak it so that it's both. It at least has to be good for your skin yanno? If it wasn't so simple of a name I'd name my business someday... 'Soap With a Purpose'. Lol. That's just me. It was my mistake to tell DH that novelty stuff sells like hot cakes. And then he really came down on me for not having the smarts to sell it then. :rolleyes2 Men.

For the most part, I only make soap when people ask for a certain type, OR when I find a new herb or oil or scrubby effect that I want to try. I don't do it just to do it yanno? I join the swaps when I can because that gives me a purpose as most swaps are theme oriented in some way or other. So maybe it's the challenge that inspires me.

[CareBear]

I just have these pictures in my head. I'm sure I stole them from someone, but don't know where they've come from.

Another inspiration for my wispy swirls is what I see inside my eyelids at night. Weird, non? If only I could add the sparks and stars...

[CBE]

I just have these pictures in my head. I'm sure I stole them from someone, but don't know where they've come from.

Another inspiration for my wispy swirls is what I see inside my eyelids at night. Weird, non? If only I could add the sparks and stars...

Oui. :tiptoe: rotf lmao

[cbv1]

I get inspiration from every single person who posts on this forum. We are all a little different and when we share ideas wonderful things can happen.

What intially inspired me to make my first batch of soap was just the creation process. I was so excited that I could actually make something that I could share with my family, just like making homemade jam, or pies. Though there are a lot of us on this forum making soap, there really aren't that many people I come into contact on a daily basis that do what we do.

[Fire and Ice]

What is very interesting and VERY inspireing was several months ago, I started at the very last page of the GALLERY and moved forward! Some very awesome creations are posted through out the years! Have a look for yourself!

Fire

[Ruina]

This board definitely!!!

I came across here quite by accident since I never even heard that people actually make soap. And in their kitchens.

At first I couldn't figure out what all the fuss was. Then after many, many months of reading & seeing all the pictures of those beautiful swirls, well, I just had to try. I now have a very serious addiction. This is all I think about and talk about. My family, friends, and co-workers think I've joined some kind of cult and that I've gone over the edge.

[mauimom]

Well, this site has sure helped me out a lot in the past year. I enjoyed making candles for a while but now really really love to make soap and lotions and hair stuff. I thought I might go into a little business for myself when I got good enough, but research on that led me to believe that it would cost almost as much each year as I could hope to make. So, I will continue giving my products to friends, family and charities.

As to what inspires me, the mountain where I live, the nature that surrounds me, (yes, even the black bears) and the small herb garden that does as well as can be expected at altitude.

Even my little kittie gives me inspiration.

[Candybee]

I am gonna start taking CP soap lessons around January. Met a soaper in the town next to me at a recent craft fair. She loved my MP soap and asked me to teach a class too.

If it wasn't for this forum and the gallery I probably would never have thought of making soap. But now I am hooked and want to learn CP cause I want to make some of those beautiful swirls I see in the gallery!! (Or die trying!!)