Back to Blogging

I have been away from blogger for a while, obviously.  I am sorry, but I am back now so don't cry.  I recently made a large wholesale order f wine soap for someone who is having a shower in June.  These soaps are four different wine flavors: Merlot, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc.  They turned out very lovely.  I got to use my new soap curing closet for the first time and the soaps are really coming along.  I promise to take some pictures and show some labeling when I do that.  The soaps will be cured and ready to label next week.  Then I will ship them out.  I will then have room in my curing closet for some new batches of soap for Etsy.  I am going to make some smaller bars this time and sell them for proportionally lower prices.  Some people have mentioned to me that my bars are a bit big.  I tried explaining that they can be cut using a regular kitchen knife to whatever size people like, but somehow people just don't want to do that themselves. I have also crocheted some new soap savers in some fun and neutral colors.  I will put new pictures on my soap saver listing as soon as I take them.
I have some ideas for some new Etsy projects I will be making as soon as I finish sewing curtains for our new house.  That is part of the reason I have not been posting much.  We have been very busy remodeling our new house.  It isn't really a new house, just new to us.  It is quite a project house, actually, but we love it.  Next up will be the yard and driveway, but that is for my other blog: SmallCityLot.  I just started that blog and will try to post new pictures every week as we go along.

I will post pictures of all of my new Etsy projects here as soon as I get them done.  TTFN

Wine Soaps For the Fair

I mixed up 5 batches of wine soaps for the fair yesterday.  I am cutting them today.  Two batches each of Merlot soap and Riesling soap will be cut into large 6 ounce bars and one batch of Pinot Noir will be cut into small 1.4 ounce soaps for the gift boxes.  I only made a small batch of the Pinot Noir when I made the gift box soaps earlier.  I decided that I did indead nead the sixth variety to make the variety box and so I needed more Pinot Noir.  The soaps should be ready to unmold now. Let's see.

Here they are all wrapped up and cozy.

Time to wake up!

Here is the Pinot Noir.

The top shows the pattern of the poor.  I think it looks cool after it is sliced.  Some people cut this part off, but I don't like to waste soap just so that it is perfectly square.

I turned it on it's side because it is still a little soft for cutting.  They stay very warm in the towels.  I let them sit like this to get firmer before slicing if they are not firm enough after 24 hours in the mould.

Here is the second mold.  It is a Merlot.

The third is a Merlot, as well.

The fourth is a Riesling.

Number five is the second Riesling.  Here they all are sitting out on thier mould lids.

I will slice them later tonight.  The lick test shows that they did indead come to a complete gel and will be a wonderfully mild soap.  They need to cure and dry for a month so that they are hard enough to last in the shower. I barely have enough time before the fair.  I am cutting it close.  My Aunt is sharing a booth in the wine tasting building for her laser etching business with Dave the box guy, so we thought that wine soaps might do well.  We will also bring some etched gift boxes with assorted small wine soaps.  If nothing else we should get some oooohs and aahhhs and a few interested people to take our cards.  I am looking forward to it.

The Wine Soap Gift Box is Finally Ready

I finally posted the gift box of small wine soaps for sale on Etsy.  The boxes are made locally here in town by our box guy, Dave Johnson, and can be custom etched my my aunt on her laser etcher. How cool is that?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/76430632/custom-laser-etched-wine-soap-gift-box

We made a sample box of assorted flavors:

I think these would be perfect for any small bed and breakfast, or winery gift shop, or as a fun personalized gift for that person on your list who seems to have everything they want.  Everyone loves hand made soaps and they use them, so they always need more.  Nothing says you cared enough to think ahead like a personalized gift. 

I also finally actually posted the Mint Pattie Soap on Etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/76426433/mint-pattie-layered-vegan-soap-single

and

http://www.etsy.com/listing/76426804/mint-pattie-layered-vegan-soap-3-bars

I haven't made any new soaps since I started working at the Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center.  I have plenty of inventory, though.  Never fear, I have the soap that you need in stock and can ship it out right away.  Contact me on Etsy with any custom orders you can think of.

Mint Patty Soap Is Almost Ready To Sell

Can you believe it? It has been almost a month since I made that mint patty soap.  I will post it on Etsy this weekend.  I still haven't taken pictures of it.  Maybe I will do that after work tomorrow. It is going to be a long day tomorrow at my day job, so we will see.  five of the last eight days have been spent out in the orchard all day for work.  The weather has been very nice.  Sunny, but not too hot.  The long hours are starting to cut into my soap making and thinking time.  I will have to work more on it during the weekend.

I Actually Mailed My Sister-in-Law's Birthday Present Today

I hope it gets there before her birthday.  I meant to mail it on Saturday, but with my husband's uncle's funeral and everything I just didn't have time.

I am going to take new pictures of my soaps for Etsy. I just don't care for the ones I took of the new soaps. The background is too plain and light.  Still no gift boxes made, but I have my idea now, for when my auntie and I both have time.

Soap Makes a Great Gift

I just packaged up my sister-in-law's birthday present, and guess what she is getting.  I hope she doesn't read this blog.  Oh well, now she knows what she is getting if she does.  I made a cute card with card stock and stamps and put it with two bars of soap in the cutest tuck top box.  It fit just perfectly.  Very cute.  I will definitely send them that way from now on, for those people who order two bars.  It is way cheaper to send orders of 3 or more bars in flat rate priority mail boxes, and they get there faster.  Orders of 1 or two bars are cheaper by first class mail, and these tuck top boxes are so cute:

Happy Birthday Marie!!!

My sister-in-law is so cute.  I hope she likes her soap.  I am still working on the design for the gift box of soap.  I just have to make an example one and let people customize them themselves.  It is hard coming up with a good example.

I Finally Posted the Last of the New Soaps Varieties on Etsy

The last flavor to be posted, orange peel cocoa, was posted today.  This was two days late, but with everything that went on this weekend, I am not surprised.  Here they are:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/73785993/orange-peel-cocoa-soap-single-bar

http://www.etsy.com/listing/73786906/orange-peel-cocoa-soap-3-bars-with-free

As always the three bar set comes with a free soap saver.  The only large bar new flavor of soap that I have not posted yet is the peppermint patty soap I posted pictures of last week.  That one will not be ready for three weeks so there will be no new large bar soaps posted for a while.  I have six varieties of wine soap that are all cut into small gift bar size for the gift box sets.  Those are my next thing to get posted.  I have to finish making the customized wooden boxes ready.  My aunt and uncle have offered to customize the  boxes with their laser etcher, once I can decide what I want to put on there.  Decisions, decisions.