In the Spotlight » Creative Soap Week

Interview with Ann Stoermer from Pitter Pattern Designs

Jul 022011

Today I am delighted to introduce you to Ann Stoermer, the soap maker behind Pitter Pattern Designs. Here is our interview:

Who came up with the name “Pitter Pattern Designs”?

My mom and I started this business selling baby gifts (blankets, burp cloths, baby clothes, etc) and we came up with our name and logo to fit the handmade baby blanket and sewing motif. In 2010, my mom decided that she needed to focus elsewhere, and although I do sew, I much prefer to make soap. So I decided to take the business in another direction. Since our logo has feet (which are my youngest daughter’s baby feet) and our name reflects the “patterns” I make in soap, I thought it was still a nice fit.

When did you start and why?

[Read the full interview here]

Escential Elements by Victoria

In the Spotlight

Jun 272011

Today, I’m delighted to introduce you to Ms. Victoria Barrett from “Escential Elements by Victoria”. Here is our short interview:

1. When did you decide to start soap making and why?

Being directly affected by the economic crisis, I became unemployed and displaced from my regular employment of 25 years in a niche specialized field. I then realized that I must work aggressively to pursue a new direction. I had always dreamed of making soap and natural herbal products. Then, I began to see that the initial misfortune was truly an opportunity to move forward and give myself a new start and soap making became my direction.

2. Could you please tell us more about you?

[Read the full interview here.]

Latika Soap

In the Spotlight

Jun 072011

Today, I am delighted to introduce you to a very special soap maker from Israel: Mazzi Pelet, the artisan behind Latika Soap. Here is our short interview:

1. When did you start and why?
“As a kid, my mom always made beautiful things with us at home, so handmade work was around at all times. at some point she started making cold process soaps and i was just mesmerized by the process.
Two years ago I started playing with the design element of soap making and fell in love completely!
I think it was those cupcake m&p soaps that got me.”

2. In your opinion, what makes your soap different?

[Read the full interview here.]

The Soapy Cauldron

In the Spotlight

May 192011

Today’s story comes from Samantha Champion, the founder of The Soapy Cauldron. Here is what she has to say:

“I started soapmaking in 2005 as a hobby when my 3rd son was a tiny baby. He had problematic dry skin and all of the things given my doctors were at best not working, and at worst exacerbating the problem.

Then my (late) Nan told me about oatmeal and after one ‘porridge bath’ his skin massively improved. So I began researching and experimenting with natural skincare – and the Soapy Cauldron was born!

One of my biggest ambitions with soap making was to open an independant shop. I started my working life in retail and always wanted to be a stand alone retailer. Sadly my Nan passed away in 2007 but she left me enough in her will to open a little shop- and in May 2010 I finally realised my dream. Today I am a retailer and wholesaler of Soap, Bath Bombs and other bath and body products, and I specialise in Artisan soap.

[Read the full story here.]

Scent Trail

In the Spotlight

Mar 192011

photo courtesy of Scent Trail

As you know, we like to acknowledge all soapmakers. Even if they are not extremely creative. Here is a short introduction to Scent Trail, a small soap company founded by Suzanne Jones and based in the North West of England.

Suzanne started over a year ago; she never imagined how fast the soap, soap ingredients, oils, etc. would invade her house! In fact, none of us, soap makers, do! Here is what she had to say about her journey!

I started making soap for fun, and to foist on anyone I know. They liked it so much I decided to turn my hobby into a business. In February 2010 I became “legal” and Scent Trail was born.

I do not do the creative stuff like swirls and sparkles, but I still enjoy putting on my pointy hat and stirring my cauldron and ending up with a lovely bar of beautiful smelling soap.

I have recently started supplying the National Trust after being added to their local stockists list and I am working hard to try to build a successful business.

If you want to say hi to Suzanne, please visit her Blog, Twitter page or follow her on Facebook! Tell her that Betty at Creative Soap Week sent you!

Annya's Aromatherapeutics

In the Spotlight

Mar 122011

Today, I am delighted to introduce you to Annya! Here is her soap making story in her own words:

“I am a qualified and practising Aromatherapist and started making bath and body care products in 2001 as a result of requests from clients who wanted more than just a bottle of oil to take away with them after their treatments to use at home.

After starting off small making bath bombs, melts and massage oils as an alternative mode of delivery for essential oils I developed an interest in soap making in 2005 after noting that many of my clients (like myself) were very sensitive to commercial soap. We all complained of tight, dry, itchy skin so I started researching soap making methods to see if I could work out where the problem lay. It did not take me long to realise that it was the actual manufacturing process of commercial soaps which uses harsh chemicals and hardners and removes the natural glycerine from the bar to be sold as a separate line of income to the food industry.

I started researching the old ways of soap making and came across books and articles about cold process soap making which leaves all the goodness in the bar and so my passion was born. I have since gone on to learn about and experiment with hot crock pot and oven processes too along with supplementing (superfatting) soaps with various oils to produce different types of bars for all the skin types. I stick to natural colours found in herbs, spices, clays, minerals and botanicals.

My latest ventures are multi-swirled soaps, soaps with imbeds and highly decorative and intricately designed soaps ~ as visually stunning as they are beautiful to use!”

Contact:

Website: Annya’s Aromatherapeutics

Facebook: facebook.com/annyasaromas

The Soap Garden

In the Spotlight

Dec 092010

Today’s guest is Denise Ryczek, the talented soapmaker behind “The Soap Garden“. Here is her story in her own words:

“Hello. My name is Denise and I live with my best friend, my husband of 38 years in the beautiful state of Wisconsin. I have two wonderful and talented sons and a beautiful and gifted daughter-in-law. I am an avid gardener. Along with my funny little dog Jake, we dig lots of holes.

I have always been interested in soaps. I bought glycerin soaps from other soapers for many years. It took me awhile to realize I could make them myself. But once I tried, it quickly took on a life of its own. It became my passion. I would go to sleep at night thinking about a new bar to make, dream about it that night, and in the morning hurry to the kitchen to start making soap.

Like a child with a new toy, I began to play. Working with melt and pour allows me to express myself. I create soap that reminds me of a time, a place, or just a moment that moved me in my life. It can be as simple as a childhood memory or some flower from my garden. I like to combine color and fragrance along with rich oils and butters. Goat milk is one of my favorites. I like to think of my soaps as being an affordable luxury.

Through soap making and doing craft fairs, I have met so many wonderful people. Some very loyal customers that I now consider friends. Special people you look forward to seeing. It‘s fun to show customers what’s new and bounce a fresh idea off them to see if it’s something they might be interested in. I also sell on Etsy.

Thank you for your time and please stop by my Etsy shop for a visit.

Happy Holidays!”

Thank you, Denise, for sharing your story!

Catherine Dreher

In the Spotlight

Oct 262010

Sweet Cranberry Soap

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Catherine Dreher. I chose to feature her because she took soap making and gave it a cause. Here is her story in her own words:

“My name is Catherine Dreher and I began making soap three years ago. I started selling soap to raise money for our adoption expenses as we had started the process to adopt an infant from Ethiopia. 18 months later, we got our sweet, baby boy! I thought my soap creating/selling days were over, but people started asking me if I was still selling soap. So, after a brief hiatus, I jumped back into soap-making and haven’t stopped! I sell my soaps in my online shop and in a local, retail shop. I donate 75% of my profits to a dear friend who is in the process of adopting. When their adoption is complete, I’ll find another family who needs help raising money.

Cherry Limeade Soap

I work mainly with Cold Process soap because I love creating the recipes, working with the rich oils and butters and coloring and swirling it all together. It makes me feel like a mad scientist, though with my hair net, goggles, apron and gloves, my kids say I look more like a lunch lady.”

You can find Catherine at her website: catiebeth.com, on Twitter and on Blogger.

Thank you, Catherine, for sharing your story!

Sapon

In the Spotlight

Oct 202010

Today’s guest is Colleen Davidson from Sapon(Toronto, ON, Canada). Here is her story in her own words:

“After completing art school at university I did some graduate studies in graphic/multimedia design — and went on to work in this field for over twelve years now — at assorted ad agencies, media companies and in-house, however I really missed working with my hands. I’ve always loved fancy soaps, my mom actually used to make hand made soap when I was little, so I thought I would give it a try also. I started by doing a lot of research of assorted soap recipes and ingredients. I am very happy and proud of the soaps that I have come up with.

I start with a high quality organic glycerine melt and pour soap base, and add lots of other wonderful natural ingredients to make assorted spa inspired bars. I want each bar to look, smell and feel wonderful.

I have always been wildly creative, I also have a vintage inspired jewelry store on Etsy, dabbled in clothing design when I was in university (and sold dresses at a friend’s shop), pottery, contemporary art (had some mixed-media pieces at the AGO gift shop in Toronto, was in a number of exhibitions, won a few awards), refinished my own furniture, curated an artist’s group website, wrote for a design blog…

My “soap cakes” (shown above) - make a wonderful gift – especially for “the person that has everything”.”

You can find Colleen and her organic soap on Etsy.

AJSweetSoap

In the Spotlight

Sep 122010

Hello, soap fans! Today, I’d like to introduce you to AJSweetSoap!

“My name is Denise and I’m a full-time working mom with 2 young kids. I began soaping a year and a half ago as a way to de-stress after a long, hard day, but it has quickly grown to become my passion! I love to make soap creations that have people do a double take – to ask “Can I eat that” or “Wow, how did you do that?” For me, the key is to make the soap as realistic and unique as possible; to get the color and fragrance just so…that’s where soap evolves to become a work of art for me.

I adore working with Melt & Pour soap, as it allows me to be as creative as I can be. It’s so versatile – people just don’t realize how much they can do with it! Some of my favorite scents to work with are the bakery scents - anything rich, sweet and yummy! Cake Batter Ice Cream and Strawberry Cream are two of my all-time favorite scents – they just make the house smell wonderful when I’m working with them – and they make us all hungry!

There’s little that I would change from when I started to now. Everything I’ve done has helped me learn from both a soap and business standpoint. There are, however, two things that I wish I had worked on more from the beginning - I do wish I was a better photographer. Taking good quality pictures is the hardest part of my soapmaking business. I also would have started investing earlier in the more expensive, quality silicone molds. Using plastic candy molds is more difficult to de-mold and produces a less detailed product. I have so much fun with detail!

I must say, I’m lucky to have some of the most loyal and wonderful customers ever – they are always so appreciative and supportive. In some cases, I can now refer to them as friends as well. Some have been with me from my early days selling on eBay, and I’ve introduced them to the wonderful handmade worlds of Etsy and Artfire. I’ve always prided myself on customer service and will do everything I can to make sure my customer is happy – I’ve never met that “difficult” customer than sellers fear (fingers crossed that I never do!).

I get inspired for new soap creations everywhere I go – the mall, the supermarket, and forget the bakery! I go crazy there! There’s nothing like being out and suddenly getting the idea for a new soap – I want to just drop everything and run home to create. Luckily my family is very understanding with this obsession of mine, and I’m proud to say I see some of this creativity in my 11 year old son Justin. He will often come home and say “Hey mom, why don’t you try making ____”. When we get the entire family involved in creating, it makes this journey of mine even more rewarding!

I have so many favorite soaps – and the more detailed, the better! My newest soap was the most fun for me – a realistic banana split sundae with chopped nuts and hot fudge (yes, all soap!) People are amazed that it isn’t real! I also have a great deal of pride in my award-winning Banana Cream Pie soap. It’s a very time consuming soap to make, but it’s always worth it!

My soap can be found on sale at several different online venues, as well as several spa bakeries in New York, California and Georgia. My line and my customer base is ever-growing, and I look forward to continuing to provide a Guiltless Indulgence!”

You can find Denise and AJSweetSoap on Etsy and Artfire; you can follow their latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you, Denise!

Soaperstar

In the Spotlight

Sep 112010

Hello, everyone! Today I’d like to share with you the story of Soaperstar, a small company specialising in luxury glycerine soaps designed and handcrafted in Dublin, Ireland. Check this out:

“My name is Celine Blacow and I am the creative force behind Soaperstar; I started soapmaking as a hobby in order to de-stress from a very busy job in education administration. It was a chance conversation with a colleague, along with an increasing interest in the ingredients used in my day-to-day skincare, which made me realise that soap was something I could make for myself, family and friends. I really enjoyed the whole imaginative process and realised that the creativity that was trying to find a way out had found an escape in soap!

I design and manufacture all my soaps at home, carefully blending colours, fragrances and design to create a luxury product. Initially, thinking all soap is just soap, I found there are different types of soap and decided to pursue the art of glycerine soap crafting. Glycerine is a natural humectant which means that, when it’s used in skin preparations, it draws moisture into the skin, hydrating it and keeping it very soft and silky. This type of soapmaking can sometimes be called melt & pour, which really does not do justice to the artistry that can be achieved with this method.

I use a blend of clear glycerine and goatsmilk soaps to create my designs. I add decadent luxury elements by combining oils and butters such as Apricot Kernel, Sweet Almond, Coconut or Golden Jojoba oils and Shea or Cocoa butter, the use of each one dependent on the fragrance used. And, for sheer indulgence, I also add an additional hydrating element called Lamesoft – an Ecocert “green” biolipid derived from 100% natural and renewable materials. This wonderful ingredient delivers a perceivable level of skin softness and smoothness that has to be experienced to be believed. Fabulous fragrance oils and skin safe cosmetic grade colourants are then added alongside natural, glittering micas to enhance her sumptuous products.

My designs stem from many sources – scents, a picture, colours, a drive in the country, a day at the ocean; everything inspires! This love of all things bright and heady is incorporated into all of my soaps, as is a little glitter – I just adore shiny things! I spend a great deal of time designing and creating my soaps as well as trialing them on my happy band of human guinea pigs. All of my soaps are suitable for use by vegetarians, none of them have been tested on animals, and, as is required by EU legislation, they have all been fully safety assessed so customers can be safe in the knowledge that my products are of the highest quality. I am proud to say that I will not sell anything that I have not fully tested myself.

Soaperstar soaps are available online at www.soaperstar.com and I can be contacted at info@soaperstar.com if you have any queries at all – I’ll be happy to help.”

I hope you enjoyed today’s feature and I want to thank Celine for sharing her experience with us! You can visit her at SoaperStar.com, on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

Crystal Coast Soapworks

In the Spotlight

Sep 082010

Today I’d like to share with you the story of Crystal Coast Soapworks. Here it is:

“Hi! My name is Kim and I am a stay at home mom. I am not one of the worlds greatest soapers by any means but I think I do have a new and creative idea. I just made my very first bar of soap on May 18, 2010. Just 3 1/2 months ago so as you already know I am totally new at this. I homeschool my son and am always looking for crafts to do together. So we made a few bars of soap from a kit we got at our local craft store. Well, he was having fun with it but I got HOOKED! I started researching all about Melt&Pour soaps, talking to other soapers on Facebook, learning all that I could and started ordering more quality ingredients and showing them to my friends. In a short time… I had a small business! This has went so fast my head is still spinning, but in a good way.

I sell my soaps at a local farmers market here (which is another miracle story how I even got there) in the beautiful Crystal Coast area of NC. A firefighter lady bought some from me and now LOVES my soaps so much she said she won’t use anything else. Wow, what a compliment!

Well, this weekend she heads up a big Fire College with 300 firefighters attending and asked if I wanted to set up 2 tables at it. Of course I would love to but she said the only requirements is that some of the soaps have something to do with FIRE. Oh boy. Now what do I do? Then she said “Oh, if you can put the firefighters maltese cross inside THAT would be awesome!!”

Well desiring to offer the BEST customer service possible to any & all of my customers (especially since she was my first repeat customer that was not family/friends) I decided to look into it. First thing on the list, figure out what the heck a maltese cross is.

So that cross proved to be a very detailed emblem and difficult to find a way to put in/on my soaps. I could buy the actual fire patches of this but they are $5 a piece so that is totally not cost effective. I thought of printing it out on water soluble paper but I only have 5 days to make all these and that is not enough time to get any shipped to me. I looked all over for tattoos of them, etc, but everything needed to get shipped to me and I just don’t have the time.

Well, I was feeling quite discouraged as what to do to make these special so while at Walmart I was passing the fabric department and thought, hey, maybe I can find some fabric with fire stuff on it. And certainly I did. I was so excited but being totally new to this whole soaping thing still I didn’t know how or if it would work. So I bought just one yard which had many pictures on it, went home and asked on my soaping Facebook “Has anyone ever put fabric in their soaps?” No one replied that they did so I posted it on Bramble Berrys Facebook page. (I just LOVE Anne Marie. Her SQ videos are what helped to teach me so quickly). She replied just last night that she has never thought of that and wants to let me know how they turn out.

Well, by this time I have done about 7 bars so far just winging it on my own. Even though they are not “perfect” yet I think I might be on to a great idea. It is giving me SO many great & new ideas running through my head that I am totally ready for the holidays now. hehe.

Right at this moment, 6am Wed 9/8/10 I am writing this and then getting back to work with my “fire” soaps. I have a batch to take out right now. They each have the Maltese cross on them and when I brought one to show her yesterday (before I made 30 of them I wanted to make sure she liked them), she LOVED them! I was so excited and now I need to go and get busy making more. I only have 3 days left to make soaps and design my tables but I just wanted to share my idea with you real quick. I will include a couple of pictures too. Remember, this is my first go around with these so they are not perfect. I need to work on the edges of the fabric to stop the bits of fraying still but other than that I think they are pretty nice. Thanks for listening. Kim Riggs

P.S. Oh, I forgot to tell you that I am the ONLY crafter she is having there! All other vendors have fire gear of sorts. I am so flattered. I can bring my regular inventory too but I just needed a new “fire line”. And now, thanks to fabric, I have one. I wonder what my next “line” will be? ”

Thank you, Kim, for sharing your experience! Good luck with your show!

You can find Kim at CrystalCoastSoapworks.com

Indochine Natural

In the Spotlight

Aug 242010

Today’s soap story comes from Indochine Natural:

“Greetings from the exotic tropical island of Penang, located in the Straits of Malacca off the coast of Malaysia.

Penang Island has been associated with the spice trade to Europe since the 16th century. These exotic spices were to be had only in small quantities in Europe after long and dangerous voyages in seas beset by pirates and swept by terrible storms. Today, in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Georgetown on Penang Island, traditional traders still sell these highly prized spices in markets where your senses are assailed by the odor of exotic spices.

We purchase our herbs & spices from these traditional traders and handcraft our soaps from local coconut and palm oil using a traditional cold process. Our soaps are 100% natural, with no added chemicals or synthetic additives. This produces a truly pure soap that is long lasting with amazing lather, and fragrances reminiscent of the spice trade.

Our spice trade collection includes the fragrances of clove, lemongrass, star anise & coffee, basil & lemongrass, cinnamon & frankincense, and a special no fragrance bar. All bars are cured for at least 30 days, and packaged in shrink-wrap with our label.

Our soaps provide you with the opportunity to relive this bygone spice trade era and enjoy these exotic and sensual aromas, and at the same time experience handmade soaps that are not only natural and free from harmful chemicals, but are also good for your skin.”

IndochineNatural.com

A Breath of French Air

In the Spotlight

Aug 222010

Today, I’d like to introduce you to the soap artist behind A Breath of French Air. Here is her story in her own words:

“My name is Elizabeth and I live in the mid west. My kids have flown the coop and it’s just me, my hubby, and 2 Cairn Terriers at home now.

I began making soap about 3 years ago. I started with melt and pour, and now I make cold process and hot process soap. I recently expanded into making body wash from scratch. Although it takes a long time to make, I enjoy every second!

My hubby is very supportive of me and even had a soap kitchen installed for me in our basement!

I enjoy being creative with scents and color, and being an avid gardener, I get my inspiration from my garden.”

Bramble Berry

In the Spotlight

Aug 122010

Today, I’d like to share with you the story of Anne-Marie Faiola from Bramble Berry.

Rock soaps. photo courtesy of Bramble Berry

“A good business,” according to Anne-Marie Faiola, “comes from finding something that works and capitalizing on it.” For Anne-Marie, that something came from making soap, a business concept she started as a hobby and then turned into a multi-million dollar enterprise.

As a teenager, Anne-Marie learned how to be business savvy from her father, a doctor who also ran a network of clinics and who encouraged her to find her own business opportunities. Taking her father’s advice, Anne-Marie started making personalized soaps to sell to friends and family. Years later, after pursuing a career as a correctional officer and about to apply to the FBI, Anne-Marie realized that her true passion was business and decided to become an entrepreneur. Determined to start her own company that would provide the highest quality of products and ingredients for soap making, Anne-Marie left the criminal justice system and founded Bramble Berry Inc. in her living room. Desiring formal business training, she went back to school and received her MBA in 2007 while running her rapidly growing company.

For those looking to expand their skill sets, Anne-Marie launched www.SoapQueen.tv in 2009, a free Do-It-Yourself soapmaking series on YouTube where amateur and seasoned crafters alike can learn all the basics including picking your fragrances, mixing your colors and pouring your soap, all the way to more advanced techniques like swirling, embedding and layering. Anne-Marie also runs an instructional daily blog at www.soapqueen.com where you can read about soap, toiletries, business, design and decadent sweets.

Watermelon soap. photo courtesy of Bramble Berry

With new products and DIY videos added frequently, Bramble Berry looks forward to meeting the needs of crafters for a long time.

“Success doesn’t happen over night,” she says. “It’s about replicating small victories everyday.”

Older Entries

Creative Soap Week

Interview with Ann Stoermer from Pitter Pattern Designs

Who came up with the name “Pitter Pattern Designs”?

When did you start and why?

Escential Elements by Victoria

Latika Soap

The Soapy Cauldron

Scent Trail

Annya's Aromatherapeutics

Contact:

The Soap Garden

Catherine Dreher

Sapon

AJSweetSoap

Soaperstar

Crystal Coast Soapworks

Indochine Natural

A Breath of French Air

Bramble Berry

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