Soap Makers Help!

[chiknwhisperer]

Quote:
Smelled just like earth. Very natural scent that shouldn't give away the wearer when they are hunting. I like the scent personally.


ETA: That soap is absolutley gorgeous!!! I wish I could do that.

 

[NanaKat]

Those are very pretty and the decoration is only on the surface.
Looks like they are poured into a flat mold and then drops of colored soap are set in, then a drop of base and another drop of colored and then pulled with a toothpick.
Flat molds don't go thru a good gel every pour.

 

[Morgaine]

Quote:
Smelled just like earth. Very natural scent that shouldn't give away the wearer when they are hunting. I like the scent personally.


ETA: That soap is absolutley gorgeous!!! I wish I could do that.

Corrie, you have a slab mold right? you could do that, just like nanakat said. When I get mine I'm going to give it a try, that is just so pretty and elegant looking to me. She's got some others that are cool too. Did you see the one that looked like hearts? How cool would that be around valentines day!

I have a question for the famer's market veterans (or who ever wants to chime in

)

I'm going to hold a drawing at Saturdays market for a $20 gift cetificate to who ever fills out a little survey I'm putting together. Have you ever done anything like this? Any advice or tips? I'm wanting to see how much interest there is in other B&B products, like shampoo, conditioner, body scrubs, what they kind of scents they are looking for, what they want that I don't have. Stuff like that. I've already got the go ahead from the market manager and the board. I'm just wondering if anyone else has done anything like this.

 

[Rockpile99]

I was just at the local Whole Foods and saw a gorgeous handmade soap display. I took a photo with my cell, as soon as I figure out how to download it, I'll post it. It was a series of three round tables of differing heights and rounds (think cheese) of soap for sale by the oz. (1.29/oz) There were large chunks with a pick in it describing the various 'flavors' and then several hand cut chunks in varying shapes and sizes lying on top or next to it's main piece. They were all cut with a waffle type blade and no particular attention was paid to uniformity, allow you to choose a size that's good for you. The soaps themselves were beautiful, although none of them were very fragrant. Any way the display was wonderful and I ended up buying $10 worth of 'sample' size chunks.


Morgaine - I was researching the local flea market for possible selling and ran across someone who had a raffle for one of her pieces of jewelry. $1/ticket. I know most places have regulations against raffles, but I don't see why a giveaway wouldn't work. Even if they don't answer all of your questions, if they at least give you a name and e-mail or address it's a great marketing tool - let them know of your new products coming up etc. With something such as H&B products I'd rather see a gift basket with lots of samples and products to test worth $20 than a gift certificate - more fun and then I don't have to decide what I want to try, plus then you don't have the problem of having to give change if the products they choose don't total $20 or put out any silly disclaimers that it must be used during one purchase blah blah blah... My luck It'd go to a person who wants to buy a sample bar every week for the next three months!

edited for typo's

 

[Morgaine]

I thought about the gift basket idea, but I didn't want to have the added expense of putting together a basket. And this way they may spend more at my booth because they get $20 free stuff, which cost me about $5 to make). I don't mind making change, I almost always have plenty (except when 2 people in a row pay for a $2 bar with a $20

) If they want to spend it on sample bars every month fine. I'll just make sure that I write what their balance is on the back and sign it.

I've seen those displays. They are usually melt and pour soaps right? It does give the customer a sense of participation though. I think someone here was going to do whole logs at their farmer's marker, weren't they? I can't remember who it was though.

Oh, I wasn't going to charge anything for them to enter the raffle, I do think it might be illegal to make money off it cause it might be gambling.

 

[chiknwhisperer]

I was thinking of doing the log molds but haven't done it yet. I'm not sure if I'm going to do it or not yet. Still thinking.

 

[Morgaine]

OK, I have the ODDEST smelling house right now. I have 100 bars rosemary mint curing, cucumber melon in the molds, and dinner cooking (saffron rice burritos) and those smells are all mingled so that when you open the door to go down stairs it just hits you. But it gave me the thought, has anyone ever mixed cucumber melon and mint? I think the combo might be really nice!

 

[chiknwhisperer]

lol. I never thought about making combinations out of the scents of the soaps that I have curing. It might be a neat scent. You should put a little together and se how it is.

 

[Morgaine]

My cucumber melon soaps turned out well. I added 200 grams purreed cucumber at trace I was hoping to get a nice natural green tint but only got specks. It's been a while since I've used full water and I forget how soft the bars are and that you have to wait longer to unmold. I've gotten used to unmolding and cutting 6-8 hours after pour when I discount.

Oh, a word of caution. Liquid chlorophyll does go bad

I was going to add it like I usually do, but it was definately bad. I'll have to get some more the next time I'm out in Bryan. I still had almost half a bottle too.

 

[chiknwhisperer]

Quote:
Yuck. What does it smell like when it goes bad? I haven't bought any yet. I'm glad you cucumber melon soap came out good. I usually get a pale green with dark green flecks throught when I make a cucumber soap. But I don't have any scent to add to it.