Soap Makers Help!

[ametauss]

Morgaine: Did you ever find a cauldron for the ren faire to do a soap making demo?? Also, if you're doing a demo, are you using homemade lye (from ashes)??

We have a ren faire here and I thought about it but then said if I wanted to do a demo I would want to be authentic to the period and making old fashioned lye was just not apealing to me....

Here's one for you all.... I was in a store the other day that sells all sorts of "country" stuff.... I of course looked at all of the soaps....
One soap said "Old Fashion Lye" The ingredients only listed Sodium Hydroxide? Can't really remember the 'H' name but had no oils listed.... Is there such a thing as that?? Her other soaps all listed oils and lye as ingredients....

Just did a big order for me from Brambleberry... got some EO and FO, some herbs, MP for inserts to my soaps, and some Cocoa butter... I got some of their boxes as they do seem to be the right size for my soaps... Can't wait.. but it will be late next week before it gets here...

 

[cheeptrick]

I ordered the yellow dock in powder form...I think it'll infuse better quicker. I'll post photos when it's done.

I also have a craft fair Chickenswap Sunday...outdoors....weather is NICE forecast. Leaves are starting to change here in NH! Hope I sell a ton! Usually only make a couple hundred though at the chickenswaps...BUT I've got a Nashua craft fair that is going to be HUGE in November. I also just got an order from a local CSA who will put my soaps in their winter CSA boxes

Classes/Craft Fairs/Part time job...I'm exhausted already!!

Morgaine...HAVE fun at the Ren Fest.

 

[Morgaine]

The demos are for the renaissance festival next year. I was going to do some at this one, but now I'm not, I'm just not going to have the space for the fire i would need.

I'll shoot you a PM ametauss on Monday detailing how I'm going to do the demos. For safty reasons I don't want reall lye around. I'll explain later. Right now I'm trying to get everything together. I think we are going to be camping there this weekend so now I gotta get all the camping stuff out too.

 

[aussieheelr]

Has anyone used rose infused OO in their soap? I would love to see pics before I tried mine. It is infused already but wondering what it will look like. Think I'm going to stick with my OO, Coconut and castor. Like it the best so far, too hard to screw it up LOl.

Cheeptrick: the oatmeal I did... had to break down and try it early even though i scorched the milk it smells so lovely, calming and just nice. DH likes it too and he was skeptical at first.

 

[chiknwhisperer]

Here are the vanilla and the raspberry perfumes that I made. But should I call it perfume or scented oil?

 

[cheeptrick]

Quote:
I searched out the recipe I posted; it was one from about.com. My dh likes the darker soaps too...I just think WHITE when I think of a milk soap. My buttermilk soaps are generally darker...maybe because of the lemon juice or cream of tartar but I'm really not sure why. But mine are usually darker than just regular milk...I use store bought buttermilk...but I have made my own too and got the same results.

I made a soap with emulsifying wax...OMGOODNESS...it is so lotiony and silky feeling. I love it!!!!

 

[Morgaine]

Hey every one I'm back from the renaissance faire!

Well things didn't go as well as I had planned as far a sales. There just were not that many people coming to the faire. I did $196 the first day and a $100 the second day. I don't think I did bad considering only 150 people came through the second day and 300 the first day (at least that's what we were told but to us it seemed like a lot less) I may have gotten a new whole sale account though.

We ended pretty much breaking even the first day for all three weekends. I know the people next to us did not do well at all, they said they only made $88 Sunday and they came all the way from Oklahoma. (ouch) We are going to skip next weekend and go to the farmers market instead and then go for the last weekend which we have been told is the biggest.

I thought my booth turned out well. I got several compliments on it. I'll post pics in a minute.

There were 2 others who had soap, though that wasn't their main focus. One of them I almost said something too because they were selling "essential oils" for $8 for a small 1/3 oz, but they were not real essential oils, just fragrance oils. I know there is no strawberry or gardenia eo. I was upset they were misleading people like that. But I didn't say anything because there was just a teenage girl in the booth when I stopped.

I don't think I'll do this one again. the one I'm in the spring is going to be much better I think because they are trying to get the word out like crazy. People in town have not even heard of this faire! they really need to do some advertising.

But, all in all, i'm glad I went. I learned somethings (like always pack ant killer if doing an out door show!) and now I won't always be wondering what if.

ok here is my booth

My hot hubby

Me at the booth

 

[NanaKat]

Great set up and you make a nice looking couple!

 

[Backyard Buddies]

I love it, Morgaine! The booth looks great and so do you guys. Your husband has the Cary Elwes thing going on.

Although it wasn't well attended, it sounds as if you did pretty good!

 

[chiknwhisperer]

The booth looks great

And I love the outfits for you both. I agree that they needed to do more advertising since there was such a small turn out. I know that if they would have spread the word more you would have really brought in a lot of customers. I hope the wholesale account comes through for you. That will be the best thing out of that whole week end for you guys. And you two do make a great looking couple