Speedy Delivery from The Soap Crone

As many of you already know, I'm an amateur soaper. I've made a few really nice basic CP soaps and use an HP 'poo bar/soap daily while the other ones properly cure.

While building confidence to use my newly build log mold, I have spent a good deal of time researching soap making, recipes, packaging and various other soap stuff written by the experts. I somehow stumbled on the Soap Crone's site www.soapcrone.com
through Google or some other blog. Her site is welcoming and soon drew me in.

I loved the photos and enjoyed the descriptions of each variety. Her brilliance shows in the somewhat limited product line. Other sites have hundreds of scents/blends that boggle the mind. Figuring she was the expert, I purchased her e-books along with a couple of soaps to learn from.

I soon received a a friendly email order confirmation along with instructions for how to download the books. The e-books downloaded easily and I devoured the recipes book twice before going to bed. I longed for my delivery of ingredients to arrive as I imagined how I would work these new recipes into my own creations. I wish there was a little more about scenting and specific process in the recipe book (temps...). Just like when baking a cake the ingredients are only part of the equation. How they're assembled is the key.

I lightly read the basic manual and found it OK for beginning soaping. I wouldn't normally have purchased a beginner book, but figure why not support a fellow craft person. Someday it may be me on the other side. :-)

The writing in both books is light, funny, and spot on - especially for the herbal additions. My lavender buds from the first soap class I ever attended do, in fact, resemble mouse turds after a few uses. Lesson learned. Amy you rule.

I also learned that once you are 'the' expert you don't worry yourself too much with fancy adornments or packaging. The bars I purchased, Ladies Lovely Complexion soap and Lavender Mist Shampoo Bar, arrived in brown paper bags with handwritten descriptions of the contents. Simple. These would fit in at any craft show, festival or farmer's market. I can picture them on a no-nonsense table and having people gobble them up.

The soaps smell wonderful. Not overpowering, but still strong enough to live up to their scent claims. I wonder how well the scent will stay.

The Lavender Mist Shampoo bar has no color additions and looks just like the photo on the site. Cool stamping by the way.

The Lovely Lady had a beautiful photo on the site complete with pink swirls. My bar was more of a solid muted pink.



They both have nice, velvety 'feel' when dry. I want to compulsively pick them up and hold them. I will give them a try tonight after I get good and smelly from the barn.

Summary of today's lessons for me:
1) Stop sweating the small stuff. Just get back to the studio and make soap for Gracie's sake! Mine is every bit as good as anyone elses - swirls, marbeling or whatnot
2) Packaging is the sprinkes on the cake, not the whole cake. When you have a good product and a loyal customer following the expense of packaging is just extra. Besides, the open soap encourages you to USE it rather than keep it in the knicker drawer or on the shelf to admire.
3) A witty, well-built web site with great soap eye-candy is an important key to selling your stuff.
4) I am a burned out course manual writer by former trade. I should be writing for my own profit. So long trashy novel. Hello again instructional manuals!

Be creative everyone!
'Destiny'