Because you KNOW I can't resist them.  Okay, honestly, I needed to purchase some supplies to make Emu Healing Balm and if I'm going to pay shipping, I may as well pick up some scents, too - don't you agree?

So!  Here's what I have coming next week sometime...

Tonic -  A very appealing spa-ish scent.   Astringent, fresh and green with a sweet floral heart of geranium and rosemary.  Like the Clarins brand.  Unisex.

Malabar Peppercorn - A pungent, exotic blend with notes of Black Pepper, Elemi, Nutmeg, Ginger, Juniper Berries, Clary Sage, Sandalwood, Ylang Ylang, Cypress and Musk.  Masculine fragrance.

Mayan Gold - Exotic, sweet as honey, warm as the sun, this mesmerizing fragrance has a blend of spices, woods and fruits.  Unisex.

Blue Sugar - A masculine scent blending toasted caramelized sugar, woodsy Cedar, warm Tonka Bean, Patchouli, Licorice, French Lavender, Heliotrope, Coriander, Italian Bergamot, Mandarin, Star Anise and Fresh Ginger.

Zen Tea - A fragrance with notes of honey, sweet fresh tea, a little bit of floral, citrus and light woody notes. (I've made this before and sold out!  So now it'll be coming back!!) 

The other four batches are cut and curing and I hope to make a few more batches this week to share with you!

Soon to be sniffing bottles of fragrances,
Christy

YAY for making soap!

I currently have four batches in molds!

These first two are ready to cut this evening.  They are Satsuma Guava (pink) and Coconut Lime Verbena (green).  They're a little rough around the edges, but will be lovely once cut and trimmed.



Next up, Lavender (purple) and Southern Iced Tea (brown).  The lavender has ground up lavender buds in it and the southern iced tea really DOES smell like iced tea!  It'll be interesting to see how it smells as it cures.  These will be ready to cut tomorrow sometime.



I'm going to try to get two more batches made tonight or tomorrow morning.

YAY for soap!!

Christy

And I am THRILLED!  That means tomorrow I can probably make a batch or two of soap!  YAY! 

Here's what the wait was about -

First off, my new soap mold.  This is very similar to my other log mold, but the design is a bit different and I think I'll like this new one better.  May need to pick up another one at some point!




I also got a beveler/planer - which I have been looking at for a long time, but haven't been ready to get yet.  It will make smoothing the edges of bars much faster and more consistent.



And last, but DEFINITELY not least, the cutter.  This was the main thing I've been waiting on.  It will cut multiple bars of soap simultaneously and each will be of uniform thickness!  YAY for new cutters!  YAY for guitar strings!!  Let's hope it works



These items, along with my other dual log mold that is featured in this blog, were made by Paul of TOG Soap Molds.  I am planning to purchase new slab molds from him in the next couple of weeks, as well.

YAY for new equipment!!

Christy

Good news!  My equipment has finally shipped and should arrive by Monday!  That means by this time next week, I should be soaping!  WHOOHOO!

I still have a small stash of lye in my possession, but I will need to keep an eye out for it locally.  I can probably 6 batches made with what I have on hand.

I just ordered some supplies for bath salts and balms/salves.  I hope to get some of those made up very soon as well.

So my question for you is - What variety of soap shall I make first?

... yummy sounding fragrance oils!

Tonight I ordered the following fragrances to use in soap...

Southern Gentleman - a rugged cowboy, fresh from the shower, with a hint of cologne.  (I need another "manly" scent.)

Southern Iced Tea - fresh, clean scent of tea without any lemon or honey.  A homey and unisex scent.

Black Vetyver Coffee - a rich, sensual scent with deep, bitter essence of coffee bean, unique earthiness with middle notes of vetiver, incense, and sequoia.

Honey Nectar - a dupe of L'Occitane's "Honey & Propolis".  Soft delicate blend of sweet honey with hints of refreshing green notes.

Lavender - a beautiful lavender fragrance without any medicinal tones.  Very similar smell to lavender essential oil.  (I only have Lavender Fields in stock currently and it's not a straight lavender scent.)



I also placed an order for new business cards featuring the new logo!  See below (front & back) -




I'm getting my product list together and ordering supplies and packaging so that I can get back in business soon!  I think you'll like the new packaging. 


Dreamin' of Soaping,

Christy

I promised I'd be posting an announcement this week, and instead, I have TWO to make!

First of all, if you've visited the website in the past few hours, you've already noticed something different.  The new logo!  For those who've not yet seen it, here it is!





I've always loved dogwood trees.  We just planted two in the front yard of our new home.  As soon as they began to bloom, we noticed we have several of them growing wild in the woods around our house!  As I write, the native dogwoods are in full bloom.  They are just one of the reasons I love springtime in the South!  Pink dogwoods aren't native, but I think they are lovely and it just seemed fitting that I use one in the logo.  The dogwood is also the state flower of North Carolina (among several other states, as well!)

Earl, my husband, is to credit with the idea of the clawfoot tub.  It would have never crossed my mind to include!  I think it came out fabulous!  Thank you to Stacey of Doodle Media for designing it!

A new logo means new business cards and new labels to go along with the new packaging we are already working on.


Announcement #2!!

This summer folks around Lincoln County, NC will be able to buy my products on Saturdays from 7am to noon at the Lincolnton Farmers Market!  Click here for a map and info. 



I've just purchased a new log mold and a couple of other tools that will make life easier for me (okay, okay, they'll make cutting soap easier for me!)  Hopefully they'll be here within a couple of weeks.  At that point, I'll be posting pictures of new soap batches on the blog so you can get a sneak peak while they cure.

Keep an eye out for lip balms and other goodies, as I'm just about ready to get going on them again.



Hope you're enjoying spring as much as I am!!

Christy

Well, it's been a couple of months now, but we are finally getting settled in.  This week I was able to pull my soaping supplies out and begin to sort and organize them.  I had to toss a couple of my base oils, but pretty much everything else made the trip okay.  I still have at least one box I've not opened yet, because I haven't found my little lamb molds yet.


Behold the "Soap Cupboard"



Yes, yes.  That is LYE that you see on the top shelf.  Remember, you must use lye to create soap from scratch- and even glycerine soap contains soap that was initially created with lye.    And that's no lie... 

Sorry, I love doing the play on words thing.  LOL

No doubt you've read on my website about my initial terror of the stuff and how it took me like 7 years to overcome it.  Yes.  I am a scaredy cat.  But I overcame!  I treat it with the respect it deserves and it creates beautiful, gentle soaps for me.  It was worth the wait!  I love making soap!



See these?



These are some cool silicone molds I've picked up here and there in the past six months or so.  I'm looking forward to trying them.  The little heart ones on the upper left I intend to use to create little pieces of soap to inbed in my bars.  FUN!





These are some of my very yummy fragrance oils that are patiently waiting to be made into soap, body fragrances, and aroma beads.  Don't they look like they are being patient?  The Lemon Verbena did make an escape attempt today, but she was caught prior to landing on the floor.  She'll thank me later.

For the record, my supplies are not going to fit in this little cupboard.  I have to kick some kitchenware out of a cupboard or something because I have a 5 gallon bucket of coconut oil, those lamb molds, and a boatload of packaging and display items that need to find a home.  And 5 liters of olive oil will soon be joining the party.  Must.  Find.  Storage.

How are we liking North Carolina?  We LOVE it!  It appears that God knew just what He was doing when He gently led us in this direction.  The area we live in is beautiful.  Our neighborhood is lovely - homes tucked in among the trees.  I love that they left the trees.  (Of course, that is probably what sold us on the neighborhood in the first place...)  There's farmland all around, but I'm only a short drive to Charlotte.  And there's Chick-Fil-A and Bruster's Ice Cream.  What more can a girl ask for? 

Okay, I am going to miss my See's Candy, but I.  I will survive.  Particularly if my California friends will shower me with boxes of Nuts & Chews throughout the year... 

Now that I've made both of us hungry, I must go make dinner.

Stay tuned for an announcement in the next week or so!

Wantin' to soap soon!
Christy

We have a new mailing address!

Southern Suds
P.O. Box 143
Lincolnton, NC 28093-0143

We are still in boxes up to our heads, but we hope to be able to get to soaping in the next few weeks. 

Also, we'll be offering monogrammed and personalized embroidered slippers, robes, and amenity bags very soon.

Back to unpacking!
Christy