There was a wonderful feeling of community and soaping harmony today in the back room of Besaws Restaurant in downtown Portland. Much thanks and praise goes to Kate Dixson of KatyKate products for organizing this fun outing.
The big winners of the day were:
Soapy Elephant for the most beautiful soap – her coffee soap is made with actual coffee, coffee grounds and coffee butter. I’m so lucky; she graciously let me have it to take back to Otion and showcase the soap proudly in one of our displays. She won an 18-bar Sunnybrook mold. Here she is with her winning soap, soap mold and Rebecca Harder from Sunnybrook Soap.
Rebecca and her husband Chris make the Birchwood divider molds. You can check out Michelle’s Soap Store, the Soapy Elephant here. She has some amazing bars of soap on her Etsy site.
Liz from Gassner Custom Soaps won for runner-up in the most beautiful soap. That’s her soap on the left (the moon one). Soapy Elephant’s winning Coffee Soap is up on top in the photo. Liz brought her adorable baby Aria! That’s baby Aria below, in the cutest outfit I’ve seen in a long time. I can feel my ovaries thudding their ticking time bomb beat right now, just looking at the photo.
Jenn from Redmond (PoppiesInJuly on the Soapdish forum) “won” for the Ugliest Soap but it was a tough call. There were some soaps only a mother could love on display.
It was all in good fun though. Don’t we all have soap that turned out dreadfully? Here is a close-up of her “winning” entry.
It was enlightening to listen to everyone’s take on their soap businesses. We had two full time soapers (Robin and Liz W) and many part-time crafters. Here’s a photo of part the group opening their Bramble Berry Schwag Bags with complete with Milky Way Soap Molds, 3-D Soap molds and ropes, Bramble Berry fragrances, Jojoba Beads, the new Bulk melt and pour and a soap rope.
Several soapers brought me gifts. I am thrilled with the hand knitted washcloth & soap combo from Trisha from the TeachSoap Forum, the Body Frosting Dead Sea Salt Scrub from Gassner Custom Soaps and a hand crocheted cupcake just for me! What a joyous surprise to be showered with gifts. Thank you!
This was such a fun, low-key event. Maybe next year we can do something a little more formal with speakers and demonstrations? Thank you everyone that came. It was a thrill to meet you all. I can’t wait for next year!
dcyrill says
It is always great when people of like minds and creativity get together. It makes me want to leave the east coast and travel west. Looks like fun ladies 🙂
~ Diana ~
http://www.sheabath.etsy.com
http://www.myspace.com/bbsoaps
SingingWolf says
You know, I have shelves full of soap at home…
But that bar of coffee soap finally got to me enought that I tracked down Soapy Elephant’s Etsy shop…
Which means I have to find the room to store more soap. (I already have about 9 different bars in the shower…)
Gonna get some real funny looks from the hubby when the order comes in. LOL
I
CountryMagik says
lysa, the Dish is The Soap Dish Forum where the whole luncheon idea got rolling and it snowballed from there.
The lunch was so much fun! And Anne-Marie is hands down one of the nicest, sweetest people I have ever met!
Lysa says
I had such a great time meeting so many talented women. I’ll let you know when I try my first CP experiment.
Many of you talked about the dish. What is that exactly? I think I forgot to ask.
Anne-Marie says
Trisha, you were such a doll to come to the luncheon. I love my soaps that you made me and the washcloth. =) Thank you again.
Trisha in Portland says
I had a great time at the lunch and was able to get lots of much needed information as I’m starting into the wide world of soaping. It was also great learning what brought people to soaping.
Anonymous says
Spokane would be a perfect place!
We have 2 Red Lions on the river front, and the views are stunning @night!
-Andrea-
Heather@Twin Birch says
That is a FUN and not-so-crazy idea!
I want to be the first to sign up once you get out here! Vermont is beautiful in the summer! (ok, the winters are great too, but we’re supposed to get another snow storm and we already have 5 feet on the ground!)
I’m dreaming!
in-between says
Thank you for a wonderful lunch and for gathering such a great group of women. It was a great time!
Mindi
Pajama Mama says
What a fun weekend!!!
J
Anne-Marie says
Heather, I know it’s an insane idea but I would totally love to buy a motor home and do a Soapers Unite! tour across the US. It would mean taking a full month or two off from BB and that sounds a little insane but dreams might come true, right?
Duane and Nancy, Idaho is coming up next. I’m only partially joking =) There’s gotta be a good handful of soapers over there, right??
sunshinemom says
What fun! The coffee soap looks great, bet it smells yummy. As for the ugly soap. It isn’t that bad. Looks a bit like peanut brittle. At least my peanut brittle, lol.
Joanna Schmidt says
Looks like a LOT of fun. I have found that the soaping community is so wildly friendly!
Duane and Nancy says
Very pretty coffee soap. I can see why it won. Congratulations!
squeekyclean.blogspot.com/
Heather@Twin Birch says
Just four little words… Please bring it East! So glad you all had fun! What gorgeous soaps and babies!
ShadesOfGrey says
Oh what fun you all had…I am so very envious!
SingingWolf says
Wish I could have made it…I have a batch that would have won ugliest soap for sure! *grin*
egassner says
Lol…yes she was pretty popular! And your hubby was so sweet talking with her and taking my package out to my car for me! 😀
I think a road trip to Bellingham is in order the summer to visit Otion!
Soapy Elephant says
What a fun time I had at the lunch saturday! Thank you to you and Rebecca for voting my soap The winning soap. It was great to finally meet you and to talk with other soapers. Again Thank you for the wonderful day! And Kudos to Kate for setting this meeting up!
Michele