Back to the Nostalgia life. If you missed the first part of this interview get caught up HERE. Now, if you don’t mind, Elea and I are going to pick up where we left off…
Anne-Marie: Your packaging is adorable! How long did it take to perfect the look you were going for?
Elea: A long time! It took me well over two years to finish all the designs on the fabrics and papers that house the soap. From concept to completion, it generally takes about 2 months for me to design the packaging for each product. I have drawers full of sample bottles, jars, boxes, papers and just about every type of packaging you can think of – that I experiment with until I finally decided on the direction to take. But, I love designing and drawing and sketching out new ideas for the fabrics and prints – so that part never really feels like work. But, I’m my own worst critic so it does take me quite a long time. I also carefully consider packaging for its recycled or recyclable content or try to offer packaging that can be repurposed after the product is gone. So, it’s a slow, nail-biting process, but seeing the joy on people’s faces when they touch the little bows and giggle at the bluebirds – makes it all worthwhile.
Anne-Marie: Where do you find your inspiration? Elea: I draw inspiration from a lot of different sources, but most of it comes from my childhood and grandmother. I love the purity and wonder of childhood. And, somehow, for me, that directly correlates to offering wholesome, natural products. However, my grandmother is definitely the biggest source of my inspiration. She was just a really special lady that took time to consider even the tiniest detail – if she thought it would put a smile one someone’s face. For example, she would hand-embroider flowers and birds and things on my pillowcases because she knew I loved it. So in her spirit, I try to add happy little details like that in my collection. I’m also inspired by the color palettes and imagery from of my grandmother’s day.Anne-Marie: Tell us a little bit about yourself on a personal level. What do you like to do when you’re not making soap? Elea: I love spending time with my family and discovering new things with my 2-year-old son. We have our daily outings together that I really cherish. We walk to the park, journey to the zoo or play silly games like hide and seek. I also love traveling, watching a good movie or trying new restaurants with my husband. If I’m not doing any of that – I’m probably crafting something.
Anne-Marie: What’s your favorite Bramble Berry product and why?
Elea: Bramble Berry has so many wonderful products – that’s a tough choice. But, I love their awesome selection of organic essential oils and botanical extracts.
Anne-Marie: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Elea! Good luck with your business and keep us updated! We want to know the latest and greatest with Nostalgia!
If the packaging isn’t cute enough as is, the wrapper that comes around the soap is a set of instructions on how to reuse the bag. The instructions on my Sweet Orange Soap teaches me how to turn my cute bag into chicken shaped egg cozy. I haven’t attempted yet but I’ll let you know how it goes!
Beautiful and reusable packaging, very nice! It’s nice that you choose to make a difference and use organic essential oils in your soaps.
Wow! Maybe one day
we will have the privilege
of meeting elea!
I love her heart!
And we know all about her packaging quandaries and ideas! Glad to know that the process is like this for alot of us. But worthwhile in the end! The inside of the package is an unexpected, delightful and very wonderful idea I would never have thought of!
The packaging is adorable. Such attention to detail. Very cheerful. Good Luck and continued success!
Great interview! Elea seems so sweet and congratulations to her and her business! The packaging is amazing and I love that it can be repurposed! It looks like you put a lot of thought into your business and I wish you well Elea!
Cute packaging, well worth her efforts as it shows beautifully!!