Have you ever wanted it to just be easier? For someone to pick out all the stuff you needed and point you to the correct resources so all you needed to do was create safe products and sell? That’s what we’ve done with our Business in a Box kit. It is literally everything you need to get started making 100 pounds (roughly 375/545 bars) of soap, learn the basics of safe soapmaking, get an overview on starting a craft business and even includes label templates that are designed with correct INCI labeling. These kits are unique in that they include our most popular Quick Mix oils. You don’t need to worry about designing a recipe that works. We’ve done the work for you (though, full disclosure, soapmaking is addicting and we’re betting that you’ll want to do more research in the future and create your personal idea of a ‘perfect’ recipe). All you need to do to start is read up on business and soapmaking to get the basics under your belt, get your state and city business license, explore insurance, make the soap using our easy and safe recipes, add your address to the labels, cure your soap and get out there and sell! When you buy this kit, even with all the start up costs of the molds, equipment etc… included, the soap comes out to just under $1.39 per bar (without your overhead costs like rent, energy and labor worked in).
Search Results for: in-the-pot swirl
A(nother) Big Announcement!
We’ve been full of big news lately, from finding out that we’re having a baby girl (eek!) to launching this year’s Bramble Berry Athletic Club, there’s been a lot of happy hustle and bustle and I couldn’t be more excited. But before you go thinking that’s all I’ve been busy with, there’s another big announcement…a secret I’ve been keeping for almost a year now:
I’m writing a book!!(!!!!!!!!!)
I’ve been working with the fabulous team at Storey Publishing on my new print book, Soap Crafting. It has been an amazing, mind-blowing, grueling, exciting experience so far (really, a little bit of everything). The book contains 31 Soap Queen designed and tested Cold Process soap recipes that I hope will knock your socks off. The book shows how to infuse natural colorants, how to dilute and work with LabColors, incorporate fun additives and even includes a glossary of soapmaking terms. Plus, for beginners, there is a ton of introductory information about making Cold Process soap, a basic beginner recipe AND a breakdown of common soap making oils. Whew!
The book is due to come out in August (three months after Bramble Girl is due to arrive if you’re keeping track!), which feels like such. a. long. time. But as the book comes together, I’ll be giving regular updates on its progress. [Read more…]
Crisp Anjou Pear Embed Tutorial
Summer is in full swing, and I’m loving anything bright and refreshing right now! Bramble Berry’s brand spankin’ new Crisp Anjou Pear Fragrance Oil really awakens the senses and the colors of this soap are perfect for that summery vibe. Done in two parts, I’m hopeful this project brings a smile to your face! PSST: I know something that will bring a smile to your face – our NEW silicone 5 pound log liner specially designed for the 5 pound Soap Queen log mold. It has saved us hours of lining molds in just the last month.
Buy everything you need for both parts of this project at the click of a button!
Part One/Day One: [Read more…]
SWI Recap Day 2 – MP, Lotions, Scrubs and Cupcakes
Day 2 of SWI brought all of our wonderful guest instructors together! We invited Debbie Chialtas of Soapylove to teach us some fun melt and pour projects, Erin Pikor of Naiad Soap Arts taught her awesome array of scrubs, and Jill Heuser gave us the low-down on lotions. Get ready for lots of photos! First, we started of with a little bit of this guy.
SO in love.
A perfect pick-me-up first thing in the morning, Debbie’s projects incorporated Bramble Berry’s neon pigments for a super cool, 1980’s vibe. She used the SoapyLove Checkered Heart Mold with two variations, a psychedelic splatter soap and a neon checkered soap! Then, the SoapyLove I Heart Soap Mold done in super bright neons put a fun twist on a classic sentiment.
Radical!
Selling Your Soap: More Wholesale Advice
We’ve been getting a bunch of questions recently on the Soap Queen Blog, Facebook Fan Page and in customer service requesting wholesale advice. It’s been so long (over a decade now!) since I’ve sold my soaps wholesale, I thought I would reach out to some of my successful soaping friends to share some current best practices and advice with the Soap Queen readers. Today’s wholesale guest blog is by Christy Rose of KBShimmer (and special guest on Soap Queen TV…twice)!
-Anne-Marie
Guest post by Christy Rose of KBShimmer
Wholesale opens new doors for anyone in business. It allows you to move a lot of product with minimal effort. Yes, you get less money than retail orders, but if you work smart, you can still make a lot of money. Before going after the accounts, being prepared is the key to success. To do that I encourage:
Soap Design and Color-Matching
Advanced Swirling part 3: Design and Color-Matching
Guest post by Kat from Otion (Bramble Berry’s retail store)
Hello again! This is part three of four in my Advanced Cold Process Swirling tutorial. If you missed the first half of the series, be sure to check out part 1 (Understanding Color Theory and Terminology) and 2 (Getting Brave with Color) to learn about color theory terms and how to build confidence with color. This is the final segment on color usage before we get into actual swirling techniques.
Getting Brave with Color
Advanced Swirling Part 2: Getting Brave with Color
Guest post by Kat from Otion (Bramble Berry’s retail store)
Welcome back to my four-part swirling tutorial! If you missed part one on Understanding Color Theory Terminology, make sure to check it out here.
I’d like to start out today’s topic by reiterating what my professors told me in painting classes that helped build my confidence with color and technique.
1. Don’t get too attached. This means a couple of things; don’t get too attached to a plan (expecting the swirls/colors to look a specific way) because it limits your spontaneity and creative flow. Allow things to happen. Also, don’t get too attached to the finished product or you will have a hard time trying new things, and you will most likely get stuck repeating yourself. Remember, what makes an interesting product line is variety.
Kim Blogs from the Soap Guild Conference!
Erik and Kat Get Swirly!
Wednesday, Erik and Kat from Otion stepped in as the Soap Queen at the annual Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild conference in Miami.
Kat did back-to-back sessions demonstrating in-the-pot and linear swirling techniques to eager soapers. Erik was her right-hand man.
Erik lugs equipment
Supplies for great swirls. Oxides, Micas, Fixed Oils and Fragrance Oils from Bramble Berry. Check out those skewers in the corner of the box. Tools of the trade!
Sneak Peak: KBShimmer on Soap Queen TV!
To end the busy weekend with a bang, yesterday we finished filming 2 premium episodes of Soap Queen TV with speical guest, Christy Rose from KBShimmer (swirling expert extraordinaire). I had a blast and the advanced soap recipes turned out gorgeous! Thank you SO MUCH for making the trip to Bellingham, Christy! You were a joy to work with!
Sunday’s Photo Album
We just went over our scripts and are about to start filming!
This is the “In the Pot Swirl” soap
Cutting the Energy soap.
That’s a wrap!
That’s a wrap!
Day 2: Interview with KBShimmer
If you missed the Day One interview with Christy Rose, Owner of KBShimmer, you can catch it here. Now, back to the interview…
Anne-Marie: Do you have employees? How do you get it all done?
Christy Rose: Right now, it is just me and my husband (when needed). We work well together. He is always there to label, package and help however I need him.
Anne-Marie: What are some of the things you outsource?
Christy Rose:Right now, nothing. We make everything down to the labels. It was important for me to have control over the look and feel of KBShimmer. So, for now, we do it all.
Anne-Marie: What’s your favorite ingredient to work with and why?
Christy Rose:Mica! Micas give my soaps such a shine and sparkle. The wide range of colors available, and the ability to mix easily, makes it a great choice to color my soaps.
Anne-Marie: How much practice do you think it took you to get the swirl that is so appealing in your soaps? Your multi-colored swirl is a serious piece of art.
Christy Rose: Thank you! I love color and I guess it shows in my work- LOL. When thinking about how I wanted my soaps to look, I knew that I loved the look of swirled soaps. There is something about delicate wisps of color throughout a bar that makes me happy. I tried layering using spoons to “swirl” the color. I tried pouring colors into my mold and mixing them. Neither attempt was what I was looking for. I then discovered “In-The-Pot Swirling”. I do this by pouring my colors into my pot with the base color soap before pouring the soap into my mold. This technique has helped me create the look I wanted. After dozens of batches, practicing with 1, 2 and 3 color swirls, I knew I could push myself and try for 6 colors. It was a nail bitter! I had to make sure that I used a fragrance that gave me time to work. I had to mix quickly to get everything thing into the mold, but I am very happy with the results.
Anne-Marie: Favorite Bramble Berry product?
Christy Rose: After your fragrance oils, hands down, LaBomb Colorants for my bomb bombs. They provide bold color, are easy to work with, and allow me to blend colors to my liking. I have tried other products, but now, will not make bath bombs without them!
Anne-Marie: Thanks for spending the time to fill us in on your fabulous and growing company. Your swirl soaps are out of this world and your Champagne Lip Balm is divine! Don’t forget to check out the KBShimmer Etsy store. This is Anne-Marie and KBShimmer signing off!
Spring Soap Swap Unboxing Video!
For the Spring 2016 Soap Swap, I decided to be a participant. This meant ten random soapers received one of my soaps, and I received ten different bars from soapers around the country. If you’d like more information regarding the Soap Swap, check out this blog post to read the details. Want to participate in a future swap? We will be hosting another one later this year! Be sure to sign up for our newsletter; the date of the next signup will be announced about a week in advance for newsletter subscribers only.
Here are all ten soaps I received in my box, they are so beautiful!
I was blown away by all ten bars in my box! They are so unique and really show off the talent of the soapmaking community. I love how each bar is so different given that all soapmakers have access to the same set of ingredients. Granted; it’s a pretty big set of ingredients but still, it’s awesome to see what everyone does with similar ingredients. Watch the videos below to see the live unboxing of my Soap Swap package. I included both the video on UStream below. I can’t wait to use each bar. They all look and smell amazing. Thank you to everybody who participated in the swap and took so much time and effort to create beautiful bars for their fellow soapmakers. I hope everybody who participated had lots of fun. =)
Facebook Photo of the Week (Jan. 3rd ~ Jan. 9th)
Tutorials were definitely the focus for the week. With everything from lotion to salad, hopefully you have some crafty inspiration for 2015! Skin-loving clays can be used in a wide variety of tutorials. They add a gorgeous natural color to your soap or some gentle exfoliation to scrubs. For more information and several tutorials using the ingredient, click through the Clay Recipe Roundup.
Misty Maritime Moon Cold Process
Trying new soap techniques keeps the craft interesting, fresh and fun! This Misty Maritime Moon soap was created for the Negative Space Embed Challenge via Great Cakes Soapworks in August. The negative space embed technique involves cutting holes into the base of soap and later filling the holes with fresh soap.
Created with a fresh combination of Pineapple Cilantro, Orange Peel Cybilla and Ocean Rain Fragrance Oils, this soap smells crisp and bright. Orange Peel is used to give both color and texture to the embeds, while titanium dioxide provides contrast. The dual blue tones are made using the Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool, but cardboard can also be used as shown in the Mantra Swirl tutorial. Thanks for all the great name suggestions for this soap via Facebook, they were so much fun to read!
This technique is so exciting because of all the possibilities of shapes you can create. You aren’t limited by the embedding molds you own. Taking a walk through the hardware store opens up all kinds of new possibilities. Having more control over the design is another benefit. Six color rainbow faux-funnel pour coming up next!
Sunday Night Spotlight: Sodium Lactate
The hardest part of making soap is often waiting to unmold it to see the finished product. Luckily, there is an easy way to cut down the wait time. Sodium lactate is a liquid salt that can be added to cooled lye water in order to speed up unmolding time. Using sodium lactate produces harder, longer-lasting bars of cold process soap.
Derived from the natural fermentation of sugars found in corn and beets, sodium lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid. Naturally a liquid product, sodium lactate is also available in powder form. Sodium lactate is commonly used in food products as a preservative. It’s also an extremely effective humectant, helping to strengthen the skin moisture barrier.
[Read more…]